If players are "tired" is it on the player or conditioning staff?

[Captain-Crash]

When I hear professional athletes make excuses it leads me to believe they rarely had to work hard to compete for playing time growing up likely because they had natural talent that made them a lot better than most other players around them.

When athletes reach the professional level though they are surrounded by competition that's on or above their level which requires consistent and persistent effort and focus during their seasons to be able to compete and win.

Hearing players whine about being tired when they were down 27-0 in the first half is laughable and definitely nothing more than an excuse to avoid admitting they played badly and got beat by a much better team.

I can respect players who say nothing or admit they played badly and they plan to work hard to become better.

Instead, we get "we were tired" ...

Agree. No accountability on the team.

I wonder if anyone gave them a tongue-lashing in the locker room at halftime. More than likely they were just sitting around talking big about their planned vacations. Loser culture with no self-respectability players. shrugs.

 

[Ranching]

The topic of the thread is about players saying they were tired.

Since you clarified it though, I also did not notice the 30 other teams' players giving excuses for their losses.

Most of the quotes by players of teams that lost in the playoffs I read were they just didn't play well enough to win.

Hard to have sympathy for players who make millions whining about being tired in their most important game of the season.

As I said, winners don't make excuses. Some losers do though.

I get it....just seems like every post is negative. Last season is over and some are already throwing in the towel for next season....making excuses of their own. It is what it is, I guess.

 

[DallasEast]

Wild Card Flashback #1: Dallas Cowboys' players, down 14-0, one minute into the second quarter

Wild Card Flashback #2: Dallas Cowboys' players, down 48-16, ten minutes left in the game

 

[Reality]

I get it....just seems like every post is negative. Last season is over and some are already throwing in the towel for next season....making excuses of their own. It is what it is, I guess.

True, but they kind of deserve it more so this year because they didn't get beat by the 49ers, but instead by the youngest team in the NFL with a first year starter quarterback (the latter of which happened to them last year as well).

On top of that they got slaughtered by that team while playing at a home, where they had won 16 games in a row in a game where they were favored by a touchdown.

The players should be willing to admit, if not publicly, at least to themselves, they played badly and got beat and they need to get better.

Trying to explain any reasons or justifications publicly beyond "we played badly and got beat" is just asking for criticism.

 

[KJJ]

Not sure what comment was more troubling, DLaw’s about the team being tired or McCarthy’s about the team being nervous after the one and done at home to SF 2 years ago.

 

[Jarv]

Mike Woicik is an American football strength and conditioning coach in the National Football League. He is tied for the record for third-most Super Bowl rings won with six, winning three with the Dallas Cowboys and three with the New England Patriots.

Mike was told Deion didn't have to follow his workout regime, this was allowed by our management.

Mike left because of this and the record tying FG we kicked in a game when it wasn't required, but allowed us to set a record.

Mike left, we haven't won a super bowl since.

Michael Irvin is on record as saying that Woicik was a key element--the engine--driving the Cowboys’ dynasty; this weekend, the Dallas Morning News caught up to Daryl Johnston, who shared a similar opinion:

He came in and changed the weight room and changed the program....He raised the expectations. He created accountability. I laugh because you'll hear a team say we have 85 percent participation in our offseason program. We had 98, 99 percent every season....The guys enjoyed being around….I think it was critical element of the success that we had.

 

[IceStar-D7]

BOTH!!!!

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

In no way should an athlete say they're burned out especially in the post season. If they are tired, do the players need to change their diets, exercise more, do other things to get them right in their conditioning? Or are we not doing enough in the organization to see to it that the players are ready for every game they play? Please give your thoughts.

its BS. every NFL player is tired. so Lawrence need to shut his mouth and go to work. players are responsible to keep in condition, follow advice, take care of themselves. their bodies are their franchise.

 

[TexasBacon]

Nah I kinda like knowing how they really feel.

It lets you know who’s about it and who isn’t.

DLaw has always talked a tough game, but now we know he’s not really about it.

DLaw was ironically the only one that even sort of showed up in the GB game and didn't appear tired. Micah sure as Hell didn't. The Hotboyz stuff was cringe but Tank has been one of the few players in general to consistently show up and play hard over the duration of his career. I think he really feels that way about some of the other players on the team. This was the third year in a row Micah has fallen off at the end of the season.

 

[Cowboys5217]

I wouldn't read too much into that comment from DLaw...He was trying to give a PC anwer to not throw anyone under the bus and failed miserably. The issues are obvious and being tired is about as bad of an excuse as you could have.

Nah, when someone accidentally tells you the truth, believe them. The way the team didn't even show up for the GB game lines right up with the "burnt" excuse.

 

[sunalsorises]

I’d say games in Europe, Thursday games (3 games in 10 days), and the 17 game schedule don’t help with end of season burnout.

 

[nalam]

In no way should an athlete say they're burned out especially in the post season. If they are tired, do the players need to change their diets, exercise more, do other things to get them right in their conditioning? Or are we not doing enough in the organization to see to it that the players are ready for every game they play? Please give your thoughts.

I don’t know if his remarks were taken out of context or not, but even offering an excuse like that makes it clear that current Cowboys player focus is on the next contract or money , not on the SB win or rings. Unless players start to value the post season wins and championships, these won’t happen

 

[big dog cowboy]

Not sure what comment was more troubling, DLaw’s about the team being tired or McCarthy’s about the team being nervous after the one and done at home to SF 2 years ago.

McCarthy. DLaw was caught off gaurd.

 

[KJJ]

McCarthy. DLaw was caught off gaurd.

As was the team in those games. They weren’t prepared and neither was the team. Don’t know why they would be caught off guard during interviews. DLaw certainly had plenty of time to think about it.

 

[pansophy]

In no way should an athlete say they're burned out especially in the post season. If they are tired, do the players need to change their diets, exercise more, do other things to get them right in their conditioning? Or are we not doing enough in the organization to see to it that the players are ready for every game they play? Please give your thoughts.

I mean couldn't it just be an indication that the defense is undersized and burned out trying to make up for it with speed and energy all season long?

 

[LysleE]

DLaw’s comments are merely a glaring indictment of the entitlement culture within the Cowboys organization.
What the Cowboys don’t understand is that it takes hard work, sacrifice and commitment; a team must have a singular, unified vision to reach the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl…and it takes leaders to keep the team on-track to meet those goals. Sadly, the Cowboys don’t have those types of leaders on their team.
KC got to the Super Bowl going thru Buffalo and Baltimore on the road in inclimate weather and I’m sure the team was spent physically…and when they won, Mahomes was already talking about how much work they are going to have to put in to return to the Super Bowl next year…that is the DNA of championship teams.

 

[big dog cowboy]

As was the team in those games. They weren’t prepared and neither was the team. Don’t know why they would be caught off guard during interviews. DLaw certainly had plenty of time to think about it.

Everyone from Jerry on down got caught with the pants down.

The undressing they received started at the top and went clear to the bottom.

 

[nightrain]

It's a lack of mental toughness.

 

[wecasa]

As much as they rotate guys in and out all the time I can't see how any of there were tired.

 

[KJJ]

Everyone from Jerry on down got caught with the pants down.

The undressing they received started at the top and went clear to the bottom.

They didn’t have to be caught with their pants down to find out no one had any balls.