So what does it mean for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to declare that he won’t sue over the Roger Goodell contract extension but nevertheless won’t be abandoning the fight?
The smart (that leaves me out) interpretation is that Jones has retreated, with an intention to eventually declare victory.
The declaration of victory is expected in connection with the upcoming ownership meeting, set for December 13 in Dallas. It’s expected that Jones will arrive at the session with something up his sleeve, and that he’ll emerge with a claim that he got exactly what he wanted all along.
It’s still unclear what he specifically wants. Most recently, he suggested a desire to essentially dissolve the Compensation Committee and make the Commissioner accountable directly to all owners. In the end, chances are that whatever he gets will end up being precisely what he desired all along.
Common sense suggests that the swift change in his approach reflects an acknowledgement that his partners were serious about their intention to take action against him for conduct detrimental to the league, even if he insists that he was acting in the league’s best interests all along.