Wednesday, November 14, 2001

Sports Breifs

Cowboys’ owner starts 20th arena football team

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and his family launched another team Tuesday — the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.

Jerry Jones Jr. is president and general manager and Cowboys’ special teams coach Joe Avezzano is head coach. The Desperados, the 20th AFL team, are scheduled to begin play in April.

“The AFL plays a fast-paced, exciting style of football that’s entertaining and very contemporary,” Jerry Jones Jr. said. “It’s a game that has taken off in cities across America and has developed the fastest growing fan-base of any of the major sports. We knew we had to be a part of that kind of excitement.”

A contest was used to adopt the team name.

“People love the ’D/D’ alliteration,” said Shy Anderson, chief operating officer of the AFL. “And they like the rugged, positive images that ‘Desperados’ conjures up, like the Lone Ranger and Butch Cassidy.”