Jeff Pearlman Q&A with NY Times

[Temo]

I don't know if it's because he's tempered some of his rhetoric or he just got a chance to truly express his feelings, but this interview seemed much more sane.

http://fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/qa-with-jeff-pearlman-author-of-boys-will-be-boys/

I especially found interesting the last question and answer:

One last question, Jeff. I grew up as a Cowboys fan in the Landry/Staubach days and enjoyed the ’90s dynasty immensely. But I reached a point where I couldn’t overlook the moral bankruptcy of the franchise (Pacman Jones being the latest example) and the clownish antics of Jerry Jones. I take my fan loyalty seriously, but I made a decision to suspend my rooting interest in the Cowboys until Jones no longer owned them. Can you blame me?
Actually, I can. If you dig beneath any professional sports franchise—any—you’ll find things that turn your stomach. Racist owners; wife-cheating GMs; players with no social conscience; etc. But the truth is, you’ll probably find much of that at any bank you withdraw money from; any restaurant you frequent; etc. We’re all imperfect and we all have our skeletons. I’m not so sure the Cowboys are THAT much worse than a lot of other teams—they just wear their true selves on their sleeves. And, sometimes, their rap sheets.

Which really, I think is how a lot of Cowboys fans feel about the early 90's Cowboys: sure, there were some crazy characters that were hard to root for, but the on-field product was the best and it's not like other teams don't have stuff they wanted to hide. It's just that when it's "America's Team", that stuff gets on the front page.

 

[zrinkill]

One last question, Jeff. I grew up as a Cowboys fan in the Landry/Staubach days and enjoyed the ’90s dynasty immensely. But I reached a point where I couldn’t overlook the moral bankruptcy of the franchise

Wonder how he felt about Hollywood Henderson doing coke on the sideline while Landry and Tex were in charge?

 

[Hostile]

Wonder how he felt about Hollywood Henderson doing coke on the sideline while Landry and Tex were in charge?

Or Lance Rentzel exposing himself to a 16 year old girl despite having a hot wife?

Or Rafael Septien having sex with a minor despite also having a hot wife.

Of if he thought Pete Gent's book, North Dallas Forty, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Cowboys? Maybe he thought Don Meredith never inhaled.

Some people are so stupid.

 

[Apollo Creed]

In reality, an entire village of people are presently starving and dying. But we are here to debate the moral values of the 90s Cowboys dynasty.

So in the grand scheme of things, whats worse? Chares Haley pounding out some knuckle children in a meeting? Or our conscious obliviousness to people suffering and leading miserable lives as a result of our hand.

Either way, you've got to put up blinders to a lot of things in this world or you'll see it for how it truly is. My favorite football teams' cocaine habits worry me a lot less than the funneling of cocaine into our country through Venezuela.

So I think everyone is so caught up in this court of public opinion thing lately that mass media and the internet has produced. And since everyone is the citadel of 'righteousness' and have absolutely no skeletons - then I suggest we continue to tear people down and ridicule them for their pasts.

The zone is a prime example of it, not bashing anyone for their views (because some people have well informed and supported opinions) - but at the end of the day guys. Its just football, there is a score, there is a winner. And they do it again next year. Opinions are just a waste of potential energy that could've been devoted to something productive.

 

[zrinkill]

Or Lance Rentzel exposing himself to a 16 year old girl despite having a hot wife?

Or Rafael Septien having sex with a minor despite also having a hot wife.

Of if he thought Pete Gent's book, North Dallas Forty, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Cowboys? Maybe he thought Don Meredith never inhaled.

Some people are so stupid.

Exactly .....

Tom Landry was a great man ..... great Christian ..... great coach.

But he had thug and drug addicts on his team just like every other coach.

God help us if there had been internet like there is now in the 70's, 80's, and 90's.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

very good read......and he is right.

 

[ilovejerry]

In reality, an entire village of people are presently starving and dying. But we are here to debate the moral values of the 90s Cowboys dynasty.

So in the grand scheme of things, whats worse? Chares Haley pounding out some knuckle children in a meeting? Or our conscious obliviousness to people suffering and leading miserable lives as a result of our hand.

Either way, you've got to put up blinders to a lot of things in this world or you'll see it for how it truly is. My favorite football teams' cocaine habits worry me a lot less than the funneling of cocaine into our country through Venezuela.

So I think everyone is so caught up in this court of public opinion thing lately that mass media and the internet has produced. And since everyone is the citadel of 'righteousness' and have absolutely no skeletons - then I suggest we continue to tear people down and ridicule them for their pasts.

The zone is a prime example of it, not bashing anyone for their views (because some people have well informed and supported opinions) - but at the end of the day guys. Its just football, there is a score, there is a winner. And they do it again next year. Opinions are just a waste of potential energy that could've been devoted to something productive.

:clap2: :clap2:

 

[ilovejerry]

Or Lance Rentzel exposing himself to a 16 year old girl despite having a hot wife?

Or Rafael Septien having sex with a minor despite also having a hot wife.

Of if he thought Pete Gent's book, North Dallas Forty, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Cowboys? Maybe he thought Don Meredith never inhaled.

Some people are so stupid.

 

[DallasEast]

One last question, Jeff. I grew up as a Cowboys fan in the Landry/Staubach days and enjoyed the ’90s dynasty immensely. But I reached a point where I couldn’t overlook the moral bankruptcy of the franchise (Pacman Jones being the latest example) and the clownish antics of Jerry Jones. I take my fan loyalty seriously, but I made a decision to suspend my rooting interest in the Cowboys until Jones no longer owned them. Can you blame me?

"Suspend my rooting interest"? What the hell does, "suspend my rooting interest" mean???

Owners, coaches and players come and go, but the franchise is forever. It's all about the franchise, stupid. I hope that, in the end, this non-fan remembers that it was him who dumped the Dallas Cowboys and not the other way around.

 

[Apollo Creed]

"Suspend my rooting interest"? What the hell does, "suspend my rooting interest" mean???

Owners, coaches and players come and go, but the franchise is forever. It's all about the franchise, stupid. I hope that, in the end, this non-fan remembers that it was him who dumped the Dallas Cowboys and not the other way around.

Yeah that guy is a total d bag, same kind of person that was "going to be quit being a fan if Terrell Owens became a Cowboy." After cheering for Leon Lett. So much twisted logic within this fan base makes it hard to see who actually is a 'fan' nowadays.

 

[percyhoward]

:laugh2:

Smells like an opinion piece disguised as Q & A, with the writer answering a question that he wrote himself.

 

[Rack]

Or Lance Rentzel exposing himself to a 16 year old girl despite having a hot wife?

Or Rafael Septien having sex with a minor despite also having a hot wife.

Of if he thought Pete Gent's book, North Dallas Forty, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Cowboys? Maybe he thought Don Meredith never inhaled.

Some people are so stupid.

Was that actually ever proven?

 

[MarkP88]

For what it's worth, I just finished this book last night, and thought it was great. One of the best, if not THE best, sports-related books I've ever read.

It's an incredibly fast, compelling read, and although plenty of bad behavior is recounted, it never comes across as being a witch hunt or screed against the franchise. It's an account of a group of talented individuals whose very human flaws undermined the greatness they'd built.

Pearlman talked to just about everyone from Michael Irvin to Darren Woodson to Clayton Holmes, so it's not like at any point you feel like he's attacking them or the franchise as a whole.

I totally recommend this book to any Cowboys fan, and really any sports fan.

Just my opinion...

Mark P.

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

For what it's worth, I just finished this book last night, and thought it was great. One of the best, if not THE best, sports-related books I've ever read.

It's an incredibly fast, compelling read, and although plenty of bad behavior is recounted, it never comes across as being a witch hunt or screed against the franchise. It's an account of a group of talented individuals whose very human flaws undermined the greatness they'd built.

Pearlman talked to just about everyone from Michael Irvin to Darren Woodson to Clayton Holmes, so it's not like at any point you feel like he's attacking them or the franchise as a whole.

I totally recommend this book to any Cowboys fan, and really any sports fan.

Just my opinion...

Mark P.

I read the book in one day. It was a terrific read, and I agree, it wasn't a witch hunt or anything of that sort. Quite fascinating to realize how human these guys are, and like any human can fall victim to temptation.

The thing is, they still managed to be a great team on the field, despite everything going on around them. Truly remarkable

 

[DallasEast]

I read the book in one day. It was a terrific read, and I agree, it wasn't a witch hunt or anything of that sort. Quite fascinating to realize how human these guys are, and like any human can fall victim to temptation.

The thing is, they still managed to be a great team on the field, despite everything going on around them. Truly remarkable

Keep that thought in mind as Dallas players not named Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith from that team are overlooked by the Pro Football Hall Of Fame Board of Selectors in the years to come.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

Keep that thought in mind as Dallas players not named Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith from that team are overlooked by the Pro Football Hall Of Fame Board of Selectors in the years to come.

Which is very sad.

 

[silver]

Was that actually ever proven?

He pleaded guilty and then he later said that Tex asked him to plead guilty to expedite the process and get over it. IIRC the Cowboys cut him immediately after that and he said that they used that as an excuse. He had a bad back at the time. We went through a bunch of kickers after that.

A Dallas County, Texas grand jury indicted him January 22, 1987 on a charge of mishandling of a minor. Septien pleaded guilty on April 9, 1987 to a charge of indecency with a child in an agreement with prosecutors that brought him a sentence of 10 years' deferred probation and a $2,000 fine.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED81538F93AA35757C0A961948260

 

[MarkP88]

Larry Allen will make in his first year of eligibility, I'd think. Same with Deion, though he will be enshrined for his play not only as a Cowboy, but as Falcon and (arrgh) 49er. (Let's pretend the Ravens tenure never happened.)

Darren should make it, but probably won't--heck, we're still waiting on Cliff Harris.

Mark P.

 

[DallasEast]

Larry Allen will make in his first year of eligibility, I'd think. Same with Deion, though he will be enshrined for his play not only as a Cowboy, but as Falcon and (arrgh) 49er. (Let's pretend the Ravens tenure never happened.)

Darren should make it, but probably won't--heck, we're still waiting on Cliff Harris.

Mark P.

Larry Allen. Check.

Deion Sanders. 1/2 check.

Darren Woodson is a good example of a player deserving to be enshrined as a Dallas Cowboys from the 90's team, but may run into a Board of Selectors roadblock.

Cliff Harris is an example of a 70's Dallas Cowboys player still being screwed over by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

 

[Rack]

He pleaded guilty and then he later said that Tex asked him to plead guilty to expedite the process and get over it. IIRC the Cowboys cut him immediately after that and he said that they used that as an excuse. He had a bad back at the time. We went through a bunch of kickers after that.


http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEED81538F93AA35757C0A961948260

Ah, ok. Thanks.

So basically... yeah, he did it.

Michael Irvin in a hotel room with cocaine and strippers is NOTHING compared to that.