I almost felt bad for the Cowboys last night

paul

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But then I realized it's the Cowboys.

Talk about getting stomped.
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I just wish Jerry Jones didn't own the team.
This sums it up pretty well.

http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Sports

Dec. 21, 2002, 11:58PM


Cowboys only have room for one would-be genius
By DALE ROBERTSON
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

IRVING -- Holy mackerel! A Tuna Christmas for the Cowboys?

Pardon my carping, but Bill Parcells would be a whale of a hire for Jerry Jones. However insufferable he may be, look at the man's record. Tuna can coach. He has won everywhere he has been, and he would win in Big D, too.

Except, in Jones' world, Jerry is the oyster. If he looks to the sea to replace Dave Campo -- and replace him he must, a notion the unfeeling Eagles further reinforced with a 27-3 drubbing Saturday night -- it's going to be a Dolphin he pulls from his net.

The name Norv Turner ring a bell?

The Cowboys' situation is not one in which familiarity breeds the least bit contempt. Although Jerry might relish picking the brains of the NFL's deepest thinkers -- last year it was Bill Walsh; this year it's Parcells -- he'd never risk hiring one. Because the Parcells type would want, not unreasonably, a full measure of autonomy, the freedom to rebuild the Cowboys as he saw fit, in his image.

That would never fly with Jones, who fashions himself as the voice of God in these parts. He couldn't keep the clamps on that rascal Jimmy Johnson and, despite back-to-back Super Bowl championships, you saw how their marriage soured. But Jones ran herd on Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey and Campo, and he will be able to subjugate Turner, the bright former Johnson assistant who failed as a head coach with Washington.

Norv was having a splendid season coordinating the Miami offense in the service of his former Dallas staff-mate Dave Wannstedt until the Dolphins ventured into the Metrodome Saturday, but that meltdown is unlikely to impact Turner's presence on Jones' very short list of candidates to succeed Campo.

Turner seems the perfect sideline emissary for Jerry, which matters more than whether he's the perfect choice to orchestrate the Cowboys' climb back to respectability. (He's not.) Turner definitely knows his "O's," and he can already find his way around Valley Ranch. Most importantly, though, he has an assistant coach's temperament, an essential trait for an owner who calls all the shots, if not all the plays.

A Jones-Parcells partnership would explode in a matter of days, hours maybe. If it didn't blow over the decision-making, it certainly would over the credit-taking. Both think they are geniuses. Only one of them -- Parcells -- might be.

The Cowboys won a Super Bowl after Johnson on muscle memory alone, but they have won just a single playoff game since, over a span of seven seasons. The current team became the third in a row to miss the playoffs. Another loss at Washington next weekend, a result strongly favored by the law of averages given the Cowboys' 10-0 streak against the Redskins, will complete a third consecutive 5-11 season.

The hopelessly naive had bravely predicted the players' personal affection for the likeable Campo would translate into the same kind of supreme effort the dead-end Vikings unleashed to harpoon the Dolphins earlier in the day, but that would hardly be the case. Nor would Emmitt Smith's all-but-inevitable farewell to Texas Stadium provide sufficient motivation for the Cowboys to stave off another perfunctory beating.

The Cowboys couldn't even achieve the one meaningful objective they went into the game with, securing a record 12th consecutive 1,000-yard season for the NFL's most prolific rusher ever in front of his loyal adoring fans. With half the stadium full of people in No. 22 jerseys, including a Santa Clause, Emmitt fell 38 yards short of the 68 he needed.

Eagles' super-sub A.J. Feeley, the No. 3 quarterback on Philadelphia's depth chart when the season began, could have been Donovan McNabb the way he freely pillaged Dallas' secondary. If Parcells was watching, he recognized the enormity of the task confronting whomever supplants the doomed Campo. But Tuna, who once turned a 1-15 Jets team into a Super Bowl contender, surely believes the situation is no hill for a climber of his Sir Edmund Hillary stature.

And it isn't. Dallas' defense is solid, its touchy-feely effort against Feeley notwithstanding, while Chad Hutchinson has gobs of upside, no matter that evidence of same was rarely displayed against the Eagles' hungry defense. Parcells could fix the Cowboys, but he wouldn't do it in a way that would suitably massage Jones' Texas-sized ego.

Jones wants to win as badly as anybody, but he wants the credit for winning more than almost everybody. With Parcells on his sideline, Jerry would risk being exposed as irrelevant. If Turner, on the other hand, succeeded, Jerry could do no worse than share the glare with Norv.

There can't be official contact between Jones and Turner until the Dolphins' season ends. Parcells, for his part, coyly deflected point-blank inquiries by his ESPN colleague, Chris Mortensen, in response to the story -- which CBS broke despite Parcell's drawing a sizeable paycheck from the sports cable network -- that he huddled with Jerry for five hours.

In a brief pre-game news conference, Jones said the conversation was purely philosophical in nature, the job was neither offered nor even discussed and no further meetings have been scheduled. Unfortunately for Cowboy fans, Jerry was telling the truth.

This time, it was no fish story.
 
I think Jones sent Smith a clear message last night:

He isn't wanted anymore. Not for $7 million, not for 5, not for 2 not for anything.

What a shame. Last night was an embarrassing slap in the face to not only one of the best RBs of all time, but to the Cowboy fans. The last chance to see Emmit shine in his own house, and in the few plays he was allowed to touch the ball he did, was taken from them.

If I were Smith I would make Jones' life as miserable as possible for the next few months.
 
Sure have been posting alot about the demise of the Cowboys lately, huh?


I hope Parcels doesn't come to Dallas. Sure, he's a great coach and he knows what needs to happen. But Jones won't let it. Jones has no desire to win, he showed that last night. Win you have the ball on the 10 yard line and you run Smith to the 3 yard line, that should be a clue to keep running. But three incomplete passes later.............I can't believe Campo is that stupid. He has to have a little help....

Another concern I have about Parcels is his health. He's probably in his late 50's early 60's which isn't too old to coach, but how long will he stay in coaching before he hangs it up? And his past heart problems is something to think about. Its a given that dealing with Jerry Jones will be very stressful. I don't know how much more stress he can take.

Jones will hire another Campo-like coach. Someone who he can attach strings to and bounce him along the sidelines like a little puppet. Jones thinks he knows about football enough to draft players. He gave up an experianced DB like George Teague so he could save a little money. Teams pass on them all day long now. He knew he was losing some ofensive linemen from last year, (or at least I hope he knew) but he didn't prepare for this year. So now Emmitt and Hutchingson can't do anything because a three-man rush defense is kicking the five offensive linemen's asses.

Until Jones sells the Cowboys, they will never have another winning season.
 
Originally posted by fergy1370
Sure have been posting alot about the demise of the Cowboys lately, huh?

2 posts. That ok with you?

Why don't you relax.

Of course, I've been posting about football quite a bit lately. The Bucs, a few posts about San Fran yesterday...but I'm just picking on you of course...:rolleyes:

Don't start none won't be none fergy. :)
 
My skins aren't so hot... hopefully they'll get stomped by the Texanz today, so they can get a good QB in the draft.
 
Football is about the only game in town right now. :)

I was a huge Cowboy fan, until Jones bought the team. :(

Yesterday, 49ers just did squeak it out over the Cardinals. But, a win is a win going into the playoffs.
 
Originally posted by paul
2 posts.  That ok with you?

Why don't you relax.

Of course, I've been posting about football quite a bit lately.  The Bucs, a few posts about San Fran yesterday...but I'm just picking on you of course...:rolleyes:

Don't start none won't be none fergy. :)

Didin't mean for that to come out like it did...meant to hit the winking dude face...;) I know you hate the Cowboys and I know you know I like'em. Kinda like the Jr-Stewy thing.

Anyway, my picks for the Super Bowl......the Colts and the Packers.

TRL, I'm sure Jones has been interviewed in Texas about the game. What excuse is he giving this time?
 
maybe now JJ is having doubts about his own"coaching abilities" and will seek profesional help IE a real field leader and not just some puppet.
 
Fergy, the Colts? The Colts?! What pray tell have you been sniffing?

I'll take the Raiders in the AFC, and either the Eagles or the Bucs in the NFC. I hope the Bucs can win me a Super Bowl, but that may depend on who (if anybody) beats the Eagles.
 
I think it's pretty obvious it's going to be The Bucs and The Titans.

I'll go with The Bucs 34 Titans 17.
 
I don't see how the Titans beat anybody. McNair is superhuman, but Eddie George quits. The defense is adequate at best, but inconsistent. Ya gotta look at that division, too...Indy (no D, stop Harrison and they're toast), Houston (need I say more?), and Jacksonville (more injuries than a Taliban advance scout team).

Oakland has discovered how to rush the ball, in addition to having the MVP of the league at QB. They won't blow anyone away with their defense, but they may not have to.

Oakland and Philly are the two teams that scare me. Anyone else, including the Pack in Green Bay, I think the Bucs can handle. They might have something for Philly. We'll see.
 
I think San Fran is going to pull the biggest surprise and choke out a one-and-done performace. Getting beaten by the Bucs very badly in the second round, the Colts don't stand a chance...

BTW, did you see that hit against the Green Bay receiver? That was so insane...as was the hit against that Philly player. Both pretty scarey.

Oh, and Jeremy Shokey is a complete madman...I believe he's made from concrete.
 
I will never have any sympathy for the "Cowboys" as long as Jerry Jones continues to hold the general manager/coach position. Until he relinquishes that title and puts someone in there who is deserving and is knowledgeable about a football team, then he deserves what he gets - a very sad excuse for a football team. I believe that it will benefit Emmit Smith to move on to a team that will enhance his abilities, and yes he still has the ability to run the football (IMHO) for at least a few more years.

***off the soapbox now***:)
 
I think he should retire at this point.

If I were a Dallas fan at that game I would have rioted, Jerry Jones screwed Emmit Smith and that entire city out of seeing him put on a good show for the last time on his home turf. And it was obvious Smith was in prime shape to go for a few hundred yards.
 
I dislike what Jerry Jones has done to the Cowboys so much, that I can't even bring myself to watch the game on television. I didn't see the game, but the newspapers around town yesterday were NOT kind to Jerry Jones nor Dave Campo (the puppet). The reason that Jimmy Johnson left town was because he REFUSED to be the puppet that Jones wanted! The puppeteer needs to be smacked up side the head and made to realize he is running "America's Team" into the ground. The only problem is that when he has his face fixed, it disrupted the small brain funcution he had!:p
 
I think Campo is alright, the players like him very much.

Hard to do anything though, as you've stated.
 
Originally posted by paul
I think San Fran is going to pull the biggest surprise and choke out a one-and-done performace.  Getting beaten by the Bucs very badly in the second round, the Colts don't stand a chance...

What was that Paul? You're what? Exactly right?
 
**patting Paul's back**
you definitely picked that one!:D
I still don't like your hunch about the Titans, though.:)
 
Everything I read says the Titans are going to get smashed...we'll see what happens. :)
 
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