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By Jennifer Floyd Engel
jenfloyd@ star-telegram.com
IRVING -- Cowboys running back Tashard Choice asking for Mike Vick's autograph on the field seconds after the Eagles QB had helped spank his team is so many kinds of wrong it is hard to know where to start.
Waiting until he reached a little less visible spot never crossed Tashard's mind?
And how exactly did he phrase the request? "Man, loved your work against this sorry-butt Cowboy defense, especially that pass to DeSean Jackson. Did you see Scandrick diving for him? Has to be faster to nab him, or you for that matter. Anyway, big fan. Sign my glove, please."
Nor did Tashard bother to think about possible interpretations from Cowboy fans in attendance, you know those who pay his salary by buying tickets and jerseys and watching on TV.
What frustrates most about Tashard's Teen Beat approach to postgame decorum is how totally unshocking it is. Did we really expect anything less from this Cowboys team? God forbid the focus actually be on turning around this hot mess at Valley Ranch, or players being cognizant of just what a disappointing train wreck this season is.
By late Monday, Tashard had taken to Twitter to apologize in 140 characters or less. "If its anybody that cares about winning and the d cowboys its me. I apologize to the people it was just an innocent jesture for my nephew." The spelling of "jesture" suggests this was a heartfelt mea culpa by Tashard and not a PR person doing damage control.
And really slapping Tashard too much seems counterproductive. He is one of the ones at Valley Ranch who has been all in. He works hard, cares deeply and actually performs the job assigned to him on Sundays decently well.
He just screwed up Sunday, and not by seeking the autograph.
Welcome to pro sports, where cross pollination has become standard practice. Players do not hate one another, and anybody who thinks they should needs to hop in the way-back machine and journey to the 1970s. What we have now is prayer groups, shared agents and union meetings, which is fine. What Tashard failed was the time and place test, an issue coach Jason Garrett said he plans to address with him this week.
New team rule, 'Boys: Do not quit. Dress appropriately. And no asking for Donovan McNabb's autograph.'
"I'm worried about things that are going to affect the outcome of our game and help us win. Tashard getting an autograph after the game from a player didn't affect us losing," Cowboys team captain Keith Brooking said.
No, that was a little bit of Brooking's handiwork and cornerback Mike Jenkins and really anybody and everybody on defense for Dallas. Of course, the Cowboys are an equal opportunity train wreck and the offense certainly did its share of stupid against the Eagles.
This team has huge problems, lots of them and, whatever your particular gripe, safety play or play-calling or pre-snap penalties, fixing that leaves a long to-do list.
Defense. Offensive line.
Play-calling. QB depth.
Drafting. Talent evaluation.
Penalties. Fourth quarter.
The Cowboys have more talent problems than they have draft picks, and more on-field issues that practice days. What Tashard's autograph brouhaha and Marion's dress-code defiance and all the other little things that keep creeping up do is underline the fear the Cowboys are not serious about fixing what ails them.
Or if they even know how.
It was barely a year ago that the Cowboys were smacking around the Eagles, beating them in the final game of the season and again in the playoffs. The Cowboys were the team on their way to a prolonged postseason run. The Eagles looked a long rebuild away.
Philly did not ask for Cowboy autographs. Philly rebuilt.
Sacred cows were sacrificed. Hard decisions were contemplated. Or exactly what the Cowboys seem unwilling or incapable of. The reality is the Cowboys are more Raiders and Redskins than Eagles and Patriots, more circus than football team, more still-don't-get-it than trying-to-get-it-back.
They ask for autographs because they don't know how a real NFL team comports itself. And no one bothers to tell them otherwise.
On second thought, maybe Tashard can be of use.
After that last game in Philly, he needs to go up to Andy Reid and ask for an off-season plan for his boss, Jerry Jones.
jenfloyd@ star-telegram.com
IRVING -- Cowboys running back Tashard Choice asking for Mike Vick's autograph on the field seconds after the Eagles QB had helped spank his team is so many kinds of wrong it is hard to know where to start.
Waiting until he reached a little less visible spot never crossed Tashard's mind?
And how exactly did he phrase the request? "Man, loved your work against this sorry-butt Cowboy defense, especially that pass to DeSean Jackson. Did you see Scandrick diving for him? Has to be faster to nab him, or you for that matter. Anyway, big fan. Sign my glove, please."
Nor did Tashard bother to think about possible interpretations from Cowboy fans in attendance, you know those who pay his salary by buying tickets and jerseys and watching on TV.
What frustrates most about Tashard's Teen Beat approach to postgame decorum is how totally unshocking it is. Did we really expect anything less from this Cowboys team? God forbid the focus actually be on turning around this hot mess at Valley Ranch, or players being cognizant of just what a disappointing train wreck this season is.
By late Monday, Tashard had taken to Twitter to apologize in 140 characters or less. "If its anybody that cares about winning and the d cowboys its me. I apologize to the people it was just an innocent jesture for my nephew." The spelling of "jesture" suggests this was a heartfelt mea culpa by Tashard and not a PR person doing damage control.
And really slapping Tashard too much seems counterproductive. He is one of the ones at Valley Ranch who has been all in. He works hard, cares deeply and actually performs the job assigned to him on Sundays decently well.
He just screwed up Sunday, and not by seeking the autograph.
Welcome to pro sports, where cross pollination has become standard practice. Players do not hate one another, and anybody who thinks they should needs to hop in the way-back machine and journey to the 1970s. What we have now is prayer groups, shared agents and union meetings, which is fine. What Tashard failed was the time and place test, an issue coach Jason Garrett said he plans to address with him this week.
New team rule, 'Boys: Do not quit. Dress appropriately. And no asking for Donovan McNabb's autograph.'
"I'm worried about things that are going to affect the outcome of our game and help us win. Tashard getting an autograph after the game from a player didn't affect us losing," Cowboys team captain Keith Brooking said.
No, that was a little bit of Brooking's handiwork and cornerback Mike Jenkins and really anybody and everybody on defense for Dallas. Of course, the Cowboys are an equal opportunity train wreck and the offense certainly did its share of stupid against the Eagles.
This team has huge problems, lots of them and, whatever your particular gripe, safety play or play-calling or pre-snap penalties, fixing that leaves a long to-do list.
Defense. Offensive line.
Play-calling. QB depth.
Drafting. Talent evaluation.
Penalties. Fourth quarter.
The Cowboys have more talent problems than they have draft picks, and more on-field issues that practice days. What Tashard's autograph brouhaha and Marion's dress-code defiance and all the other little things that keep creeping up do is underline the fear the Cowboys are not serious about fixing what ails them.
Or if they even know how.
It was barely a year ago that the Cowboys were smacking around the Eagles, beating them in the final game of the season and again in the playoffs. The Cowboys were the team on their way to a prolonged postseason run. The Eagles looked a long rebuild away.
Philly did not ask for Cowboy autographs. Philly rebuilt.
Sacred cows were sacrificed. Hard decisions were contemplated. Or exactly what the Cowboys seem unwilling or incapable of. The reality is the Cowboys are more Raiders and Redskins than Eagles and Patriots, more circus than football team, more still-don't-get-it than trying-to-get-it-back.
They ask for autographs because they don't know how a real NFL team comports itself. And no one bothers to tell them otherwise.
On second thought, maybe Tashard can be of use.
After that last game in Philly, he needs to go up to Andy Reid and ask for an off-season plan for his boss, Jerry Jones.
