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Dear Jerry Jones: Please Stop Comparing People You Know to Nelson Mandela

Jerry Jones just compared Jason Witten to Nelson Mandela. Previously, he saw similarities between Madiba and Chris Freaking Christie.
Photo by Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has demonstrated some rather questionable habits over the years. Most sports fans know about his penchant for groping women; less discussed is his tendency to compare people he likes to the late Nelson Mandela. Jones met Mandela when the former South African president visited Texas Stadium in 1999 to take in a Dallas-Washington game, and Madiba has become the go-to measuring stick whenever the Cowboys owner talks about an inspiring moment.

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The latest Mandela comp came during an interview Tuesday morning on 105.3 The Fan, when he likened longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten to the African National Congress leader.

Jerry Jones started to compare Jason Witten to Nelson Mandela on @1053thefan….
— Charean Williams (@NFLCharean) November 1, 2016

NFL reporter Charean Williams, who listened to the interview, went on to clarify: "[Jones] was talking about highlight locker room moments but he got lost in comparison for a moment."

That is pretty damn far lost. Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for equality in his home country, was imprisoned for 27 years by the vicious apartheid government, and emerged as the first president in South African history elected by a fully representative democratic election. Jason Witten is good at catching passes. Playing for the Cowboys the past decade could certainly be construed as a form of punishment, but it isn't quite the same as the notorious prison Robben Island.

Believe it or not, this isn't even close to the worst Mandela comparison Jerry Jones has ever made; back in 2015, he invoked Mandela's name when discussing New Jersey governor Chris Christie. That's low. I never met the man personally, but something tells me Nelson Mandela would never shill for Donald Trump.

Is this just a weird personality tic, something that comes out whenever Jones is excited? One can imagine him walking around Cowboys headquarters saying things like, "Damn, I was so hungry last night, when the pizza delivery guy finally showed up he reminded me of Nelson Mandela. I still didn't tip him though, YEEEEE-HAW!"

Please stop doing this, Jerry Jones. You were fortunate enough to have met one of the greatest figures of the 20th century. Perhaps it's time to place your memories of Nelson Mandela on a slightly higher pedestal.