Galloway: Jerry's right to let Bill be Bill

[Gooch]

More hate from Randy

Jerry's right to let Bill be Bill
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


What's this? Jerry is now the puppet? Is that what you're saying?

I read it. I hear it. It's an amazing reversal of opinion on a once volatile local subject.

After that long, long post-Jimster decade of bashing Mr. Jones for being the puppeteer for his hand-picked coaches, this easy target has come full circle.

Honk if you weren't doing the bashing, but personally, I don't remember Jones having much in the way of support in those days. And certainly not in this space.

But now, the high-profile, domineering Cowboys owner is being criticized for having his strings pulled by the powerful head coach.

There have even been suggestions that Jerry needs to throw around more muscle and put a hammerlock on Big Bill, particularly when it comes to the decision-making process at the position of quarterback.

That's crazy. Stone-cold crazy.

And this is me, permanently confused in north Grand Prairie over every quarterbacking decision Bill Parcells has made since the day he was hired.

I don't agree with one thing Parcells has done at quarterback.

Quincy. Vinny. And now Drew Bledsoe.

How could anyone agree with all that?

Don't get me started again, but Big Bill got financial cold feet two years ago when he could have signed Jake Delhomme, then a free agent bench-sitter leaving the Saints.

And now Bill is reminded of the mistake every day by his old friend, Dan Henning, offensive coordinator at Carolina, who loves Delhomme.

And where was Bill in the draft of 2003 when Byron Leftwich was there for the taking.

Sure, bringing up Delhomme and Leftwich is cheap second-guessing.

But that's what I'm paid to do. Provide cheap second-guesses.

Big Bill is paid to get it right the first time. And to get lucky, like his former pal, Bill Belichick.

What kind of "genius" would Belichick be today if a staff member in New England hadn't pushed for Tom Brady to be taken somewhere, anywhere, in the draft five years ago? So in the sixth round, Brady was a throw-in.

You gotta get lucky sometimes.

OK, I feel better now.

But much better, thank you, that Jerry Jones is allowing Parcells to make the football decisions that seem to be so unpopular today, including here.

It doesn't matter who does or doesn't agree, or who is doing the cheap second-guessing.

The important thing is Jerry Jones is being a good owner. Not a puppet. A good owner.

He hired a big-time coach 25 months ago, and all of us were thrilled.

A year ago at this time, Parcells was king after that 10-6 season in '03.

Today, it's different. Parcells is being kicked around locally.

But that doesn't make Jones wrong.

First, he was an owner who put in place the right guy at the right time, and there's no argument on that.

And with Parcells, there was also no doubt attached to what his hiring meant.

Bill does it his way.

Jerry swallowed a lot of pride and stubbornness when he brought on Parcells.

But he also accepted the ground rules that come with Bill. And Jones is continuing to live up to his part of the bargain.

As a longtime Jones watcher, yes, I find much of this surprising. But also commendable.

Put the best people possible in place, then allow them to work.

That doesn't mean it will work, but overall, the philosophy is sound.

Besides, Jerry did it his way for 10 years. Don't make me mention how that panned out.

Admittedly, I have been on the splitsville watch since Thanksgiving, when Parcells yanked rookie quarterback Drew Henson at halftime of the Bears game.

In the postgame locker room, I had never observed Jones so subdued after a win.

He even admitted the victory would have meant much more to him if Henson had been allowed to finish the game.

And I was leading the "amen" chorus that day.

It was obvious Jones was in disagreement with Parcells, who was determined to finish the season with Vinny Testaverde at quarterback.

He did, and those final five games were a total waste.

But do recall that Jones never said another word about who was playing quarterback. In fact, he openly backed Parcells' decision to continue with the old-timer.

The same goes for Parcells' decision last week to bring in Bledsoe.

Retread quarterbacks are not getting it done in the NFL today. If you go back to January and look at the final eight teams remaining in the playoffs, all had homegrown quarterbacks, most of them first-rounders.

To me, successful teams identify a quarterback, draft him, develop him and prosper with him. It doesn't always work out that way, of course, and that's what separates team success from team failure.

"Maybe," I was reminded last week by a Cowboys staffer, "that's what we are doing with Henson. He is being developed, just not on the timetable everyone around here seems to want."

OK. Good point.

The 2005 season will tell us much more about Parcells, and, mainly, much more about where the franchise is going under his direction.

Surely, however, none of us will blame Jones if it doesn't work.

He is backing his big-time football guy. That's a good owner, not a puppet.

[TRIPLETS]

Originally Posted by E-dog

More hate from Randy

Jerry's right to let Bill be Bill
By Randy Galloway
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


What's this? Jerry is now the puppet? Is that what you're saying?

I read it. I hear it. It's an amazing reversal of opinion on a once volatile local subject.

After that long, long post-Jimster decade of bashing Mr. Jones for being the puppeteer for his hand-picked coaches, this easy target has come full circle.

Honk if you weren't doing the bashing, but personally, I don't remember Jones having much in the way of support in those days. And certainly not in this space.

But now, the high-profile, domineering Cowboys owner is being criticized for having his strings pulled by the powerful head coach.

[View Full Quote] There have even been suggestions that Jerry needs to throw around more muscle and put a hammerlock on Big Bill, particularly when it comes to the decision-making process at the position of quarterback.

That's crazy. Stone-cold crazy.

And this is me, permanently confused in north Grand Prairie over every quarterbacking decision Bill Parcells has made since the day he was hired.

I don't agree with one thing Parcells has done at quarterback.

Quincy. Vinny. And now Drew Bledsoe.

How could anyone agree with all that?

Don't get me started again, but Big Bill got financial cold feet two years ago when he could have signed Jake Delhomme, then a free agent bench-sitter leaving the Saints.

And now Bill is reminded of the mistake every day by his old friend, Dan Henning, offensive coordinator at Carolina, who loves Delhomme.

And where was Bill in the draft of 2003 when Byron Leftwich was there for the taking.

Sure, bringing up Delhomme and Leftwich is cheap second-guessing.

But that's what I'm paid to do. Provide cheap second-guesses.

Big Bill is paid to get it right the first time. And to get lucky, like his former pal, Bill Belichick.

What kind of "genius" would Belichick be today if a staff member in New England hadn't pushed for Tom Brady to be taken somewhere, anywhere, in the draft five years ago? So in the sixth round, Brady was a throw-in.

You gotta get lucky sometimes.

OK, I feel better now.

But much better, thank you, that Jerry Jones is allowing Parcells to make the football decisions that seem to be so unpopular today, including here.

It doesn't matter who does or doesn't agree, or who is doing the cheap second-guessing.

The important thing is Jerry Jones is being a good owner. Not a puppet. A good owner.

He hired a big-time coach 25 months ago, and all of us were thrilled.

A year ago at this time, Parcells was king after that 10-6 season in '03.

Today, it's different. Parcells is being kicked around locally.

But that doesn't make Jones wrong.

First, he was an owner who put in place the right guy at the right time, and there's no argument on that.

And with Parcells, there was also no doubt attached to what his hiring meant.

Bill does it his way.

Jerry swallowed a lot of pride and stubbornness when he brought on Parcells.

But he also accepted the ground rules that come with Bill. And Jones is continuing to live up to his part of the bargain.

As a longtime Jones watcher, yes, I find much of this surprising. But also commendable.

Put the best people possible in place, then allow them to work.

That doesn't mean it will work, but overall, the philosophy is sound.

Besides, Jerry did it his way for 10 years. Don't make me mention how that panned out.

Admittedly, I have been on the splitsville watch since Thanksgiving, when Parcells yanked rookie quarterback Drew Henson at halftime of the Bears game.

In the postgame locker room, I had never observed Jones so subdued after a win.

He even admitted the victory would have meant much more to him if Henson had been allowed to finish the game.

And I was leading the "amen" chorus that day.

It was obvious Jones was in disagreement with Parcells, who was determined to finish the season with Vinny Testaverde at quarterback.

He did, and those final five games were a total waste.

But do recall that Jones never said another word about who was playing quarterback. In fact, he openly backed Parcells' decision to continue with the old-timer.

The same goes for Parcells' decision last week to bring in Bledsoe.

Retread quarterbacks are not getting it done in the NFL today. If you go back to January and look at the final eight teams remaining in the playoffs, all had homegrown quarterbacks, most of them first-rounders.

To me, successful teams identify a quarterback, draft him, develop him and prosper with him. It doesn't always work out that way, of course, and that's what separates team success from team failure.

"Maybe," I was reminded last week by a Cowboys staffer, "that's what we are doing with Henson. He is being developed, just not on the timetable everyone around here seems to want."

OK. Good point.

The 2005 season will tell us much more about Parcells, and, mainly, much more about where the franchise is going under his direction.

Surely, however, none of us will blame Jones if it doesn't work.

He is backing his big-time football guy. That's a good owner, not a puppet.

im glad jones is our owner,just think what its like to be a winless[see super bowl]seagul fan.lol

[jterrell]

I think Grandpa Urine nailed this one.
JJ does need to allow Bill the leeway to do things his way.

[Eskimo]

Even though I don't like a lot of what BP has been doing with the team, I agree that he should be allowed to do it. That's why you hire a football guy - to make the football decisions.

Good job, Jerry.

Now after BP fails (as this appears to be the current direction of the football team), hire a real GM and let him find the next great young coach and let them rebuild the team together.

[followthestar]

big bill will get the last laugh in all this, and we'll all be laughing along with him when we come back strong next year to make a run at the Eagles and the NFC crown. you don't believe me? in bill i trust...