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

cowboyed · Jan 6, 2020

Proximo said:
C’mon people, this guy didn’t even actually play for the Cowboys. They brought him in as a camp body during 2014 training camp and he was let go during final cuts.

Exactly, he parrots like he has been there for a decade. He is a mouthful of cliche.

OmerV · Jan 6, 2020

birdwells1 said:
What he's stating is that the culture and the hierarchy is off in Dallas, JJ welds too much power and influence.

And that's insight? Is there anyone that didn't know that much?

RoboQB · Jan 6, 2020

Finally! A bar set lower than Jesse Holly as Cowboys player insider... lol/smh

Risen Star · Jan 6, 2020

Doesn't matter. That all changed today.

birdwells1 · Jan 6, 2020

Parcells4Life said:
Well the Cowboys are the premiere franchise in the league and it actually is a privilege to play for them. Garrett was hoping it would inspire them to play better. I actually don’t fault this by the organization. Try to raise the standard.

All the improvements have been made off the field while the infield product suffers.

birdwells1 · Jan 6, 2020

OmerV said:
And that's insight? Is there anyone that didn't know that much?

We speculate but he's actually been there.

Alexander · Jan 6, 2020

WoodysGirl said:
That said I can acknowledge everyone's opinion and still believe it's tired and regurgitated. Jerry is about to be 80 years old. He's not changing. I refuse to get up in arms about his management style. It is what it is.

It "is what it is" because people don't want to talk about it and because it won't change.

That is far easier to deal with than saying you are eternally screwed until the owner dies.

At the end of the day, it is all the same except with less dissonance.

OmerV · Jan 6, 2020

birdwells1 said:
We speculate but he's actually been there.

It doesn't really take speculation to know Jerry wields too much power. We see that in press conferences and interviews and actions. I'll concede accuracy on that point - everyone already believes that, so it really isn't a point at all. That's like saying the Atlantic Ocean is wet and claiming to have special insight because you went swimming there once.

But anything much beyond that, this was a guy that spent maybe 6 weeks of training camp with the team, and I'll bet 99% of the fans on this site have no recollection of ever having spent even a day with the team. Accordingly, I'll take his "special insight" with a big grain of salt.

Spurdog · Jan 6, 2020

WoodysGirl said:
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.

Give me a break people. You don't need to be with this team much more than 5 minutes to see right through what the problem is and it this guy nailed it. He was also around alot of people that have been with the Cowboys and I am sure they have opinions about their observations and what the problems are. Everyone know JJ is the real problem in Dallas for all the very reasons this guy just laid out.

OmerV · Jan 6, 2020

Alexander said:
It "is what it is" because people don't want to talk about it and because it won't change.

That is far easier to deal with than saying you are eternally screwed until the owner dies.

At the end of the day, it is all the same except with less dissonance.

How can you say people not talking about it is the reason "it is what it is" and nothing changes? People have been talking about it for 20 years, and Jerry is still the owner with full authority to run his team as he sees fit. Talking about it can't change that.

Established1971 · Jan 6, 2020

I just dont understand the point of the never-ended thousands of Jerry hating comments on this board. Im not saying many of the points are not valid nor that Jerry isnt a problem, its just to me at what point does a given fan stop feeling the need to vent about one single topic? Root or find another team I say. Jerry is not selling the team and when he dies you will just hate on Stephen.

birdwells1 · Jan 6, 2020

Spurdog said:
Give me a break people. You don't need to be with this team much more than 5 minutes to see right through what the problem is and it this guy nailed it. He was also around alot of people that have been with the Cowboys and I am sure they have opinions about their observations and what the problems are. Everyone know JJ is the real problem in Dallas for all the very reasons this guy just laid out.

Thank you, I worked for a company for 17 years then moved to another one and it didnt take long at all to see why the current employer had issues. The culture was terrible, employees spent more time complaining about doing simple things that were done on a regular basis at my former job.
Comparatively speaking the employees at my new job were spoiled. Why? Because this was their first job and they had nothing to compare it to.
A lot of these and former cowboys have known nothing else but the Cowboys way.

punchnjudy · Jan 6, 2020

Maybe the criticism will get Jerry to change some things, like less commentary immediately after games or less time on air. Especially commentary on coaching decisions. I don't think he'll ever really be hands off though.

Marcus Spears was making a similar point as the OP (or trying to, lol) on the SAS show. Basically just said that Jerry had too much influence over the team and it was an issue under all three coaches.

Nothing really new here, except maybe him saying that Jerry had too much influence when Bill was there too (4:20 mark).

RoboQB · Jan 6, 2020

Risen Star said:
Doesn't matter. That all changed today.

Good point.

It's time to look through the windshield instead of the rear view mirror.

zekecowboy · Jan 6, 2020

WoodysGirl said:
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.

While some won’t see Nwaneri as the expert in all things Cowboys, he has been privy to the inner workings of the team, from inside the four walls.

After playing seven seasons and 92 starts with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he signed as a free agent in the 2014 offseason. He was brought in to compete for a reserve role at left guard in training camp. His stay ended at the final cuts in late August which effectively ended his professional career in the league.

Nwaneri signed with the Dallas Cowboys on June 25, 2014. He was cut during final roster cuts on August 30, 2014. HE was there for approximately 2 months! Hopefully, the CULTURE will change with the new coach Mike McCarthy.

atlantacowboy · Jan 6, 2020

What I don't get is how this is news to anyone. Yes, Jerry is the problem. But, the problem was compounded by a feckless coach who himself bought into the hype machine. JG had his teams believing that b/c they wear a star on their uniform and the colors of the Dallas Cowboys that they are worthy of the legacy. He did the EXACT opposite of what he should have been doing and many of us have been saying this for years.

The players need to first understand that they have accomplished nothing and they have NOT earned the legacy. The psyche of this team needs to be torn down and built back up. I just don't know how you can do it quickly with so many divas and egomaniacs left over from the Garret era.

atlantacowboy · Jan 6, 2020

Alexander said:
Actually a case can be made for someone new to the environment, coming from another culture. Sometimes fresh eyes are the best eyes.

Talk to a lifer like Jason Witten, you get a company man who was nose blind to the stench.

What he says here is no different than people who were here a while, like Crayton. But every dismisses him as a "hater".

Jason Witten is actually the kind of player we need. He was a minority on this team for years doing his job at a high level without calling attention to himself in any negative way. Witten is never going to throw anyone under the bus or criticize his boss or coaches b/c he has the intelligence to realize thats not his job.

Crayton had just dropped a pass that probably cost us an appearence in the NFC title game. He was obviously bitter and felt scapegoated. Nobody wanted to here from THAT guy. Plus, Parcels had done a heck of job reshaping the locker room culture. Nobody thought there was an issue in 2007 except the guy with sour grapes.

RS12 · Jan 6, 2020

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

Marcus Spears

Alexander · Jan 6, 2020

atlantacowboy said:
Jason Witten is actually the kind of player we need. He was a minority on this team for years doing his job at a high level without calling attention to himself in any negative way. Witten is never going to throw anyone under the bus or criticize his boss or coaches b/c he has the intelligence to realize thats not his job.

He was a chosen one of the staff and the coach. He wasn't in any way a "minority of this team". I have no idea where you get that idea.

He basically was an extension of management.

If you want to find out the real issues amongst the rank and file, you dig a little deeper than the top 5%.

windward · Jan 6, 2020

Proximo said:
C’mon people, this guy didn’t even actually play for the Cowboys. They brought him in as a camp body during 2014 training camp and he was let go during final cuts.

Sounds like sour grapes.

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

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What's it going to be then, eh?

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What's it going to be then, eh?

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