Rules, strategy, positions changed specifically for a Cowboys player?

[TruBlueCowboy]

Got the idea for this in the "Big E" thread and the rule changes made just because of Eric Williams and his female dog slapping of so many defensive ends. I figure if we all brainstorm, we can come up with a pretty impressive list that highlights how often the league has had to change because of the Cowboys.

Probably the most popular recent change made as a result of a Dallas Cowboy was Roy Williams and the horsecollar rule. What other NFL norms were created specifically to counter, adjust, or react to Dallas Cowboys players or coaches? Not just rules, but situational positions, coaching strategies, awards, league finances, anything?

[Yeagermeister]

The Emmitt Smith removing your helmet rule

The strict enforcement of the push off rule....it was ok when Rice did it but not Irvin

The salary cap.....without that who knows how many SB's Jerry could have bought


That's just off the top of my head

[TruBlueCowboy]

Didn't the NFL change the ways in which teams could benefit from sponsorships after Jerry Jones went out on his own and got the huge Pepsi contract?

[Yeagermeister]

Didn't the NFL change the ways in which teams could benefit from sponsorships after Jerry Jones went out on his own and got the huge Pepsi contract?
Jerry just used a loop hole. The sponsorships were for Texas Stadium :D

[TruBlueCowboy]

Here's another one. Were blocking fullbacks given a spot at the Pro Bowl before Darryl Johnston came along?

[Alexander]

Probably the most popular recent change made as a result of a Dallas Cowboy was Roy Williams and the horsecollar rule.

I never understood the rule to begin with and I understand it even less now.

Did it even get called all year? If so, I never saw one.

It appears to me there was much to do about nothing with as much publicity it received when it was being created.

[davidyee]

...developed and implemented to negate speedy WRs. Bullet Bob Hayes.

[lurkercowboy]

How about specials team players in the Pro Bowl because of Bill Bates?

[davidyee]

How about specials team players in the Pro Bowl because of Bill Bates?

...Steve Tasker first? Not entirely sure though.

[Chief]

As an organization, the Cowboys have always been on the cutting edge.

They were way ahead of everyone in scouting players, using computers, having cheerleaders, specific marketing campaigns, etc.

This may not be necessarily viewed as a positive thing, but I think Dallas was the first organization to have its own security person (Larry Wansley, retired FBI). Also the first to have a kicking coach, I believe.

On the field, Landry was very innovative. All the shifts and motions on offense, the resurrection of the shotgun formation, his version of the 4-3 ...

Combine all this with the things mentioned in the previous threads, the team's rating as the winningest franchise in the Super Bowl era (thanks to Thumper's research) and you have the flagship franchise in the NFL.

[Ashwynn]

...Steve Tasker first? Not entirely sure though.
I am thinking it was Bates that pioneered that ST position in the pro-bowl.

[MRTRIPOD]

Roy Williams Horse Collar RULE
DEION Signing bonus rule
Emmitt helmet rule
Erik Williams Hands to Face Rule
Irvin Push Off Rule

any more?

[Cbz40]

If I'm not mistaken......the coloring other than white on the 20 yd & 50 yd lines....The Cowboys were first to do it.

The increase in size and coloring of the yard sticks......What is common now....The Cowboys were first to do.


Thank you Tex

[jackrussell]

Roy Williams Horse Collar RULE
DEION Signing bonus rule
Emmitt helmet rule
Erik Williams Hands to Face Rule
Irvin Push Off Rule

any more?

I thought there was more of a 'clubbing' rule in regards to Williams.

[TheKey]

The NFL decided that we couldn't have our own TV station after we had already created one.

[Jersey]

Incidental contact- after swan tripped over an already fallen Benny Barnes in SB XIII. Maybe the uncatchable ball rule as well, since it was also a significant part of that play.

[Draegerman]

Incidental contact- after swan tripped over an already fallen Benny Barnes in SB XIII. Maybe the uncatchable ball rule as well, since it was also a significant part of that play.
Unless I'm mistaken, the "Incidental Contact" rule had the greatest impact against FS, Cliff Harris. I remembered it being reported that before this rule was passed, Harris had been the best cover safety in the league. And he was literally doing it by "jack-slapping" the receiver up and down the field throughout the game. Subsequently, it was because of this rule (along with getting older, no doubt) that led to Cliff's eventual retirement.

[SilverStarCowboy]

Bob Hayes changed the game of football.

[ravidubey]

Roy Williams horse collar rule
Kevin Smith pass interference calls
Erik Williams hands to the face rule
Deion Sanders rule regarding contracts (once he signed with Dallas, regardless of having signed a BS contract with the 49ers the year before)
$700 million lawsuit vs. Jerry Jones for letting Phil Knight on the sideline
Emmitt Smith helmet rule
Michael Irvin push-off rule

[jackrussell]

$700 million lawsuit vs. Jerry Jones for letting Phil Knight on the sideline

Whah?

[MRTRIPOD]

yeah..HUH?

[ravidubey]

Essentially Jerry upstaged the New York Giants on MNF on several levels in 1995 by using MNF to announce that Nike had made an official agreement to sponsor Texas Stadium. He walked the Cowboy sidelines with Knight, President of Nike, and Monica Seles.

This was a fine line for the NFL since they already had a deal with another company (Reebok?) and were bitter that the MNF forum had been misused on a night when Lawrence Taykor and Phil Simms were honored at halftime.

The 'Boys also whipped the Giants 35-0.

Tags used this opportunity to make his power-play, attacking Jerry Jones head on who cull favor with the rest of the league owners. It was real crappy, considering Jones was one of the few owners that stood in the way of Jim Finks becoming commissioner (ultimately paving the way for Tags) in 1989. Tags argued vehemently that team revenues had to be shared, that money Jones garnered from the Texas Stadium sponsorship created a competitive unbalance and gathered enough League-wide support to slap Jones with a $700 million lawsuit claiming he broke the league revenue-sharing by laws.

Jones, aghast that Tags was hammering him this way and surprised that Tags would take him for such a chump, fired his own $1 Billion counter-suit on anittrust grounds against the league, naming all owners except himself and Al Davis.

Tags continued to try and drum up support, even making a personal visit to Carmen Policy and Eddie DeBartelo in San Francisco trying to take advantage of the 49er hatred of Dallas. Tags even started on Jones' luxury boxes. IN the end Jones convinced the league it was missing out on truckloads of cash and was being stupid to not try and look for new avenues to make money. He had support from other league owners like Kraft in New England who was technically already doing with Foxboro Stadium what Jones was doing with Texas Stadium.

Since then the league has made truckloads of cash doing what Jerry does and Jerry got to join various important committees (and BTW, let's all just drop these lawsuits). Jerry's countersuit woke people up though, and his ability to make money won them over. Bottom line was everyone could see that despite being such a nerd, Jerry loved being in the league-- but he wasn't anybody's chump.

[jackrussell]

We know why the league sued JJ.

It just wasn't for allowing Phil Night walk the sidelines.

[Elsinore Cowboy]

Guys I started watching the Cowboys in 1964 because of Bob Hayes I was into track and field. The rule changes as far as the Cowboys are concerned began with Bob Hayes the Zone Defense and the Prevent defense because of his speed. D backs would line up 20 yards off the line of scrimmage just have a chance to stay with him. Ask Dandy Don once stated we were the only team in football with a play for third and 30 just throw to Bob Hayes.

[Cbz40]

Guys I started watching the Cowboys in 1964 because of Bob Hayes I was into track and field. The rule changes as far as the Cowboys are concerned began with Bob Hayes the Zone Defense and the Prevent defense because of his speed. D backs would line up 20 yards off the line of scrimmage just have a chance to stay with him. Ask Dandy Don once stated we were the only team in football with a play for third and 30 just throw to Bob Hayes.


Great post

Welcome to the board......please post more

[RW Hitman]

I got one that I have not seen anyone bring up.
Cowboys share this honor with the Redskins, but how about the no celebration in the endzone rule...

Does anyone remember the old Redskin-Cowboy rivalries when either team would score a td, the whole team would gather in endzone and do their own thing. I remember that was the reason for the NFL to ban endzone celebrations.
I miss that. That was definately when the game was fun to watch.

[lurkercowboy]

You know those orange first down markers they have on the sidelines? Not the sticks, the ones that lay flat? They were Tex Schramms idea.

About the Redskins/Dallas end zone thing, that was Redskins all the way. The "Fun Bunch" used to do that all the time. The Dallas DB's tried to stop them once, they had a fracas, and it was banned.

[RW Hitman]

About the Redskins/Dallas end zone thing, that was Redskins all the way. The "Fun Bunch" used to do that all the time. The Dallas DB's tried to stop them once, they had a fracas, and it was banned.

you may be right, i do remember those days, it was war between the two.

who was responsible for the kneeldown the way it is today where all the qb has to do is kneel without being touched and he is considered down.... remember something about an opponent not wanting to go out and lose so caused hell trying to create a fumble, hence this "down by intention" kneel...?

[lurkercowboy]

you may be right, i do remember those days, it was war between the two.

who was responsible for the kneeldown the way it is today where all the qb has to do is kneel without being touched and he is considered down.... remember something about an opponent not wanting to go out and lose so caused hell trying to create a fumble, hence this "down by intention" kneel...?

Joe Thiesman, the always classy Redskins QB, faked a kneeldown once then moved around to kill a few more seconds. On the next play, he went for another kneeldown and Ron Fellows nailed him in the back.

[Bob Sacamano]

On the next play, he went for another kneeldown and Ron Fellows nailed him in the back.

:laugh1:

[Phoenix-Talon]

Gag order on TO; regardless of what team he plays for in 2006!

[TruBlueCowboy]

Great posts all, keep 'em coming. I'm learning a few new things already. I wonder if other teams can build an impressive list like this?

[ravidubey]

We know why the league sued JJ.

It just wasn't for allowing Phil Night walk the sidelines.
Figuratively, sheesh. It wasn't until Jones announced the deal on MNF with Knight and Seles forcing ABC's attention that Tags went nuts.

I think that's why ABC stopped giving Jerry Jones more than just a cursory camera shot on MNF. Even on special occasions like the Cowboys 40th anniversary in 2000-- Michaels and Esiason ignored the fact that Jerry Jones sat in his booth flanked on either side by Bob Lilly and Randy White. It's easy to say that Esiason was clueless, but not Michaels or the MNF directors. I think MNF was encuoraged to go mum when it comes to pointing out any of Jerry's "co-stars" after that 1995 opener.

[Phoenix-Talon]

Rule Change:

Goal posts offset from the goal line, painted bright yellow, and with uprights 20 feet above the cross-bar were made standard in the NFL, May 16, 1966

[Phoenix-Talon]

The NFL added a sixth official, the line judge, February 19. The color of the officials' penalty flags was changed from white to bright gold, April 5, 1965.

Recommended Changes:

All officials should be removed -- then replaced by an alternate official, when a total of 2 bad calls are made and verified by the head official.

The offical penalty flags should be striped flags (similar to the zebra design of the officials).