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As a Texan, I take football very seriously. At times, my devotion to the game borders on the obsessive, just ask my wife about the superstitions regarding my Cowboys’ game routine. However, I have no shame in admitting my interest in football, at least on the professional level, is isolated to one team–the Dallas Cowboys. If the outcome of a NFL game doesn’t directly impact my Cowboys, the game does not exist in my world.

The last sixteen Super Bowls have been especially tiresome. Not only have they involved teams not named “Cowboys”, but they also have seen the Super Bowl morph into a virtual exhibition game ensconced within a four-hour commercial (more on that tomorrow). Indeed, Cowboys preseason games excite me more than Super Bowls XXXI-Super Bowl XLV.

Needless to say, Super Bowl XLVI does not move the needle at all for me. The Giants and Patriots? No thanks, I’d rather watch the sport the rest of the world calls football instead. This year, the only thing I look forward to about Super Bowl week is to see what bits the boys from the little Ticket will pull on the national media gathered at media row.

So, while most Americans gather together Sunday afternoon for Super Bowl parties, I will be hosting my own with a unique spin.

Instead of showing Super Bowl XLVI, I will be showing Super Bowls XXVII, and Super Bowl XVIII, time permitting, which I have preserved on VHS. At my party, there will be no Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Wes Welker, or Victor Cruz. It was time of a much purer NFL, one that had yet to be defiled by Brandon Jacobs and where the best tight end in the league was a simple cowboy from Wyoming.

Even the halftime entertainment at my Super Bowl party will better than those hosting traditional Super Bowl XLVI parties. You have Madonnna? Please, I’ll see your Madonna and raise you the King of Pop. That’s right, my Super Bowl party not only includes America’s Team winning their 3rd and 4th Super Bowls respectively, but also Michael Jackson’s halftime performance from Super Bowl XVII.

My prediction for Sunday–Cowboys over the Bills 52-17 and Troy Aikman as your MVP.

Continue reading »]]> My Cowboys play on ESPN’s Monday Night Football tonight. At one time, this would have been huge–America’s Team on America’s favorite sports program. However, times have changed. The Cowboys still remain America’s Team, but Monday Night Football has lost much of its luster, thanks in large part to the “whore of Babylon”, ESPN.

From Dandy Don & Howard Cosell, to Al, Frank & Dan, MNF once meant a prime-time cast for a prime-time matchup. They didn’t need to trick Bocephus up, just Heavy Action”, a chilling voice over and then the animated helmets clashing at midfield.

Today, MNF is all about ESPN selling their brand. We get Berman & TJ, which is always a beating of the highest order. We get a broadcast crew that would be no better than the “C” team on FOX or CBS. And we’re constantly reminded we’re watching ESPN. If the NFL had any dignity left, they would do away with MNF once and for all.

Continue reading »]]> On September 16, 1978, I was born into this world and on that day I became a Cowboys fan. By the time I was two, I had my first Cowboys jersey, Danny White. Throughout my childhood, Danny White was a hero of mine. At the time, I was too young to understand that he failed to live up to the expectations of Cowboys fans. All I knew was that he was the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys–America’s Team, MY team. In my eyes, that put him on the same level with my dad and Tom Landry.

Danny White never won a Super Bowl. To this day, many Cowboys fans still consider White to be an underachiever. Fans often compare Tony Romo to White. Indeed, in the five minutes I listened to calls on the Cowboys radio post-game this evening, I heard two callers make the argument, “Yeah, Romo showed guts leading this team back today, but he will always be like Danny White…” True Cowboys fans know what that means, he’ll never be Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach (or even Don Meredith).

It’s this type of simplistic, over-reaction from Cowboys fans that drives me crazy. All last week, all we heard about in Dallas was how Tony Romo lost another one, even after I showed that it was the lack of a running game, NOT Romo’s mistakes, that cost the Cowboys the game against the Jets.

It got me to thinking about the mindset of football fans, Cowboys fans specifically, many of whom seem to draw conclusions on a play-by-play basis.

One thing I admire about baseball fans is their ability to analyze the game on a marathon  like scale. If a team loses 4 or 5 consecutive games, if a batter is stuck in 0-20 rut, if a pitchers loses consecutive outings, baseball fans are slow to overreact, choosing instead to evaluate their favorite team or player over the course of 162 games.  While Cowboys might not have the benefit of a 162 game season for evaluation, I do think a majority of Cowboys fans could learn a lot from their temperance. Even the Landry led Cowboys and the Triplets experienced unproductive halves, bad games and fell short of their ultimate goal on occasion.

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An eerie sense of deja vu fell over me as I watched the Cowboys cough up yet another season opener. Just like last year, costly turnovers and bone-headed penalties played a significant roll in costing the Cowboys a game they should have won. During the 4th quarter, as the Cowboys performance began to deteriorate, I noticed a familiar chorus echoing from the social media platforms of the Dallas media and Cowboys fans–”Romo makes too many mistakes”, “the secondary is easily exposed”, and “our offensive line sucks.”

All of these might be valid points, but the truth is Tony Romo, the depleted secondary and the young offensive line played good enough to win through four and a half quarters. The problem, as in previous seasons, was an inability to finish.

With a little under 12 minutes to play in the game, the Jets cut the Cowboys lead to 24-17, but the Cowboys looked as if they would have a quick response, after Romo hit Jason Witten for a 64 yard pass, setting the Cowboys up with a 1st and goal from the 3 yard line. Felix Jones picked up a yard on the next play, then Romo had an incomplete pass, setting up a 3rd and goal from the 2–worst case scenario, you kick a field goal and take a 10 point lead with about 8 minutes to play. Instead, on third down, Romo fumbles, the Jets recover and the Cowboys squander a golden scoring opportunity.

Call me old fashioned, but I still believe that if you run the ball effectively, and are able to stop the run defensively, you will be in a position to win every game. “Running the ball effectively” means, among other things, being able to push the ball into the end zone when set up with a 1st and Goal situation. During that particular drive, it seemed that Cowboys had no interest in running the ball. Sure, they gave a Jones a carry on 1st down, but then lined up in shotgun on the next two plays from scrimmage. Tom Landry must have been rolling in his grave.

If you’re looking to place blame on the Cowboys loss last night, blame the rushing game. The Cowboys ended the night with 64 yards on 26 carries, a puny 2.5 yards a rush average. It’s hard to win a game with those type of numbers, but even so, the statistics show that it’s more about the dedication to the run than the actual total yardage. Yesterday, there were 12 teams that rushed the ball 27 or more times. Those teams went a combined 11-1, with the Panthers loss to the Cardinals being the only exception. Statistically, the numbers tell us that with two more rushes (a total of 28 rushing attempts), the Cowboys would have won the game (teams that rushed the ball 28 or more times were 8-0 yesterday).

Just think, if the Cowboys had ran the ball on 2nd and 3rd down, there’s a good chance one of the running backs could have picked up 2 yards and the touchdown. You then take a two touchdown lead with less than 8 minutes to play and are in a position to run the ball, and the clock, when you get the ball back.

Unfortunately, the Cowboys lack some of the key ingredients needed for an effective running game–experienced offensive line, a true fullback and a true #1 running back. It amazes me that as much as the Dallas media loves to point out the failures of recent Cowboys drafts, especially pointing out how the Cowboys missed out on drafting Randy Moss, that we hear so little about the gem the Cowboys missed in the 2004 draft–Steven Jackson. That’s right, Jackson was still on the board when the Cowboys picked at #22 (the draft number should have been the first clue)  in the 2004 draft. The team was even more desperate for a running back at that point, but chose instead to trade the pick to Buffalo, and took Julius Jones in the 2nd Round. The rest is history.

I know that as Cowboys fans we can be a bit spoiled, especially when it comes to running backs, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask for something better than the corps of running backs that have matriculated at Valley Ranch since Emmitt left. The same goes for fullback. The Cowboys have virtually ignored that position since the last “Moose call” was hurled from Texas Stadium, spending more draft picks on kickers than fullbacks.

I know the game has changed dramatically over the past 10 to 15 years and many consider the fullback and an every-down running back to be obsolete. However, the Cowboys could at least make a more concerted effort to focus on the ground game, because the numbers still show that running the ball and stopping the run is still an effective way to win games.

A poll running on ESPNDallas.com doesn't even list the running game as a choice in the "What Caused the Cowboys to Lose to the Jets?" EPIC FAIL.

Continue reading »]]> Last week, Mad Men left us wanting more. Peggy and Don pulled an “all-nighter,” where we learned several sordid details about the partners of Sterling-Cooper, relived the 1964 Cassius Clay-Sonny  Liston fight, and even featured a dash of the paranormal. It continued a fascinating season of the greatest show currently on television and loyal viewers could not wait for last night to see what the next episode might bring.

Unfortunately, my allegiance to the Dallas Cowboys runs so deep that I refuse to miss their games for anything, even Mad Men, and I chose to record Mad Men and watch the Cowboys/Redskins game live.

The Dallas Cowboys exist as a collection of moderately talented NFL players. They lack the leadership, discipline and cohesiveness to be considered a true “team.” From the uninspired play calling, to the costly mental mistakes, the Cowboys played with an intense lack of focus and general apathy towards winning.

Games like last night,  remind us why former Cowboys greats continue to disparage this team. Sure, we saw flashes of what might be–the potential threat of three running backs, a stingy defense, the emergence of a wide-receiver that might be worthy of #88 someday, even Roy Williams almost redeemed himself–but the Cowboys remain a collection of individuals desperately seeking a leader.

My devotion to the star borders on something obsessive. I realize that my emotional connection with the team prevents me from rationally evaluating the team. As such, I have taken a vow of silence in regards to the Cowboys for the upcoming season. However, last night, I had the opportunity to engage in something smart, sophisticated and witty. Instead, I chose to watch a hackneyed act of futility. At the end of the night, all I could think was, “I missed Mad Men for this?”

Continue reading »]]> Last night the Dallas Mavericks recorded their 336 straight sell out. A couple of things made this game stand out from the rest. One, Dirk Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history, and the first not to have played college or high school ball in the U.S., to top the 20,000 point mark in his career. But what really made this night stand out was the large size of the crowd for the opposing team. The Los Angeles Lakers were in town and their t-shirt fandom was out in full force.

It goes without saying that 99% of the Lakers fans in attendance last night have never been to L.A. They have no real connection to the team, but they like to be associated with winners, so based on the past success of that franchise they buy the team’s merchandise and tickets to the game when the Lakers swim through Dallas. The Chicago Bulls attracted a similar following in the 1990′s and the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Red Wings and, yes, my beloved Dallas Cowboys attract similar followings in their respective sports.

While I am a die hard fan of the Cowboys, I grew up in the Dallas area to a family of Cowboys fans. Simply put, I am a Cowboys fan because they are the home town team and I have never turned my back on them, regardless of how tough times might have been. Similarly, I’ve been a Mavs fan my entire life–yes, even during the 90′s when the team was historically pathetic, and while I still haven’t got to celebrate a NBA title, I have had the opportunity to see the Mavs make it to the Finals, win 67 games in a season, see Dirk win the MVP and enjoy one of the most successful decades in NBA history (9 straight 50 + win seasons & 9 straight playoff appearances). With the Rangers, there hasn’t been much payoff for my loyalty, but even those gray skies seem to be clearing up.

It’s impossible for me to fathom rooting against any of the Dallas area teams. When the Lakers come to the AAC or when the Yankees visit the Ballpark, I see thousands of people who live in the same metropolitan area as me turn their back on their hometown teams and I’m left scratching my head, just as I’m sure fans in other cities wonder where all the Cowboys fans come from on Sunday afternoons. Shouldn’t there be some rules to being a fan? I think so…

1.) Live or Lived in the City – You live in Dallas; you root for Dallas teams. You live in Dallas and move to Boston; you can still root for Dallas teams. However, if you are born and live in Philly you should probably root for the Eagles instead of the Cowboys.

2.) Live in market for the franchise – This rule mainly applies to those people who live in areas without professional sports franchises. I grew up in East Texas. Dallas was the nearest city with a professional sports franchise. However, the local sports affiliates carried games for New Orleans, Houston & San Antonio teams in addition to the Dallas franchises. It’s acceptable for someone in this situation to be a fan of any of those teams.

3.) Family Ties – This is similar to rule #1, but allows for generational gaps. Your grandfather moved to Dallas in the 1940′s from Brooklyn. He was a die hard Dodgers fan, raised your father to be the same and your dad raised you the same way. It’s understandable and acceptable for you to be a Dodgers fan.

It is unacceptable to be a fan of a team simply because you like their star player, you like their team colors, or you like the fact that they have won numerous titles.

Continue reading »]]> Cowboys fans, including myself, expect “greatness.”

Over the years, we have been spoiled by one of the most successful sports franchises. We are not accustomed to being mediocre and we have a hard time accepting it when that may really be the case. So, we look for excuses.

The coach sucks. The quarterback isn’t serious enough. The owner’s ego gets in the way. We run too much. We throw too much. Etc.

Some of those statements may be true, but none of them address the team’s real issue–talent.  Simply put, the Cowboys are what their record indicates, a slightly better than .500 team.

Depending on how you look at it, this team is in the bottom portion of the top quarter of teams in the league or the top of the second quarter of teams in the league. To expect “greatness” out of this team, as presently constructed, is foolish.

Could another coach get more out of this team? Perhaps, but not much. Even Coach Landry or Jimmy Johnson would have struggled to win 10 or 11 games with this unit and as much as I love those two coaches, neither of them would have won a Super Bowl with this roster.

Even in the watered down version of today’s NFL, depth is vital to a title run. While the starting 11 on both sides of the ball match-up well with the top tier teams, it’s the lack of depth that brings this roster down. No where was this more evident than when DeMarcus Ware suffered his injury and was forced to leave the game. It’s impossible to fully replace Ware, but the gap between starter & backup at outside backer is so extreme on this team that it’s almost impossible to make any sustainable compensation for the loss.

We see this disparity at almost every defensive position. Without a doubt, the biggest difference between the Cowboys and the serious contenders is this disparity.

The good news is that the Cowboys are close enough to the contenders that they can enter the conversation with one good off-season. This begins with compiling a list of your core players to keep and a list of expendable parts and suitable replacements.

Let’s end the debate right now, Tony Romo is a legitimate championship caliber quarterback and Miles Austin and Roy Williams are your #1 & #2 receivers respectfully. It would be nice to add another great receiver through free agency. All is well on the tight end in front, Jason Witten is the best in the league and I’m convinced that Marty B will continue to develop.

On the offensive line, Flozell Adams’ skills as a lineman no longer outweigh the liability of his mental issues–he needs to go. I would recommend turning to free agency to find a suitable replacement and use our first round draft pick to add some depth behind the rest of the line.

In the backfield, I like what Marion Barber and Tashard Choice bring to the table, but I don’t believe either one can handle the load on their own. In spite of his ability to make “big plays,” I have not been that impressed with Felix Jones. Sure, he is fast, but the “big plays” have been few and far between. I think that his stock around the league is still high enough that you could snag a third or fourth round pick away from some unsuspecting team for his services and turn that draft pick into more offensive line depth.

On the defensive side of the ball, the most glaring weakness is at linebacker. When the Cowboys turn in their helmets and shoulder pads at the end of this season, I pray to God we don’t ever see Bobby Carpenter in a Cowboys uniform again. I have yet to hear anyone who covers this team justify his existence on the roster. In an ideal world, I would love to see us use our first round draft pick and get Alabama’s Rolando McClain. However, I doubt he will be around when the Cowboys pick and that’s why I recommended going for offensive line depth. I’m convinced that either in free agency or in the draft, we can find a more capable back-up and nickle backer than Carpenter. I think Brooking, Spencer, James and Ware are more than capable of being part of a championship caliber defense. The same goes for the front three.

In the secondary, depth is the biggest concern. Orlando Scandrick has taken a step back this year and Alan Ball, God love him, just doesn’t have what it takes to play the position at a high level in this league. This is another area I would focus on in the off season.

Finally, Wade Phillips has done about all he can do here. It’s time Jerry showed him to the door and thanked him for his service. On the way walking Phillips out of Valley Ranch, Jerry needs to stop by Jason Garrett’s office and hand him his walking papers as well. He is not the coach this team needs.

If you really want to find a common thread between the recent Cowboys teams that have struggled during the month of December look at the system. The Dallas Cowboys have NEVER won a playoff game playing a 3-4 defense. The fact that this team still uses it is blasphemous. Until they win a playoff game with the 3-4 defense, the possibility of a “3-4 curse” must be considered legitimate. Though it might set the franchise back another year in building towards a legitimate championship threat, I really do think Jerry Jones should consider courting a 4-3 coach and return this franchise to its defensive roots.

Be prepared to be beaten down by the sports media in this town continuing to talk about the “December swoon.” Be prepared to listen to them pour all the blame on Wade Phillips and question the toughness of this team. Be prepared to answer back with, “you know what, this team is playing just about the way they should.”

Continue reading »]]> At Monday’s Wade Phillips’ press conference, CBS 11 sports reporter Steve Dennis asked the Cowboys’ coach if he considered his team “winners.” By virtue of owning a winning record, this Cowboys team is, by definition, a “winner.” Of course, “winning” can mean a lot of different things. Dennis posed this question to Wade Phillips to drive home a tired Dallas media talking point–the dreaded “December swoon.” While the Cowboys have enjoyed success September through November under Phillips’ watch, they have not performed well when the season really matters–December and beyond.

In and of itself, this is fine. The Dallas market is flooded with sports media personalities, some good and some bad. If a member of the media wants to talk about the same generic talking points, he has the right to do so, but it makes for very boring radio, TV or print. However, what makes Dennis’ question different is the pattern he has established for himself.

In the summer, he made our “Bottom 5 Dallas Sports Media Personalities,” where we described him as “loud, obnoxious, and pompous,” descriptions we stand by to this day. As part of the best TV sports team in the market, it appears that Dennis feels threatened by his compatriots and seeks to stand out anyway possible. He does this by making himself part of the story, which is exactly what happened with this one.

In addition to his duties at CBS 11, Dennis also hosts “The Keith Brooking Show” on Sunday mornings on their sister station KTXA 21. Somehow, footage of the taping for the upcoming episode was leaked to the media. In the opening, an upset Keith Brooking (Cowboys linebacker) confronts Dennis about his questioning of Wade at the Monday press conference. Evidently, Brooking and other members of the Cowboys team felt that Dennis’ question implied that their team was full of losers. Dennis handles himself very well and seeks to explain his question more thoroughly, but the entire clip I heard was extremely tense.

Tonight, I tuned into the 10 PM news on CBS 11 and when it was time for sports who do I see prancing around the Cowboys locker room but Steve Dennis. They framed it as a segment showing how the Cowboys team is rallying around their coach and using the media as motivation for a successful December, but again it appeared that Dennis was trying to make the story about himself.

I do not know Steve Dennis personally. He may be a great guy for all I know. I only know the Steve Dennis I see on TV and hear on the radio and when I see or hear that Steve Dennis, I scratch my head and ask, “who does Steve Dennis think he is?”  If I could pass along any advice to him, it would be this:

When people tune into a Wade Phillips press conference, they do so to hear Wade Phillips talk about the Cowboys, not to hear Steve Dennis.  When people tune into watch sports on the local news, they do so to catch the latest on their local teams, not to see the local reporter injecting himself into the center of a story. If Mr. Dennis wants to be the center of a program, get your own radio show or start your own blog. Until then, report the news and stay out of it.

Continue reading »]]> You’ll recall that last week I urged all Dallas Cowboys fans to rush over to the website for the Fox affiliate in Shreveport to vote in a poll asking which NFL game they should show on Sunday. As mentioned, the Shreveport media market contains parts of Northeast Texas and Southwest Arkansas, which is solid Cowboys country. There was the thought the  Saints fans might be able to cast enough votes to get their game shown instead.

I’m happy to announce that the Cowboys game won and now our East Texas, Southwest Arkansas and Northwest Louisiana fan bases will get to the Cowboys/Redskins game on Sunday.

Just another reminder of the greatness of our fan base! Thanks to all the Cowboys fans who went to the website and voted.

Continue reading »]]> I realize that I’ve been on a top 5 kick lately, but it’s just the mood I’m in. Let’s keep it rolling with the Top 5 moments from a busy sports weekend:

1.) SMU Becomes Bowl Eligible – For whatever reason, I’ve been a SMU fan from my earliest days. I have never attended school there and they haven’t had the on field success that elicits t-shirt fans, but I’m a fan of the Pony Express. I went to several SMU games as a kid, pre-death penalty, and I was at the first post-death penalty game, a win over UConn. To see this team rise from the depths, become bowl eligible and sit in the driver seats for the Conference USA title is great indeed.

2.) TCU Sends a Message – There are two legitimate national title contenders in Texas–the one in Austin everyone expected and then the one in Fort Worth that’s been battling for national respect for a decade.  While it will still take a miracle for TCU to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, if they run the table and win their BCS bowl game they will provide yet another example of how the BCS is the biggest fraud in all of sports.

3.) Mavs Continue to Play Strong – In spite of a recent rash of injuries and illnesses, the Dallas Mavericks continue to play as well as anyone in the NBA. Over the weekend, they took games at Minnesota and Detroit and tonight won on a last second, OT buzzer beater in Milwaukee. While this may not be the Lakers, Celtics & Cavaliers, three straight road wins is always a feat in the NBA. Plus, the Mavs got these 3 wins without Josh Howard, Tim Thomas, Erick Dampier and Shaw Marion.

4.) Colts beat the Patriots – I’ve always said, every time the Patriots win, somewhere a little puppy dies. To see the look of failure and utter dejection on the face of Bill Belichick walking off the field last night actually helped ease the pain of the Cowboys loss (see #5).

5.) Wade Phillips is one step closer to being fired – In the “desperately-seeking-a-rainbow-after-the-storm” category, the Cowboys loss to Green Bay on Sunday means this franchise is one step closer to ridding itself of its final obstacle in the race to win a Super Bowl–Wade Phillips. I’m convinced that if this team does not make it to the NFC Championship game this year, Jerry Jones will fire Wade. While I will always support fellow Texans, Wade is just not the right fit in Dallas. In keeping with the “support my fellow Texans” theme, I’m also glad that the Packers win ensures that their GM, and former Atlanta Rabbit great, Ted Thompson’s job is safe for at least another week.