Dak: It's the little things

[KJJ]

Romo sucks for wearing his hat backwards and Dak is Goat for throwing a cup away...

Romo didn't handle things real well when he first took over as the starting QB in 06 and it started turning some fans off. He made a comment after a big loss (forgot the exact quote) that bothered some fans. Our struggles in critical games were causing many to question his leadership because he never seemed to have the ability to raise the level of play around him in the games that mattered most. Once his game started coming apart the team would fold with him. He started taking advantage of his new found celebrity by being a judge at the Miss Universe pageant and then got involved with Jessica Simpson not long after taking over the starting job. He started making the tabloids like TMZ and it drew the ire of some of the fans who were getting frustrated with his mistakes/turnover issues that started becoming a theme in critical games from 06 to 2009.

The trip to Cabo with Jessica Simpson just prior to the playoff game with the Giants in 07 angered a lot of fans with his game slumping at the time and he didn't play very good against NY. Everyone started looking for things to jump on him about including wearing his hat backwards and him looking fat. There's been a love/hate with Romo over the years and you could see it on this board. When he played great everyone loved him but when he would suffer one of his meltdown performances especially the one vs Washington in the season finale in 2012, threads would pop up that we need to start drafting another QB. Dak has taken over and has handled things well beyond his years. He's been great with the media, saying all the right things concerning the controversy between him and Romo and he's played great leading the team to the best record in the entire league and a franchise record 9 straight wins. He's outgunned 3 QBs this season who've won SB's.

He's shown great maturity, leadership, composure and poise on the field. It's hard not to be impressed with Dak and how he's handled everything this season. The team has responded to him and he's raised the level of play of the entire team. What he's brought to this team is very reminiscent of what Roger Staubach brought the team when Landry decided to go with him over Craig Morton in 1971. The Cowboys needed a lift after all the many disappointments through the years and Staubach energized the franchise with great, clutch play and it invigorated the team. I'm certainly not saying Dak is Roger Staubach but he has energized the franchise at a time when we really needed someone to bring us new hope. The team was down and out last season and it appeared we were going to be down and out again after losing Romo in preseason and something magical started happening as soon as Dak took over.

 

[FLCowboyFan]

I agree with him. It's all about his emotional IQ and how much he respects those around him. A person who is self absorbed wouldn't care that they missed the can. Like he said....someone would pick it up. But why should they have to? Why is he any better than anyone else? That is what makes leaders. It's being willing to do whatever it takes and recognizing that with the exceptions of the right kind of luck and talent that he might be the guy picking up the trash at the end of the game. In other words....none of us are better than anyone of of us. And people who really know that are more successful in the end.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I don't know about nothing happening under that scenario. There are spin masters who can arouse the interest of people who shouldn't give a lick what they say. I know. I see it too often right here on CowboysZone whenever Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith exhales and BOOM! their comments or video are posted on the site.

It's all over the top silly...

There are MANY things I feel like Dak can and does get praised for. Throwing away cup should not be one of them. I mean, it's good he's not a litterbug, but in the grand scheme of things. He threw away a cup. That's it. lol

 

[yimyammer]

Romo sucks for wearing his hat backwards and Dak is Goat for throwing a cup away...

 

[Venger]

It's all over the top silly...
There are MANY things I feel like Dak can and does get praised for. Throwing away cup should not be one of them. I mean, it's good he's not a litterbug, but in the grand scheme of things. He threw away a cup. That's it. lol

Did you watch the Cowherd video? I didn't know it existed, thought I was the only one who noticed. But apparently alot of people did. How you treat the small things when you don't know people are looking reveals more about your character than how you act on stage under the brightest spotlight. I'll wager the self discipline shown by that tiny act is what has made Dak able to come into the league and have a high degree of success. Not because he isn't a litterbug - but because doing a job right *matters*. Perhaps it's seeing how little self-regard and regard for others the current generation shows that makes it remarkable. It shouldn't be a big deal.

And yet... it is.

 

[Tabascocat]

Romo sucks for wearing his hat backwards and Dak is Goat for throwing a cup away...

Sitting here at my wife's surgery center waiting for her. Read this and busted out laughing and now everyone is stareing at me

 

[bark]

Sitting here at my wife's surgery center waiting for her. Read this and busted out laughing and now everyone is stareing at me

Tell em to pick up after themselves when they leave

 

[AsthmaField]

It's all over the top silly...

There are MANY things I feel like Dak can and does get praised for. Throwing away cup should not be one of them. I mean, it's good he's not a litterbug, but in the grand scheme of things. He threw away a cup. That's it. lol

I generally agree with you on most things but I think it's more than that. I was raised where if you miss the garbage can you go pick it up and put it in. Someone taught Dak that along with a whole lot more.

 

[DandyDon52]

Watching the game yesterday, there were alot of things to be impressed about Dak's performance and his season overall. He didn't turn the ball over, didn't panic in the face of early tough sledding, through three touchdowns to help lead the team to victory, went on a high percentage tear in the second half, played with poise and enthusiasm, took some hits and kept coming, and looks to be a bright star for a decade to come.

Strangely, the old-man-on-the-lawn in me was most impressed by something else. On the sideline, the national telecast cut to Dak sitting alone on the bench, he took a sip of Gatorade, and chucked the cup at the trash.

He missed.

He looked back to it, saw he missed it, got up, walked over, and put it in the trash, came and sat back down.

THAT impressed me. He took responsibility. He owns his role. Didn't expect anyone else to clean up his mess. Didn't wait for someone else to make it happen. A place for everything and everything in it's place. Attention to detail. Getting it done right.

Like this kid, like him alot... he needs to just stay off my lawn.

I saw this, and when the cup missed I thought will he pick that up ? or just leave it.
I am the type who would pick it up, then he did , and I laughed and it did make me like him more for that.
Dak is the prototype rkg player.

 

[DandyDon52]

I generally agree with you on most things but I think it's more than that. I was raised where if you miss the garbage can you go pick it up and put it in. Someone taught Dak that along with a whole lot more.

exactly.

 

[Zimmy Lives]

It's all over the top silly...

There are MANY things I feel like Dak can and does get praised for. Throwing away cup should not be one of them. I mean, it's good he's not a litterbug, but in the grand scheme of things. He threw away a cup. That's it. lol

Sorry WG but it's not silly. It means something to Dak. I'll bet he drives the speed limit, does not cut corners when running laps, does not enter the check-out express lane when he has more than ten items, and so on. It matters to people with integrity.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Reminds me of this Vincent van Gogh quote: Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

 

[DandyDon52]

How you treat the small things when you don't know people are looking reveals more about your character than how you act on stage under the brightest spotlight

so true, well said.

 

[Ultra Warrior]

Romo sucks for wearing his hat backwards and Dak is Goat for throwing a cup away...

Yeah, I'm with you. It was nice that Dak picked up his trash but people are going overboard with his.

 

[DandyDon52]

He made a comment after a big loss (forgot the exact quote)

He said if this is the worst thing to ever happen to me , I will have had a good life.
That is really true, but it wasnt smart to say that, people took it as well losing this game isnt that big of a deal in my life.

Also you forgot about his time spent with golf.
Tony was not as focused or dedicated as dak is.
The celebrity kinda went to his head, and he should have been totally focused on winning the SB that year, because that was
his shot at it, and really the last shot till 2014.

This year may be daks only shot, and he is going for it totally focused on winning a SB.
In a Dez interview, Dez made a comment on no one realizes what dak's goals are and how big they are.

I said early on Dak was playing for the starting job, not just to be a good rookie bkup, and now I think he has had SB in his sights
all along, since at least game 5.
he wants to go all the way his first year, and the opportunity is there, and he is the type that takes advantage of opportunity's.

 

[gimmesix]

Romo sucks for wearing his hat backwards and Dak is Goat for throwing a cup away...

I think it's great that Dak picked up his trash, but the reaction to it does seem kind of over the top compared to how the media and fans treated Romo.

Romo could have done that and the story would have been about how he failed to complete the pass.

 

[TwoDeep3]

Oh, Carson H. Wentz....you people are looking for reasons to like this kid.

He missed the can! He's a QB who can't make that throw!

However, that throw is not in the route tree.

 

[KJJ]

He said if this is the worst thing to ever happen to me , I will have had a good life.
That is really true, but it wasnt smart to say that, people took it as well losing this game isnt that big of a deal in my life.

Also you forgot about his time spent with golf.
Tony was not as focused or dedicated as dak is.
The celebrity kinda went to his head, and he should have been totally focused on winning the SB that year, because that was
his shot at it, and really the last shot till 2014.

This year may be daks only shot, and he is going for it totally focused on winning a SB.
In a Dez interview, Dez made a comment on no one realizes what dak's goals are and how big they are.

I said early on Dak was playing for the starting job, not just to be a good rookie bkup, and now I think he has had SB in his sights
all along, since at least game 5.
he wants to go all the way his first year, and the opportunity is there, and he is the type that takes advantage of opportunity's.

Yeah, that was the comment that bugged a lot of fans. His golf is another thing fans made a big deal about because we weren't winning playoff games. They felt he was putting too much time into golf, trying to qualify for the Byron Nelson and it was hurting his football preparation. They questioned his dedication due to his serious interest in golf because our seasons and his game kept falling apart in Dec/Jan his first 3 seasons. If we were winning playoff games and he wasn't suffering so many turnovers, nothing would have been made of him wearing his hat backwards, his weight or his golf. When your seasons keep ending up the same way fans tend to look for things to nitpick and complain about.

 

[robbieruff]

Here's a great Colin Cowherd video on just how big a deal the cup thing was. And I agree completely. It's a great watch.

http://www.foxsports.com/watch/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd/video?vid=814283843845

embedded version...agree. awesome stuff!

 

[Joe Realist]

I noticed the same thing!!! Dak was raised properly by his mother. He graduated Miss. State with a bachelor's and masters degrees. He is repectful and thoughtful. Much more mature than his age.

We should all be thankful for him and what he has brought to the team.

He has an undergraduate in Educational Psychology and a Master's in Workforce Leadership. This also says a lot about his mindset and leadership qualities.