Aikman's "Negativity" Toward The Cowboys...

[CaptainAmerica]

...There has been a lot of discussion on this board during the season about Aikman's consistent, negative comments about the Cowboys during the Fox NFL broadcasts.

I've long thought and said in those threads that I didn't think it was really negativity toward the Cowboys as much as it was just a reflection of Aikman's "glass half empty" view of everything.

Well, I recently came across this short, but interesting article from Tim Cowlishaw reflecting on Aikman's career and he mentioned a moment in Aikman's early career that seems to define his personality....
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It was the off-season following, arguably, the greatest football season of Troy Aikman’s career. Leading Dallas to a crushing 52-17 defeat of Buffalo, the 26-year-old was the reigning Super Bowl MVP.

On top of the world. To some extent, every guy in Dallas wanted to be Troy Aikman. Every woman in Dallas wanted to be with Troy Aikman.

And there, sitting in what was called the “break room’’ at Valley Ranch, talking to a radio reporter and myself, sat Aikman.

Moody. Glum.

He even wondered aloud how the radio guy could keep smiling all the time.

“You know, I wake up 75 percent of the time and think, “Today is going to be a really lousy day,’ ‘’ Aikman said, shaking his head.

Not that he was feeling sorry for himself or expecting to gather sympathy. It was just a moment of candor, a peak into the life of someone who we think has life conquered.

 

[bbgun]

The Switzer years drained the life out of him.

 

[joseephuss]

1989 drained the life out of him. I never saw a guy beat up as much as Aikman was that season.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The Switzer years drained the life out of him.

Huh? Read the article again. Those comments were just a few weeks after the first SB win, when he was the MVP of the game. Troy is simply a dour, "glass half empty" person.

 

[bbgun]

Huh? Read the article again. Those comments were just a few weeks after the first SB win, when he was the MVP of the game. Troy is simply a dour, "glass half empty" person.

I know, but the reason they clashed is because Troy is no-nonsense and Barry is all-nonsense.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I know, but the reason they clashed is because Troy is no-nonsense and Barry is all-nonsense.

I certainly agree with that. Switzer was one of Jerry's worst moves as owner of the Boys. GEEEEEZZZ!!

 

[JIGGYFLY]

I certainly agree with that. Switzer was one of Jerry's worst moves as owner of the Boys. GEEEEEZZZ!!

The man won a superbowl and got to the NFC championship game his first 2 years so yeah that was the worst move Jery ever made . I just do not understand the level of hatred this man gets was he best man for the job probably not but the man is one of only 2 coaches to have multiple NCAA championships and a superbowl so he had to be doing something right. GEEEEEEZZ

 

[CalCBFan]

I agree w/ JIGGYFLY about Switzer. It's the UT alum that hate him so much because the 'Horns could never beat him. I shudder to think how successful we could have been if we had an Aikman caliber QB, but with a more jovial attitude. Barry once said "I got along with everybody on that team except for one person."

In fairness to Troy, somebody posted a quote from him just befor the SB, in which he said (to my astonishment) that the Cowboys were "very, very close". He seemed to think we need to shore up the OL (who doesn't) and get a WR, but didn't he say he thought the D was very good and would be even better w/ a year's experience?...

 

[JIGGYFLY]

Thanks for the support the check is in the mail. Seriously I think Switzer got a bad rep and some will say look at the talent on the team and I say so he did his job coached to the level of talent he had.

 

[pancakeman]

and Barry is all-nonsense.

 

[parchy]

1989 drained the life out of him. I never saw a guy beat up as much as Aikman was that season.

Man, you must've missed Dandy Don's performances in the 60's. I think he had to play each game with more injuries than anybody on the team combined. Landry did NOT believe in protecting his quarterback in those early years.

 

[TX Cowboy]

Aikmans inability to suit up and do it just 1 more time, is what's killing
him..deep down I think Troy wants to be out there, Instead of being
some jockey behind the scenes

for many players leaving the game is the hardest thing to do, and for
Aikman it's still killing him today

 

[BAZ]

I think Aikman gets to much stick or being down on the Cowboys, he is very negative about a lot of teams he comments on. That's not a glass half empty kind of guy , that's just someone who doesn't have Maddens constant slurping of Farve , Theisman's never ending praise for teams that do not deserve it & Maguire's "Did you see that? This guy's the best in the league at that" - how he manages to say this 10 times a game is beyond me. Aikman will call a team out on something they should be better at and will slate a team that deserves it.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Aikmans inability to suit up and do it just 1 more time, is what's killing
him..deep down I think Troy wants to be out there, Instead of being
some jockey behind the scenes

for many players leaving the game is the hardest thing to do, and for
Aikman it's still killing him today

That might be it. He still looks like he could play.

 

[Hostile]

I agree w/ JIGGYFLY about Switzer. It's the UT alum that hate him so much because the 'Horns could never beat him.

I'm not a UT alum. I'm not even a UT fan. I can't stand Barry Switzer and prefer to forget his days walking our hallowed sidelines. I knew the team would start to fall apart discipline wise as soon as he was hired and that would eventually drag us down. I wish one of Jerry's other 500 guys was wearing that ring instead of the Bootlegger's boy.

 

[CoCo]

I'm really divided on Switzer.

First I absolutely loved Aikman's approach to his work - QB that is. He was no Switzer fan.

Yet I must say that I largely admire Switzer for how he carried himself while with Dallas. He was mercilessly criticized. Some things he had some influence on, others he did not. But he took the fall for the dynasty's crumbling more than anyone except Jones himself. And he rarely bit back with the vengeance that his critics attacked him with.

I frankly marvel at how Switzer was largely able to walk through that storm and not be personally embittered.

Would I have chosen someone else to succeed Jimmy? Yes. Did Barry have his flaws? Absolutely. I just admired his character in the midst of it all.

 

[Cbz40]

Switzer has been the only coach of the Cowboys that I have ever felt this way about..... everytime he opened his mouth I was embarrassed. :

 

[AdamJT13]

Aikmans inability to suit up and do it just 1 more time, is what's killing
him..deep down I think Troy wants to be out there, Instead of being
some jockey behind the scenes

for many players leaving the game is the hardest thing to do, and for
Aikman it's still killing him today

He still thinks his concussions and back injury had nothing to do with his retirement. He says he retired because he was frustrated with the Cowboys being such a mess. I guess he forgot that we cut him and nobody else wanted him, either, so he had to retire.

 

[CoCo]

He still thinks his concussions and back injury had nothing to do with his retirement. He says he retired because he was frustrated with the Cowboys being such a mess. I guess he forgot that we cut him and nobody else wanted him, either, so he had to retire.

And yet, somehow, I respect that. It shows a stubborn belief in himself that often times helps make one great.

At the same time it needs to be based on something other than simply hot air (a la Hambrick).

 

[CoCo]

Switzer has been the only coach of the Cowboys that I have ever felt this way about..... everytime he opened his mouth I was embarrassed. :

I'll never forget the press conference to introduce Barry when he got so excited he shook Jerry by the shoulders.

The dumbfounded look on Jerry's face was absolutely priceless. Jimmy must have been rolling. And Cowboy nation was embarrassed beyond belief.