Get personal

Love me? Hate me? E-mail me

Monday, July 30, 2007

RIP Bill Walsh

Many football fans believe Bill Walsh developed the West Coast Offense. It could be argued he didn't, but he sure did run it efficiently and with grace. The offense was a "precision machine."The 49ers had some of the more powerful offenses in the 1980s and 1990s. Bill Walsh played a big role in that success.
Walsh, 75, won three Super Bowls (81, 84, 88), ESPN named him the top NFL coach in the past 25 years and he is in the NFL Hall of Fame. Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young all praised Walsh in interviews. Walsh went 102-63-1 with the 49ers, winning 10 of his 14 postseason games along with six division titles. He was named the NFL's coach of the year in 1981 and 1984.

Was there ever a coach as soft spoken as Walsh? What is stunning is the number of assistants he had who ended up becoming NFL coaches: George Seifert, Mike Holmgren, Dennis Green, Sam Wyche, Ray Rhodes and Bruce Coslet all became NFL head coaches after serving on Walsh's San Francisco staffs, and Tony Dungy played for him.


A legend he is. A football martyr. Rest in peace, coach.

NFL Network scraps Dallas training camp preview

The news of Bill Walsh's passing apparently led to the NFL Network scrapping the Dallas Cowboys training camp preview at 8 p.m. for a Bill Walsh special.

Rightly so. Walsh was a class act and took part in some great Dallas vs San Fran rivalries.

But, I wonder if they plan to show it tomorrow. If so, that would suck because I have to work and I don't own TIVO.

Anyone have any idea what the plan is to run the special?

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Spencer is signed for 5 years


Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys' first round draft pick, signed a five-year deal worth $9 million. The linebacker from Purdue also got a $6 million signing bonus. This is great news for the Cowboys. Many expect him to be an impact player right off the bat.

His strength is his speed. He is always around the action and can drop back to cover during pass plays. He's a natural pass rusher, which the defense desperately needs. He's smart and has great instincts.

He is a bit undersized and doesn't have the typical bulk or height teams look for in a pass rusher. What he needs to work on is being able to break away from large lineman.

Nonetheless, everyone seems high on this guy. I am excited to see him play.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Peter King vs. Emmitt Smith

Peter King and Emmitt Smith are at it again. Last weekend, Emmitt Smith was interviewed about the Michael "Ookie" Vick dog-fighting charges and he said some things that just didn't come out right.

Here are a few snippets of what he said:

"He's the biggest fish in the whole doggone pond right now so they're putting the squeeze on him to get to everyone else," Smith said Saturday.


and

"Now, granted he might have been to a dogfight a time or two, maybe five times, maybe 20 times, may have bet some money, but he's not the one you're after. He's not the one you're after, he's just the one whose going to take the fall -- publicly."



Peter King's response was harsh.


"It should be noted that these two have fought before. Apparently, Smith said King wrote an article to create controversy. It sounds very much like Smith empathizes with Vick's plight and doesn't find it very objectionable that Vick might have put a few bucks down on dogfights...I have a bad feeling about Smith's tenure at ESPN, and it hasn't even started. His comments on Vick are so idiotic and inappropriate that a few people at the Worldwide Leader have to be thinking, "Uh-oh. What if we've gone and hired someone who's very famous but not very smart?''


It should be noted that Peter King is a tool. King and Smith have argued once before.

In August 2003, King interviewed Smith and asked him what it felt like playing for a woeful Cowboys team in 2002. Smith said "It felt like being a diamond surrounded by trash.


The following day, Smith told the AP that he's "got a tremendous amount of respect for some of the players down there, especially Mr. [Jerry] Jones and his family, so it's not anything like that. He [King] had to write whatever he had to write just to create controversy."

King went on a tirade on his Weblog, instead of just letting it die. King's ego was hurt and he had to bandage himself up. Here's a snippet of his 2003 Weblog:

First of all, did Smith say he was misquoted? Anywhere? No. And so let me ask all of you practicing and non-practicing journalists a question: If you were doing an interview with a man who was throwing daggers at his former team, with an annoyed edge in his voice, and he said the "diamond surrounded by trash" line, would you write it? I think you would. Would it create controversy? Yes, it would. But it wouldn't be you who created the controversy. It would be the player, with his own words.Monday morning, Cardinals PR man Paul Jensen told me Smith didn't mean me when he was saying a writer was trying to stir up controversy. He was referring to a Dallas columnist who was commenting on this story. Whatever. I like Emmitt. He's always been good and fair with me. But I remember him telling me something I didn't write, about how Troy Hambrick got used and abused by the press last year for saying he thought it was his time to play. Smith blames the press for driving a wedge between him and Hambrick. That isn't the way it works, Emmitt. When you say something, and it's hurtful to some people, it's not our job to soft-pedal it. It's our job to report it. Which is what I did this week.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

What's the deal Dallas Morning News Blog?

I'm not a fan of pompous people. But I can only assume that the reason the Dallas Morning News refuses to post my comments on its blog entries is because at the end of each one I put my blog site there.

Sounds petty? I thought Dallas fans stick together and support one another. Maybe they don't agree with my style, who knows. I don't care to ask. But it's pretty annoying to see them refuse to post my comments. Pete Aldrich and Todd Davis post the blog entries. They must be the ones who refuse to post my comments. My most recent comment about the kicker controversy in Dallas was, I thought, a good comment.

I just want someone who can kick in the clutch and kick a 45-plus yard field goal.

The Dallas Morning News, which is now the dominant paper in the Texas market, is also a dishonest newspaper. Circulation--how many people subscribe to the paper---is an important piece of information for publishers. Advertises use it as a gauge to determine how many people could possibly see their ads. Well, the DMN lies. Now, to be balanced, a lot of newspapers lie about their circulation. The industry is having it rough lately, and publishers have been for years using dirty, dishonest tactics to keep advertisers. Here's a summary of the DMN lies:

The Dallas Morning News has had an ongoing problem with its circulation numbers, being accused of inflating them to keep advertiser revenue high. In the mid-1980s, the paper was sued by the rival Times Herald, charging that the News was overstating circulation increases. In 2004, long after the Times Herald had ceased printing, The Dallas Morning News admitted it had indeed underreported circulation decreases, overstating Sunday circulation by 11.9% and daily circulation by 5.1%. The Morning News promised to pay advertisers US$23 million in restitution. The circulation problems worsened parent company Belo's financial condition and in late 2004, Belo laid off 250 workers, including 150 at the Morning News. Two years later, The News offered a voluntary severance package that more than 100 staffers took.


Here's some more DMN hatred.


Personally, I think their actions say a lot. Refusing to post my comments just is wrong. And it's even worse because you're mad that I advertise my little blog here. I haven't even gotten started here. This is my first two months and although my visitor count varies, I plan to be in this for the long run. Once the season begins, I believe people and fans will find great analysis here and breaking news. Sure, the Dallas Morning News has the name recognition, but when they stomp on the very people who they serve, you lost brownie points QUICK. I will keep their blog link on my blog. I won't drop to their level.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Working OVERTIME for Earnest Byner

The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office put in amazing effort to help Earnest Byner retrieve his personal items stolen by two punks befriended by the 15-year-old he allowed to watch his house while he was out doing his Earnest Byner thing.

Here's the latest of numerous press releases on the stupid crime:

An 18-year-old Sterling man was charged Wednesday in connection with the theft of property belonging to former Washington Redskins running back Earnest Byner. Petitions are also pending for a 17-year-old juvenile male. Loudoun Sheriff’s Investigators said yesterday that a 15-year-old who was house sitting for former Washington was not involved in the theft. Shamsud-Din Tariq Akbar is charged with Burglary with intent to Commit Larceny and Grand Larceny. The 17-year-old from Ashburn is facing the same charges. The Sheriff’s Office learned Friday that Mr. Byner had several items stolen from his Ashburn home while he was on vacation during the first week of July. Among the items stolen was a pendant that was an exact replica of his 1992 Super Bowl ring. During this time the two suspects allegedly entered the home and removed property from the house. Since the discovery of the larceny some of the property has been returned to Mr. Byner. Other missing items include several collectible figurines, a pair of diamond earrings, a Rolex watch, a gold ring with a cross and a tennis bracelet. Akbar remains held at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on a $5000 bond. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these items is encouraged to call Investigator D. Orr of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they are asked to call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.


Normally, such quick police action would be applauded. But when you have a sheriff's office that has several unsolved murders, including one of a 14-year-old girl, the amount of time and effort wasted on this case is just unacceptable. Earnest Byner had some toys stolen, a replica Super Bowl ring and some luxury jewelry. Granted, no one should steal. But this case was an easy one to solve. And the sheriff's office sends out press release after press release on this stupid, minimal crime that was committed in the first place because Byner allowed some kid to watch his home. Byner can't find an adult friend to watch his mansion?

I hate the Deadskins. I dislike their coaches. It's one of the worst franchises in the NFL. Dan Snyder is the devil.

You can almost safely assume that the sheriff's office investigators put overtime into solving this case to get those free Deadskins tickets. And that's a shame. It's a real shame.

Can the public get a press release on the updates of the 14-year-old girl who was murdered? Locate a suspect yet?

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Michael Vick, your indictment is just plain OOKIE



I think it's safe to say the Michael "Ookie" Vick era is over. I doubt he plays another NFL game unless he's acquitted of the charges of being a part of a dog-fighting ring in Virginia called Bad News Kennelz.

What a bunch of scumbags.

But this indictment is purely disgusting. Read all the gory details here.

How can a person watch a dog get electrocuted as the court records allege? How can someone train a dog to kill another dog, watch it happen, and then murder one, as the court records allege. I'm a pet lover, and quite frankly, I think a six-year prison sentence is too lenient. I say life in prison. I don't think there's is a huge difference in murdering a human or murdering an innocent domestic animal. People who get a kick out of running over cats make me sick. In April alone, Vick participated in the murder of eight dogs, prosecutors state in court records.

ESPN doesn't think Vick will be immediately suspended. I will be angered if his case extends past the season so he can play this year. He doesn't deserve to play until the charges are dropped.

I know a person is innocent until proven guilty. But I never liked Michael Vick to begin with.

We all know the Falcons are shooting themselves right now for trading away Matt Schaub. Watch him turn into an amazing player. When they made the trade, I was shocked, because Vick was already on the fringe of losing it and he was in legal trouble. This was after he flicked off fans at a home game. You could just tell he was self destructing.

Micheal Vick was overrated to begin with. Now he's a thing of the past.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Byner Saga Continues

All I can say is WOW. The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office, which has several unsolved murders, is really putting a huge amount of effort into solving this ridiculous crime at Earnest Byner's house in Ashburn. A replica (yeah, I said replica) Super Bowl ring, some toys and some luxury jewelry were stolen from his house after he let a 15-year-old punk watch his house while he was gone.

Here's the latest bizarre press release from the cops:

Loudoun Sheriff’s Investigators announced Tuesday that a 15-year-old who was house sitting for former Washington Redskins running back Earnest Byner was not involved in the theft of his property. A 17-year-old and 18-year-old remain under investigation and charges are forthcoming. The Sheriff’s Office learned Friday that Mr. Byner had several items stolen from his Ashburn home while he was on vacation during the first week of July. Among the items stolen was a pendant that was an exact replica of his 1992 Super Bowl ring. During this time another juvenile male and an adult male entered the home and removed property from the house. Since the discovery of the larceny some of the property has been returned to Mr. Byner. Other missing items include several collectible figurines, a pair of diamond earrings, a Rolex watch, a gold ring with a cross and a tennis bracelet. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of these items is encouraged to call Investigator D. Orr of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they are asked to call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.


Did they really need to issue a press release stating the 15 year old punk is not a suspect? This is the most absurd crap I have ever witnessed from a sheriff's office that has more than 200,000 people. Who the heck is running the show over there?

It's this guy! Meet Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson:

This is the guy making sure these press releases are sent out to the press, despite the fact there's an unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl in his jurisdiction. Instead of focusing manpower on such a heinous crime as this, his "finest" are spending hours a day trying to help Earnest Deadskin Byner find his stupid replica Super Bowl ring stolen by two teenagers because Byner was dumb enough to let a 15 year old punk watch his house.

I cannot wait for the next press release, to let us know that Byner's dog is not a suspect and his gold earrings were returned unharmed.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Who did it?

Uh oh! Someone broke into Ernest Byner's home near Ashburn, Va., in overpriced Loudoun County, which is about 40 miles west of DC. Above is a picture of his Super Bowl replica ring that was stolen. I couldn't find a photo of him with the Deadskins, and I can understand that.

Here's the scoop:

Loudoun County, Virginia- A former Washington Redskins running back had several items stolen from his Ashburn home in July and Loudoun Sheriff’s Investigators are searching for a Super Bowl ring replica among other items. Sometime during the first week of July a juvenile male was watching the house of former NFL player Earnest Byner. During this time another juvenile male and an adult male entered the home and removed property from the house. Since the discovery of the larceny some of the property has been returned to Mr. Byner. One of the items still missing is a pendant that features a replica of the top of a 1992 Super Bowl ring. Other missing items include several collectible figurines, a pair of diamond ear rings, a Rolex watch, a gold ring with a cross and a tennis bracelet. Earnest Byner now serves as the running backs coach for the Redskins. Byner played for the Redskins from 1989-1993 and played a key role in the team’s 1992 Super Bowl XXVI victory. Anyone with information about the whereabouts of this ring is encouraged to call Investigator D. Orr of the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division at 703-777-0475. If the caller wishes to remain anonymous they are asked to call Loudoun County Crime Solvers at 703-777-1919.



My question is who the hell keeps a replica Super Bowl ring? What the heck is a replica Super Bowl ring? Where's the real one? Or is the sheriff's office only calling it a replica ring because they want the robber to get mad? Do players get replica rings before the new ones are made? Was it necessary for the sheriff's office to note his football accomplishments? I bet these "county finest" are in hog heaven right now working with this guy.

It doesn't matter the same sheriff's office has an unsolved murder of a 14-year-old girl--one of several unsolved murders. They will drop all cases to help Ernest Byner so they can get their free football tickets.

You watch, the Washington Post will be all over this. All media outlets will jump on this one. Well, I am first to report it. Here you go.

Cowboys fans, I urge you to call "investigator Orr" and let him know we don't give a crap about this man's stuff. In fact, we urge the robber to hand over the materials so we can burn them and celebrate. The replica ring is worth $5 and the other jewerly items are pure luxury Byner can do without.

And let's not forget this, Byner:


Hold on to the ball!!! You could have had 2 super bowl rings!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

New E-mail

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

I've added a new e-mail account to contact me privately with thoughts, ideas, criticism and rumors.

Enjoy

A Curse in Dallas? Please hurt this guy

First off, anyone who starts a blog or a post with "Okay" needs to be beaten. But I think once you all read this guy's blog post, he'll learn quickly that dumb people should not be blogging, especially about the Cowboys.

Some no-name Bryan Milward writes this ridiculous post that says the Dallas-area teams are cursed and he compares it to the curse of Bambino. He begins with Dallas, however. And as he tries to validate his blog, he makes himself look even more like a goofball. Is Bryan not aware that Dallas has won 5 super bowls? Probably not. He seems to think because we haven't had much success since the Smith-Aikman-Irvin era that we're under some kind of Dallas Curse. AHHHH! Lake of Fire!!!!

Here is one snip of his dumb post:

I'll begin with the Cowboys, who after reeling off three Lombardi Trophies in four years have been plagued by lame-duck-QBitis. Yeah, we had Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin for four years after those Super Bowl triumphs, but Troy had so many concussions and Mike did so much blow that the team was never a threat in the NFC. Since their departures, we've trotted out a laundry list of no-name QBs, including baseball veterans Quincy "Not the Hurricane" Carter, Chad "See I told you I was a pro football player" Hutchinson, and Drew "practice squad" Henson.


That's what he said. So, let me help the guy by inserting some brains into what he really means to say. A team that dominated the '90s can't be cursed. A team that has improved quite a bit over the past four years can't be cursed. The Romo Incident was not a curse. It was nerves and immaturity.

There is no curse on the Cowboys. Doofy continues:
In fairness, the immediate future does look somewhat bright for the Cowboys with Romo at the helm—but only if Tony can prove himself over a whole season.


That's great. I appreciate your throw of support and conclusion that the immediate future looks bright. But you aren't too bright, yourself, "Bryan." You want to know who is cursed? Just look to your neighbor: Arizona. The Cardinals are cursed. The Chicago Cubs are cursed. With your reasoning, the BEARS should be cursed. The 49ers should be cursed. The Broncos should be cursed.

I think Bryan is cursed...with lack of insight.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Romo on ESPN

Tony Romo was on ESPN this afternoon. He says he doesn't feel the pressure the media writes about and "either you are good enough to do this or you are not."

Well, we all hope Romo is good enough to do it. Romo is seeking a new contract. He's up at the end of the season.

I loved the question of what are his chances of being the ball holder for field goals and extra points. Romo apparently loved it too, because he laughed.

"I think they went from 1 percent to zero," he said. "I think my time at holding has definitely passed and for good reason."

You gotta love a guy who can admit his mistakes, take responsibility for it and not let it destroy his psyche.

Len Pasquarelli was on after and he said negotiations have been real slow.

"I think things will heat up right at the end of the training camp," he said. "If you don't resign Tony Romo, who is your quarterback? There really are no other alternatives."

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Nick Eatman read my mind....


Nick Eatman of dallascowboys.com writes a great article on the Cowboys' secondary and how it all hinges on the free safety once again. Read it here.

I have written several posts about this very subject. For years, the secondary has baffled me. Last year, and especially the last five games, was down right pitiful. Here is a snippet of what Eatman says:

"The Cowboys not only were giving up points (30.4 per game in that stretch), but yards as well. Five of their six highest opponent yard totals last season occurred in the final five games. And most of the blame went to the Cowboys' secondary, which had trouble defending the big plays down the stretch."
Yeah, Eatman hits the nail on the coffin. But the Cowboys really didn't address this problem. Instead, they went and grabbed Ken Hamlin from the Seahawks, another hard-hitting safety who can't cover the deep ball. If my Seattle buddy was online right now, I'd ask him about Hamlin. But I know the answer: He's not exactly what we needed back there.

Eatman said the Cowboys coaching staff is hoping that a change of philosophy helps the secondary. Some of this new philosophy includes bringing Roy Williams closer to the line of scrimmage. I don't have a real problem with this, but I am concerned this hurts us even more when trying to cover the deep pass. The idea is Williams will use his power to slow down receivers. Henry and Newman are our corners and Glenn would be in for the nickel defense. Hamlin is the free safety, and would be the most responsible for the deep ball protection under this scheme.

I would love everyone to comment on this because I am not sure this scheme and philosophy are really what is needed. I was hoping we'd snag a great cover safety who is fast and agile. Ken Hamlin is neither in my opinion. He wasn't even a star in Seattle.

I don't want to watch a repeat of last season, or the past five years, either. I am going to throw support behind what Coach Phillips is doing, but if it doesn't work, I may be the first one to start blogging about Cowher.

Shit, I said his name.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Exhausted


Work has been killing me lately. I am here. Alive. And have several ideas to post about, but just not the time. It's 12:30 a.m. right now and I need some sleep.


I shall return with a few good posts tomorrow!

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Can Bruce Read make the special teams Special?

Dallas has a new special teams coach in Bruce Read. He has five years of NFL experience and has been a special teams coach his entire 22-year career with Oregon State University, NY Giants, San Diego, and University of Montana (he was actually assistant coach for one year there).

Don't get me wrong, our special teams was above average, besides the field goal kicking game. The Cowboys averaged 23.3 yards per kickoff return last season, eighth in the NFL. The Cowboys scored on one punt return when Terence Newman ran a 56-yarder in the finale against Detroit (which we lost!). Newman led the club with 10.1 yards per punt return, but it's not good enough

Apparently, the word is Isaiah Stanback is going to take over for Newman for punt returns. The rookie from Washington was a quarterback there before he injured his foot, ending his season.

He did have some kick returns but nothing stellar:

KICK RETURNS           G   No.    Yds  TD  Lg Avg/R Avg/G
2003................ 11 8 133 0 23 16.6 12.1
2004................ 7 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
2005................ 11 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
2006................ 8 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
TOTAL............... 37 8 133 0 23 16.6 3.6

Stanback competed on the college team as a sprinter. He was just shy of setting the school's 100-meter record. Did you know that the Baltimore Orioles selected him in the 45th round of the 2006 draft? He is obviously speedy.

But time will tell if he can catch the ball from the air, dodge tacklers and hit the end zone a few times a year to help the Cowboys reach the playoffs. I am so excited for the season to start!




Friday, July 6, 2007

News Flash: Jason Witten is Rich; Mother Apparently Not

Bad news for the Witten family this week. Apparently Witten's mother stole $5,500 from an account that is not hers. Read it here.


Witten is a rich man. In July 2006 he agreed to a seven-year, $29 million contract with the Cowboys. The deal includes a $6 million signing bonus, a guaranteed $6 million option bonus on top of a $500,000 base salary in 2006.


Why aren't you giving your Mom some dough, Jason? Holy Cow.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Terence Newman again

Dallas Cowboys Sports blog has a good post about an ESPN column and Terrance Newman here.

I am in a hurry so I can't go in depth about this, but I did leave him a comment. I refuse to sign up to ESPN's inside information section because of its stupid "WHO's NOW" segment. But, I do have a few things I could say about Terence Newman, but I'd be repeating myself.

Terence Newman has disappointed me. The entire Dallas secondary has been a weakness for years. Yes, they hit hard. Yes, they are intimidating. But how many big-play deep passes will that secondary give up this season.

I have to go. But I will debate this.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

ESPN's "Who's Now" is P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C!!!

Is it just me who is completely annoyed with this ridiculous SportsCenter segment called "Who's Now" where they rate athletes against one another based on how many parties they go to, who they date, how good they are and what they win?

Call me stupid, but this crap is really bugging me. Here is an insert of the garbage:

Throughout July, "SportsCenter" will air "Who's Now," a daily series in which viewers will help ESPN determine the ultimate sports star by considering both on-field success and off-field buzz. Based on fan nominations, ESPN Research selected 32 finalists to square off in a single-elimination bracket. The winner of each matchup will advance based upon fan voting (70 percent) and ESPN's three-person panel (30 percent). In the first round, the panel consists of Michael Wilbon, Kirk Herbstreit and Keyshawn Johnson.
Vomit. This segment is PATHETIC! It should be called "Who the F--- Cares?" What I want to know is whose idea was this? I bet it was some idiot like Keyshawn who thought of the idea. Who else is dumb enough to come up with such a boring, meaningless idea?

Based on fan nominations? Who the hell is texting ESPN to nominate people for this? I am not sure why I feel like blaming this annoying segment on Keyshawn, but I do. He sits on the set wearing damn jeans as he talks about why he thinks David Beckham is so cool because he is married to a Spice Girl? Come the heck on. I know Keyshawn has something to do with the creation of this stupid crap.

I'm going to bed.

Happy 4th. Boring Day in the NFL?

I couldn't sleep right now if I wanted to. The bangs and booms have been consistent since 6 p.m. Oh well, it is Fourth of July, but I am sure the din of fireworks will continue for the rest of the week and probably into next week.

I scoured the Dallas Cowboys blogs all day searching for something to write about. It was a dull day today. The Larry Johnson chatter is probably the hottest of the bits. A few forums discussed it and it appeared many Dallas fans approve of a trade for Larry Johnson. I don't. He's just got too much wear and tear. The Chiefs overused him because the rest of the offense was pitiful and the result is Larry Johnson's career can be measured more in dog years. The guy has three years or less left in him as a top back. And that's with the chiefs. Keep him there.

There is also talk about Dallas getting Arkansas' Darren McFadden next year. We have Cleveland's first round pick in 2008. The guy rushed for 1600 yards, 14 TDs last year, with an incredible 5.8 yards per carry. In other words, this guy gets first downs every two runs.

I doubt Cleveland will be a top 3 pick, I just doubt it. But you never know. I think the Browns can win at least six games and that will probably make them a 6th pick. McFadden won't be there. Why would any of us even think about this right now? McFadden very well could be the top pick in the draft next year.

I won't hold my breath. But if we have a chance to get McFadden, I say do it. Although I like Julius Jones, he's disappointed us more than he has blown us away. His brother is better. But with Barber, it was a decent one-two punch that helped us win games. If we got McFadden, we'd go back to a one back system and probably lose both Jones and Barber by 2009.

Is that what we want?

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Does the two-back system work?

I read a fantasy report from ESPN's Neil Ravitz today that sort of led me to question whether the two-back system in Dallas works. You can read the piece here.

I personally thought that the Jones-Barber duo worked. There were times I was really annoyed at the short gains but I put most of the blame on the offensive line. Of course Ravitz takes a fantasy football spin to his synopsis and it doesn't work. Fantasy sports is a whole lot different than reality. In Fantasy NFL, Barber was a steal. Most people probably snagged him from the free agent wire in the first or second week. But, he was a role player, getting the ball often in red-zone situations. Parcells tried to use Jones as a finesse back and it didn't work all the time. I thought Jones heated up near the end of the season and he had a great game against the Seahawks.

Ravitz says:

"Last season, Jones averaged 4.1 yards per carry, while Barber's YPC was 4.8. That's a glaring difference, and not just for the obvious reasons. Barber actually had a handicap in this category because he received more carries in short-yardage situations. In fact, if you remove just the touchdowns from three yards out and in, Barber's YPC swells to 5.1, and Jones' ... well, he didn't score any short-yardage touchdowns."

The yards per carry is a significant stat to review. A 4.1 average isn't bad. But Ravitz argues that Barber is a better, more complete running back than Jones. I don't know about this. I think Barber and Jones compliment each other. They never seemed to be performing at high levels at the same time. I wouldn't be shocked if one were traded at some point. I'd have a hard time watching either go to another team. I do like them both and Barber is a favorite of mine.
I just think we need both to win this year and future years.

Big Rumor and it makes no sense

Someone spread a rumor that Dallas is considering bringing Larry Johnson on board. Such a move would make no sense, even if we traded Julius Jones or Marion Barber. Sure, Larry Johnson is a great back but I like our one-two punch. You can read a decent report on the rumor here.

There is one piece to the above post that caught my ire.

"The (Dallas) running backs don't offer that 'wow' factor,'' says a source close to the innerworkings of the Cowboys. "There isn't that guy who, when he gets his hands on the ball, makes everybody stand up and take notice.''

Oh really? Is such a running back a necessity? Has it helped the Chiefs? Has it helped the Chargers? What helps a team is chemistry and 100 percent effort. Dallas is lucky to have had the likes of Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, Jay Novacheck and Moose Johnson. We were just damn lucky.
"Larry Johnson has that elusive "wow'' factor."

Do we agree with this? Is Larry Johnson a WOW player? I'm not really impressed with the guy. The Chiefs have a spectacular offensive line.

Monday, July 2, 2007

T.O. suing Nightclub for using his name


T.O. is at it again. Apparently, he is suing Avalon night club in New York City because he doesn't approve of the club using his name and photograph used in advertisements. He is seeking $600,000.

What's funny is the club apparently claimed T.O. was hosting the "Friday Night Lights" event. More details here.

This bar is in an old Church and the bar is in the middle of it, as the picture shows. I don't think this is of T.O.'s doing. I am sure it is the people he hires to manage his day to day, mundane financial details. They sue anyone abusing him.

Another distraction for Mr. Distraction himself.

Breaking News: The Pittsburgh Pirates are a bad team

I couldn't figure out which irritated me the most: Pittsburgh Pirates fans staging a 3rd inning walk out protest during Saturday's game to show the owners that fans are tired of another losing season and then not walking out---OR---going to the game with a Braves jersey on and yelling Francisco Cabrera and Sid Bream and very few people recognizing what it was I was talking about.

First off, rarely will I steer away from concentrating on the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys, but this is too good to ignore. For background, check this out.

If that was a protest, then I will make the bold statement that Pirate fans deserve to lose. Or at least be bad for awhile. That was pathetic. What was more pathetic were the fans who wore the trademark GREEN shirts for the protest and never left the stadium. It was a joke.

But what concerned me even more was the sheer lack of knowledge about their team, from the old timers to the Pirate-shirt wearing wannabes.

Very few, if any fans, knew who Sid Bream was and the significance behind Sid Bream and Francisco Cabrera in 1992 NLCS, Game 7, Atlanta v Pirates.

Here is what happened:

The Pirates carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning under the pitching of their ace, Doug Drabek, needing just three outs to make the World Series. Drabek gave up a leadoff double to Terry Pendleton. David Justice reached base on an infield error by second baseman Jose Lind. After Drabek walked Bream to load the bases, Pirates manager Jim Leyland pulled him out of the game. Reliever Stan Belinda replaced him on the mound, and managed to get two outs, despite giving up a run on a sacrifice fly by Ron Gant. Then, Braves third-string catcher Francisco Cabrera belted a single to left field, and Justice scored easily to tie the game. Pirates left fielder Barry Bonds fielded the ball as the snail-slow Bream plodded around the bases toward home plate. Bonds' throw arrived first, but it was slightly offline towards the first-base line. Bream was safe, with what is now known as "The Slide."
I guess all Pirates fans didn't need to know this piece of information to be a real fan of the sport, but a good number should have been able to have had a friendly conversation about that game and series. But I couldn't find one person. Instead, a found a hot-headed Italian who didn't know whom I was talking about, but preferred to fight me.

The bottom line is, the Pirates fan have a great stadium. And the team has stunk since 1992. They have some of the lowest-priced tickets for any stadium (you can grab a seat at this place for $15 and $26 for a very good seat). I don't think there is a whole lot to complain about, especially if you don't know your team's history. But the fact that you staged a walk out, wore the green shirts, and didn't walk out of the stadium maybe explains why the Pirates owner is sitting in his office, cigar in hand, laughing at you all.

It sure is funny.