"On paper, they should win a Super Bowl, but looking at it, there's a lack of dedication, a lack of accountability," Renfro said. "They act like spoiled rotten kids. I'm sure some guys do give their all, but you can't play with a couple of guys. You've got to play as a team."Ugh. I don't know about wins, but the Cowboys will certainly keep ESPN in the black.
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I saw that TO story a few days ago and just shook my head.
I always hated the Cowboys growing up in the 90s because they were America's team and everybody was on that bandwagon. And they beat up on the Bills and I really liked Thurman Thomas. But them imploding like this is beyond anything I could've ever dreamed.
The verdict is in: TO destroys ballclubs. From the inside-out. And since Jerry Jones will never admit to being wrong about anything, rather than expunging the disease he will cling to the contagion for at least another season.
Can't wait to watch it all unfold. Who says it's the No Fun League?
The Cowboys' prob is organizational. Their owner gets in the way, and it began by driving out the only great coach (ok Tuna was also a great coach but not in Dallas) he ever had and sticking his nose in personnel issues that creates problems with the coaches he selects, undercutting them. Jerry Jones suffers from being a cross between Al Davis, George Steinbrenner, and Mark Cuban. He is fatally attracted to being the center of the team's attention. On the other hand, Jones' desire for flavor is why so many people are attracted to their big stars. Still, if I had to choose, I'd take Emmitt seven days a week over Michael Irvin, and as a team player while being a personality Deion over TO, albeit TO is often unfairly picked on and played by the media.
Why shouldn't Michael Irvin do a reality show? He's a bit of a ham, it's money in his pocket, etc.
Now TO is a different story - he's paid for his work on the field, doesn't need the distractions.
Now, Marty Bennett MIGHT be able to do some studio work, without it impinging on his practices, though I doubt it.
No excuse for T.O. though.
Definitely true, but I don't think this is the core of the problem. Lots of teams have owners that bigfoot the coaching staff when it comes to the roster. But they manage.
Now if you want to talk about a team with a truly dysfunctional and useless front-office then bring up the Lions. But I continue to the think that the root problem with Cowboys rests with one man: TO. He poison clubs, always has, always will. You can practically set your watch by it. He's like a piece of rotten fruit at the bottom of a barrel. If you don't it out, soon all the rest will turn bad and the scene will start to smell like shit.
"Where have gone, Roger Staubach-o? A lonely nation turns its eyes to you. Woo woo woo."
I have said before that the problem with both the Cowboys and the Skins (which I am a fan) is the unrelenting pursue of celebs--meaning focusing of the dollar--than perfecting the hardwork of stimulating their fan base by winning games. I am glad T.O is showing them that he needs to cash in too.
Please people, it is called CAPITALIST NATION. By the way, layoff your blames against the players who wants to tap their blessings. I don't see you guys laying the same blame at the door of the club owners.
I know this isn't part of the post (but is the title), I just want to state for the record that Skip Bayless is the epitome of 'no-talent, loud speaker' analyst on any programming for any topic.
(I mean, what do you expect from a guy who's filmed doing crunches in his driveway? I'm saddened for guys like Marion Barber who'll waste away in this offensive system for primadonnas like T.O. and Romo.)
I see you're taking a cue from Sullivan's post-naming system...
Romo's a primadonna? I'm no Romo or Cowboy fan, but I'm not really seeing that one at all.
What I'd really like to see is a Marvin Harrison reality show. Though given his notorious mediaphobia, I guess you'd have to do it with hidden cameras.
Brenden,
Not with a camera but inside a dark forest netted by Lions.
And, apparently, wearing a vest.
Yeah, I've been doing alot of head shaking lately with regards to my 'boys. The rumor is that Dan Reeves is coming on as a consultant/GM. Don't know what that will do, can't hurt.
The phrase I hate most in the world, "perception is reality". I don't think these reality shows will have any effect on the field, but it gives people like Skip fodder, and drama is again the order of the day.
I'm still not convinced TO will return, but I think the problem with this thing is beyond TO' s presence. TO is not the reason they went off the rails, lack of leadership on the field and more importantly on the sideline. Until they address that, they will never reach their potential.
I agree with keith. It's a lack of effective leadership that's killing the Cowboys.
How about Roy Williams going off today on how the "Lions practiced harder than the Cowboys" and how he and TO just weren't used properly?
I wonder if we can come up with a mathematical formula for when vastly overrated players like Williams have earned the right to open their yaps.
Frankly, if I were Jason Garrett, I'd bolt for the Skins and make a point of thumping the Boys twice a year for the next decade.
Not to be a hater for the true 'Boys fans out there, but for all the Bandwagon types... watching "America's Team" get the NFL's version of prison sex on national TV vs. the Eagles made the whole season worthwhile for me. Those overpaid, overhyped assholes deserved it and the true fans know this. As a Seahawk fan I know all about suffering for a team you truly love, and it must suck to see the team ITSELF degenerate into a reality show.
A reality show that can't get to the playoffs.
CRY ROMO CRY
@swervus
Actually, that sounds more like the name of a really bad emo band. As opposed to all of the really good emo bands, I know.
The main problem with the Cowpunks is that the owner now believes in his own mythology. They won't win a fucking thing with him in charge.
Have another facelift, Jerry. Jeez, the guy probably has asslifts. Pathetic.
Not arguing with this at all, and keith made some good points. But TO makes it impossible for the QB to lead a squad. IMPOSSIBLE. He effectively gutted Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb as leaders of their teams, remember? How can a quarterback lead his squad, when TO is all too ready to question his sexuality, toughness, or talent to the first reporter who will listen? He is a cancer that spreads through teams. He brings a circus and media show wherever he goes and it makes other guys go off the rails, too. Not that Dallas didn't already have some of that. I've heard way too much about Tony Romo's various airheads---but having TO around just takes the distractions to a completely different level.
Next season will be a doozy. If you thought him popping pills in a (likely) botched suicide attempt, or wailing at a press conference was fucked, you ain't seen nothing yet. I have a feeling that what we are about to witness next year will go down in the in the annals of locker room meltdowns--should such annals exist.
And it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of guys.
I think getting rid of TO would help that team tremendously, but what about canning Wade Phillips?
If you're going to have all of those personalities in one locker room, you need a guy who's going to maintain at least some modicum of control over all of it. Can anyone name one time where Phillips stepped in and said or did anything that indicated he had any control. Yes, Jerry Jones put that team together, but he also had huge personalities on past teams. It worked, IMO, because they had a coach who could handle those guys. Phillips can't do that, and while that may not be entirely his fault (I can't think of many coaches who could handle TO, Roy Williams, and Romo at once), the Cowboys still need a stronger leader at HC, particularly since Jerry Jones isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
This sort of crap will continue as long as Phillips is the coach. I'm actually a little surprised that Shannahan didn't end up there. He's great at getting a talented team to win, not so good at building one--particularly on defense.
Jerry Jones put that team together, but he also had huge personalities on past teams. It worked, IMO, because they had a coach who could handle those guys.
However, if Jerry Jones has a coach that can lead those guys it will be a coach that stands up to him. You can't expect that such a strong personality wouldn't clash with Jerry Jones himself. Since he doesn't want a coach that will stand up to him, he's going to get a coach that isn't strong enough to lead those players. It's like putting the unstoppable force up against the immovable object.