UGLY AMERICA'S TEAM

IT'S BIG DADDY!" WITH THAT PROnouncement, applause filled the Stadium Club overlooking one end zone of Texas Stadium. An hour after his big-D Dallas Cowboys had little-d demolished the Green Bay Packers 38-27 in the N.F.C. championship game, owner Jerry Jones walked into the room to the acclaim he so richly deserved, or paid for, depending on your point of view. "You did it, Big Daddy!" said a cowboy-booted courtier. Actually, Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and the other boys did it, but with the team about to win a third Super Bowl in four years, it's hard not to credit Jones, especially with that huge Nike symbol hanging from the cables above the field.

The symbol is known as a swoosh, but it could also be interpreted as a smirk. Like the one on the face of Jones, who has countersued the N.F.L. for $750 million after the league sued him for $300 million for selling the Cowboy name to companies like Nike. Or the smirk on the face of coach Barry Switzer, who can laugh at those who called him a buffoon, now that the Cowboys are favored by two touchdowns to beat their traditional rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in Super Bowl XXX, Jan. 28 in Tempe, Ariz. Or the smirk on the face of wide receiver Irvin, whose in-game dancing and postgame cursing took something away from his heroics, and defensive back Deion Sanders, whose declarations of love for the Cowboys are somewhat mitigated by the $35 million Jones will pay him over the next seven years. Or even the smirk on the face of the Dallas supermarket supervisor who fired an employee the other day for wearing a Packer shirt to work. The Dallas Cowboys have, like it or not, become Ugly America's Team.

That is a shame because they really are beautiful to watch: Aikman, who may be an even better big-game quarterback than Joe Montana; Smith, whose 150 yds. (on a Herculean 35 carries) against the Packers gave him a record-tying sixth postseason game with 100 yds. or more rushing; Irvin, who laughed at Green Bay's single coverage with seven receptions for 100 yds. and two touchdowns. And say what you will about Sanders, he's a blast when he gets his hands on the ball via interception, reception, reverse, return, whatever.

But then they go and spoil it all by saying something stupid or arrogant or hypocritical. After literally swearing his allegiance to Switzer on national television, Irvin then declared, "We're going home. Last year we rented out the Super Bowl [to the 49ers], and now we're going back to see if they cleaned up after themselves." Privately, the Cowboys have expressed more concern than confidence in the game-management skills of Switzer. Yet to hear them talk after Sunday's game, Switzer is a sort of laissez-faire savant. "Nobody deserves this more than Barry," said Irvin. "He did a great thing and let his coaches coach."

Jones brought his old bud Switzer, the former Oklahoma coach, out of a five-year retirement two years ago to replace Jimmy Johnson, who had led the Cowboys to wins in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, only to tire of Jones' meddling. The real hero in the changeover, though, has been Aikman, who has stood behind Switzer even though it must strike him as ironic that he is playing for the man who not only kept him on the bench at Oklahoma but also licensed the athletic-dorm mayhem that ultimately forced Aikman to transfer to UCLA.