Norm MacDonald once trolled Jerry Jones about Cowboys’ secret of dominance in '90s - “Strippers and Crack”
Jerry Jones purchased the Dallas Cowboys franchise during the 1989 NFL offseason. He quickly found massive success with his team, winning three Super Bowl rings in his first six years as the owner. His Cowboys of the 1990s are considered one of the most dominant dynasties in NFL history.
Unfortunately for Jerry Jones, his relative success ended after that reign. Not only have the Cowboys failed to win another Super Bowl ring since then, but they haven't even appeared in another NFC Conference Championship game. Despite his best efforts, Jones has been unable to return the Cowboys to the glory days of his early years as the owner.
During the 1998 ESPY Award ceremony, Norm MacDonald hosted the event and gave the usual comedic opening monologue. As a part of his hilarious routine, he poked fun at Jerry Jones and the Cowboys' struggles over the last few years back then.
Here's what Norm MacDonald had to say about the situation:
"I was talking to Jerry Jones, you know the Cowboys owner, and he's disappointed obviously. He's a good guy though and he's talking about rebuilding the team. And he told me, he says, 'We have to get back to what made us a championship team, strippers and crack.' "
While Norm MacDonald was clearly telling a joke and not actually quoting Jerry Jones, there's some truth to his punchline. Michael Irvin has admitted in recent years that the team had an extreme party house that the players would often go to after practices and games. Apparently, it was often filled with drugs and women, among much more.
It's unlikely this was the real secret to the Cowboys' success. They were instead loaded with one of the most talented rosters in NFL history, partially credited to Jones' polarizing trade of Herschel Walker when he first bought the team. The move was initially criticized, but it eventually helped him build the dynasty that won three rings.
What did Jerry Jones receive for Cowboys in Herschel Walker trade?
The Herschel Walker trade is one of the most insane deals in NFL history, considering what the Dallas Cowboys received in return for the superstar running back. The trade was so epic that it's now referred to as "The Great Train Robbery" for what Jerry Jones turned his haul into. It featured the largest swap of picks and players in any single trade in NFL history.
The Cowboys sent Walker and five mid-to-late round NFL draft picks to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for five players and eight picks, including three each in the first and second rounds. Among the many building blocks the Cowboys added with the extra draft picks were Emmitt Smith and Darren Woodson, two of the greatest players in franchise history.