Who is to blame for this mess? Wade Phillips? He certainly has to take his share of the blame. Tony Romo? Not really. I think he will prove to be a good player who is not as good as touted -- but that's not his fault. T. O. and the rest of the misfits? They certainly didn't help team chemistry. No, let the fault fall squarely where it should.
19 years ago, Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. At that time, he was harshly critical of the previous owners and coaches because the Cowboys had not delivered a Super Bowl for 11 years, or a playoff win for 5. His words suggested that such a record made them deserving of national humiliation. Well, Mr. Jones, it has now been 12 years without a playoff win, and 14 years without a Super Bowl. Are we to judge you by the same criteria you judged your predecessors? At least they had an organization that was respected.
I think the fans of the Cowboys are partly to blame too. Why? For continuing to support this mess. What motivation does Smiley have to change when he sells out every game? Every year, like a snake-oil salesman, he sells the public a bill of goods -- but doesn't deliver. And every year, the public buys it. I get so tired of hearing "Cowsheep" (as Randy Galloway calls the Cowboy fandom) say, "Well no one wants to win more than Jerry." I would agree with that -- to a point. Jerry wants to win -- if it can be done Jerry's way. He wants to win with HIM receiving all the credit for building the team. We all think back to the 3 Super Bowl victories he delivered. Let's be perfectly honest: Those were teams built by Jimmy Johnson. And maybe even Jimmy gets more credit than he is due. Take away the Hershel Walker trade -- and would those teams have been so great? I don't think so. So if anyone deserves credit for the three Super Bowl victories -- maybe it is Minnesota.
So, Cowboy fans: Accept the fact that this team is a sinking ship so long as Jerry Jones insists on running it. He has turned a DIE-HARD life-long fan into a guy who watches with passing interest -- and sometimes even hopes they lose.
Tom Landry and Tex Shramm: We miss you!
5 comments:
Now I remember why I only watched parts of 3 Cowboy games. It's hard for me to have much of an opinion on what the problems are because I haven't given them much time but it seems like there are problems everywhere from the top down. It just goes to show that you can't buy happiness or a Super Bowl but we are getting a new stadium where it will be financially impossible for most people to watch games.
I am no apologist for Jones. I wish he would sell the team. But I am one of the minority who believes it was time for Landry to go (Steve Pelluer over Aikman -you gotta be kidding me!). However, the way it happened was totally unacceptable. Jones apologized to Landry later, and the coach graciously accepted.
I see where Romo and Owens are blaming the play calling for their loss. I hate to see Tony agreeing with the team cancer.
Good news is that Tank Johnson will not be returning. Now if we could read that Pacman, Owens, and Roy-boy were cut - what a beautiful day it would be.
John,
I also agree that it may have been time for Landry to go. But not the way Jerry did it.
I think you have your QBs mixed up. The question was Steve Walsh over Aikman. But that was after Jimmy was there. Landry drafted Aikman #1 just before he was canned. Johnson picked up Walsh in the supplementary draft right after he came in as coach.
Wow Rick,
I can't believe how closely you expressed my own sentiment.
Jerry Jones is the real cancer of the team.
Yes - Landry drafted Aikman, but planned to have Steve Pelluer (sp?) tutor him. Walsh was a wasted draft pick.
By the way - you're absolutely right about the Herschel Walker trade. That is what built the franchise. What's even better is that they got Walker back a few years later (at minimum league money), and he was on their last Super Bowl team.
Post a Comment