DMN Blog: NFL Network crowns 'greatest Cowboys of all time'

[RainMan]

I see a major inconsistency with Irvin being No. 3 and Jerry not being on the list at all.

It would seem that Jerry's absence is because that while he did so much with overseeing three Super Bowls and other league-wide elements, he also has overseen one of the franchise's least successful periods the last 12 years.

But then why is Irvin so high? He also inflicted a lot of pain for this franchise, from his suspension that hurt the '96 season to his continued crap that caused us to turn away from a guy like Randy Moss. Just think, had Irvin not been such off an off-the-field worry at the time, and instead was a guy Jerry entrusted as a mentor, we could have had perhaps the greatest wideout tandem ever.

I love Irvin, and he needs to be on the list, but you can't have it both ways.

 

[RainMan]

I don't like these lists where they include coaches, general managers, owners, etc.

I think it should just be the players. It gets foggy when you start trying to include people that don't actually play.

This is how I would go:

1. Bob Lilly (Mr. Cowboy, first draft choice, first in Ring of Honor, first in Hall of Fame, maybe the best DT to ever play the game, Landry called him the best player he had ever coached).

2. Roger Staubach

3. Emmitt Smith

4. Troy Aikman

5. Tony Dorsett

6. Randy White

7. Michael Irvin

8. Mel Renfro

9. Don Meredith

10. Drew Pearson

Honorable Mention: Rayfield Wright, Larry Allen, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, Darren Woodson, Lee Roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Cornell Green, David Buehler, Bob Hayes.

I agree. I think it makes it quite less fun to include non-players in these things. How can you compare a guy that started the franchise or a coach that was here about 30 years to a player that played maybe seven years? Can't be done.

 

[ZB9]

if it's based upon contribution, Jerry Jones should be #1 on this list

you are out of your mind

Landry and Tex BUILT the Cowboys.

Landry put the Cowboys on the map. He was one of the greatest innovators and winners in the history of the sport. His record of 20 consecutive winning seasons with Dallas is the best in American pro sports history.

 

[ZB9]

I see a major inconsistency with Irvin being No. 3 and Jerry not being on the list at all.

, he also has overseen one of the franchise's least successful periods the last 12 years.

that is why

the way the Jimmy Johnson situation went down and the circuses lately are probably also reasons. Right or wrong, Jimmy gets most of the credit for building the championship teams of the 90s. Jerry gets credit for building them as well, but he also gets deserved credit for screwing the thing up.

But then why is Irvin so high? He also inflicted a lot of pain for this franchise, from his suspension that hurt the '96 season to his continued crap that caused us to turn away from a guy like Randy Moss. Just think, had Irvin not been such off an off-the-field worry at the time, and instead was a guy Jerry entrusted as a mentor, we could have had perhaps the greatest wideout tandem ever.

I love Irvin, and he needs to be on the list, but you can't have it both ways.

I guess they are saying Irvin was the best of the triplets. Personally, I think they should have put all of the triplets at the SAME spot together, which would have freed up two more spots. All of the triplets were equally important, and none of them were interchangeable imo..but I can understand Irvin being #3

btw, remember that as soon as Irvin's career ended, the Cowboys started their downhill slide and started the worst losing period since the beginning of the franchise. I dont know how much of a coincidence that is, but Irvin's presence on the team was clearly as important to the Cowboys as anyone.

Irvin was the "heart and soul", Emmitt was the "body", and Aikman was the "mind"

 

[Arch Stanton]

I'd put him at #2 right behind Landry my self

I'm right with you on this one Ren.

 

[THUMPER]

I don't have a real difficult time picking the Top 10 Cowboys of all time, until I get to the last 3 or so. I do have a hard time rating them from 1 to 10 because it's so hard to rank players that play different positions. OL don't get the stats of a RB, QB, or WR. At any rate, below is my ATTEMPT to rank the top 10 Cowboy PLAYERS. I'm not going to include coaches, owners, etc. Everyone knows Landry would be # 1 if you did include these guys.

1) Roger Staubach
2) Emmitt Smith
3) Bob Lilly
4) Troy Aikman
5) Michael Irvin
6) Tony Dorsett
7) Randy White
8) Larry Allen
9) Rayfield Wright
10) Mel Renfro

Some of the others I considered, in no particular order, include Chuck Howley, Drew Pearson, Harvey Martin, Darren Woodson, Don Meredith, Ed Jones, Cliff Harris, Charlie Waters, Bob Hayes, etc.

There are two players that I think would've been definitely included in the Top 10 if certain circumstances hadn't arisen: Erik Williams had he not been involved in the car crash. He was never the same. Charles Haley if he had played more years for the Boys and if his back had not become an issue late in his career.

There's one current Cowboy that will break into the Top 10 if his career continues the way it has gone thus far. I'm sure to no one's surprise the player I'm talking about is Ware.

Of my Top 10 listed above, I don't see how anybody could leave out Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Bob Lilly, Tony Dorsett, Michael Irvin, Randy White, or Larry Allen. To me, that's 8 players that should be a lock in any list that anybody could put together. That really only leaves two spots to argue. Just my take.

That's a pretty good list. I might adjust a few up or down (I'd swap Irvin & White) but overall I think it's pretty darn good. Nicely done.

I think both Ware and Witten may have a chance to someday be considered. Romo too but he still has a lot to prove as a leader.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I see a major inconsistency with Irvin being No. 3 and Jerry not being on the list at all.

It would seem that Jerry's absence is because that while he did so much with overseeing three Super Bowls and other league-wide elements, he also has overseen one of the franchise's least successful periods the last 12 years.

But then why is Irvin so high? He also inflicted a lot of pain for this franchise, from his suspension that hurt the '96 season to his continued crap that caused us to turn away from a guy like Randy Moss. Just think, had Irvin not been such off an off-the-field worry at the time, and instead was a guy Jerry entrusted as a mentor, we could have had perhaps the greatest wideout tandem ever.

A couple of guys they talked to (mainly the Ticket guys) asked the same question about the off-field stuff. In fact, it seemed like they all thought #3 was too high.

IMO Irvin was the least valuable of the triplets. Emmitt is the all-time leading rusher and carried us to tons of wins in the fourth quarter. Aikman was one of the most accurate QBs in history and always played his best in the biggest games. There's no way those guys should be behind a WR who touches the ball a few times a game. WAY too much is made of this motivation and "getting in people's faces" stuff. Yes, Irvin had a great work ethic, but that alone shouldn't put you ahead of these guys and Bob Lilly among others. The bottom line for me is that we could've won Super Bowls with other top WRs of the day. We couldn't have without the other two.

 

[Manster68]

I echo a few of the posters here who said that top ten just wasn't enough. With Dallas' illustrious history, there will be many good players left out.

No slight on Meridith or Drew Pearson though, but you would have to think that the Hall of Famers would get top priority. The Top eight did (assuming that Emmitt goes in in 2010). However, Rayfield Wright, Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes, and even Larry Allen (2012) got left out.

So considering the fourteen Cowboys already mentioned, the other eleven to round out my top 25 would go like this (in no particular order):

Tex Schramm
Harvey Martin
Ed "Too Tall" Jones
Jason Witten
Lee Roy Jordan
Cliff Harris
Erik Williams
Darren Woodson
John Niland
Charles Haley
DeMarcus Ware

-------------------------------------

Even after that, there are still a bunch of great Cowboys not on this list. Cowboys like:

Jay Novachek
Daryl "Moose" Johnston
George Andrie
Terrance Newman
Charlie Waters
Greg Ellis
Tom Rafferty
Deion Sanders
Hershal Walker
D.D. Lewis
Nate Newton
Ralph Neely
Marion Barber
Robert Newhouse
Tony Romo
Roy Williams
Larry Cole
Ken Norton
Andre Gurode
Billy Joe Dupree
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson
Flozell Adams
Don Perkins
Dave Manders
Butch Johnson
Terrell Owens

There is 51 right there folks.

We have been so blessed

 

[EMMITTnROY]

Emmitt at #5 is beyond ridiculous. my brother and i watched this together and got so mad when we saw that. he is the greatest player in Cowboys history, period. if you want to put him behind Tom Landry, that's fine, but he should be the top player.

Irvin at #3 is a joke. i love him, but c'mon... ahead of Emmitt and Lily and White? please...

Larry Allen not being on there is a joke..

including non-players makes it kinda dumb.. of course Landry is gonna be #1 if you do that.. but if you do that, how do you leave off Tex Schramm and Jerry Jones?

1. Emmitt Smith
2. Bob Lily
3. Roger Staubach
4. Randy White
5. Tony Dorsett
6. Troy Aikman
7. Michael Irvin
8. Larry Allen
9. Mel Renfro
10. Bob Hayes

 

[ZB9]

The bottom line for me is that we could've won Super Bowls with other top WRs of the day. We couldn't have without the other two.

there is no way you can know that. There is no "bottom line" about it.

All we know is what they did, and Irvin was obviously key to those championship teams. All three were important obviously, and I dont know how anyone could possibly say that any of them were interchangable.

 

[RoadRunner]

The All-Time leading rusher, the man with the second most TD's (1st rushing) ever,.... is only 5th on that list? An argument can be made that Emmitt was the best RB ever... but is only the 5th "greatest Cowboy"..... I'm thinking more like 2 is a better fit... hard to put him in front of Landry.

I agree 100%. Emmitt holds all the career records for rushing in pro football history. He also has 3 Super Bowl rings, and various MVP awards. He is like both the Dan Marino (stats) and Joe Montana (multiple SB wins including back to back) combined for the running back position.

Yeah. Emmitt is easily number 2 on that list behind only Landry.

 

[RoadRunner]

I don't like these lists where they include coaches, general managers, owners, etc.

I think it should just be the players. It gets foggy when you start trying to include people that don't actually play.

This is how I would go:

1. Bob Lilly (Mr. Cowboy, first draft choice, first in Ring of Honor, first in Hall of Fame, maybe the best DT to ever play the game, Landry called him the best player he had ever coached).

2. Roger Staubach

3. Emmitt Smith

4. Troy Aikman

5. Tony Dorsett

6. Randy White

7. Michael Irvin

8. Mel Renfro

9. Don Meredith

10. Drew Pearson

Honorable Mention: Rayfield Wright, Larry Allen, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, Darren Woodson, Lee Roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Cornell Green, David Buehler, Bob Hayes.

I see what you did there Mr. Sneakyman.

 

[Oh_Canada]

All I know is that the best team in football looked like the '08 Detroit Lions without ES during his two game holdout in 1993.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

there is no way you can know that. There is no "bottom line" about it.

All we know is what they did, and Irvin was obviously key to those championship teams. All three were important obviously, and I dont know how anyone could possibly say that any of them were interchangable.

But there is no "obviously" to that statement, either.

Okay, obviously it's my opinion that Irvin was the least valuable of the three. But I think I can make a pretty good case for it. Irvin didn't even make the HOF his first try, and for good reason. He's not even one of the very, very best at his position like Emmitt and Lilly and even Aikman were. I'm talking about when you have conversations about who the bests of all time were. Irvin is not even in the conversation for me.

 

[Sarge]

I don't like these lists where they include coaches, general managers, owners, etc.

I think it should just be the players. It gets foggy when you start trying to include people that don't actually play.

This is how I would go:

1. Bob Lilly (Mr. Cowboy, first draft choice, first in Ring of Honor, first in Hall of Fame, maybe the best DT to ever play the game, Landry called him the best player he had ever coached).

2. Roger Staubach

3. Emmitt Smith

4. Troy Aikman

5. Tony Dorsett

6. Randy White

7. Michael Irvin

8. Mel Renfro

9. Don Meredith

10. Drew Pearson

Honorable Mention: Rayfield Wright, Larry Allen, Chuck Howley, Cliff Harris, Darren Woodson, Lee Roy Jordan, Harvey Martin, Cornell Green, David Buehler, Bob Hayes.

...and here you have it. Nice list there sir.....

 

[pancakeman]

All I know is that the best team in football looked like the '08 Detroit Lions without ES during his two game holdout in 1993.

:signmast: Yup. '93 winning percentage .000 without him, .882 with him.

 

[links18]

The list is the top 10 Cowboys, in other words who did he most to define the franchise. I think that is why they rank Irvin above Emmitt and Troy. Irvin was the face, heart and soul of the 90s dynasty, even if he wasn't the very best at his position and even if Emmitt's contributions to football were much greater and Troy was a much better QB than Irvin was a WR in the bigger picture. I am not saying I agree with it, but I think that is their logic.

 

[Apollo Creed]

Worst Cowboys of All Time
1. Goodrich
2. Q-Bong

 

[dcfanatic]

It would've been more appropriate for NFL Network to have come up with a Top 20 or 25 list instead of a Top 10. Too many Cowboys fit the bill.

Word.

I am brwaking this down into 5 parts and will upload later on today for the folks that dont have NFL Network.

They did a good job with the show even if you don't like the order of the list.

 

[THUMPER]

Worst Cowboys of All Time
1. Goodrich
2. Q-Bong

1. MEion $ander$
2. Terrell "Lover me some me" Owens