Your All Time Overrated Pet Cats

[plasticman]

Okay, let's drum up this painful memory.....

Quarterback Stephen McGee, a 5th round pick in 2009 draft was one of my pet cats. I wanted him to be great.

What makes it so painful was that he did experience success but it was very unorthodox. The same could actually be said about his college career at Texas A&M where he led the Aggies to two improbable upsets over the Texas Longhorns. I suspect this is why some posters really disliked him.

In his 2nd season, 2010, he had to go in and replace Kitna, who got hurt. The Cowboys were trailing. He almost got them into overtime them with a last second TD but the kicker missed an extra point and the Cowboys lost by one.

The following game he made his first start and won with a last second TD....by one point.

The following season McGee started one game and was 24-38-182-1TD-0INT.

Stephen McGee is the only quarterback in history to participate in at least three games and never throw an INT in his career.

To this day Stephen McGee has the 2nd highest quarterback rating during the last two minutes of games. He was also a really good runner.

One season later, McGee was cut. He tried to get on the Texans roster but was also cut.

Everyone else felt that cutting McGee was reasonable, many thought he was terrible. He may not have flashed but I never saw him overwhelmed, he always tried to the last second. Obviously, there is a lot I don't know or wasn't aware of. Still....

 

[Bobhaze]

Okay, let's drum up this painful memory.....

Quarterback Stephen McGee, a 5th round pick in 2009 draft was one of my pet cats. I wanted him to be great.

What makes it so painful was that he did experience success but it was very unorthodox. The same could actually be said about his college career at Texas A&M where he led the Aggies to two improbable upsets over the Texas Longhorns. I suspect this is why some posters really disliked him.

In his 2nd season, 2010, he had to go in and replace Kitna, who got hurt. The Cowboys were trailing. He almost got them into overtime them with a last second TD but the kicker missed an extra point and the Cowboys lost by one.

The following game he made his first start and won with a last second TD....by one point.

The following season McGee started one game and was 24-38-182-1TD-0INT.

Stephen McGee is the only quarterback in history to participate in at least three games and never throw an INT in his career.

To this day Stephen McGee has the 2nd highest quarterback rating during the last two minutes of games. He was also a really good runner.

One season later, McGee was cut. He tried to get on the Texans roster but was also cut.

Everyone else felt that cutting McGee was reasonable, many thought he was terrible. He may not have flashed but I never saw him overwhelmed, he always tried to the last second. Obviously, there is a lot I don't know or wasn't aware of. Still....

I literally laughed when the Cowboys drafted McGee. He was a perfect example of a combine all star who really wasn’t that good a football player. I saw him play when he was at A&M 3 times in person and I was completely unimpressed. I’m a Texas Tech fan and in those days Tech was dominating A&M in the Mike Leach era and McGee always looked super ordinary. He had all the “measureables”, he just wasn’t very good.

 

[rags747]

All of those idioms you listed are used nationally if not internationally in many things outside of sports, but as I said before in 60 years of following the NFL and MLB and the NBA I've never ever heard or read anything from a national sportswriter or broadcaster using the term pet cat referring to any kind of players. Now londonboy first said it might predate sports and then said he heard it 40 years ago in a cricket match. Even though cricket isn't a major sport it is considered a sport in England. That being said I find it hard to believe what he said when he contradicts himself. Now if you want to claim pet cat as a idiom I'll accept that when I hear nation sports media use it on a regular basis. I don't accept it when it's only used on one site after some user here decided to start it.
.
.

Pet Cat was used constantly in draft guides, has been around for decades.

 

[Scotman]

Woody....








Dantzler

I had to scroll way too far down to see this.

 

[Scotman]

I literally laughed when the Cowboys drafted McGee. He was a perfect example of a combine all star who really wasn’t that good a football player. I saw him play when he was at A&M 3 times in person and I was completely unimpressed. I’m a Texas Tech fan and in those days Tech was dominating A&M in the Mike Leach era and McGee always looked super ordinary. He had all the “measureables”, he just wasn’t very good.

My wife bought me his jersey. No joke. First Cowboys' jersey I ever owned. McGee. I think they only sold two. One to his mom and the one that came to me. :-(

 

[CowboyDan]

If I'm not mistaken, Stephen McGee is undefeated as a starting qb for the Dallas Cowboys.

 

[Bobhaze]

If I'm not mistaken, Stephen McGee is undefeated as a starting qb for the Dallas Cowboys.

Correct. Miracles do happen.

And he was so impressive in that one start, he never started another game in his brief NFL career.

 

[CowboyDan]

Undefeated is undefeated!

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

DT Ken Bishop DT North Illinois

He was one of those late round picks
There was one long video of him playing and although he was playing lesser competition he was really a man among boys. He was just killing everyone and throwing them around like rag dolls.
Was hoping he would be one of those sleepers that really pays off after a season or two.
Sadly I think he only played in 4-5 games in two years and I don't remember if he ever made a tackle or sack at all.

 

[Qcard]

This time of year is when “Pet Cat Disease” (or PCD) hits the strongest. You know the symptoms- Cowboys fans breaking into a cold sweat after watching a draft prospect’s overrated college highlight film, then falling in draft love with a mediocre pro prospect this team “has to have”. We were thrilled when they were drafted. We’ve all probably had at least 1 or 2 pet cats that turned out to be not that great.

Which leads me to ask: Who are the all time overrated Cowboys fans Pet Cats of the past? Here’s my short list:

• Rico Gathers- a former basketball player drafted in the 6th round, projected as a TE. Gathers quickly became an OTA and preseason legend- especially against UFAs in preseason games. You know like a 175 lb safety from a directional mid-major school that would never make an NFL roster. I’ve never seen a more overrated player than Gathers, who stayed stashed on this roster for too long.

• Beau Morgan- a former QB from Air Force who was being converted to RB in the Jimmy Johnson/Barry Switzer era. Morgan was an UFA who was essentially just a camp body who happened to lead the team in rushing in preseason. Which somehow convinced loads of fans that he was the real deal. Two straight preseasons Morgan led the team in rushing. And two straight Septembers, the Cowboys cut him, much to the pain of many Cowboys pet cat owners.

• Alexander Wright- a former second round pick of the Cowboys in Jimmy’s second draft in 1990. Wright was drafted because of his 4.4 speed and nothing else. He was fast, but as the old sayings go, “He couldn’t catch a cold”, or “Couldn’t play dead in a western movie”. Fast doesn’t make you a football player. Wright’s best year as a Cowboy was his first, when he caught 11 passes. Was traded to the raiders in ‘92.

There are many more infamous overrated pet cats. Who’s on your list?

Tony Romo. Greatest Pet Cat ever!

 

[ryan9110]

CB - Pete Hunter; big and fast but apparently couldn't play

 

[CooterBrown]

Respectfully adding this guy.. Never understood why he ever started for us. He was Tom Landry's pet cat. Hard to believe after Meredith, Craig Morton and Rodger as his QBs..that this guy was all that Landry could find to play QB. Really a nimrod if you ask me.

Man! Watching Dorsett catch and run brought a smile. I remember that. Smooth as glass and quick as lightening. And, I am not ashamed to admit that I had high hopes for that guy as QB. BUT, like so many I’ve seen in the last 26 years, a JAG.

 

[TheSkaven]

Mine was Randall Williams. I just knew that he was going to develop into an unstoppable receiver (he didn’t).

But he DID have his moment when, in Bill Parcells’ first game against Andy Reid, he caught the onside kick and returned it for a TD in what I still think is the fastest score in NFL history on a kick return?

 

[Hoofbite]

For some reason I thought Manny Lawson would be pretty good. I may have been on the Merriman bandwagon, but can't remember.

 

[Zekeats]

Akwasi Owusu-Ansah

 

[Zekeats]

CB - Pete Hunter; big and fast but apparently couldn't play

This one. Good call

 

[CowboyDan]

Mine was Randall Williams. I just knew that he was going to develop into an unstoppable receiver (he didn’t).

But he DID have his moment when, in Bill Parcells’ first game against Andy Reid, he caught the onside kick and returned it for a TD in what I still think is the fastest score in NFL history on a kick return?

Only one L in Randal.

 

[GMO415]

Le Fleur

 

[Bobhaze]

Le Fleur

Good one. Apparently he was Aikman’s pet cat, lol.

 

[Reverend Conehead]

Roy Williams
David LaFleur
Willie Blade

Which Roy Williams, the WR or the safety?