Chris Jones’ parable about a father’s watch seems to be about negotiations with Chiefs
A deadline that had been weeks away is now just hours from arriving.
Defensive lineman Chris Jones, who was given the franchise tag in March, has until 3 p.m. Wednesday to sign a long-term contract with the Chiefs or he can’t get more than a one-year deal until after the 2020 season.
No one knows how the talks are going, but Jones shared an oft-shared parable on Twitter that seems ominous. It’s about a message from a dying father to his son. Asked to sell the father’s 200-year-old watch, the son gets an offer of $5 from a watchmaker and a coffee-shop owner.
The father instructs the son to take the watch to the museum, which offers $1 million for the antique timepiece.
Here is what Boyd Matheson of the Desert News wrote last year about the father’s message to the son: “I wanted you to experience for yourself that the right place, and the right people, will value your value in the right way. Never put yourself in the wrong place, with the wrong people, and then get angry when you don’t feel valued. Don’t stay in a place, or with people, that don’t value your value. Know your worth and while being confident in your own value look for the value and the potential worth of others.”
Like many stories that spread on the Internet, this one has been modified as it’s been shared.
Jones’ version put this tweak on what the father said: “don’t put yourself in the wrong place and get angry if you get treated like trash. Those who know your value are the ones who appreciate you, don’t ever stay in a place that doesn’t suit you.”
Jones’ post ended with this message: Know your worth.
It simply could be an amazing coincidence that Jones, 26, felt like sharing that tale of being appreciated days before the deadline to get a long-term deal with the Chiefs.
UPDATE: Perhaps the post was about the Chiefs, but in a good way. Jones agreed to a contract extension with the Chiefs on Tuesday and the financial details show the team appreciates him.
The fans and his teammates do as well.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 9:27 AM.
