Ex-player lays out Cowboys issues, 'circus environment', 'inflated arrogance'

[Jake]

“It was quite mind boggling to me that the staff, headed by Garrett, was promoting a false culture around a mystique that had long since faded in the mind of those who lived outside the cultural bubble of the silver and blue. There is no doubt that the market of the Cowboys brand is the most powerful in sports. That market is based on an image that was built on the back of champions. That image is maintained by a hype machine that works in overdrive 24/7 and usually is more to the detriment of those on the roster than a benefit.”

Despite the fact that it appears his commentary was a jab at a possibly-departing Garrett, Nwaneri went on to note that was not quite what he perceived as the root cause what he coined as a false culture.

“The Dallas Cowboys fail because they have an owner who has interjected himself in the daily operations of a professional sports franchise. True enough it is his team, but there is a certain level of trust that an owner needs to have in the abilities of his coaching staff to do the job he has paid them to do. Jerry is the final say on all personnel decisions. He is the spokesperson for the cowboys. The biggest fan of the Cowboys. And in the end, his decree is passed down as if he was the head coach of the Cowboys himself. His influence over the entire narrative for the Cowboys is undisputed, both in the media, and the locker room.”

For emphasis, the post finished specifically with addressing the pitfalls facing a locker room that is dominated by the Jones specter.

“In the end, for better AND for worse, Jerry Jones is responsible for the constant failings of the Dallas Cowboys. The locker room in Dallas buckles under the immense pressure, and hype created by long past success. Long past success and nostalgia that Jerry himself is chasing. Until he decides to let go of that past glory and undisputed control/influence over the narrative of his team, changing coaches will not amount to the success he seeks. Until he steps back and lets go of the power he has embellished himself in, nothing will change. Until he allows himself to see the Dallas Cowboys for what they truly are, they will never be what he so desperately wants them to be. The Dallas Cowboys are a mediocre football franchise. A mediocre franchise with an extraordinary amount of talent. And that is solely the fault of the very man who long ago turned the silver and blue into a way of life. Jerry Jones.”

When a former player castigates a powerful figure like Jones, it is bound to provide some important food for thought for the fanbase.


For the full article:
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/20...n-garrett-uche-nwaneri-harsh-team-assessment/

Confirmed what I've suspected for years. Players have come and gone, coaches have been changed several times, and one constant remains: Jerry the decision-maker on everything.

Again, empower don't just appoint. Delegate authority then hold people accountable for their decisions. Otherwise, you're just making them scapegoats for your own mismanagement.

 

[blueblood70]

Not a huge JG or Jerry defender by any means

But we're supposed to believe this guy gained an incredibly deep understanding of everything wrong with the Cowboys culture by being here for a couple weeks as a training camp body?

This article seems a bit of a stretch to me

People give credence to this guy but derided Dez as a malcontent.....

I was like WHO? lol jaded ex players can say all they want, take it with grain of salt.. rejection tends to spurn negative reactions..

sure its not been perfect but somehow despite this they have won games, decisions, been to the playoffs, acquired pretty good talent..

I saw players making more mistakes in penalty's, TOS, and lack of execution then simly bad coacjhong..expecially this year but other for real reasons we havnt made another SB..Jerry aand his family maybe a bit eccentric but laying it all out as if its totally dysfucntional and will never change..meh

not sure how you can blame Jerry or the HC for
Romos fumble on the fg against seatle that led to Bill retiring suddenly
Patrick Crayton meltdown in 2007
Dez no catch , murray fumble, or bailys TWO missed Fgs in the GB game
Crazy comeback of AR hitting cooks on the sideline, better coverage ? or it was just a great throw and catch...?

Now the Rams game maybe a coach didnt prepare or adjust well and Mcvay owned them but it was defense failing to stop the run all game by 2 backs..

theres those same issues this season with Wittens fumble in NO the bad call of Zekes fumble we lost by two

I'm not going over all of it but hard to say oh the culture here cost us chances to go further and its on Jerry and the Jonses from where I sit we had the talent and were in position to win and the layers just found ways to blow the games.


he did keep Garett 4 yrs too too long but we can win and will..i blame him for that and yes the Jones' arent perfect and Jerry can be meddlesome , I for one dont like his constant media updates and what not.I still believe the last 10yeears other then Garett staying too long hes fielded a team of talent that could have got us to another SB..

im gald we at least will have a new HC and staff with a different approach and voice. maybe its the ush we need..

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I had to look up who Nwaneri was. He apparently was a final cut in 2014. He was there from June 25 to August 30. He was out of the NFL after that.

 

[Kaiser]

Otherwise, you're just making them scapegoats for your own mismanagement.

Actually you are overreacting to one guy that was a camp tryout and ignoring the comments of the players who were actually on the team.

 

[yimyammer]

Honestly... this is the same regurgitated opinion we see all the time. I thought this was going to be by an Ex-Cowboys player who had been with the team for more than 5 mins. Those comments hold more weight than someone from the outside.

Does Jason Hatcher meet your standard?

"I'm a real good dude, but there were times I really just wanted to like F-bomb everybody, including the people at the top, when I was there, because it's bull crap," "It's a circus there sometimes. Like let's focus on winning.

I think at the same time that the Cowboys brand has outgrown football, if that makes sense. It ain't about football no more. It's hard to focus on football because all of the other components you have around you. Before you even get to Sundays, you done went around the world on a damn tour.

"We done had Super Bowl teams every year. But you know what? The Cowboys brand, all the stuff you had to go through, by the time you get to football, you're like, this is a joke, football is a joke.

People want to know what's wrong with the Cowboys, that's what is wrong with the Cowboys."

radio interview:

https://1053thefan.radio.com/media/audio-channel/jason-hatcher

 

[Kaiser]

I had to look up who Nwaneri was. He apparently was a final cut in 2014. He was there from June 25 to August 30. He was out of the NFL after that.

I wadded some panties in another thread about this. Nwaneri also wrote "when I came to Dallas a free agent" even though he was cut by the Jags, got a camp tryout and was cut again.

If you read the article it sounds like he is trying to get some guest spots on ESPN by throwing red meat out to the Jerry haters.

 

[Blast From The Past]

Barnum and Bailey!

+To a T! Jerry is the one constant since Jimmy's exit. The conclusion can be only one thing. Man in the mirror.

 

[Jake]

Jerry’s biggest mistake the last ten years was making this about Jason Garrett. Now he’s finally gotten over that hump.

Jerry's biggest mistake has been making it about himself from the day he hired Barry Switzer. We'll see if he's gotten over THAT hump, but I doubt it.

 

[Kaiser]

Does Jason Hatcher meet your standard?

Name two. There are literally hundreds of ex Cowboys who played for the team over the last ten years.

 

[Cowfan75]

The guy completely contradicts himself too. He just admitted Dallas had an extraordinary amount of talent. Well, guess what? That’s the GMs job.

what was the job of Garrett again with that extraordinary talent?

I have yet to see proof we have extraordinary talent. The media love to say it, but maybe they are looking at the money Jerry is shelling out and assuming we have an abundance of talent because nobody would pay that kind of money to mediocre players.

 

[_sturt_]

Honestly... this is the same regurgitated opinion we see all the time. I thought this was going to be by an Ex-Cowboys player who had been with the team for more than 5 mins. Those comments hold more weight than someone from the outside.

A case where the message seems very legit, very substantiated, but the messenger's illegitimacy effectively waters down the message.

 

[CWR]

The guy completely contradicts himself too. He just admitted Dallas had an extraordinary amount of talent. Well, guess what? That’s the GMs job.

what was the job of Garrett again with that extraordinary talent?

Thats the thing about being critical of the front office. If you believe the roster is loaded with talent and we are in good shape cap wise then you can't honestly say Jerry is CURRENTLY doing a horrible job.

He's got his coach now. He needs to step back and let him do his job. Hopefully that is the plan moving forward. I have heard several times that we make decisions based on a consensus. I think Jerry has begun to put more faith in his staff in the last few years. I can only hope he puts the same faith in McCarthy.

 

[MikeB80]

Jerry's boys were Romo, Witten and Garrett. All three now gone so maybe that helps the locker room. Gotta feeling Kellen Moore is his new crush. Desperate to say he developed a coach.

Romo has not been on the team in years. The fact that you are blaming Romo for the teams shortcomings in 2020 is amazing.

 

[WoodysGirl]

Does Jason Hatcher meet your standard?



radio interview:

https://1053thefan.radio.com/media/audio-channel/jason-hatcher

It does, but it doesn't. Hatch is a guy who I think wanted to stay, but left for the money. And my two nickels is there's some bitterness there, but I won't quibble over his comments.

Nod goes to @Alexander that yeah, you wouldn't want to hear company soundbites. But don't trot this Nwaneri guy as someone who can speak with any real knowledge of the Cowboys, past, present, or current.

The reality is it's all tired.

 

[CWR]

I have yet to see proof we have extraordinary talent. The media love to say it, but maybe they are looking at the money Jerry is shelling out and assuming we have an abundance of talent because nobody would pay that kind of money to mediocre players.

Start with our oline, move to Coop and Gallup, then to Zeke and Pollard. There is undisputed talent littered all over this offense.

The defense is our biggest question mark. Hopefully we go heavy on defense this offense. Id love to get Jamal Adams and some hogs for the dline.

 

[TheTruthIsOutThere]

Actually you are overreacting to one guy that was a camp tryout and ignoring the comments of the players who were actually on the team.

Not sure if it's an over reaction if it's been pretty much confirmed by other players that have been here for more than a year. A Lot of those guys that don't see anything wrong may have trouble seeing that there is an issue because that's all the know.

 

[LatinMind]

Who really tries to hype up this team? Jones or the media?

Yes Jerry is in a camera every chance he gets.

But its the media making a story of every little thing about this team. They try to write the narrative, every off season every journalist is trying to be the first one to be on board the "this is the yr for the Cowboys". Then when it doesnt happen it seems they get salty and flip it and go after the franchise with story after story.

 

[yimyammer]

Name two. There are literally hundreds of ex Cowboys who played for the team over the last ten years.

Troy Aikman:

 

[speedkilz88]

 

[Kaiser]

Troy Aikman:

There is absolutely no connection between Troy's comments and what Hatcher said.