DMN Burnett Blog: Cowboys pro bowlers leading by example, practicing with purpose

[WoodysGirl]

Day 2
2:35 PM Sat, Jul 26, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Kevin Burnett E-mail News tips

You know the old saying! For some odd reason unlike most football players I like camp. It gives me a chance to focus on football and really establish a mind state within myself to get ready for 8 months of football. Camp also gives me a chance to grow as a man. I use the time that I do have alone to examine and evaluate myself.

Every year about the last week of camp I set goals for myself. Over the course of the year through football season and on into the next years camp is the time frame I give my self for accomplishment. I am constantly looking and at my goals and looking for improvement. At the end of my fiscal year (camp) I revisit my goals and look at my success or lack of and make adjustments. The goals that I am able to attain, I check off my list and the goals that have yet to be reached I map out a new game plan for success. Honestly these are not goals I just spout off the top of my head I really take time and think about what it is I'm trying to accomplish. The process in which I select my goals is very personal but I will say I it takes me the complete time in camp to establish my list.

Practice

There is no such thing as work as usual. To me that means your just going through the motions waiting to collect a pay check. Yes, I'm sure we've been at that point before and during camp is typically the time football players fall into that mode. Very dangerous ground, when it becomes work as usual, your career becomes short lived. Right now this is the trap the Dallas Cowboys cannot fall into (I'm good enough syndrome). From the looks of it I don't see any of this attitude around camp. Any time you have every player on your team practicing and working against each other like they are trying to make the team then you know you have something special. The most exciting thing is having Pro Bowl players practicing with a purpose. One would think hey I make the Pro Bowl every year, why do I have to practice? Not the case here our 13 guys are leading by example and its real encouraging to see that because you know you have something special.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

I like his blogs.....very informative

 

[Meat-O-Rama]

I love hearing that.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

awesome blog!

 

[sago1]

And he's right too cause that's exactly what the teams is doing.
1. Look how AJ (formerly known as Pacman) tries every chance he gets to go against TO.
2. Look how hard Newman worked to knock a pass out of TO's hands.
3. Look how Romo came back a few plays later with a perfect pass to TO beating Newman who had good coverage but Romo's pass was perfect.
4. Look how every DL & Lbs are charing our OL and making plays
5. Look how our OL almost getting into fights with the defense
6. I could go on but I wouldn't. The Cowboys aren't saying we good enough; they are saying we must get better, we must finish & we all know what finish means too.

Loo

 

[zrinkill]

And he's right too cause that's exactly what the teams is doing.
1. Look how AJ (formerly known as Pacman) tries every chance he gets to go against TO.
2. Look how hard Newman worked to knock a pass out of TO's hands.
3. Look how Romo came back a few plays later with a perfect pass to TO beating Newman who had good coverage but Romo's pass was perfect.
4. Look how every DL & Lbs are charing our OL and making plays
5. Look how our OL almost getting into fights with the defense
6. I could go on but I wouldn't. The Cowboys aren't saying we good enough; they are saying we must get better, we must finish & we all know what finish means too.

Great post

 

[dcfanatic]

Leadership. This team needs it now more than ever after what happened last season.

It's good to hear that the elite players are stepping up in TC because this is a time when they could be in cruise control and no one would really question them. Instead they are practicing with some vigor.

 

[CoCo]

Day 2
2:35 PM Sat, Jul 26, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Kevin Burnett E-mail News tips

You know the old saying! For some odd reason unlike most football players I like camp. It gives me a chance to focus on football and really establish a mind state within myself to get ready for 8 months of football. Camp also gives me a chance to grow as a man. I use the time that I do have alone to examine and evaluate myself.

Every year about the last week of camp I set goals for myself. Over the course of the year through football season and on into the next years camp is the time frame I give my self for accomplishment. I am constantly looking and at my goals and looking for improvement. At the end of my fiscal year (camp) I revisit my goals and look at my success or lack of and make adjustments. The goals that I am able to attain, I check off my list and the goals that have yet to be reached I map out a new game plan for success. Honestly these are not goals I just spout off the top of my head I really take time and think about what it is I'm trying to accomplish. The process in which I select my goals is very personal but I will say I it takes me the complete time in camp to establish my list.

Practice

There is no such thing as work as usual. To me that means your just going through the motions waiting to collect a pay check. Yes, I'm sure we've been at that point before and during camp is typically the time football players fall into that mode. Very dangerous ground, when it becomes work as usual, your career becomes short lived. Right now this is the trap the Dallas Cowboys cannot fall into (I'm good enough syndrome). From the looks of it I don't see any of this attitude around camp. Any time you have every player on your team practicing and working against each other like they are trying to make the team then you know you have something special. The most exciting thing is having Pro Bowl players practicing with a purpose. One would think hey I make the Pro Bowl every year, why do I have to practice? Not the case here our 13 guys are leading by example and its real encouraging to see that because you know you have something special.

Info like this from Kevin Burnett is why I find some of the challenging of this teams character from posters here and even ex-players insulting. I think this team is right on course in terms of its learning how to win. For as much talent as we have there are still soft spots (WR) and you still have to do the work.

We're all sick about how things faded down the stretch and then lost a nail-biter to the eventual champs but to suggest this team has fatal character flaws is wrong IMO.

13-3 wasn't just handed to this team. They worked their butts off to earn it. I am quite confident this team will continue to progress, improve and get over the playoff hump.

I believe in this collection of players.

 

[DallasFanSince86]

This is a great post. I love that we get to read his point of view on what is going at camp, and I guess what will happen during the season.

And he's right too cause that's exactly what the teams is doing.
1. Look how AJ (formerly known as Pacman) tries every chance he gets to go against TO.
2. Look how hard Newman worked to knock a pass out of TO's hands.
3. Look how Romo came back a few plays later with a perfect pass to TO beating Newman who had good coverage but Romo's pass was perfect.
4. Look how every DL & Lbs are charing our OL and making plays
5. Look how our OL almost getting into fights with the defense
6. I could go on but I wouldn't. The Cowboys aren't saying we good enough; they are saying we must get better, we must finish & we all know what finish means too.

Loo

Excellent post.

 

[Primetime42]

And he's right too cause that's exactly what the teams is doing.
1. Look how AJ (formerly known as Pacman) tries every chance he gets to go against TO.
2. Look how hard Newman worked to knock a pass out of TO's hands.
3. Look how Romo came back a few plays later with a perfect pass to TO beating Newman who had good coverage but Romo's pass was perfect.
4. Look how every DL & Lbs are charing our OL and making plays
5. Look how our OL almost getting into fights with the defense
6. I could go on but I wouldn't. The Cowboys aren't saying we good enough; they are saying we must get better, we must finish & we all know what finish means too.

Loo

The motto says it best.

They need to finish. Every practice, every play. game.

Prove they're the absolute best. No more excuses.

Great post.

 

[Garland powerplay]

It will be gratifying to see them win a playoff game.

 

[Boysboy]

The motto says it best.

They need to finish. Every practice, every play. game.

Prove they're the absolute best. No more excuses.

Great post.

Yep-my biggest concern since that playoff loss was HOW would they REACT coming into this season? Would it still be in their psyches? Did that playoff game show they're nothing but mental midgets? Or did they learn their lesson?

So far, so VERY promising. Personally, I'm not holding my breath come Dec. However-early signs are pretty encouraging.

 

[burmafrd]

I think last year was necessary in some ways. To have a great regular season and be the #1 seed and then blow it in the first playoff game= now everyone knows nothing can be taken for granted and that all the work done from training camp to game 16 can be all for nothing if you blow it in the playoffs.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

It's good to know that those guys are absolutely doing all they can to lead by example and get everyone to give it their all.