Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones was named No. 1 on the FT.
WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM's inaugural list of the 20 most
influential people in sports in the Ft. Worth-Dallas area,
according to Mike Fisher of the STAR-TELEGRAM. Jones: "I'm
flattered, but the authority I have is really a product of
the Dallas Cowboys franchise being influential, respected,
powerful, if you will. But certainly, being in the position
this job offers -- a job that is serving as the overseer of
the Dallas Cowboys -- is a position that comes with power
and influence." Fisher called the list "an effort to
highlight sports people who consider their home turf to be
Fort Worth-Dallas or have their sphere of influence extend
to the area" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/20).
THE LIST: The 20 most influential sports people in Ft.
Worth-Dallas area: 1) Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones; 2) Mavs
Owner Ross Perot Jr; 3) Sprinter Michael Johnson; 4)
Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith; 5) MLB Rangers
Partners Richard Rainwater, Rusty Rose and Tom Schieffer; 6)
Stars Owner Tom Hicks; 7) Cowboys QB Troy Aikman; 8) Chiefs
Owner Lamar Hunt; 9) Big 12 Commissioner Steve Hatchell; 10)
Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith; 11) Mavs GM Don Nelson; 12) Roger
Staubach; 12) Nolan Ryan; 14) Cowboys DB/WR Deion Sanders;
15) Dallas City Manager John Ware; 16) Mavs CEO Terdema
Ussery; 17) Cowboys WR Michael Irvin; 18) Golfer Byron
Nelson; 19) Stars C Mike Modano; 20) Rangers C Ivan
Rodriguez (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/19).
REPUTATION REHABILITATION: Jones called improving the
reputation of the Cowboys franchise "our primary focus.
I've got enough sense to know we needed to address these
areas for our fans and for our corporate associations" (FT.
WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 7/20).
