A Football Life: The Great Wall of Dallas

[tyke1doe]

Same here. Exactly. Did they just make that moniker up for this show?

Yep.

 

[xwalker]

Yes, based on the current state of the team they have more needs on DL; however, in general terms of building a team, I would always start with the OLine. When the DL fails, you just lose games, but when the OL fails the QB gets injured and all of the other offensive players can't function. Also, I think it takes longer to build an OL.

 

[sideon]

Can we stop couching it by calling them "one of the greatest" and just call them what they were and that's the greatest O-Line in NFL history?

 

[5Stars]

I'm not ever going to say that Jimmy was blameless in the deal. The way he treated his wife is enough to make me not like him on a personal level. But guys like that have instincts about people. I think Jimmy saw Jerry's increasing need for attention and credit, was running low on his own energy to keep the thing going, and wasn't going to pretend that Jerry was the football man that he wanted to pretend that he was. I put the greater blame on Jones. If Jones would have just played the role of the grateful owner, have given Johnson the credit for the winning, been satisfied with the fruits of his choices, the whole nation would have sung his praises anyway and it would have continued for at least another season. That is the ironic and weird part of it all. In striving for what he wants (praise, credit, fun) he has actually robbed himself of what he wants. How many people roll their eyes at the idea of Jones as a GM. He hasn't gained a single thing he has grasped for on that front.

This is a good post except the part about how he treated his wife. Marriage takes two people and sometimes it just does not work out. (raises hand)

 

[yimyammer]

I believe that you guys just have it wrong and that is why you stay confused. When you keep looking for your answers in the wrong place you won't find them. Garrett is not the problem in Dallas. He just isn't. All you have to ask yourself is this:

Did Jerry Jones conduct himself in the same way with Jimmy Johnson as he has with every coach afterward?

I think every honest person knows the answer to that question. NO. Jimmy Johnson was the last word on all things football for the team he coached. Period. Period. Period.

The one constant since Johnson left, the one constant through all the mediocrity and at times dismal failure, is the man who at 71 years of age believes he will be running things until he is 91.

Even in the NFL films piece Jones' comments fit the bill of the way he sees things. I'm paraphrasing but "It just shows that if 5 men work together they can win the whole thing.".... or something to that effect.

His view of things football is simplistic, rah rah, and naive in a lot of ways.

Did you notice Jerry trying to imply he should be given credit for keeping Nate Newton after Tex Schram told him he was too fat and would never be a player?

 

[yimyammer]

i see what you're saying about his nastiness. i saw it a few times last year. but he was the biggest preseason disappointment for me. broaddus and other observers of training camp said he looked pitiful. idk if that's because of injury or if there's nothing really there with parnell.

what i don't understand is how garrett can be in those 90s locker rooms and observe all of this greatness and make comments in this documentary about the oline's physicality and tenacity, yet he doesn't instill that into this team. how can he admire these warriors who were not saints off the field, but then leave larry warford completely off our board? why draft finesse players like claiborne and escobar when you have a stud/mauler in decastro available? it doesn't make sense to me.

Garrett came in on the tail end of Jerry's tenure, what about Jerry, he's been there since day one

 

[Plankton]

Can we stop couching it by calling them "one of the greatest" and just call them what they were and that's the greatest O-Line in NFL history?

The line was great, and was the best one that I ever saw as they played (not through old footage).

But, take a look at the Oakland Raider offensive line from 1971 through 1973. That team had 4 Hall of Famers starting on the line (Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Jim Otto and Bob Brown). There's an argument that can be made that that line was the greatest ever. Certainly the most decorated.

 

[yimyammer]

Something I've never heard anyone mention (perhaps for good reason), the NCAA implemented an 85 scholarship limitation per team in 1992. This kept the top schools from stockpiling players effectively keeping them from playing for their competition and getting to develop as players in the process.

Because of this, I think there were more hidden gems available to knowledgeable coaches and scouts. Given Jimmy came from the college ranks and was most likely privy to info regarding players he might have tried to recruit from high school and were hidden away as surplus on other teams rosters and unable to develop their skills or perhaps unnoticed because they played for a small school or a bad team, I think this gave him and many of his coaches (who he brought up from the college ranks) an edge in drafting talent during their tenure.

Advancements in scouting and the scholarship limitation have made hidden gems less common in the years following Jimmys departure, imo.

Throw in the salary cap and free agency, which didn't exist when Jimmy & Jerry came on board, and I don't think you'll ever see a line much less an entire team as dominant as those 90's teams were.

Lastly, the rule changes have drastically reduced the physicality of the game and those teams would have been flagged unmercilessly if they had to play under the same rules. Go back and watch a game from that era (see the GB vs Dallas 95' championship game) and you'll be shocked at what they were allowed to get away with back then.

 

[burmafrd]

That raider O line was very good no doubt about it; but it got owned when it mattered by a couple of teams. One reason that bunch never won a SB. The Raiders did not win one until 1976. Now that game was basically a re run of what the Steelers O line did to the Vikings 2 years earlier. The small D line that the Vikings had were just physically overwhelmed. The Oakland O line was also bigger than most O lines were. That side had Upshaw and Shell and quite often Casper was on that side. Even Casper was bigger than any of the Vikings on that side- Marshall was about 235, Page was around 250, and Ellers was about 240. Upshaw and Shell outweighed any of them by about 40 lbs or so.

 

[Ultra Warrior]

Just finished watching it. Busey was always creepy looking, even back then. Heh.
Deion goofing on Little Nate by calling him Chappelle had me cracking up.
That line was way impressive. Just chucking dudes outta the way. Wish we had ANYTHING like that now, blocking for Romo & ANY RB for us. Championship for sure.
Sad how some of these guys threw their lives away. Nate was able to turn things around but sad times about Tueni.

 

[lwehlers]

That was great wasn't it? It was awesome to watch those guys dominate. I hadn't watched any 90's Cowboys stuff in a while and that really reminded me how lucky many of us were to have watched those teams. I wish we had done a better job of putting a line together over the past 7 years. I could only imagine what Romo, Witten and company could have done behind a really good offensive line. I'm not even talking about all-time great like the 90's OL, just good to very good. Those gaping holes Emmitt ran through, the time Aikman had to pass, it was incredible.
Well, at least we've started to build something on the OL with Smith and Frederick. The OL played very well last game and, overall, they're pretty young. Hopefully, they continue to develop and play well down the stretch.

I miss watching the nineties cowboy teams they would blow out todays good teams I think. I also hope that this current oline can play well these last four games because if this team is going to the playoffs then this current offense is going to have to carry this team.

 

[rcaldw]

This is a good post except the part about how he treated his wife. Marriage takes two people and sometimes it just does not work out. (raises hand)

I doubt you told your wife, that you wanted to devote your full attention to your new job and therefore no longer had time for her.... goodbye.

 

[rcaldw]

Did you notice Jerry trying to imply he should be given credit for keeping Nate Newton after Tex Schram told him he was too fat and would never be a player?

Yes, followed by a scene where it was JIMMY who saw that he had quick feet.

 

[cowboys1981]

This line dominated the opposition. That drive in SB 30 showed how dominant they could be on the biggest stage.

 

[Alexander]

[quote="tyke1doe]Yep.[/quote]

They did show a hat with the name on it though.

 

[BAT]

So basically, that early-90s line consisted of an activist pothead, a heroin abuser, a big fat drug trafficker, the dirtiest player in the league, and a Josh-Brent drunk who drove a Mercedes into a retaining wall. Plus John Gesek and later Larry Allen.

That was the key to winning 3 Super Bowls in 4 years. Such is the way it played in the show, and perhaps, that's pretty accurate.

I saw it a little different. I thought it was about 7 guys who were so different from one another but quickly found chemistry and a common goal to be the best ever. As individuals they were flawed, but as a unit they were legendary.

 

[ilovejerry]

my DVR went off does anyone have this ? please PM me , I really wanted to see this, Thanks in advance

 

[5Stars]

I doubt you told your wife, that you wanted to devote your full attention to your new job and therefore no longer had time for her.... goodbye.

You're right, I did not do that. She just did not have time for me....HELLO!

 

[BlueStar22]

Just watched this. Almost shed tears at the end. I love my Cowboys. Then I got angry and frustrated. There is no reason why we can't find a dominating line. Damn Jerry!

 

[BlueStar22]

Yes, based on the current state of the team they have more needs on DL; however, in general terms of building a team, I would always start with the OLine. When the DL fails, you just lose games, but when the OL fails the QB gets injured and all of the other offensive players can't function. Also, I think it takes longer to build an OL.

The game is won in the trenches. Whoever was the first to say that knew what he was talking about.