I've been a passionate Cowboys fan for 50 years. But, I'm concerned that a culture of non-performance is setting in. The team, staff, and ownership doesn't seem upset enough over losses.
Yep, I have been a passionate fan for 45 years. My biggest concern is also the culture which does include the Jones family. I said something in another thread about La'el Collins coming in to camp out of shape. Why is that allowed? If he's in shape then maybe he doesn't get hurt and then we don't have Steele getting thrown to the fire. The culture is not what it used to be. I remember back in the day the Cowboys would never tolerate that.
One other point that's been on my mind. We always joke around about the statement, "we like our guys". I feel that's the biggest problem. When Jimmy left Jerry was desperate to do it his way. Well since Jerry has been buying the groceries we have not been very successful. I think it's fair to say the team Jimmy Johnson helped assemble dissipated around '98. I think everyone but Woodson and maybe a player or two was gone by 2000. Since 2000 we've pretty much been playing with Jerry's guys, Jerry's assembled team started with Quincy Carter. Jerry talks a lot about our players and how good they are. He's good at selling tickets. "We like our guys" has been the mantra for years. The problem with "our guys" is they are not very good. They get marketed well and hyped up well by probably the greatest hype man in all of sports: Jerry Jones. This is not a post to bash Jerry's GMing, cuz I actually think he may be getting better, but this is a post bashing Jerry's views and hyping up our players. The problem is our players believe their own hype from Jerry and think if they show up on game day they should win. When they lose there is no fear of losing their jobs. Not to bash on Collins but he's just the example in my mind. He shows up out of shape, gets hurt in conditioning and this hurts the team. Collins has a job when he comes off IR, no consequences.
I guess to summarize Jerry's failing right now is that the culture of the Cowboys is everyone is an all pro even before they earn it. When you don't earn it, you'll still be an all pro in his eyes cuz you're "one of our guys". Then you'll get paid like an all pro and when you don't produce there is no consequences of losing your job. Case in point: CeeDee Lamb. I love the pick, I think he will be great for us. I'm going to buy his jersey. But before there was ever a game played there are videos about him and trailers about what's to come and on and on. The man hasn't played a down and we as fans are thinking, and expecting, an all world wide receiver. He was a marketing tool to sell tickets. I feel the players believe what is marketed about them and then they don't perform. DLaw is another example. He thinks he's this great DE and Jerry talks about him being a "war daddy" (creeper alert) but in the last 17 games he has 5.5 sacks. That's just not that good, that's pretty average for a DE. Legend in his and Jerry's mind. I think Jerry is getting better at drafting and signing FA's but let the guys become legends on their own.
Post of the year!!!
