jday
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Hat tip to @LeonDixson.
Somewhat of an institution in Casa De La Day, my wife and I play hide and go seek in the dark with our two boys. Less about hiding and more about the jump-scares that typically ensue, it has become a favorite pastime in our home and a significant part of our nightly ritual. But, as I’m sure many a parent can attest to, it is not just simply a pastime we enjoy sharing together; it is a necessity that decides what type of sons we will have tomorrow; boys that acts out in class and receive unfavorable marks as a consequence or model students that exhibit the positive behaviors my wife and I continuously attempt to instill in them.
You see, in teaching children, it is not enough to tell them right from wrong. Truth be told, you don’t have to tell them, for much of right and wrong is instinctive, despite their tendencies to constantly test their individual boundaries. Children need to know and be reminded on a daily basis that someone cares…and not just in words, but in action. And the type of care I’m referring to is not simply giving them whatever they want (if this is your parenting style, choke yourself now, it will save you heartache later), but the care that gives them what their spirit needs; discipline, direction, instruction; and the courage to back up infractions outside those parameters with reprimands up to and including corporal punishment in the face of a fat curled-out bottom lip and woe-is-me tears. Suffice to say, some boundaries need an exclamation mark, if not for the immediate relief it can provide, for posterity sake…for the love of God, please.
There were only two running backs in the 2016 draft garnering first round attention. Ezekiel Elliott and Derek Henry. What separated Zeke from Derek in particular was two-fold: Zeke’s combination of stop and start quickness and vision made him an ideal fit for the Cowboys Zone Blocking Scheme. Secondly, he was the most polished pass blocker to come out of the college ranks since perhaps Emmitt Smith…Zeke repeatedly stone walled blitzes in college; he took pride in it, which is, to say the least, extremely rare among running backs coming out of college.
For me, Zeke over Jalen became a no-brainer. The player that stood to make the most impact immediately was by far Ezekiel Elliott. You could make the argument that had the Cowboys gone with Jalen Ramsey, Tony Romo would still be the starting quarterback going into the 2017 season. Said argument may not be you’re most convincing, but Zeke was a massive part of Dak’s success in his first year and rather or not Dak’s hidden intangibles would have eventually surfaced regardless of having a top tier running back to hand the ball to is a question he will likely carry to his Hall of Fame induction speech (yeah, I went there).
Fast forward to today.
So…then we got to know the real Zeke. Now, rather this is a product of simply being a Dallas Cowboys and a 21 year old male at the same time, or the warning signs of a much deeper issue, Zeke’s character and be extension, his future availability to the Cowboys, is now in question. There were warning signs back at the beginning of 2016. The abuse allegations come to mind. And it wasn’t the fact that he had been accused that bothered me (it was a clear money-grab type of situation). It was the fact that he kept that type of company in the first place. You know, the whole show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are mantra. I’m no saint. I have had friends that I would never in a million years introduce to my boss or my parents. So, I was able to overlook that whole situation…especially in light of his age and in the face of what the Cowboys stood to gain by his acquisition.
By now, many of you consider this old news, but the latest addition to his catalogue of terrible decisions, Zeke was recently in the news for exposing a woman’s breast for cameras. When I first found out, I was admittedly outraged. While I don’t have any daughters, as a parent I can only imagine what went through the head of the father of the young woman who was exposed. Granted, not all fathers are alike, but even fathers of the daddy-issue-waiting-to-happen variety would take umbrage with such a disrespectful and asinine act.
That said, with 21 just shy of two decades in my rearview, I also kinda get it. Imagine:
You are 21.
You are a millionaire.
The world is your oyster.
And the type of women that are presently flocking to you have only one thing in mind. What must I say/do to have your baby? Because child support alone from a player making millions of dollars can easily feed, clothe, shelter and do all three in style for a family of four.
And Zeke knows it. Despite what his actions have suggested up to this point, he is a very smart kid. He knows the score. He knows he is a target. And he knows that during this era of his life, especially when it comes to women, he cannot take anyone or anything seriously…football being the lone exception. Because at the end of the day, football is the reason he is here. And if he wants to stay here he has to continue to make football important. Everything else can wait.
So now that a bit of perspective and context is on the lenses through which we look at the whole situation, you can kind of understand why someone operating under the guise of not caring about anything or anyone but football, can lose sight of what is important in a moment and pull a stunt in the blink of eye such as pulling down a woman’s shirt for the on-looking cameras. I suspect if he had it all to do it over he wouldn’t have been there in the first place. But these are lessons he will have to learn through experience.
What should he have learned? The women in his circle now aren’t very different from the house, car, clothes and jewelry his new money afforded him; they are simply pretty things his money bought. He should know by now his life is unlike any time before in history where every public place he goes, the back of cell phones are following and recording everything he says and does. He should know that perhaps one of the most important rules he must adhere to as a Dallas Cowboy is the same law that commercial realtors live by: location, location, location. After all, if you are being an idiot in the comfort of your own home, there is not much even TMZ can do about it. Simply put: during the offseason, hide, during the regular season, Go Zeke! And should he be suspended for the big reveal incident, so be it…. some boundaries need an exclamation mark, if not for the immediate relief it can provide, for posterity sake…for the love of God, please.
Thoughts?
Somewhat of an institution in Casa De La Day, my wife and I play hide and go seek in the dark with our two boys. Less about hiding and more about the jump-scares that typically ensue, it has become a favorite pastime in our home and a significant part of our nightly ritual. But, as I’m sure many a parent can attest to, it is not just simply a pastime we enjoy sharing together; it is a necessity that decides what type of sons we will have tomorrow; boys that acts out in class and receive unfavorable marks as a consequence or model students that exhibit the positive behaviors my wife and I continuously attempt to instill in them.
You see, in teaching children, it is not enough to tell them right from wrong. Truth be told, you don’t have to tell them, for much of right and wrong is instinctive, despite their tendencies to constantly test their individual boundaries. Children need to know and be reminded on a daily basis that someone cares…and not just in words, but in action. And the type of care I’m referring to is not simply giving them whatever they want (if this is your parenting style, choke yourself now, it will save you heartache later), but the care that gives them what their spirit needs; discipline, direction, instruction; and the courage to back up infractions outside those parameters with reprimands up to and including corporal punishment in the face of a fat curled-out bottom lip and woe-is-me tears. Suffice to say, some boundaries need an exclamation mark, if not for the immediate relief it can provide, for posterity sake…for the love of God, please.
There were only two running backs in the 2016 draft garnering first round attention. Ezekiel Elliott and Derek Henry. What separated Zeke from Derek in particular was two-fold: Zeke’s combination of stop and start quickness and vision made him an ideal fit for the Cowboys Zone Blocking Scheme. Secondly, he was the most polished pass blocker to come out of the college ranks since perhaps Emmitt Smith…Zeke repeatedly stone walled blitzes in college; he took pride in it, which is, to say the least, extremely rare among running backs coming out of college.
For me, Zeke over Jalen became a no-brainer. The player that stood to make the most impact immediately was by far Ezekiel Elliott. You could make the argument that had the Cowboys gone with Jalen Ramsey, Tony Romo would still be the starting quarterback going into the 2017 season. Said argument may not be you’re most convincing, but Zeke was a massive part of Dak’s success in his first year and rather or not Dak’s hidden intangibles would have eventually surfaced regardless of having a top tier running back to hand the ball to is a question he will likely carry to his Hall of Fame induction speech (yeah, I went there).
Fast forward to today.
So…then we got to know the real Zeke. Now, rather this is a product of simply being a Dallas Cowboys and a 21 year old male at the same time, or the warning signs of a much deeper issue, Zeke’s character and be extension, his future availability to the Cowboys, is now in question. There were warning signs back at the beginning of 2016. The abuse allegations come to mind. And it wasn’t the fact that he had been accused that bothered me (it was a clear money-grab type of situation). It was the fact that he kept that type of company in the first place. You know, the whole show me who your friends are and I’ll show you who you are mantra. I’m no saint. I have had friends that I would never in a million years introduce to my boss or my parents. So, I was able to overlook that whole situation…especially in light of his age and in the face of what the Cowboys stood to gain by his acquisition.
By now, many of you consider this old news, but the latest addition to his catalogue of terrible decisions, Zeke was recently in the news for exposing a woman’s breast for cameras. When I first found out, I was admittedly outraged. While I don’t have any daughters, as a parent I can only imagine what went through the head of the father of the young woman who was exposed. Granted, not all fathers are alike, but even fathers of the daddy-issue-waiting-to-happen variety would take umbrage with such a disrespectful and asinine act.
That said, with 21 just shy of two decades in my rearview, I also kinda get it. Imagine:
You are 21.
You are a millionaire.
The world is your oyster.
And the type of women that are presently flocking to you have only one thing in mind. What must I say/do to have your baby? Because child support alone from a player making millions of dollars can easily feed, clothe, shelter and do all three in style for a family of four.
And Zeke knows it. Despite what his actions have suggested up to this point, he is a very smart kid. He knows the score. He knows he is a target. And he knows that during this era of his life, especially when it comes to women, he cannot take anyone or anything seriously…football being the lone exception. Because at the end of the day, football is the reason he is here. And if he wants to stay here he has to continue to make football important. Everything else can wait.
So now that a bit of perspective and context is on the lenses through which we look at the whole situation, you can kind of understand why someone operating under the guise of not caring about anything or anyone but football, can lose sight of what is important in a moment and pull a stunt in the blink of eye such as pulling down a woman’s shirt for the on-looking cameras. I suspect if he had it all to do it over he wouldn’t have been there in the first place. But these are lessons he will have to learn through experience.
What should he have learned? The women in his circle now aren’t very different from the house, car, clothes and jewelry his new money afforded him; they are simply pretty things his money bought. He should know by now his life is unlike any time before in history where every public place he goes, the back of cell phones are following and recording everything he says and does. He should know that perhaps one of the most important rules he must adhere to as a Dallas Cowboy is the same law that commercial realtors live by: location, location, location. After all, if you are being an idiot in the comfort of your own home, there is not much even TMZ can do about it. Simply put: during the offseason, hide, during the regular season, Go Zeke! And should he be suspended for the big reveal incident, so be it…. some boundaries need an exclamation mark, if not for the immediate relief it can provide, for posterity sake…for the love of God, please.
Thoughts?
