During the Cowboys first pre-season game at the new 1.2 billion dollar Jerry Jones stadium, a punt careened off the bottom of the giant videoboard hanging over the field. Last week I had a chance to tour the stadium, and I must admit, I didn’t understand how a good, solid punt wouldn’t ram the bottom of the thing
A lot has been written in the preceeding days about this embarrasing event. You can check out some articles from the Star-Telegram, Morning News, and ESPN.
Much of the response has lambasted Jerry for his extravagance and berated the NFL for allowing the board to be placed so low.
Jerry and the Cowboys have reached an important juncture in the opening of their new stadium. A flaw has been revealed that could effect the outcome of games. Imagine the scoreboard impacting the 2012 SuperBowl!
The issue is not that whether or not the board is too low, the question is one of Jerry’s leadership. How will he handle the matter so that the bread-and-butter of the NFL (the fan) is entertained without sacrificing the integrity of the game?
Frankly, similar situations are faced by leaders everyday. Leaders must not get bogged down in the illusion of the problem. There is always a deeper problem that requires a more thoughtful response.