On Monday, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be testifying under oath in front of Roger Goodell.
The hearing will determine the NFL’s final ruling on the $2 million the league’s owners want Jones to reimburse for legal fees involved in two lawsuits — the Ezekiel Elliott suspension and Jones’ attempt to keep Goodell from landing a lucrative extension.
On Saturday at the combine, Jones said he is looking forward to the proceedings.
“A hearing before the Commissioner is like a courtroom,” Jones said, via the Dallas Morning News. “You separate the wheat from the chaff, and you get right into the facts as they are, and I welcome that.
“Looking forward to my time with him regarding both the issues of how we were involved or not involved in the Ezekiel Elliott issue as well as the issue of what we did or didn’t do relative to his contract negotiation. Those will be the subject areas, but the key thing is it’s really factual . . . you . . . address the facts. I know he wants to know that, and I want him to know what the facts are.”
Unfortunately, facts haven’t mattered all that much where the NFL is concerned in the past. Consider the league’s suspensions of Tom Brady and Elliott in recent years. In both cases, the “evidence” to support those suspensions was, at best, circumstantial and light.
Of further import to this particular case is the fact that Goodell will likely have the other 31 owners on his side. They didn’t appreciate Jones’ actions against them when it was time to extend the contract of the commissioner, leading to some speculation that Jones might be forced to sell the Cowboys.
Furthermore, Goodell has been known to stick to his guns in past hearings where he presided, and it seems highly unlikely he’s going to change his mind this time around, either. Chances are, there will be more legal fees piling up, because if Jones loses this hearing the entire issue will likely end up in court.