This is gonna be a big deal. Another big deal. In a league that now has an awful lot of big deals pending.
True, we don’t know all the facts surrounding the $2.4 million settlement the Cowboys paid to make voyeurism allegations go away. But what we do know is disturbing enough. Longtime (and now recently retired) Cowboys Vice President of Communications and Public Relations Rich Dalrymple was in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders dressing room as the cheerleaders were changing clothes during a team event at AT&T Stadium in 2015. He gained access using his team security entrance card. A group of cheerleaders later said Dalrymple was clearly watching them. A few went on to allege he pointed his cellphone at them as they changed clothes.
Dalrymple says he entered the cheerleaders’ dressing room to use the restroom. Reportedly, there was a men’s room 20 feet away.
Dalrymple categorically denies he was in the dressing room to watch the cheerleaders. He flatly denies he used his phone to take pictures or video of the women.
He also now has had to deny a separate claim that he pointed a cell phone up the skirt of Cowboys executive Charlotte Jones while in the “war room” as the team conducted its 2015 player draft. Yeah, Jones. You know, Jerry’s daughter.
Hmmm. 2015. That’s a long time ago. But Dalrymple retired just a little more than two weeks ago. He retired when the Cowboys got wind that ESPN was going to publish an expose about the allegations and the subsequent. ESPN did just that Wednesday afternoon. The reporting is extensive and well-sourced. It does not paint a pretty picture.
Dalrymple had been with the Cowboys for more than three decades. He thanked the Cowboys in his retirement statement.
The Cowboys did not thank him back. And in fact, there was no mention of Dalrymple’s retirement on the team’s website.
After coming forward with complaints, four of the cheerleaders eventually each received $400,000 to stay quiet, with the remainder of the $2.4 million going to three law firms.
Why wasn’t Dalrymple immediately fired back in 2015? Because the Cowboys were almost as afraid of him as they were of the cheerleaders. Nothing mattered except keeping this under wraps. Firing Dalrymple would have raised red flags and would have run the risk that Dalrymple would file a wrongful termination suit.
So yeah. This is a big deal. Another big deal. Allegations of racist head coach hiring practices. Allegations of at least one owner offering to pay a head coach $100,000 for each game his team LOST, so as to enhance the club’s drafting position. Some evidence that the league has covered up—or at least been less than transparent—about the years of organizational rot and hostile work environment in Washington.
And now this.
Did the Jolly Roger know about this? Was there any kind of NFL investigation?
If the league is going to bounce Dan Snyder, is Jerry Jones in any kind of jeopardy?
We don’t know all the facts here. But what we do know is alarming.
And what we now do know was covered up.
It appears the Cowboys and Commanders may share a “division” other than the NFC East.
