[AMERICAS_FAN]

Originally Posted by cajuncocoa

Good question. Jimmy had so much more insight into what reaction to give than I did as a fan, I'll say that. I loved that he knew when to blow up and when to stay calm.

One of my favorite Jimmy stories took place after the Cowboys lost to the Redskins late in the 1992 season on their way to winning Super Bowl 27 (but that was not a given by any means at that point). The Cowboys lost a game they should have won, in fact they were winning in the 4th qtr when things started to fall apart. On the plane ride back home to Dallas, Jimmy refused to let the team eat or drink and gave them a profanity-laced tongue-lashing as they tried to arrange seats to play a card game. The players were angry to be treated that way (to say the least!) but the rest is history...they went on to win their 3rd Super Bowl victory and the first of the "Triplets era".

[View Full Quote]The next year, the Cowboys were in a fight for the NFC East due to an 0-2 start as the result of Emmitt holding out for the first two games. On Thanksgiving Day, the Cowboys played the Dolphins on an ice-covered field at Texas Stadium. There wasn't much scoring in the game, both teams struggled with the on-field conditions. Unfortunately, Miami had a pretty good drive at the end of the game with the Cowboys holding on to a one-point lead. The Dolphins set up to kick a field goal that would win the game for them, but was by no means a gimme given the ice on the field. The field goal was blocked and it looked like the Cowboys would hold on...and our Cowboys family was jubilant for only one brief moment until....yep, Leon Lett touches the ball and the Dolphins got another chance. The next time, they didn't miss and we lost.

I thought Jimmy was going to KILL Leon Lett. I know it wouldn't have been safe for Leon to cross MY path that night!! But not Jimmy....Jimmy understood that one play doesn't negate all of the good a player does the rest of the time. Jimmy actually consoled Leon after the loss (I don't know how he found the words, to be honest!!)

I think Jimmy Johnson is a coaching genius...not just because of his understanding of the game, but because of his understanding of PEOPLE. He knew just how to get the most out of his players, and whether they needed to be reprimanded or forgiven at the time. I don't know if we'll have another coach like Jimmy again.

Nice!