ESPN Dallas: Phillips' message to Williams is too late

[Chuck 54]

Nothing to see here...same message to every player on every team. If Miles Austin falls on his face in year two of starting and Ogletree or Crayton come on and are playing better than he is, he'll lose his starting job as well.

That's how the NFL is...you lose and you're out of work fast as a coach, so you're going to play the best player.

Last year Roy struggled and underperformed, but I don't think anyone would actually say that Crayton or Ogletree would have been a better starter all year. You have to play a vet through some tough spots; you can't bench a player who has performed for a guy whom you already know is no better (Crayton) or a young guy who needs time (Ogletree).

The best players will play. No surprise there, and not much of a message.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

It's all good CL. Things like that just catch my eye. It's a sickness.

Oh, I know man. I wasn't serious. :beer2:

I'll put my grammar up against anyone's. My typing? A blind porcupine could do better.

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Phillips was quoted as saying (Per David Morre) "Roy's got to get to that level again. Part of it could be us. I'm not saying it's him." That's huge, because this is the first time we're seeing hints of accountability being attributed to the offensive coaching staff. Up to now all we hear is "the players must execute better". Finally we're hearing that hte offensive coaches nust vcoach and coordiante better. Finally!!!

Also why do so many assume it was a message from Phillips to Williams? I took it as a message from Phillips to Garrett, which I like. Garrett was allowed to call ALL of the offensive shots last season; Phillips agreed with all of Garrett's the moves - including keeping Williams the starter but using him to run routes that don't maximize his ability. Phillips had no choice but to play along publically to keep the media at bay. After all Garrett was the sole decison-maker on offensive coordianting.

I have a feeling that Phillips has now been given more responsibility over the offense by Jerry, at least as an overseerer. If that's true then it's a good thing because Garrett can still learn a thing or two - or more - about coaching in the NFL, and Phillips can help him be a better coordiantor.

Everyone thinks Phillips knows nothing about offense because he's a defensive guy, and therefore should not oversee the offense, but whoever believes that is missing the point that you need to know offense inside and out to know how to beat it, which Phillips has proven he can do over a 30 year career.

 

[tyke1doe]

SO a guy who used to be a journalist and another that has a friend who is one are saying that sports journalists are reliable. Sorry but you two hardly qualify as objective sources.

First, I'm not a "used to be journalist." I still am a journalist.

So what makes your opinion credible?

All I need to know about sports journalists and how they are treated if they lie is look at one Skip Bayless. He lied in print saying that Troy Aikman was gay. The man was hired on with ESPN. He not only stayed in the industry but he got a promotion.

So one Skip Bayless = all journalists.

And this qualifies as "objective" to you?

Its pretty obvious to me that the other Dallas mediots have taken notice and realize that sensationalism and innuendo sell. JFE was at one point my favorite beat writer. She changed from trying to report facts to gossip and innuendo and she gets a radio show.

JFE is a sports columnist. She isn't merely a reporter. She gets paid to give her opinion or her interpretation of the facts as she understands them.

Huge difference.

Tyke you always talk about how they wouldn't stay on the beat if they did but I cannot think of a single mediot either on the national scale or in a major market thats been fired for fabricating something like this or anything else for that matter.

Maybe because you don't understand the difference between "fabrication" and "opinion."

In this day and age, sports journalists are more sports columnists than they are sports reporters. As such, they have a great deal of latitude in how they interpret stories. They are paid to give their interpretation.

If a journalist is making up stories, it won't be long until that is discovered. There have been cases throughout journalism history where that has occurred. And in most cases, those guys/gals have been outted pretty quickly.

A part of being a beat reporter is getting to know your sources so you can get stories. And getting to know your sources means chatting with them on their cell phones, chatting with them in the locker room, going out to eat with them, etc.

I don't cover sports, but sources tell me stuff all the time, stuff I wouldn't report because I'm not a columnist but a hard-news reporter. But if ordinary sources tell me stuff - and that all the time - it's not hard to imagine what athletes tell reporters while shooting the breeze, especially if you gain their trust.

If an athlete gives you his trust, especially as a beat reporter, he's going to tell you some stuff. Now, he may be floating trial balloons, he may be testing you, he may tell you stuff but say, "You can't use my name," but they talk.

And don't think for a moment that every player on a team likes everyone on the roster.

 

[tyke1doe]

Very few people think Skippy Clueless was ever a sports journalist.

Again, many posters can't differentiate between "fabrication" and "opinion."

Bayless rode anti-Cowboy hate to the top. He understood the popularity of the Cowboys and knew, IMO, it would serve his career better if he bashed the Cowboys rather than praised them. It seems to have worked as a columnist is measured by how mad he can make people.

Skip's opinions are over-the-top, and often I disagree with them. But they are opinions nevertheless. And he's entitled to them, just as people are entitled to bash him for them.

 

[Randy White]

A part of being a beat reporter is getting to know your sources so you can get stories. And getting to know your sources means chatting with them on their cell phones, chatting with them in the locker room, going out to eat with them, etc.

If an athlete gives you his trust, especially as a beat reporter, he's going to tell you some stuff. Now, he may be floating trial balloons, he may be testing you, he may tell you stuff but say, "You can't use my name," but they talk.
.

Like I said, most folks just simply don't know the ins and outs, but because it's the Dallas Cowboys, the passion buttons are going to be pushed.

 

[Randy White]

a glimpse on how the game is played:

Cowboys to start 'best player' at WR

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams, who is guaranteed $12.9 million in bonuses and base salary this year, will have to compete to keep his starting job.

"We are going to play the best player, no matter what," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said when asked whether Patrick Crayton or Kevin Ogletree could beat out Williams.

Then came

Phillips' message to Williams is too late.

At the end of the season, Williams said he wasn't worried about getting cut because he just got to the team. But if he continues to perform badly, he would expect to get cut following the 2010 season.

Williams doesn't trust offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and isn't that enamored with quarterback Tony Romo. Whether Phillips pushes Williams or not, the wide receiver has issues with his offensive coordinator and quarterback. The Cowboys have to fix these problems.

and now

Roy Williams will be a starter in 2010

Jerry Jones spoke to a handful of reporters on Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and covered a variety of subjects that we'll talk about in the next 24 hours.

One topic of interest was wide receiver Roy E. Williams.

Jones said Williams will remain a starterin 2010 despite coming off a disappointing 38-catch 596-yard season.


Basically, all of that means this:

Wade: * on a message to his team *: " Don't get fat because nobody's job is safe "

RW: * commenting on an interpretation of Wade's comments by the original reporter ( Not Watkins ), but off the record *: " Hey, I know fully well I won't be here next year if things don't improve. But things have to change with Jason's approach and Romo and I need to work more with our relationship in order for that to happen. You can print it, but don't quote me ".

Jerrah: * on RW *: " Listen fools, I ain't about to cut a guy who I just cut a 9 million dollars check to and he's not about to become a towel waiving cheerleader on the sidelines either. Do I want him to do better ? sure, but he's shown nothing to suggest he should be benched, either on the field or attitude wise, so it's not gonna happen, capisca ? "

 

[garyv]

I wish we could work Ogletree in and simply make Roy WIlliams the #4 on this Team no matter what hes paid. Play who's better not whom makes more.

 

[Vasichko]

Id rather the Cowboys teach him a lesson and cut his ***. He blows.

 

[wileedog]

"We are going to play the best player, no matter what," Phillips said. .

I hope Choice reads this.

 

[28 Joker]

Man, I'm so sick and tired of hearing about this.

Get me some offensive linemen and a dang consistent kicker who can make pressure, long kicks like Folk used to make.