This CZer is thinking outside the box.
BTW - your member name + the photo is the ultimate oxymoron.
Derogatory label expressed by a disgruntled player toward his coach - who in his life-
• Interrupted his very productive collegiate football career to serve his country - IN COMBAT - and was awarded for his valor.
• Became an NFL All-Pro and Championship player.
• Face of an inconic league franchise.
• HOF member for his coaching successes, innovations, and contributions to Professional Football.
Correct.
If you judged Tom Landry by his demeanor during games then you made a grave error in judgement. Tom was anything but non-emotional. He just didn't display it very often. I think many people misunderstood the intensity of his focus on what was going on in the games.
Quite often, he wouldn't celebrate a big play or even TD. Why? Because his mind was already concentrated several plays coming up.
Tom Landry has received a huge amount of praise and credit for the work that he did, typical of leaders after they have led their team to success. They are often called "innovative" and "charismatic" by those they have led to success, after the fact. However, it's a different picture during the actual process. Before the success, leaders are often not appreciated. In fact, quite often, they are downright resented.
"Plasticman" wasn't the only derogatory label given to Tom Landry. His own assistant coaches used to call him "Coach Sliderule" in reference to an instrument that assisted in performing calculations long before the calculator was invented.
Why are leaders resented during the process leading up to success? It is because a good leader forces his team to give more than what they originally intended to give. It is that difference in effort that is often responsible for their success.
When a leader can bring his team to success, a conclusion that brings benefits to all involved, it sometimes allows the leader to adopt the derogatory term and transform it almost into a term of endearment.
"Mean" Joe Green?
Old "Blood and Guts"? (General George S. Patton)
I don't think Tom Landry was unemotional as a 19 year old co-pilot during World War II when they were once forced to crash land. Nor do i suspect he was unemotional when he received news that his brother Duane, had died during a training accident.
Before the 1963 season Landry was sure that the team would make a major step towards being a championship caliber team after going 0-11-1, 4-9-1 and 5-8-1 the first three seasons. They took a step backwards that season going 4-10. Landry expected to be fired. At the end of the season when Landry was addressing the team, he broke down and cried. He blamed himself and thanked everyone for their effort. Of course, we know today that he was given a ten year contract extension.
When Tom Landry's daughter, Lisa became pregnant and went to the doctor, they discovered that she had liver cancer. She was told that if she didn't have an abortion then there was a good chance the pregnancy would escalate her death from the cancer. She was deeply Christian, just like her father. She made the decision to go through with her pregnancy, giving birth to Tom Landry's grand daughter. They named her Christina. Lisa passed a short while later. It would be very difficult to think of Tom as a plastic man during this tragedy.
I honor Tom Landry by using the name Plasticman becasue i am fully aware of it's contradictory nature. You don't accomplish everything he had been able to without a profound passion for the game
