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Friday, June 6, 1997

Jones doing his best to be diplomatic on Irvin

By Randy Galloway

The Dallas Morning News

(KRT)

DALLAS - Regardless of what his latest scam is all about, Michael Irvin should keep the eyeglasses. Such a preppish look. Such a nice blend with the kinder, gentler, sadder image Irvin suddenly is peddling.

A year ago, the arrogant and angry Michael was wandering courthouse halls in a Super Fly outfit. But upon resurfacing this week, Irvin was dressed like Calvin Klein and spoke like Gandhi. The only thing missing at his news conference was some sitar mood music.

The man is an actor, and a good one. Unfortunately for the Dallas Cowboys, however, Irvin also is a football player. One of the best they have. A player they can't be without, on the field and in the salary-cap equation.

Irvin's latest acting role is funny, particularly if you consider there are people actually believing his "poor me" script. But, of course, this act goes beyond just the small, weird, self-centered world of Michael.

Irvin is again impacting, nationally and locally, a football team and a franchise.

Will he play again? Do strippers strip? Absolutely, he will.

But one ugly kicker for the Cowboys involves Irvin jumping in the middle of the Erik Williams slander lawsuit. I have yet to talk to anyone at Valley Ranch who doesn't shake his head in disgust at the thought of what's going to happen when Irvin and Williams have to testify under oath - and no, the concern is not what's going to happen to Irvin and Williams. They are asking for humiliation, and they shall receive.

On the other hand, Jerry Jones has gone to great lengths lately in attempting to clean up franchise humiliation caused to a great extent by Irvin and Williams. So in the courtroom, here will come a "White House" roll call and assorted topless-dancer friends. The dirt again will be thrown out there for public consumption.

And one side issue: How long will Irvin play the role of being under "mental duress" because of what he says - and the lawsuit says - was unfair treatment by the cops and a local television reporter?

If the lawsuit is won, the monetary settlement would be higher if a man isn't working because of "mental duress." But what if the case doesn't go to court until September? Does Irvin sit around and mope until then, meaning no football? Don't know, don't care.

But obviously Jones does. He's trying to be as diplomatic as possible. He wants Irvin back, but in the case of Irvin and Williams, Jones privately has to be wondering if he doesn't have a one-sided friendship with these two.

Jones repeatedly has laid his butt on the line for both, and repeatedly has come away with a P.R. beating because of it. Sure, Jones had selfish motives to a certain degree - football motives. But he still came to their rescue and defense.

And now Irvin and Williams are involved in a lawsuit that can nullify Jones' No. 1 off-season project - putting the past behind and cleaning up the Cowboys' image.

"It is very regrettable," Jones said. "To continue to contribute to a forum we are working very hard to eliminate is a real negative for our organization and our football team. It also is very ill-advised."

Jones is not exactly a fan of one Peter Ginsberg, the Washington-based attorney hired first by Williams, now by Irvin.

"I understand why he (Ginsberg) is getting in the middle of this," Jones said. "This is his ticket to fame and fortune if he can capitalize on the visibility.

"Here's someone who can be involved in a high-dollar case in New York City, win it, and few will notice. One news conference involving a member of the Dallas Cowboys, however, and he gets more visibility than he's had in his whole professional life.

"It's obvious what he's in this for."

Then again, Ginsberg never would have left the Beltway if he hadn't had two willing clients.

"You know what that proves?" asked Jones. "That we need to work that much harder to eliminate these incidents that lead to this."

Asked if Irvin and Williams didn't owe him more personal respect than this, Jones paused for several seconds before answering.

"I'm disappointed," he said. "This is not showing the kind of sensitivity I know Michael to have. Just him not being in camp (the two quarterback schools), not being a part of this team when we need him, I regret that.

"Michael is working hard to eliminate some of his problems. I know that. I know he will play. I just regret we have to go through all this. We don't need this, and I think Michael knows that."

But above all else, Irvin can act. Just how much longer he will continue to play the fool is anyone's guess.

(Randy Galloway is a sports columnist for the Dallas Morning News. Write to him at: Dallas Morning News, Communications Center, Dallas, Texas 75265.)

(c) 1997, The Dallas Morning News.

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