Some Things You Just Can’t Explain

[trickblue]

You lost me with the reference. I googled him and still couldn't figure out the connection. The closest thing I could find is he died the year I was born.

Care to explain?

Charlie Daniels Band man... C'MON!!!

 

[Melonfeud]

Yeah they were! but on certain nights when the moon is right, down on that dark wood path, you can hear three young men scream, and you can hear one old man laugh!

(that line was always a little creepy)

" then I jumped up and kicked ol' green teeth right in the knee",,,,always cracked me up(uneasy rider)

 

[jday]

Charlie Daniels Band man... C'MON!!!

Yeah, not much of a country music fan.

 

[batman36]

Yeah they were! but on certain nights when the moon is right, down on that dark wood path, you can hear three young men scream, and you can hear one old man laugh!

(that line was always a little creepy)

Yes sir!

 

[IrishAnto]

A farmer was sitting in the neighborhood bar getting drunk. A man came in and asked the farmer, "Hey, why are you sitting here on this beautiful day, getting drunk?"


The farmer shook his head and replied, "Some things you just can't explain."


"So what happened that's so horrible?" the man asked as he sat down next to the farmer.


"Well," the farmer said, "today I was sitting by my cow, milking her. Just as I got the bucket full, she lifted her left leg and kicked over the bucket."


"Okay," said the man, "but that's not so bad."


"Some things you just can't explain," the farmer replied.


"So what happened then?" the man asked.


The farmer said, "I took her left leg and tied it to the post on the left."


"And then?"


"Well, I sat back down and continued to milk her. Just as I got the bucket full, she took her right leg and kicked over the bucket."


The man laughed and said, "Again?"


The farmer replied, "Some things you just can't explain."


"So, what did you do then?" the man asked.


"I took her right leg this time and tied it to the post on the right."


"And then?"


"Well, I sat back down and began milking her again. Just as I got the bucket full, the stupid cow knocked over the bucket with her tail."


"Hmmm," the man said and nodded his head.


"Some things you just can't explain," the farmer said.


"So, what did you do?" the man asked.


"Well," the farmer said, "I didn't have any more rope, so I took off my belt and tied her tail to the rafter. In that moment, my pants fell down and my wife walked in (sigh) ... Some things you just can't explain."


The book is out on Dak. Whatever it is he struggles to do, opposing defenses will attempt to force the issue; they will attack his weaknesses until he proves it is no longer a struggle. Zeke certainly isn’t surprising anyone. The opposition will be coached to keep tabs on #21 at all times when he is on the field. Dez is Dez; he hasn’t earned his contract, if you want to know my honest opinion, but to be fair that is not entirely his fault…injuries happen. The beauty of having a Dez is that regardless if he plays up to his ability or not, so long as he is on the field, defensive coordinators will still have to game plan for him…so, I guess you could say, in that sense, his reputation is certainly worth the cap hit.

The same could be said of Witten and Beasley. Witten is old. Beasley is small. But when Dak look’s to move the chains on 3rd and manageable, you can bet he’ll be looking for one of them….and there isn’t a whole lot defenses can do to take all of Dak’s options on third down away. Behind those primary targets, is a bevy of reliability. Williams and company (Butler, Switzer, Jones, Brown) may not ever be considered ideal as #1 options, but as #3’s and #4’s you won’t find too many team’s that boast better potential targets, all things considered.

The bottom line is the Cowboy’s offense is about as close to a finished product as a team could ask for heading into a season. There are not a lot of questions about that side of the ball other than offensive line and tight end. By preseason end, I suspect there won’t be too many questions about those positions either, as the Cowboys will likely look to quicken the pace on Dak’s snap to release time….that’s what adding a Switzer to the equation could assist with and not adding an offensive lineman high in the draft could force.

The defense, on the other hand, is one big question mark. For the exception of Byron Jones at Free Safety and Sean Lee at Weakside Linebacker, every starting position is up for grabs. Some may say that TCraw and DLaw are locks to start, but I’m not so sure. David Irving, Maliek Collins, Taco, and Charles Tapper will certainly have something to say about that…and to be fair, starting means next to nothing on Marinelli defensive line, given how he likes to rotate players in and out to keep them fresh throughout and for when it really counts: the fourth quarter.

The trouble with guessing how the secondary will shake out is the rather unique situation of having a full cupboard of corners ideal for the Nickel role. Most believe the competition at Strong Safety is between Heath and Xavier Woods, but don’t sleep on Chidobe Awuzie being in that conversation; he played everywhere in the secondary at Colorado and actually may be a better fit in that role versus corner.

Furthermore, given the 3-2-6 the Cowboys like to use on 3rd and long, I could certainly see the Cowboys using a pure corner look on the back end, bringing the safeties up to the linebacker spot. The point is, much like the defensive line, whomever is christened the starter at each spot matters little; every corner that makes the final 53 is pretty much guaranteed a spot on the Gameday 46.

But as I have said countless times over the years in the months leading up to a season, having questions is not the same thing as being hopeless. Of course, I get following last year’s 13 and 3 magical season, few are in need of a lecture about having hope; transverse to seasons past, hope seemingly springs eternal for many among Cowboys nation. Nevertheless, regardless if you need this pep talk or not, this defense could very well be considered a strength by seasons end.

The crazy thing is, I’m not pointing to the talent-level as our reason to have faith in what I predict will be a mid-season turn-around for the Cowboys defense. I am pointing to the collective attitude of this defensive roster. I’ve watched the interviews. I’ve read the articles, however obscure. And I believe Jason Garrett finally has the locker room collection he has wanted from the beginning.

Gone are the cancers. Signed and accounted for, are the RKG’s. A mantra that I believe will be a galvanizing force behind this team’s (again) mid-season emergence.

In the early going of the RKG movement, Jason Garrett caught a lot of grief. From misinterpretation of what “RKG” actually means to moves that seemed to contradict what he was looking for, “RKG” quickly became a punchline on the national media’s lips just about every time the Cowboys caught a mention. Not too many people are laughing now.

Rather their current roster of 88 (I believe) are ideal representatives of this “ideal” or not remains to be seen. But the final 53, I feel fairly confident, will be its shining example. And, as a result, regardless if by season end the Cowboys have even one defensive Pro Bowl representative, I strongly believe the Cowboys will be extremely difficult to play against in all three phases of the game.

To come to this conclusion on your own, you will have to do the homework. You’ll have to dig deeper into the personality of every player. You will find this understanding in the fluff pieces; the throw-away space-eaters that various media outlets will include as an after-thought, when football news is a mere trickle, as it is presently.

You will find that many of the players that will be wearing a blue star in the upcoming season were leaders in their perspective locker rooms. You will discover that each player has a certain intensity and by extension a commitment to the game that is rare.

Talent-wise, admittedly, they may not have acquired the best player available at every opportunity, be it from the draft or via Free Agency. But when you can put together a collection of such players, talent can be transcended by attitude. Of course, if you only have a few of these guys, seeing that manifest itself is unlikely. But should you have the opportunity to have representatives of this approach across the board 53 players deep, overall talent can become an afterthought, as the players play beyond their billing and force the media to second-guess themselves in hindsight, Dak Prescott being the epitome of this phenomenon.

However, should you not do the homework and still haven’t the slight idea of what it is I’m trying to explain, all I can say is, some things you just can’t explain.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the effort JDay.

One thing I will add is don’t underestimate the potential negative impact of the changes to the OL.

To me the OL with Leary at LG was much better in 2014 and 2016 than it was with Collins at LG in 2015.

Now could Collins be better next year at LG than 2015?

Almost certainly however because of the situation at RT he’s been asked to work there.

Only time will tell how that works out, but IMO that move is likely to impact his development.

If he does move to RT then who is the LG?

Look like Cooper gets first crack at the job and again there are question marks about him.

I think the coaches would like to keep Collins at LG and have Chaz Green win the RT job, but again he has not shown the ability to stay healthy (either in College or in the MFL).

It goes without saying if the OL struggles then Dak will have less time to pass and Zeke less room to run and with the defence needing time to gel we heed the Offense to hit the ground running or we’ll soon find ourselves in a deep hole next season.

 

[jday]

Thanks for the effort JDay.

One thing I will add is don’t underestimate the potential negative impact of the changes to the OL.

To me the OL with Leary at LG was much better in 2014 and 2016 than it was with Collins at LG in 2015.

Now could Collins be better next year at LG than 2015?

Almost certainly however because of the situation at RT he’s been asked to work there.

Only time will tell how that works out, but IMO that move is likely to impact his development.

If he does move to RT then who is the LG?

Look like Cooper gets first crack at the job and again there are question marks about him.

I think the coaches would like to keep Collins at LG and have Chaz Green win the RT job, but again he has not shown the ability to stay healthy (either in College or in the MFL).

It goes without saying if the OL struggles then Dak will have less time to pass and Zeke less room to run and with the defence needing time to gel we heed the Offense to hit the ground running or we’ll soon find ourselves in a deep hole next season.

The potential woes on the offensive line are not lost on me. But it is a bit unfair to compare La'el rookie season, a season that saw Romo on the sideline for the majority of it, to Leary who was in his 3rd year in the same system in 2014. As for moving La'el to RT, I do wonder how serious they are about that switch. Much does hinge on what we have in Green/Cooper, but also keep in mind that a large portion of Romo's cap hit falls off June 1st and the Cowboys very well could be looking to address that issue then.

Of the positions that the Cowboys could use an upgrade and it is simultaneously realistic to do without having to part with a high draft pick, I believe the Cowboys might be able to find a G/T that is in the last year of their contract and would fit what they do schematically. That might be a pipe dream, but Stephen Jones did mention that making a trade at the time is a possibility.

If you look at the Cowboys team from top to bottom, the only place where upgrading over what they presently have is realistic within the aforementioned parameters is the offensive line. They'll want to see what they have in Taco and Tapper before they address the DL again. Jaylon look's as though he will play, so I doubt they would consider a trade for a backup linebacker. The majority of the Cowboys new toys are in the secondary and they will certainly want to see what they have there before adding any potential progress stoppers. WR is set. RB is set. TE is set. QB is set.

So it makes sense that if they do entertain a trade, OL is the most likely place they'll look to upgrade.

 

[IrishAnto]

The potential woes on the offensive line are not lost on me. But it is a bit unfair to compare La'el rookie season, a season that saw Romo on the sideline for the majority of it, to Leary who was in his 3rd year in the same system in 2014. As for moving La'el to RT, I do wonder how serious they are about that switch. Much does hinge on what we have in Green/Cooper, but also keep in mind that a large portion of Romo's cap hit falls off June 1st and the Cowboys very well could be looking to address that issue then.

Of the positions that the Cowboys could use an upgrade and it is simultaneously realistic to do without having to part with a high draft pick, I believe the Cowboys might be able to find a G/T that is in the last year of their contract and would fit what they do schematically. That might be a pipe dream, but Stephen Jones did mention that making a trade at the time is a possibility.

If you look at the Cowboys team from top to bottom, the only place where upgrading over what they presently have is realistic within the aforementioned parameters is the offensive line. They'll want to see what they have in Taco and Tapper before they address the DL again. Jaylon look's as though he will play, so I doubt they would consider a trade for a backup linebacker. The majority of the Cowboys new toys are in the secondary and they will certainly want to see what they have there before adding any potential progress stoppers. WR is set. RB is set. TE is set. QB is set.

So it makes sense that if they do entertain a trade, OL is the most likely place they'll look to upgrade.

Yes I recon OL is the most likely place a trade would occur however getting our hands on a good or ever adequate player might be expensive.

Let’s face it nobody is going to let one go on the cheap especially as they probably will have fair idea we need one badly.

Fingers crossed Green stays healthy (the option I think they would like the best)which enables Collins to stay at LG or Collins can play RT well and Cooper rediscovers the form that made him a 1st round pick (option 2 IMO).

 

[jday]

Yes I recon OL is the most likely place a trade would occur however getting our hands on a good or ever adequate player might be expensive.

Let’s face it nobody is going to let one go on the cheap especially as they probably will have fair idea we need one badly.

Fingers crossed Green stays healthy (the option I think they would like the best)which enables Collins to stay at LG or Collins can play RT well and Cooper rediscovers the form that made him a 1st round pick (option 2 IMO).

Therein is the rub.

You sir have peaked my interest on this topic, so my next contribution will hopefully answer your questions in more depth. You have a hat tip coming to you sir.

 

[Bullflop]

Funny stuff about the farmer and his cow -- obviously, he had some ''splaining'' to do when his wife appeared, lol. That paved the way for a nice comparison about the situation the Cowboys find themselves in this year.

Sometimes it's difficult to make everything come together all at once when so many things demand your attention. This team had problems aplenty to resolve, with its defense being like that cow that just kept finding ways to spill that bucket of milk. Fortunately, this year's draft was one that promises to resolve most of our deficiencies in the secondary, given adequate time to do so.

That stubborn cow you mentioned was well represented, I believe, by way of our anemic pass rush for the past several years. Hopefully, help is finally on the way this season with the youngsters left over from last year and a few new ones to boot. I'm, of course, referring to Taco, M. Collins, Tapper and who knows who else that might surprise. I feel the pass rush and secondary has hope to improve nicely.

This roster appears to be one improving steadily in terms of finding and implementing players that have bought into Garrett's mantra of giving all they can to make this version of the Cowboys successful. Thankfully, Jerry has also stepped back, listened and has allowed Stephen and Will McClay to do what they can to bring this team to a healthier state of culture and performance. Thankfully, they're on the rise.

 

[dallasdave]

Funny stuff about the farmer and his cow -- obviously, he had some ''splaining'' to do when his wife appeared, lol. That paved the way for a nice comparison about the situation the Cowboys find themselves in this year.

Sometimes it's difficult to make everything come together all at once when so many things demand your attention. This team had problems aplenty to resolve, with its defense being like that cow that just kept finding ways to spill that bucket of milk. Fortunately, this year's draft was one that promises to resolve most of our deficiencies in the secondary, given adequate time to do so.

That stubborn cow you mentioned was well represented, I believe, by way of our anemic pass rush for the past several years. Hopefully, help is finally on the way this season with the youngsters left over from last year and a few new ones to boot. I'm, of course, referring to Taco, M. Collins, Tapper and who knows who else that might surprise. I feel the pass rush and secondary has hope to improve nicely.

This roster appears to be one improving steadily in terms of finding and implementing players that have bought into Garrett's mantra of giving all they can to make this version of the Cowboys successful. Thankfully, Jerry has also stepped back, listened and has allowed Stephen and Will McClay to do what they can to bring this team to a healthier state of culture and performance. Thankfully, they're on the rise.

 

[IrishAnto]

Therein is the rub.

You sir have peaked my interest on this topic, so my next contribution will hopefully answer your questions in more depth. You have a hat tip coming to you sir.

I look forward to it

 

[peaveyman]

Charlie Daniels Band reference, The Legend of the Wooley Swamp. Your title just made me go back a bit ... I wonder if I'm the only one. Probably.

Nope, you aren't the only one. I knew exactly what you were referring to. One of my favorite by CDB.

 

[Ring6]

Nope, you aren't the only one. I knew exactly what you were referring to. One of my favorite by CDB.

Glad to hear it peaveyman. side note, I own a Peavey Cirrus V neck-thru bubinga/walnut/maple - got it the first year it came out, shoot I guess that is like almost 15 years ago now. Love the low B string. Nice pickups. Play it often.

 

[OUCowboy]

Glad to hear it peaveyman. side note, I own a Peavey Cirrus V neck-thru bubinga/walnut/maple - got it the first year it came out, shoot I guess that is like almost 15 years ago now. Love the low B string. Nice pickups. Play it often.

I just happen to be peaveyman's twin brother. Care to guess what my username stands for?

I am the proud owner of a 2002 American Cirrus Bubinga/Walnut 5-string.

 

[Ring6]

I just happen to be peaveyman's twin brother. Care to guess what my username stands for?

I am the proud owner of a 2002 American Cirrus Bubinga/Walnut 5-string.

Sounds exactly like mine. You know what I'm talkin about I wish I had two of 'em. Back then they were all American made. Didn't know otherwise until I saw some cheapos online. I now play mostly on Sundays if you know what I mean.

 

[haleyrules]

I've been kicking around the thought of starting a thread in off topic "top 100 seldom heard tunes" with the Borg like collective on this forum it could be the place google vectors searches, with everybody kicking in 1-3 songs/ artists per post( save fun for some others) but prolly won't,,, some CDB would hit that list,but so would Slim Whitman if I had anything to do about,,,

Slim Whitman...good god!!! l really need a drink...

 

[OUCowboy]

Sounds exactly like mine. You know what I'm talkin about I wish I had two of 'em. Back then they were all American made. Didn't know otherwise until I saw some cheapos online. I now play mostly on Sundays if you know what I mean.

I play nearly every Sunday at church. For me, that's the only place to play.

I drove to Jackson, MS the day after Christmas going on two years ago to pick it up. Best trip I've ever taken. I still have a Peavey Dyna-Bass I purchased almost 27 years ago, but I wish I had purchased a Cirrus long before I did.

Not sure if this is permitted, but here is a link to a picture of my rig.

https://www.***NOT-ALLOWED***/s/wg5y2uyb2lgjuu9/2016-10-16 10.01.10.jpg?dl=0

 

[haleyrules]

A farmer was sitting in the neighborhood bar getting drunk. A man came in and asked the farmer, "Hey, why are you sitting here on this beautiful day, getting drunk?"


The farmer shook his head and replied, "Some things you just can't explain."


"So what happened that's so horrible?" the man asked as he sat down next to the farmer.


"Well," the farmer said, "today I was sitting by my cow, milking her. Just as I got the bucket full, she lifted her left leg and kicked over the bucket."


"Okay," said the man, "but that's not so bad."


"Some things you just can't explain," the farmer replied.


"So what happened then?" the man asked.


The farmer said, "I took her left leg and tied it to the post on the left."


"And then?"


"Well, I sat back down and continued to milk her. Just as I got the bucket full, she took her right leg and kicked over the bucket."


The man laughed and said, "Again?"


The farmer replied, "Some things you just can't explain."


"So, what did you do then?" the man asked.


"I took her right leg this time and tied it to the post on the right."


"And then?"


"Well, I sat back down and began milking her again. Just as I got the bucket full, the stupid cow knocked over the bucket with her tail."


"Hmmm," the man said and nodded his head.


"Some things you just can't explain," the farmer said.


"So, what did you do?" the man asked.


"Well," the farmer said, "I didn't have any more rope, so I took off my belt and tied her tail to the rafter. In that moment, my pants fell down and my wife walked in (sigh) ... Some things you just can't explain."


The book is out on Dak. Whatever it is he struggles to do, opposing defenses will attempt to force the issue; they will attack his weaknesses until he proves it is no longer a struggle. Zeke certainly isn’t surprising anyone. The opposition will be coached to keep tabs on #21 at all times when he is on the field. Dez is Dez; he hasn’t earned his contract, if you want to know my honest opinion, but to be fair that is not entirely his fault…injuries happen. The beauty of having a Dez is that regardless if he plays up to his ability or not, so long as he is on the field, defensive coordinators will still have to game plan for him…so, I guess you could say, in that sense, his reputation is certainly worth the cap hit.

The same could be said of Witten and Beasley. Witten is old. Beasley is small. But when Dak look’s to move the chains on 3rd and manageable, you can bet he’ll be looking for one of them….and there isn’t a whole lot defenses can do to take all of Dak’s options on third down away. Behind those primary targets, is a bevy of reliability. Williams and company (Butler, Switzer, Jones, Brown) may not ever be considered ideal as #1 options, but as #3’s and #4’s you won’t find too many team’s that boast better potential targets, all things considered.

The bottom line is the Cowboy’s offense is about as close to a finished product as a team could ask for heading into a season. There are not a lot of questions about that side of the ball other than offensive line and tight end. By preseason end, I suspect there won’t be too many questions about those positions either, as the Cowboys will likely look to quicken the pace on Dak’s snap to release time….that’s what adding a Switzer to the equation could assist with and not adding an offensive lineman high in the draft could force.

The defense, on the other hand, is one big question mark. For the exception of Byron Jones at Free Safety and Sean Lee at Weakside Linebacker, every starting position is up for grabs. Some may say that TCraw and DLaw are locks to start, but I’m not so sure. David Irving, Maliek Collins, Taco, and Charles Tapper will certainly have something to say about that…and to be fair, starting means next to nothing on Marinelli defensive line, given how he likes to rotate players in and out to keep them fresh throughout and for when it really counts: the fourth quarter.

The trouble with guessing how the secondary will shake out is the rather unique situation of having a full cupboard of corners ideal for the Nickel role. Most believe the competition at Strong Safety is between Heath and Xavier Woods, but don’t sleep on Chidobe Awuzie being in that conversation; he played everywhere in the secondary at Colorado and actually may be a better fit in that role versus corner.

Furthermore, given the 3-2-6 the Cowboys like to use on 3rd and long, I could certainly see the Cowboys using a pure corner look on the back end, bringing the safeties up to the linebacker spot. The point is, much like the defensive line, whomever is christened the starter at each spot matters little; every corner that makes the final 53 is pretty much guaranteed a spot on the Gameday 46.

But as I have said countless times over the years in the months leading up to a season, having questions is not the same thing as being hopeless. Of course, I get following last year’s 13 and 3 magical season, few are in need of a lecture about having hope; transverse to seasons past, hope seemingly springs eternal for many among Cowboys nation. Nevertheless, regardless if you need this pep talk or not, this defense could very well be considered a strength by seasons end.

The crazy thing is, I’m not pointing to the talent-level as our reason to have faith in what I predict will be a mid-season turn-around for the Cowboys defense. I am pointing to the collective attitude of this defensive roster. I’ve watched the interviews. I’ve read the articles, however obscure. And I believe Jason Garrett finally has the locker room collection he has wanted from the beginning.

Gone are the cancers. Signed and accounted for, are the RKG’s. A mantra that I believe will be a galvanizing force behind this team’s (again) mid-season emergence.

In the early going of the RKG movement, Jason Garrett caught a lot of grief. From misinterpretation of what “RKG” actually means to moves that seemed to contradict what he was looking for, “RKG” quickly became a punchline on the national media’s lips just about every time the Cowboys caught a mention. Not too many people are laughing now.

Rather their current roster of 88 (I believe) are ideal representatives of this “ideal” or not remains to be seen. But the final 53, I feel fairly confident, will be its shining example. And, as a result, regardless if by season end the Cowboys have even one defensive Pro Bowl representative, I strongly believe the Cowboys will be extremely difficult to play against in all three phases of the game.

To come to this conclusion on your own, you will have to do the homework. You’ll have to dig deeper into the personality of every player. You will find this understanding in the fluff pieces; the throw-away space-eaters that various media outlets will include as an after-thought, when football news is a mere trickle, as it is presently.

You will find that many of the players that will be wearing a blue star in the upcoming season were leaders in their perspective locker rooms. You will discover that each player has a certain intensity and by extension a commitment to the game that is rare.

Talent-wise, admittedly, they may not have acquired the best player available at every opportunity, be it from the draft or via Free Agency. But when you can put together a collection of such players, talent can be transcended by attitude. Of course, if you only have a few of these guys, seeing that manifest itself is unlikely. But should you have the opportunity to have representatives of this approach across the board 53 players deep, overall talent can become an afterthought, as the players play beyond their billing and force the media to second-guess themselves in hindsight, Dak Prescott being the epitome of this phenomenon.

However, should you not do the homework and still haven’t the slight idea of what it is I’m trying to explain, all I can say is, some things you just can’t explain.

Thoughts?

lol. Once again...you have made my day!

 

[jday]

lol. Once again...you have made my day!

As always, glad to be of service.

 

[haleyrules]

As always, glad to be of service.

I can only hope you continue with your fine work here. You are a Godsend here. A voice of common sense without ego or pretense. A rare breath of fresh air.