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What did Ray Sherman do wrong with the Cowboys?
Posted Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011
By Randy Galloway
rgalloway@ star-telegram.com
galloway Two weeks later, and I'm still wondering this:
What exactly did Ray Sherman do so wrong?
It was Jan.6 when not exactly breaking news broke that Jason Garrett was officially the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Within like 24 hours, Garrett fired Sherman as the team's receivers coach.
Since then, nobody else on the staff has taken the fall, which is not necessarily good or bad, except...
A case could be made, based on what went on last season, or in past seasons, that massive head chopping of every assistant coach was justified, based on failures to deliver across the board.
Well, OK. Not the punter. If there's a punting coach at Valley Ranch, Mat McBriar saved that neck. Maybe it doesn't matter that there is no punting coach. Mat's guru is an independent consultant who works out of San Diego.
Speaking of coaches getting fired, the offensive coordinator might have been one of the first to go under different circumstances. But with his promotion, Red J could allow that guy to skate.
Two weeks later, and it's only Ray Sherman who paid with his job under the brief Garrett regime.
I like Sherman, respected the heck out of his 37 years in coaching, and enjoyed talking to him about his philosophy at the position, while being appreciative of the fact that nobody on the staff over the last four seasons dealt with a bigger collection of prima-donna head cases. It's the nature of the position he coached.
But who couldn't also like the news that Jerry Jones gave Garrett total say over the hiring and firing of assistant coaches. Jerry granting that control was a surprisingly positive move.
So if you applaud Garrett having that control, and then he uses it -- once, as of now -- then there can be no complaint, right?
I'm not complaining. I'm wondering why Sherman immediately was axed, and so far he's the only coach to be ousted by Garrett.
But Ray isn't talking, while Garrett certainly has offered no explanation.
Sherman, of course, was also interviewed by Jerry for the head-coaching job that went to Garrett.
Many have asked how could a guy be qualified enough to get a head-coaching interview and then be fired by the guy who got the job?
Again, Jerry did the interview, and Jason had the call on who he wanted his receivers coach to be. All good.
But with the Rooney Rule in play here, it's impossible to believe Sherman was fired just because he was considered head-coaching competition for Garrett. Ray wasn't competition.
Which brings us to the most logical reason for the firing.
Ray was a sounding board for the wideouts, including over four seasons a wild-eyed, mouthy assortment of an Owens, a Roy, a Patrick, and, as of last season, a Dez.
What did they say to Sherman in private, and did the offensive coordinator feel the relationship was too cozy?
Actually, the Terrell Owens disruption of 2008, plus the involvement of Patrick Crayton in all that, is rearview mirror stuff. And if the thinking is right, Roy Williams is now a rearview mirror item as the team moves forward.
At the moment, it's strictly about Dez Bryant, the best playmaker on the team but a kid who has raw flaws that must be dealt with.
You can blow off Crayton, now with the Chargers, as a disgruntled former employee, but when he went on local ESPN radio last week and claimed Dez "got away with a lot of stuff this season," then it shouldn't be dismissed.
Despite his production when healthy, there is too much low-talk that Dez had a problem with tardiness for meetings and dozing off in classroom sessions. How big a problem, I don't know.
But if Sherman was fired because of all the above, then maybe it's Garrett who needs to also take a look in the mirror.
As the offensive coordinator, and Sherman's boss, if Red J was not pleased with what went on with any receiver, on or off the field, then he certainly had the power to be verbally jumping any of those players. Or Sherman.
There is no evidence any of that ever happened.
In the future, let us hope that Garrett will certainly address any of these issues right up front with a player. If not, then it's Wade's head-coaching way all over again.
But I'm still wondering exactly what Ray Sherman did so wrong when there were so many football failures all across the board.
Yet only one assistant coach has been fired, like immediately, since Jason took over.
The search for answers continues.
Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM.
Randy Galloway
817-390-7697
Looking for comments?
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/20/2785247/what-did-ray-sherman-do-wrong.html#ixzz1BfVS0Hp5
Posted Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011
By Randy Galloway
rgalloway@ star-telegram.com
galloway Two weeks later, and I'm still wondering this:
What exactly did Ray Sherman do so wrong?
It was Jan.6 when not exactly breaking news broke that Jason Garrett was officially the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Within like 24 hours, Garrett fired Sherman as the team's receivers coach.
Since then, nobody else on the staff has taken the fall, which is not necessarily good or bad, except...
A case could be made, based on what went on last season, or in past seasons, that massive head chopping of every assistant coach was justified, based on failures to deliver across the board.
Well, OK. Not the punter. If there's a punting coach at Valley Ranch, Mat McBriar saved that neck. Maybe it doesn't matter that there is no punting coach. Mat's guru is an independent consultant who works out of San Diego.
Speaking of coaches getting fired, the offensive coordinator might have been one of the first to go under different circumstances. But with his promotion, Red J could allow that guy to skate.
Two weeks later, and it's only Ray Sherman who paid with his job under the brief Garrett regime.
I like Sherman, respected the heck out of his 37 years in coaching, and enjoyed talking to him about his philosophy at the position, while being appreciative of the fact that nobody on the staff over the last four seasons dealt with a bigger collection of prima-donna head cases. It's the nature of the position he coached.
But who couldn't also like the news that Jerry Jones gave Garrett total say over the hiring and firing of assistant coaches. Jerry granting that control was a surprisingly positive move.
So if you applaud Garrett having that control, and then he uses it -- once, as of now -- then there can be no complaint, right?
I'm not complaining. I'm wondering why Sherman immediately was axed, and so far he's the only coach to be ousted by Garrett.
But Ray isn't talking, while Garrett certainly has offered no explanation.
Sherman, of course, was also interviewed by Jerry for the head-coaching job that went to Garrett.
Many have asked how could a guy be qualified enough to get a head-coaching interview and then be fired by the guy who got the job?
Again, Jerry did the interview, and Jason had the call on who he wanted his receivers coach to be. All good.
But with the Rooney Rule in play here, it's impossible to believe Sherman was fired just because he was considered head-coaching competition for Garrett. Ray wasn't competition.
Which brings us to the most logical reason for the firing.
Ray was a sounding board for the wideouts, including over four seasons a wild-eyed, mouthy assortment of an Owens, a Roy, a Patrick, and, as of last season, a Dez.
What did they say to Sherman in private, and did the offensive coordinator feel the relationship was too cozy?
Actually, the Terrell Owens disruption of 2008, plus the involvement of Patrick Crayton in all that, is rearview mirror stuff. And if the thinking is right, Roy Williams is now a rearview mirror item as the team moves forward.
At the moment, it's strictly about Dez Bryant, the best playmaker on the team but a kid who has raw flaws that must be dealt with.
You can blow off Crayton, now with the Chargers, as a disgruntled former employee, but when he went on local ESPN radio last week and claimed Dez "got away with a lot of stuff this season," then it shouldn't be dismissed.
Despite his production when healthy, there is too much low-talk that Dez had a problem with tardiness for meetings and dozing off in classroom sessions. How big a problem, I don't know.
But if Sherman was fired because of all the above, then maybe it's Garrett who needs to also take a look in the mirror.
As the offensive coordinator, and Sherman's boss, if Red J was not pleased with what went on with any receiver, on or off the field, then he certainly had the power to be verbally jumping any of those players. Or Sherman.
There is no evidence any of that ever happened.
In the future, let us hope that Garrett will certainly address any of these issues right up front with a player. If not, then it's Wade's head-coaching way all over again.
But I'm still wondering exactly what Ray Sherman did so wrong when there were so many football failures all across the board.
Yet only one assistant coach has been fired, like immediately, since Jason took over.
The search for answers continues.
Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM.
Randy Galloway
817-390-7697
Looking for comments?
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/01/20/2785247/what-did-ray-sherman-do-wrong.html#ixzz1BfVS0Hp5