Do you know what play still irks me from this past season?

[Zordon]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/social_assets/nfl/Week_2/Seahawks_Cowboys/GoldenTate_TrucksSeanLee.gif

The reaction of our teammates is what I'm referring to more so than the actual hit (although I wouldn't mind seeing Golden Tate on the turf reviving in pain sometime next season ).

Sean Lee is the leader of this team. He is at Valley Ranch studying, rehabbing, working out more than anyone. If our players are not going to stand up and defend him, then who are they going to do it for?

Here is a quote from Ware after the game:

"It really pissed me off if you want to be honest," Cowboys linebacker Demarcus Ware said of Tate's block. "Anybody that sort of retaliates on any of the other players on defense, offense, you sort of got to take that mentality back to them. That's part of this game. It's a brutal game, but we didn't do that."

Other teams feel like they bully us because they know that we won't retaliate. Several times this season I've seen Niners players "check" the other team when they feel like a cheap shot has been committed on one of their guys. It's not being a "thug" or "classless" like some on here like to call it. It's called having your teammates back. Like Columbo did Crayton a few years ago.

Seeing Ware have a front row seat to the hit and not doing anything about it was indicative of one of the big problems this franchise has had recently. There is simply no attitude on this team. We used to...remember these days?

[youtube]aZwg2twff-s[/youtube]

http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/boldtalk/harveymartin_funeral_wreath.png

Look at that video. No less than a dozen players came to Irvin's defense. That's how it's supposed to be. When someone attacks the hive, the bees most swarm.

Lets stop the RKG nonsense. It's leading to a team full of robots. You can keep parts and pieces of it but I would like to see more emotion out there next season from our guys. I think we need to emphasize that more when looking at prospects. Draft Vaccaro or Warmack or Swearinger and lets get some nastiness back on this team. Heck I wouldn't even mind a few fights. Just stop acting like mindless drones out there week n and out.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

James Washington - the street fighter from LA - LOL.

 

[Apollo Creed]

The only guy on our team I can see standing up to anyone is Dez.

RKGs and character are important but you need some bullies or else you're gonna get bullied.

Anyone that tells you attitude doesn't matter must not remember how fired up this whole team would get late in the games during MBIII's prime.

Attitude reflects leadership - and you're spot on, this team reflects it's coaches robotic monotonous ways.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Its irrelevant to me. It was a good play by......Tate(?). How many "bullies" did the Ravens need to win their Super Bowl? It just seems like we're always looking for a reason to explain why we are a average 8-8 team. We need our talent to continue to progress and our coach to continue to progress. There aren't any hidden reasons to why we are where we are and it surely isn't because of because we didn't "retaliate" against the Seahawks. The best way to retaliate is to win the game.

 

[Hardline]

In baseball if one of your batters get a fastball in the rib cage then as soon as the other team is up to bat,you put a fastball in one of their batters rib cage.

In hockey if someone takes a cheap shot on one of your players. The gloves come off and its fist swinging.

Tate should have not left that game on his own two feet.
That was so dame coward of the Cowboys not retaliating that it was down right embarrassing.

 

[Zordon]

Its irrelevant to me. It was a good play by......Tate(?). How many "bullies" did the Ravens need to win their Super Bowl? It just seems like we're always looking for a reason to explain why we are a average 8-8 team. We need our talent to continue to progress and our coach to continue to progress. There aren't any hidden reasons to why we are where we are and it surely isn't because of because we didn't "retaliate" against the Seahawks. The best way to retaliate is to win the game.

They have arguably the biggest bully in the league in Pollard. Boldin didn't take no *bleep* from anyone. Leach doesn't allow anyone to take cheap shots on Rice. Suggs has attitude running thru his veins.

I already knew when I made this thread that some would say it's all about talent. I realize the talent is deficit, but we sorely need some attitude on this team. I wish everyone was like dez in that deparment. More of Dez's style, less of Ware.

 

[AsthmaField]

I don't disagree with any of that at all. I've been saying we need to get some physical, bullies on the team for a while now.

Here is something I wrote about it a couple weeks ago:

I remember something Jimmy Johnson said in his heyday in Dallas: He said (paraphrasing) that in the NFL, players were going to have 10 or so years of hard work and contact and that he only drafted players who liked the contact and physical nature of the sport.

He went on to mention a DT from NC State (if memory serves) who was highly ranked (first round prospect) and a terrific athlete for a DT. Jimmy didn't give a name but he said that when he talked to the guys college coaches they all talked about what a great athlete the player was and how fast he could run and how far he could jump. Then, he asked about the physical aspect of his game and he said all the answers were along the lines of "he's not the most physical DT we've had" or "he will hit you but tends to shy away from contact when he can" or "he doesn't love the physical side of the game".

Jimmy said at that point they took him off of their board and never considered him again. He said his favorite players were always guys that relished the contact and loved the physical nature of the game... and that is what he drafted. Physical guys. Not necessarily big, but loved to hit and be hit and to get down and dirty. He would draft smaller guys if they loved to hit and were physical. He said the guys who didn't love the contact would eventually look for a way around it or out of it, and that isn't what you want.

That has stuck with me since I heard it back in the early 90's and I would love for the team to consider that when they pick players.

Jimmy had a whole team of bullies. Tough guys who were talented. They intimidated the other teams eventually. Teams might have started out hanging with them... but by the 4th quarter the other teams were quitting and the Cowboys were just getting started.

We need some more tough, physical, hard working guys on the Dallas defense and Shawn Williams is a perfect example of one.

Here is something I wrote about character risks and if we need to stay away from them:

For the most part I agree with staying away from character risks... but not with Mathieu. I hope we find a way to get him.

Not all character risks are the same. Antonio Bryant for instance was a punk and even his own team mates couldn't stand the guy. Stay away from those kinds, I say.

Mathieu and Irvin on the other hand were among the most popular players on the team and they add something additional and very positive to the locker room.

Is Tyrann a risk because he might smoke weed again? Hell yes. But is he a risk in the locker room? No way. That guy was the heart and soul of the LSU defense and the whole team loved him.

Dallas should use common sense and get a bargain when you have a chance like Mathieu.

I think this goes along with what you're trying to say.

 

[Frozen700]

The only guy on our team I can see standing up to anyone is Dez.

RKGs and character are important but you need some bullies or else you're gonna get bullied.

Anyone that tells you attitude doesn't matter must not remember how fired up this whole team would get late in the games during MBIII's prime.

Attitude reflects leadership - and you're spot on, this team reflects it's coaches robotic monotonous ways.

Dez is the only player on this team who isn't a soft yellow marshmallow.

We should get a player like Eric Reid....he seems to have attitude.

 

[Doomsay]

[youtube]aZwg2twff-s[/youtube]

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LOL, "Drive By" Washington

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Every team definately has a place, and possibly need for, it's bullies and nasty players.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

It's stupid to be upset about that. It was a clean block and they were playing full contact football. Nothing to see here.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

It's stupid to be upset about that. It was a clean block and they were playing full contact football. Nothing to see here.

I'm not upset about the block. I love blocks like that and I think they should be allowed. However it's not clean, by the rules of the NFL, because the receiver both launched himself at another player and did so leading with his helmet. Both of those are supposedly against the rules (I'm not in favor other than keeping them from leading with the crown of their helmet) and it was allowed.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

I'm not upset about the block. I love blocks like that and I think they should be allowed. However it's not clean, by the rules of the NFL, because the receiver both launched himself at another player and did so leading with his helmet. Both of those are supposedly against the rules (I'm not in favor other than keeping them from leading with the crown of their helmet) and it was allowed.

You have to "lead" with your helmet. But I'm pretty sure what sent him flying like that was he actually led with his shoulder pads. I don't think he launched either, but he did get his whole body into it and sprung with his legs, which is good technique if you ask me.

 

[rojan]

You have to "lead" with your helmet. But I'm pretty sure what sent him flying like that was he actually led with his shoulder pads. I don't think he launched either, but he did get his whole body into it and sprung with his legs, which is good technique if you ask me.

This was a perfect example of the "Hines Ward" crack back block that was banned a couple years ago. It was definitely dirty and something should have been done about it.

 

[xwalker]

Parnell was ready to kill a player that had a late hit on the kicker or holder in one game; however, Tyron pulled him back. It was the maddest that I've seen a Cowboys player in a while.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

This was a perfect example of the "Hines Ward" crack back block that was banned a couple years ago. It was definitely dirty and something should have been done about it.

I'm not a fan of banning these hits. In my day, that was a clean hit.

 

[pugilist]

few things:

1. Sean Lee needs to keep his head on a swivel

2. Technically Tate's block was clean, but i think that rule needs to be revised given all of the recent changes in regards to player safety

3. I agree 100% that this teams needs more of a swagger / family attitude, more specifically a mentality of we all have everyone's back and if you mess with a teammate of mine you have to go through me first

 

[JPostSam]

that play was dirty, and i would have been ashamed of a cowboys player for throwing it. tate went for lee's head when he could have easily made a good block by aiming for lee's chest or midsection or thighs. i was pissed that the refs did nothing... and i was also pissed that lee's teammates did nothing.

 

[Chuck 54]

I know the league's stance on that block, and I know that eventually any hit that catches a guy off guard or is too hard will be illegal, but I don't care. Frankly, I loved the hit by Tate then, and I love it now. If I ever saw one of our receivers put his shoulder into a LBs chest and decleat him, I would stand up and cheer, penalty or not. I know I'm in the minority, but just a few year's ago a WR would have been honored for a block like that. The game has changed, and rightly so, but retaliation would have made us look even more like pansies. There was no low block, no head shot, and it wasn't a beast driving a QB into the turf. Contact was clearly in the chest; his head flew back from whiplash action. We would love a hit like that from Lee separating a guy from the ball even if it brought a penalty.

I don't see the big deal.

 

[Machete]

None of the Cowboys cared...why should we?