Cowboys owner Jerry Jones thinks highly of his team.
In an interview with Cheddar last week, Jones credited quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott for getting thousands of millennials into the NFL and the Cowboys. By the sound of it, Jones has figured out the million-dollar question: How should the NFL get millennials to pay attention to football instead of Snapface.
From the interview:
Q: "Cheddar focuses on millennials. And you've been great over the last few decades. But when you look at the next decades, what's next for the Dallas Cowboys, what's next for the NFL?"
A: "I saw what the millennials did when Zeke Elliott and Dak Prescott hit the field. All of a sudden, millennials by the thousands started getting interested in the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys. And watching it in even a more traditional way. So, it's always been about that, it's been about the excitement of the players. You enthuse millennials and they get excited about our game. And we should never forget that: It's about the game."
Here's the video:
We talked with @dallascowboys owner and @NFL legend Jerry Jones, who gave us his thoughts on the future of the league. #CheddarLIVEpic.twitter.com/4NszJ7ZVzt
— Cheddar (@cheddar) May 25, 2017
In 2016, (the NFL's leading rusher) Elliott and (Offensive Rookie of the Years winner) Prescott led the Cowboys to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC. The duo also set new record for NFL merchandise sales, becoming the first rookies to in NFL Players Association history to lead the league in sales.
But let's not create them into God-like figures who single-handedly made an entire generation of people tune into football. Remember, the NFL's TV ratings actually dropped in 2016. That's not Dak and Zeke's fault, just like how they're not the ones responsible for thousands of younger people becoming interested in the game.
Anyway, Jones' broader point makes sense. There are other factors at play, of course -- player safety, too many penalties, strict celebration rules, etc. -- but good players lead to a better product, which should lead to more fans becoming interested in the game. Just don't give two players all the credit for that.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go eat some avocado toast and in the process, wipe away my chances at owning a home.