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Allure of title turns owners to gamblers
By NEWY SCRUGGS
newy@newdawg.com
You didn’t think I’d let my chance pass to throw in my 10 pennies on the Tank Johnson signing?
I’m not surprised. I don’t even care anymore. People in this town just care about winning, no matter the baggage athletes bring through D/FW Airport.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wants to get back to the Super Bowl, and he is gambling on defensive lineman Tank Johnson and his baggage of an eight-game suspension, gun-toting charges and late-night drinking as a way to help the Cowboys stop the run and make a trip to Arizona in February.
Jones is doing what desperate owners do in the NFL: roll the dice to win.
Look no further than New England, the “model” franchise in the NFL. The Patriots traded for wide receiver Mr. “I play when I want to” Randy Moss.
Moss quit on the Oakland Raiders last season. The silver and black won only two games. A frustrated Moss didn’t like the situation and gave less than his best effort. Moss was such a pain, the Raiders basically gave away their best player for a fourth-round draft pick.
New England brought him in and a good number of Pats fans screamed they didn’t want “a guy like that” on their team — sort of like what you’re hearing Cowboys fans say around town about Johnson.
How many Pats fans are booing or looking down their noses at Moss after the Patriots’ 2-0 start? How can they? Moss has been electrifying, tying for the league lead in catches and ranking in a tie for third in touchdown receptions and second in receiving yards.
After watching his subpar receivers blow the AFC title game last year, New England owner Bob Kraft sold out on his desire for team-first players and brought Moss onto his roster. The lust for Super Bowl trophies will cause smart businessmen to look the other way.
Nobody cares about character come Sunday afternoon. It’s a big talking point Monday through Saturday, but fans just want to win. Don’t let the fans fool you. Don’t let holier than thou media members fool you either. Nobody wants to watch or cover a sorry football team, even if they have a bunch of good guys on the club.
Former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells talked that character game, too. Talk about a hypocrite. The Tuna got on his soapbox after the first day of the 2005 draft, claiming he was “tired of dealing with the thugs” only to change his tune a year later and sign a convicted drunken driver, safety Marcus Coleman. Coleman rewarded Parcells two months into the season by being arrested on suspicion of DWI.
Desperate coaches and owners reserve the right to change their minds to win games.
Tank Johnson is a knucklehead. Knuckleheads with talent get second chances. Even third chances. Like it or not, it’s the way pro sports works.
Newy Scruggs is the sports director at NBC 5.
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/243844.html
By NEWY SCRUGGS
newy@newdawg.com
You didn’t think I’d let my chance pass to throw in my 10 pennies on the Tank Johnson signing?
I’m not surprised. I don’t even care anymore. People in this town just care about winning, no matter the baggage athletes bring through D/FW Airport.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wants to get back to the Super Bowl, and he is gambling on defensive lineman Tank Johnson and his baggage of an eight-game suspension, gun-toting charges and late-night drinking as a way to help the Cowboys stop the run and make a trip to Arizona in February.
Jones is doing what desperate owners do in the NFL: roll the dice to win.
Look no further than New England, the “model” franchise in the NFL. The Patriots traded for wide receiver Mr. “I play when I want to” Randy Moss.
Moss quit on the Oakland Raiders last season. The silver and black won only two games. A frustrated Moss didn’t like the situation and gave less than his best effort. Moss was such a pain, the Raiders basically gave away their best player for a fourth-round draft pick.
New England brought him in and a good number of Pats fans screamed they didn’t want “a guy like that” on their team — sort of like what you’re hearing Cowboys fans say around town about Johnson.
How many Pats fans are booing or looking down their noses at Moss after the Patriots’ 2-0 start? How can they? Moss has been electrifying, tying for the league lead in catches and ranking in a tie for third in touchdown receptions and second in receiving yards.
After watching his subpar receivers blow the AFC title game last year, New England owner Bob Kraft sold out on his desire for team-first players and brought Moss onto his roster. The lust for Super Bowl trophies will cause smart businessmen to look the other way.
Nobody cares about character come Sunday afternoon. It’s a big talking point Monday through Saturday, but fans just want to win. Don’t let the fans fool you. Don’t let holier than thou media members fool you either. Nobody wants to watch or cover a sorry football team, even if they have a bunch of good guys on the club.
Former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells talked that character game, too. Talk about a hypocrite. The Tuna got on his soapbox after the first day of the 2005 draft, claiming he was “tired of dealing with the thugs” only to change his tune a year later and sign a convicted drunken driver, safety Marcus Coleman. Coleman rewarded Parcells two months into the season by being arrested on suspicion of DWI.
Desperate coaches and owners reserve the right to change their minds to win games.
Tank Johnson is a knucklehead. Knuckleheads with talent get second chances. Even third chances. Like it or not, it’s the way pro sports works.
Newy Scruggs is the sports director at NBC 5.
http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/243844.html