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Jerry Jones sees the light, but still misses the point
Posted Monday, Dec. 27, 2010
jenfloyd@ star-telegram.com
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had an epiphany of sorts on Christmas.
His team stinks, not just typical NFL stink, but embarrassingly pathetic stink not normally seen from thought-to-be contenders.
"We played a team out there who has won four going on five. We've won five. They are better than us," Owner Jones said, like he was breaking news after yet another Cowboys loss.
You do not say, Jerry. Welcome to the party. It only took you 15 weeks to realize what everybody else knew long ago -- this team is fatally flawed, which is why we embark on yet another Cowboy coaching search in a couple of days.
Owner Jones laid down the parameters of this ball of fun Monday at Valley Ranch.
He has plans for interviews within his walls and outside them.
He has a list of candidates in his pocket.
He plans to get this one right, or was that the line he used when hiring Wade? All of his come-to-Jesus speeches tend to run together for me, including how only now, after 15 weeks of oftentimes idiotic football, does he find himself "mad as hell" to learn that the Cowboys are what they are and have been all season: a bad team that finds a way to lose.
The line would be comical, if it were not so preventable.
The reality is a real football guy could have seen this disaster of a season coming a mile away, with the training camp that featured way too little training and the offensive line and secondary that lacked any real depth and the lackadaisical style of Coach Cupcake that green-lighted a lot of the sloppiness and penalties that define this team and the hardheadedness that prevents admitting or correcting mistakes.
Yes, if Jerry really wants to be mad, he'll start with himself.
His football crime is obstinacy and bullheadedness and ego, which prevent him from hiring a football guy who will tell him what is wrong, how to fix it and when Jerry is screwing it up.
If there is to be a search at Valley Ranch, let it be for a general manager. Anything else is lipstick on a pig. It does not matter if Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden or The Jimster 2.0 signs on for 2011. Unless it is in writing that they get final say, it will not work. This team so obviously needs well-delineated roles, a coach who coaches, a football guy who has Jerry's ear and Jerry being Jerry. In fact, you could just call the role "football guy" or the "without-this-guy-we-will-have-a-half-empty-JerryWorld guy."
That is the list Jerry would make if he were really mad. Instead, Jerry does his mad routine, a song and dance about how he hates to lose, and it is a joke. Because almost all of the things he is "mad as hell" about have his fingerprints all over them.
In no particular order, he is mad...
...At chronically frustrating kicker David Buehler, who Jerry decided to let go unchallenged into this season -- and stay with long after the problems surfaced. And let's not pretend a missed extra point surprised anybody. This is Buehler, where every single kick is a question mark.
...At perpetually selfish and equally stupid running back Marion Barber, who Jerry gave a ridiculously long and undeserved contract. The only person surprised that Barber took off his helmet in his typical over-celebration of his all-too-rare accomplishments is Jerry.
...At a shockingly bad defense, who Jerry used as his reason for bringing back Coach Wade and staying with him way too deep into 2010. They were so good that he did not want to disrupt that flow.
...At mistakes, at penalties, at team-wide stupidity, which Jerry basically signs off on when he stands in the locker room after ugly losses, like the one to the Jags, and talks about how he thinks his team is talented.
...At interim coach Jason Garrett. Yes, mostly at him. The Redheaded Genius undoubtedly will pay the price for this disaster of a season. That became pretty evident as Jerry suddenly has started talking coaching search and declaring experience as his most-needed quality in his next coach and noting that JG is under contract for next season.
"The facts are that he's had five games where he's been a head coach that includes junior high schools, high schools, all of them. We don't have time to have a bad time with the Dallas Cowboys," Jerry said. "We need to hit the ground running next year; this has been too much of a disappointment this year. That's the thing I am going to be thinking about -- the experience factor."
You mean experience like Wade Phillips brought? Or like the experience of the current GM of the Cowboys?
Because that really worked out well for everybody in 2010, a season Jerry says is in the running to be his most disappointing.
"It sure does feel like we are a 10-loss team," Jones said. "We played a team that won five games, and they were the better team. That's surprising and frustrating."
No, Jerry it is only surprising to you. And frankly nobody cares if you are mad anymore. What we all want to know is if you are mad enough to fix it.
If so, it is easy.
Forget the coaching search. Hire a football guy. Listen. Let him hire a coach. And get out of the way.
Jennifer Floyd Engel
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/12/27/2729960/jerry-jones-sees-the-light.html##ixzz19POIdptf
Posted Monday, Dec. 27, 2010
jenfloyd@ star-telegram.com
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had an epiphany of sorts on Christmas.
His team stinks, not just typical NFL stink, but embarrassingly pathetic stink not normally seen from thought-to-be contenders.
"We played a team out there who has won four going on five. We've won five. They are better than us," Owner Jones said, like he was breaking news after yet another Cowboys loss.
You do not say, Jerry. Welcome to the party. It only took you 15 weeks to realize what everybody else knew long ago -- this team is fatally flawed, which is why we embark on yet another Cowboy coaching search in a couple of days.
Owner Jones laid down the parameters of this ball of fun Monday at Valley Ranch.
He has plans for interviews within his walls and outside them.
He has a list of candidates in his pocket.
He plans to get this one right, or was that the line he used when hiring Wade? All of his come-to-Jesus speeches tend to run together for me, including how only now, after 15 weeks of oftentimes idiotic football, does he find himself "mad as hell" to learn that the Cowboys are what they are and have been all season: a bad team that finds a way to lose.
The line would be comical, if it were not so preventable.
The reality is a real football guy could have seen this disaster of a season coming a mile away, with the training camp that featured way too little training and the offensive line and secondary that lacked any real depth and the lackadaisical style of Coach Cupcake that green-lighted a lot of the sloppiness and penalties that define this team and the hardheadedness that prevents admitting or correcting mistakes.
Yes, if Jerry really wants to be mad, he'll start with himself.
His football crime is obstinacy and bullheadedness and ego, which prevent him from hiring a football guy who will tell him what is wrong, how to fix it and when Jerry is screwing it up.
If there is to be a search at Valley Ranch, let it be for a general manager. Anything else is lipstick on a pig. It does not matter if Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden or The Jimster 2.0 signs on for 2011. Unless it is in writing that they get final say, it will not work. This team so obviously needs well-delineated roles, a coach who coaches, a football guy who has Jerry's ear and Jerry being Jerry. In fact, you could just call the role "football guy" or the "without-this-guy-we-will-have-a-half-empty-JerryWorld guy."
That is the list Jerry would make if he were really mad. Instead, Jerry does his mad routine, a song and dance about how he hates to lose, and it is a joke. Because almost all of the things he is "mad as hell" about have his fingerprints all over them.
In no particular order, he is mad...
...At chronically frustrating kicker David Buehler, who Jerry decided to let go unchallenged into this season -- and stay with long after the problems surfaced. And let's not pretend a missed extra point surprised anybody. This is Buehler, where every single kick is a question mark.
...At perpetually selfish and equally stupid running back Marion Barber, who Jerry gave a ridiculously long and undeserved contract. The only person surprised that Barber took off his helmet in his typical over-celebration of his all-too-rare accomplishments is Jerry.
...At a shockingly bad defense, who Jerry used as his reason for bringing back Coach Wade and staying with him way too deep into 2010. They were so good that he did not want to disrupt that flow.
...At mistakes, at penalties, at team-wide stupidity, which Jerry basically signs off on when he stands in the locker room after ugly losses, like the one to the Jags, and talks about how he thinks his team is talented.
...At interim coach Jason Garrett. Yes, mostly at him. The Redheaded Genius undoubtedly will pay the price for this disaster of a season. That became pretty evident as Jerry suddenly has started talking coaching search and declaring experience as his most-needed quality in his next coach and noting that JG is under contract for next season.
"The facts are that he's had five games where he's been a head coach that includes junior high schools, high schools, all of them. We don't have time to have a bad time with the Dallas Cowboys," Jerry said. "We need to hit the ground running next year; this has been too much of a disappointment this year. That's the thing I am going to be thinking about -- the experience factor."
You mean experience like Wade Phillips brought? Or like the experience of the current GM of the Cowboys?
Because that really worked out well for everybody in 2010, a season Jerry says is in the running to be his most disappointing.
"It sure does feel like we are a 10-loss team," Jones said. "We played a team that won five games, and they were the better team. That's surprising and frustrating."
No, Jerry it is only surprising to you. And frankly nobody cares if you are mad anymore. What we all want to know is if you are mad enough to fix it.
If so, it is easy.
Forget the coaching search. Hire a football guy. Listen. Let him hire a coach. And get out of the way.
Jennifer Floyd Engel
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/12/27/2729960/jerry-jones-sees-the-light.html##ixzz19POIdptf
