In a 1984 interview with the New York Times, Trump talked about why he didn’t buy the Cowboys: OK, fair enough. At the time, Trump just didn’t see the opportunity that owning the Dallas Cowboys presented. But he had more to say about it, specifically about the poor sap who got saddled with the franchise: Donald Trump went on to buy the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. He is largely credited with destroying the USFL. Bum Bright bought the then beleaguered Dallas Cowboys in 1984. In 1989, he sold the team to Jerry Jones for $140 million plus $10 million for deferred salaries. The Dallas Cowboys are still owned by Jerry Jones. The Cowboys are the most valuable sports franchise in the world. The team is worth $4.2 billion. Last year, the 32 teams in the NFL split $7.8 billion in revenue AND each team will earn an additional $55 million in relocation fees related to the Chargers and Rams moving. Jerry Jones won three Super Bowls in his first seven years as an owner. He helped push the revenue from the NFL’s TV package to $7 billion per year. He was a key figure in the latest collective bargaining agreement with the players. He also played an integral role in determining the specifics of the Rams relocation to Los Angeles. Jones transformed the Cowboys from a franchise that was bleeding money into the most valuable sports team in the world by far. Next month, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.
