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Dallas Cowboys must play like there’s no tomorrow (or December)
Posted Tuesday, Dec. 01, 2009 Comments (0) Recommend (4)Print Share Buzz up!ReprintsTopics: Dallas Cowboys, NFC East, Sports, Stephen Bowen, Jerry Jones, David Thomas, Football Players, Wade Phillips, NFC South
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By DAVID THOMAS
I just looked down and noticed that — at least according to my desk calendar — it’s still November, and I can’t help but wonder if I have saved the Dallas Cowboys of Arlington’s season.
To borrow a concept from soccer, this isn’t December — this is November’s stoppage time.
Hey, whatever it takes to turn the page on the Cowboys’ December disasters, right? It’s not like the NFL is going to give the Cowboys December as a bye month, although it would not hurt for Jerry Jones to at least ask.
We all know the numbers are ugly: Beginning with the 1997 season, the Cowboys are 18-31 in December. And that is just December. Add in January and playoff games and the numbers grow uglier.
But I’ll worry about January and the postseason later. I am taking things one month at a time. Besides, ignore the December problem and, as we all also know, there will be no need to worry about January and the postseason.
Wade Phillips seems to be doing his best to put his players in a positive mind-set. A quote from defensive end Stephen Bowen in this paper Tuesday provided a behind-the-scenes look at what Coach Wade is telling the ’Boys.
First, Bowen said Phillips told the players, "December and all that stuff is in the past." Second, Bowen said Phillips told them as far as he knew, "we’re undefeated in December."
So true. At least until Sunday.
But even with the knowledge that the Cowboys have not lost a game this December, I still cannot go Mark McGwire on past Decembers.
Did you know that the Cowboys have lost five of their past six December road games against the New York Giants? The Cowboys open their December schedule Sunday at the Giants.
Did you know that the Cowboys and San Diego Chargers never have played each other in December? But did you know that the Cowboys have not won on Dec. 13 since 1982? Guess when the Cowboys and Chargers play.
Did you know that the Cowboys are 0-5 against the New Orleans Saints in December since ’96? They play Dec. 19 in New Orleans.
Did you know that the Washington Commanders — the Cowboys’ final December opponent — did not get the league memo that teams with three or fewer wins are supposed to roll over and play dead?
The key numbers on the Commanders: 7-6. That was the score the Cowboys won by two weeks ago. And that was at home in November, which is a great month for the Cowboys.
Did you know that the only Cowboys team with a winning December since the start of the ’97 season was the Dave Campo team that went 3-2 in December 2001 — and finished the season 5-11?
Did you know that even Barry Switzer — who has the second-highest winning percentage of any Cowboys coach, behind Coach Wade — had a below-.500 record in December?
(Barry, Barry was the man. If he couldn’t win in December, nobody can.)
I could go on and on and on, but I know you Cowboys fans like these December-woes pieces about as much as you like receiving cause invitations on Facebook.
I am telling you all these things, however, so that you can become a difference-maker for your team. Go to your Cowboys trash can right now, pull out that November calendar page and tape it back to the top of your desk calendar.
But you have to hurry. Time is running out.
Today is already November 32nd.
Follow sports humor columnist David Thomas on Twitter @FansInsider.
David Thomas, 817-390-7760
Posted Tuesday, Dec. 01, 2009 Comments (0) Recommend (4)Print Share Buzz up!ReprintsTopics: Dallas Cowboys, NFC East, Sports, Stephen Bowen, Jerry Jones, David Thomas, Football Players, Wade Phillips, NFC South
Post a comment on this story
Send us a news tip
Express your opinion in a letter to the editor
By DAVID THOMAS
I just looked down and noticed that — at least according to my desk calendar — it’s still November, and I can’t help but wonder if I have saved the Dallas Cowboys of Arlington’s season.
To borrow a concept from soccer, this isn’t December — this is November’s stoppage time.
Hey, whatever it takes to turn the page on the Cowboys’ December disasters, right? It’s not like the NFL is going to give the Cowboys December as a bye month, although it would not hurt for Jerry Jones to at least ask.
We all know the numbers are ugly: Beginning with the 1997 season, the Cowboys are 18-31 in December. And that is just December. Add in January and playoff games and the numbers grow uglier.
But I’ll worry about January and the postseason later. I am taking things one month at a time. Besides, ignore the December problem and, as we all also know, there will be no need to worry about January and the postseason.
Wade Phillips seems to be doing his best to put his players in a positive mind-set. A quote from defensive end Stephen Bowen in this paper Tuesday provided a behind-the-scenes look at what Coach Wade is telling the ’Boys.
First, Bowen said Phillips told the players, "December and all that stuff is in the past." Second, Bowen said Phillips told them as far as he knew, "we’re undefeated in December."
So true. At least until Sunday.
But even with the knowledge that the Cowboys have not lost a game this December, I still cannot go Mark McGwire on past Decembers.
Did you know that the Cowboys have lost five of their past six December road games against the New York Giants? The Cowboys open their December schedule Sunday at the Giants.
Did you know that the Cowboys and San Diego Chargers never have played each other in December? But did you know that the Cowboys have not won on Dec. 13 since 1982? Guess when the Cowboys and Chargers play.
Did you know that the Cowboys are 0-5 against the New Orleans Saints in December since ’96? They play Dec. 19 in New Orleans.
Did you know that the Washington Commanders — the Cowboys’ final December opponent — did not get the league memo that teams with three or fewer wins are supposed to roll over and play dead?
The key numbers on the Commanders: 7-6. That was the score the Cowboys won by two weeks ago. And that was at home in November, which is a great month for the Cowboys.
Did you know that the only Cowboys team with a winning December since the start of the ’97 season was the Dave Campo team that went 3-2 in December 2001 — and finished the season 5-11?
Did you know that even Barry Switzer — who has the second-highest winning percentage of any Cowboys coach, behind Coach Wade — had a below-.500 record in December?
(Barry, Barry was the man. If he couldn’t win in December, nobody can.)
I could go on and on and on, but I know you Cowboys fans like these December-woes pieces about as much as you like receiving cause invitations on Facebook.
I am telling you all these things, however, so that you can become a difference-maker for your team. Go to your Cowboys trash can right now, pull out that November calendar page and tape it back to the top of your desk calendar.
But you have to hurry. Time is running out.
Today is already November 32nd.
Follow sports humor columnist David Thomas on Twitter @FansInsider.
David Thomas, 817-390-7760