BE.BREAKING NEWS: MR. JERRY JONES VISITS CONNIE WATT’S FUNERAL: ACT OF COMMEMORATION OR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY?
Dallas, TX — Yesterday at a funeral home in SouthDallas, Jerry Jones — owner and CEO of the Dallas Cowboys — appeared at a memorial service for Connie Watt, who recently passed away after a long illness. Jones’s surprise appearance immediately attracted the attention of the media and fans, raising the question: was this just a humanitarian act, or was it a strategic recruiting purpose?
A memorial — because…
Mr. Jones’s personal attendance at the funeral shows respect for the family and the football community, especially if he and the Watt family had a long-standing personal or professional relationship.
In the professional football environment, attending personal events like funerals is often seen as a way for teams and leaders to demonstrate humanism in social activities — helping to build an image of “a team that is more than just a field.”
Images of Mr. Jones standing quietly by the casket, shaking hands and offering condolences to Ms. Watt’s relatives were captured and quickly spread on social media, showing the “human” side of a powerful figure in the NFL.
A recruiting strategy — maybe or not?
If Ms. ConnieWatt is an influential person — say, the mother, aunt, or relative of a player who is a target or already prominent — then Mr. Jones’s presence could be seen as a “goodwill-building” move with the player’s family.
In American football, off-field connections play a big role in convincing players to sign contracts. Being present at such a personal event could send the message: “We care about your family, not just you as a player.”
Conversely, without any clear recruiting connection between Ms. Watt (or her family) and the Cowboys or Mr. Jones, the “recruiting strategy” interpretation may be seen as subjective or exaggerated.
Verdict
Based on the context and the factors in question:
If viewed purely on the visual and emotional level, Mr. Jones’s actions are likely to be a sincere act of commemoration — a show of empathy and social responsibility.
However, in a professional sports environment where every action is scrutinized, it is impossible to rule out the possibility that there is a recruiting strategy behind it — or at least an “opening” of future relationships.
So it is likely to be both a humane gesture and (indirectly) a networking and recruiting goal.
