DMN Blog: Wade on TO Tears and Newman Injury

[Stash]

So for coaches like Parcells or Belichick or anyone else, it's a calculated desire to keep potentially valuable information from other teams.

For Wade, it's stupidity and/or ignorance.

What is the difference?

Nevermind, I just saw the answer: It's "lying with style".

You gotta be kidding me.

Maybe it's the fact that Parcells and Belichick actually accomplished something which gives their methods a higher level of respect?

 

[Stash]

The obvious would be that a coach trying to conceal an injury/concern by passing it to another person on his staff is credible and at least honest with the media...Passing it off to the player themselves is not only dismissive but dishonest...The player knows but the coach doesn't?

At least a credible argument can be made that the nature of an injury can be better understood and explained by a trainer rather than the coach

'Sounds' more like Wade was PO'd...And judging from his Pressy and some of the other testy reactions from players, stress and pressure is getting to them

I wonder if he told this reporter 'You Stink' too?

 

[FCBarca]

I wonder if he told this reporter 'You Stink' too?

Probably something more along the lines of 'You're Dense'

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Maybe it's the fact that Parcells and Belichick actually accomplished something which gives their methods a higher level of respect?

So in other words, there's nothing wrong with Wade's practice of not releasing info on injuries. You just don't like him.

I can't wait for RJ to take over this team. From what I've heard of him so far, he's going to make the Bull Durham character look truly incisive.

 

[Stash]

So in other words, there's nothing wrong with Wade's practice of not releasing info on injuries. You just don't like him.

I can't wait for RJ to take over this team. From what I've heard of him so far, he's going to make the Bull Durham character look truly incisive.

To be clear:

Your honest opinion is that Wade is doing a great job?

 

[superpunk]

Let me answer your question with another question of my own.

Testicles?

 

[stealth]

Let me answer your question with another question of my own.

Testicles?

yes please

 

[28 Joker]

Westbrook carries the rock, big difference between his toughness and a corners.

My concern is that he is 30, and we all know how injuries suddenly pop up once players hit that plateau.

Not sold that he is going to stay banged up, just a little concerned that his age my be responsible for him missing so much time.

It isn't like Newman was running and suffered the slight groin tear. A guy fell on him when they got tangled up and gave him a knee to the groin area in a non contact drill on a pass play. It was a contact injury that could have hurt a 24 year old. Newman must have been caught in an awkward position.

This injury had nothing to do with "age".

 

[Doomsday101]

And as the head coach I'm sure he's smart enough to know that he doesn't need to tell the media, or the fans, every single detail of what is going on.

You got that right. This is a topic the media wants badly to pounce on and so far Wade, Jerry and Romo are not giving them what they want to hear. I loved when last week Romo said Witten also comes to him and tells him to get him the ball but that is not an issue.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

To be clear:

Your honest opinion is that Wade is doing a great job?

That's an entirely different question, isn't it?

I don't know about "great". What is "great"? How do you define that?

I do think he's done a very good job. The proof is in the pudding, which for me isn't what he looks like on the sideline, or if he's fat or old, or if he has a country accent, or if he tells good press conference tales. It's wins, and we've won more since he became coach than we have in the last decade.

 

[Stash]

That's an entirely different question, isn't it?

I don't know about "great". What is "great"? How do you define that?

I do think he's done a very good job. The proof is in the pudding, which for me isn't what he looks like on the sideline, or if he's fat or old, or if he has a country accent, or if he tells good press conference tales. It's wins, and we've won more since he became coach than we have in the last decade.

Can't argue with the 'wins' point.

But that brings up the whole "13-3" and "13 Pro-Bowlers" stuff.

My concern is whether this team is actually improving or if we have another Barry Switzer on our hands.

Does the team win because of its' head coach or despite him?

Phillips was brought in to maximize Jerry's investment on defense and I don't see where he's done that.

In my opinion, this team is 'getting by' on sheer talent alone with little help from the head coach.

 

[Clove]

Newman shouldn't have come back until probably week 10. I had a hamstring pull, major one, and all year I just couldn't seem to keep it healthy, and you CAN'T run full speed when you have a pull lingering around, I KNOW.

The only real cure for this is rest.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Can't argue with the 'wins' point.

But that brings up the whole "13-3" and "13 Pro-Bowlers" stuff.

My concern is whether this team is actually improving or if we have another Barry Switzer on our hands.

Does the team win because of its' head coach or despite him?

Phillips was brought in to maximize Jerry's investment on defense and I don't see where he's done that.

In my opinion, this team is 'getting by' on sheer talent alone with little help from the head coach.

That's fine if you want to believe that, I guess. But what evidence do you have that we're winning in spite of him?

This isn't anything like a Switzer situation where we had a team that was basically the same team that won two Super Bowls. The team Wade took over hadn't won ANYTHING, not even a division title, until he got them.

So when a coach takes over and wins more than it has in a decade, how do you conclude that they're winning "in spite" of him?

Have you considered that your personal feelings on his looks or his accent or whatever else are coloring your opinion of the job he's doing?

 

[Da Hammer]

just shut down newman till he's 100%! Its gonna be worse if we keep playing him now and he keeps getting worse and then bam we lose him for the year and playoffs. Sit him down!

 

[Dave_in-NC]

That's fine if you want to believe that, I guess. But what evidence do you have that we're winning in spite of him?

This isn't anything like a Switzer situation where we had a team that was basically the same team that won two Super Bowls. The team Wade took over hadn't won ANYTHING, not even a division title, until he got them.

So when a coach takes over and wins more than it has in a decade, how do you conclude that they're winning "in spite" of him?

Have you considered that your personal feelings on his looks or his accent or whatever else are coloring your opinion of the job he's doing?

We won a division title?

 

[Chocolate Lab]

We won a division title?

Is this a trick question?

 

[TellerMorrow34]

17-5 in the regular season is pretty darn good. I know he hasn't won a playoff game yet, but then no Cowboys coach has in 12 years so he's certainly no worse than anyone else.

Some how he's managed to put the team in better position to end that drought yet there are fans who honestly believe the team wins in spite of him.

I just have to shake my head.

 

[Stash]

That's fine if you want to believe that, I guess. But what evidence do you have that we're winning in spite of him?

One key area would be the defense.

Wade was hired to fix it, it's still broken.

Garrett was hired to run the offensive side before Wade ever got here. That's been the strength of this team.

This isn't anything like a Switzer situation where we had a team that was basically the same team that won two Super Bowls. The team Wade took over hadn't won ANYTHING, not even a division title, until he got them.

He took a team that hadn't won in the playoffs and - didn't win in the playoffs. The team hasn't done anything that they didn't do (or not do) before.

So when a coach takes over and wins more than it has in a decade, how do you conclude that they're winning "in spite" of him?

This team has significantly better personnel than Parcells had just two seasons ago - and they still haven't won anything of consequence. At this point, there's little postseason stuff to judge so the clearest indicator in my mind is - again - the defense. I don't see where it's better despite several key additions. That is the clearest indictment of Wade that I can present to this point.

Have you considered that your personal feelings on his looks or his accent or whatever else are coloring your opinion of the job he's doing?

Quite the contrary. I like Wade and think he's a nice guy, too nice in fact.

And I think that 'niceness' will ultimately be his undoing.

 

[stealth]

Wasn't it just last year that people were praising Wade as exactly the change of pace from parcells that this team needed?

and this year we are 4-1, and he is no longer the guy for the job...

 

[Stash]

Wasn't it just last year that people were praising Wade as exactly the change of pace from parcells that this team needed?

and this year we are 4-1, and he is no longer the guy for the job...

This sums up my feelings very well:


October 6, 2008 3:43 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The Dallas Cowboys have quite a dilemma on their hands. They not only aspire to be a championship team, they expect to be treated like one before it happens.

Wade Phillips said he was "very pleased" with Dallas' victory on Sunday.
It's an attitude that's reflected by head coach Wade Phillips, a man who believes that his team is held to an impossible standard. After all, he just beat the Cincinnati Bengals by -- count 'em -- nine points.

No, Phillips doesn't get it, and his message of football tolerance permeates throughout the locker room. He can't figure out that you don't get the benefit of the doubt until you've actually accomplished something.

A week after being pushed around by the Commanders in a 26-24 home loss, the Cowboys needed to throttle the hapless Bengals. Instead, they allowed them to climb back into the game after falling behind 17-0.

This is the type of performance that would've sent Jimmy Johnson over the edge. There would've been no "a win is a win" nonsense in the postgame news conference. Jimmy would've been figuring out who to cut. Same goes for Troy Aikman, who would've been horrified with Sunday's effort.

On Sunday, Phillips stood in front of reporters and said he was "very pleased" with the win and couldn't understand all the concern. He only showed anger because local columnist Randy Galloway had the audacity to suggest that the team basically "stunk" after the first quarter. Not caring for Galloway's wording, Phillips reportedly told him, "I think you stink" as he passed him on the way to the locker room.

Perhaps Phillips should save some of that anger for his players. I appreciate someone who sticks up for their employees, but at some point you have to administer tough love. His steadfast refusal to call out players has helped create one of the most thin-skinned locker rooms in all of sports.

That's why quarterback Tony Romo stands up after an erratic performance and says, "I'm sorry that I'm not sorry we won the game."

Huh?

Playing the role of the enabler, owner Jerry Jones came along and said something about how he confused Romo with Aikman when he ran off the field after a 57-yard touchdown pass to T.O. in the fourth quarter. Jones, at least, noted that the Cowboys blew an opportunity to win a game going away, but he followed that up with more strange statements.

And speaking of strange, T.O. was a non-factor Sunday until the late touchdown. He reacted by putting a towel over his head and weeping. Maybe I skipped sensitivity training the last eight or nine years, but when did it become acceptable for players to cry on the sideline? Is it a good sign that your star receiver is an emotional wreck after a win over the Bengals? Wait, don't answer that.

T.O.'s postgame news conference was beyond weird. I've sent the transcript to a couple of local theologians in hopes of deciphering the message, which seemed to indicate that God continues to favor the Cowboys over the Bengals. Tom Jackson started to take a stab at it during SportsCenter last night, but he wisely backed off.

All of this brings us back to my original point. Right now, this team reflects the attitude of its coach -- and I'm not convinced that's a good thing. Phillips was just what the doctor ordered when he replaced Bill Parcells two years ago because the organization needed a new voice. We wrote columns about the change of culture at Valley Ranch, and it seemed like this new touchy feely approach might work. But when December arrived, this team reverted back to its old ways.

For some reason, though, the Cowboys feel as if they've earned the benefit of the doubt. They want to be viewed as a Super Bowl contender, but they don't want their feet held to the fire when they don't resemble one.

Sunday's 31-22 victory over the Bengals will count the same as the Giants' 44-6 victory over the Seahawks, but something tells me there's a different feeling in New York's locker room. That's a franchise that knows what it's like to be a champion, so a close call against an inferior opponent isn't enough.

Right now, the Cowboys are the third-best team in the NFC East. Just don't try to tell them I said so.