OXNARD, Calif. — You just never know where a Jerry Jones press conference will take you.
And the Super Bowl of those wild rides usually happens before the season begins, at the start of training camp, in the cool ocean breezes of Oxnard, California.
That's where Jones found himself 10 years ago, on July 29, 2012, as he sat at a podium, sporting a white Cowboys polo and cap.
He was outlining his expectations for the seasons, his wants for a Cowboys team coming off an 8-8 year under Jason Garrett.
Tony Romo was back under center at quarterback. DeMarco Murray was returning from a strong rookie season. Jason Witten was a perennial Pro Bowler.
Expectations were high, at least for Jones.
He wanted a championship.
He wanted, well, we'll let you hear it from him:
"For me, it's a reminder," Jones said. "I, too, have been here 23 years. And it is a reminder I've been here when it was glory hole days, and I've been here when it wasn't. And so, having said that, I want me some glory hole."
Jones, seemingly unaware of a certain connotation that phrase held, reacted to the media's laughter with a smirk.
"So I have that perspective," Jones said.
Rich Dalrymple, the Cowboys' former spokesman, clarified what Jones meant, according to an ESPN report at the time. Jones, when referencing "glory hole," was talking about the term commonly used in the oil industry. Jones made his fortune as an oil wildcatter before purchasing the Cowboys in 1989.
Jones' choice of words, not surprisingly, drew plenty of attention and more than a few laughs.
Did he get his wish?
Not exactly.
The 2012 Cowboys went 8-8.
