jday
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As has become my end of the week ritual, the following is a journey through my mind, touring the various topics that have come down the pike in the wake of the Cowboys last spirited contest. Honestly, writing this week has been a brutal experience for me. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even bother writing about it, especially considering the hair-pulling, ledge-stepping, finger-pointing state of the Cowboys faithful…that really doesn’t make for a good audience…no offense, if this applies to you.
But in an effort to keep my pen sharp (so-to-speak) I did drop my weekly Ring Side Seats, which as far as I know did not yield one read, and obviously zero comments/likes. And I don’t blame you, because after I wrote it, I didn’t re-read or feel a need to comment on it either. Watching the abortion that was Cowboys Vs. Broncos from whistle to whistle was self-inflicted torture enough; who the heck wants to read about it? With that in mind, during the following I am going to do my absolute best to avoid further reflection on the game specifics we collectively wish never was. Admittedly, however, I may reference it from time to time, because that has for the most part dominated my thoughts ever since.
Trumping Trump
Mods – the following is for levity sake on the topic and is merely an observation. Personally, I think Trumps statement was silly; much ado about nothing, but…
I’ve said before I could care less what players of a football game do during the national anthem. As a former soldier I know many people tend to appreciate our service for the most part because that’s what they think they’re supposed to say and do; it is a social standard that we have all been programmed to observe in return for acceptance in the national herd. I get it.
It’s hard to appreciate what someone does when you have very little conception of what sacrifice is actually being made by an individual surrendering the value of their life to the whims of the greater majority in the House of Congress. The ugly truth of our society is that most people’s public action/personality is molded by the potential shaming at the hands of their peers. They say and do as the majority says and does and everyone gets along under the false impression that we all think alike; until someone doesn’t and then everyone grabs their pitch forks to storm the castle of dissenting opinion/belief. What we believe in our heart and what we subsequently do, however, are two very different things and every single one of you reading this right now knows that to be true, whether you admit it or not. But that’s not what this is about.
So while I’m not angry, I do think it’s a bit hilarious. To understand my point-of-view, below is the commentary I imagined may or may not have happened between players currently kneeling and the leaders of the various groups attempting to initiate positive change in our society prior to them taking their so-called stand:
Party Leader: Hello popular player, we were wondering if you would like to use your platform in a positive manner.
Player: What did you have mind?
Party Leader: You can volunteer to assist the families of victim’s and give back to the community, effectively becoming the face of our cause. What do you say?
Player: Sounds like work; I really don’t have time for all that.
Party Leader: Well, we are having a rally near you and were hoping you could take time out of your schedule to speak on the impact this issue has on you and your thoughts on it; would you be willing?
Player: No, what else ya got?
Party Leader: Well, you could always make a donation to our cause?
Player: Pass. Anything else I can do?
Party Leader: You could certainly become an advocate for positive change by taking to social media from the comfort of your own home speaking out against social injustice, advocating others donating their time and money to the cause and ensure the message is being spread to everyone who follows you on Twitter/Facebook/other social medium?
Player: I really don’t have time for all that; any other ideas?
Party Leader: You could always make a statement by refusing to stand for the National Anthem before games?
Player: Seriously? You mean, all I have to do is nothing; take a stand by not taking a stand while I’m getting paid millions of dollars at the same time? I can do that!
My point is, while I understand the cause, and I understand the positive intent, I truly question the conviction. Doing something about it by doing nothing about it, I’m afraid, is not reaching their intended audience and certainly not yielding the positive change they seek. As protesting goes, it is the laziest approach to protest in the history of protest. For context, Martin Luther King marched 5 days and 54 miles from Selma, Alabama to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama in a nonviolent demonstration to bring attention to their cause of equality.
On the other hand, the outrage espoused by many on the other side of this issue, in my opinion, is a complete and utter waste of time and energy that serves little to no purpose in the scheme of things. If you allow these players actions to anger you, I encourage you to reflect on why that is the emotion you have chosen to view that situation through. How does their actions in any way negatively impact your life? Is their so-called statement a threat to you, your family and the collective freedoms you enjoy? You are offended by their disrespect towards our nation and yet our nation was founded on the principle of free speech and expression. Are we now going to cherry-pick what freedoms people can enjoy?
No judgement here, however, I will close this with a quote that I think may add positive perspective to the situation:
Innocence is drowned in anarchy. The best lack conviction given time to think, and the worst are full of passion without mercy.
~ Joni Mitchell’s paraphrased adaptation of an excerpt from the poem The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats ~
Addition by Subtraction
I know I said in the beginning I’d stay away from last week’s game; the following really isn’t so much about the game as it is about this new narrative that the Dak to Dez connection needs to get fixed; and quickly. I disagree. The connection is not the problem. The force-feeding Dez is not the whole story but certainly part of it. If the Cowboys offense places more emphasis on getting everyone involved, they wouldn’t have to worry about the match-up between Dez and the opposition’s best corner. Without further ado…
Finger pointing abounds in the wake of losses such as the one the Cowboys suffered at the hands of the Broncos this past weekend. Dependent on who you listen/read/watch, a myriad of different culprits have bore the bulk of the blame. Some say it was the coaches, some say it was Zeke quitting, some suggest it was the lack of chemistry between Dak and Dez, some point to the altitude in Mile High and that ridiculously successful home field advantage the Broncos faithful enjoy in September, some point to the Cowboys offensive line woes resulting from the Leary/Free exodus, some even suggest (despite initially celebrating their departure) that the Cowboys should have never let Carr, Claiborne, Church walk in the offseason. On it on it goes, where it stops, I, for one, know: when they win again.
The truth is, all those things and much more (I didn’t even scratch the surface of the defensive woes, but for context they didn’t force a punt until the fourth quarter) contributed not only to the loss but the manner in which they loss.
But for the sake of being a non-conformist, I’d like to take my own personal stab that features a point-of-view not previously discussed. We need only take a small trip back in time to this time last year. The Cowboys lost the first game and then went on to win the next 11 games in a row. That 11 win stint featured a 4 week absence of Dez Bryant starting in week 4. It did not matter. The Cowboys hardly missed him.
Flash forward to this year and he has 9 catches against 25 targets. Does anyone already see where I am going with my line of reasoning? Is it possible that Dez’s injury last year was addition by subtraction? His absence forced Dak to figure out ways to win without him and that mojo carried him throughout the regular season. Once Dez came back, rather than being a featured weapon, he was in more of a supporting role; he was icing on an otherwise delicious cake…a cake that really didn’t need the icing, but was admittedly a perfect complement to the tasty confection. Now, two weeks in, it seems as though Dak is forcing the issue of getting Dez involved.
I’m not saying Dez is campaigning for the ball in the huddle. And I understand that much of Dez’s targets against the Broncos were the result of good defenses daring Dak to take advantage of single coverage on him, while alternating double coverage against his other potential targets (Witten, Beasley, Twill, etc).
I’m reminded of that scene in Forest Gump where young Gump is being chased by a bunch of kids while he is still shackled by his “magic shoes.” As many of us likely recall, Forest was awkwardly running at first attempting to outrun bullies with a galloping gait that was merely stalling an inevitable merciless beat down by narrow-minded bigots in training. As he ran, the braces broke away and he was afforded the ability to pull away from his pursuers like they were standing still.
What if Dez right now is Dak’s “magic shoes?”
Just a thought…
The Rabbit Hole
Roughly 12 years ago, my wife and I made a deal. I agreed the only football I would watch is Dallas Cowboys and she agreed that no matter what I would never have to miss a single Cowboys game regardless of what was going on. Of course, this was at a time when my fandom was still surface level in understanding. I did not fully appreciate the subtle nuances of the game and did not have the understanding I have today about various schemes and what they are attempting to accomplish.
Over time, I grew to understand that football is the chess of sports and my love affair with the game became all the more intense. Anyone who have experienced a similar revelation and evolution in their fandom of this sport can likely relate to what tends to happen in the aftermath; you learn to appreciate watching football regardless of the laundry they wear…particularly on the professional level.
As fate would have it, after a 7 year hiatus from working while raising our two boys (8 & 5), my wife recently went back to work and my wife’s schedule requires her be absent from home on Sunday’s. When the cat’s away, I watch football all day!
What a great time to have that freedom placed back in my life, because football this season has ascended to another level of unpredictability and parity; great for us, horrible for Vegas and avid gamblers. Let’s review:
· The lowly Bills handled the big bad Broncos to the tune of 26 to 16 after seeming to be world-beaters last weekend against the Cowboys.
· While Jacksonville beating Baltimore wasn’t all that surprising, the fact that they beat them 44 to 7 absolutely was.
· The Saints made the Panthers look pedestrian, scoring 34 balanced against just 13 points.
· The Bears beat the Steelers 23 to 17.
· The Vikings beat the Buccaneers 34 to 17 with their backup quarterback Case Keenum.
· The Raiders struggled mightily against the hapless Commanders, losing 27 to 10.
If you follow the game closely, you might have guessed a few of those upsets, but predicting all of them happening in the same weekend is about as likely as Donald Trump being voted emperor of the world.
As it stands, based on what I saw from our NFCE foes, by my estimation the Cowboys are currently in 3rd place, with the Eagles in first and the Commanders in second. Keep in mind, it matters less how teams are playing now versus how they are playing at the end of the year, but we have yet to see the Cowboys supposed dominate offense flex its muscle in the same manner they spoiled us with in 2016.
To be honest, I’m not sure winning alone tonight will change my opinion. For that matter, dominating the Cardinals may still fall short of impressing me on the level both the Eagles and Commanders did over this past weekend. It will help, but for now, in my opinion, the Eagles and Commanders are playing better football in all three phases.
I Had a Dream
Or nightmare, dependent on how you choose to look at it. It had all the makings of a nightmare for the exception of the typical reaction you would expect from the person having it. As best as I can describe, in my dream there was a Freddy Krueger-like character attempting to terrorize my family. As a general rule, I forget the details of my dreams waking up with only a residue of how it made me feel. On this occasion, however, I happened to remember some specifics as a result of how it woke me up.
What I remember is this individual was in the middle of his taunting work-up, clearly trying to scare my wife, children and I. I was pretty cool, calm and collected up until this entity deemed fit to put his hand in my face. My reaction surprised even me. I chomped down on his hand, which woke me up because it turns out I actually bit a hand in the physical realm, only it turned out to be my own. Now, several hours later, I still have bite marks just above my wrist and right below where my right hand thumb begins.
Of course, this segues rather nicely into the question of how the Cowboys respond to their own nightmare of last weekend, tonight. Following the game, Skip Bayless of Undisputed made the point that while hard to watch, and likely harder still to experience, what happened last weekend is exactly what the Cowboys needed to happen; both the timing and the embarrassment were the perfect combination of medicine for what ails this young team. And, now that I have licked my wounds and had time to absorb and dissipate my own disappointment, I agree.
What we saw last weekend, aside from the specifics discussed above, had all the signs and symptoms of a team that lacked overall experience and might be just a bit overly-confident, which can be a deadly combination, particularly if it goes unchecked. For this disease, losing by a narrow margin simply isn’t enough. It might put a malady in remission for a time, but winning in the following week could invite it right back. To cure it, an embarrassing loss was key.
No telling at this point whether or not that medicine hit its mark, but their next follow-up exam (so-to-speak) is tonight. As I indicated before, regardless of what happens, we will find no definitive answers because a lot can happen over the course of the remaining season. But it will certainly tell us if the medicine hit it’s mark.
Thoughts?
But in an effort to keep my pen sharp (so-to-speak) I did drop my weekly Ring Side Seats, which as far as I know did not yield one read, and obviously zero comments/likes. And I don’t blame you, because after I wrote it, I didn’t re-read or feel a need to comment on it either. Watching the abortion that was Cowboys Vs. Broncos from whistle to whistle was self-inflicted torture enough; who the heck wants to read about it? With that in mind, during the following I am going to do my absolute best to avoid further reflection on the game specifics we collectively wish never was. Admittedly, however, I may reference it from time to time, because that has for the most part dominated my thoughts ever since.
Trumping Trump
Mods – the following is for levity sake on the topic and is merely an observation. Personally, I think Trumps statement was silly; much ado about nothing, but…
I’ve said before I could care less what players of a football game do during the national anthem. As a former soldier I know many people tend to appreciate our service for the most part because that’s what they think they’re supposed to say and do; it is a social standard that we have all been programmed to observe in return for acceptance in the national herd. I get it.
It’s hard to appreciate what someone does when you have very little conception of what sacrifice is actually being made by an individual surrendering the value of their life to the whims of the greater majority in the House of Congress. The ugly truth of our society is that most people’s public action/personality is molded by the potential shaming at the hands of their peers. They say and do as the majority says and does and everyone gets along under the false impression that we all think alike; until someone doesn’t and then everyone grabs their pitch forks to storm the castle of dissenting opinion/belief. What we believe in our heart and what we subsequently do, however, are two very different things and every single one of you reading this right now knows that to be true, whether you admit it or not. But that’s not what this is about.
So while I’m not angry, I do think it’s a bit hilarious. To understand my point-of-view, below is the commentary I imagined may or may not have happened between players currently kneeling and the leaders of the various groups attempting to initiate positive change in our society prior to them taking their so-called stand:
Party Leader: Hello popular player, we were wondering if you would like to use your platform in a positive manner.
Player: What did you have mind?
Party Leader: You can volunteer to assist the families of victim’s and give back to the community, effectively becoming the face of our cause. What do you say?
Player: Sounds like work; I really don’t have time for all that.
Party Leader: Well, we are having a rally near you and were hoping you could take time out of your schedule to speak on the impact this issue has on you and your thoughts on it; would you be willing?
Player: No, what else ya got?
Party Leader: Well, you could always make a donation to our cause?
Player: Pass. Anything else I can do?
Party Leader: You could certainly become an advocate for positive change by taking to social media from the comfort of your own home speaking out against social injustice, advocating others donating their time and money to the cause and ensure the message is being spread to everyone who follows you on Twitter/Facebook/other social medium?
Player: I really don’t have time for all that; any other ideas?
Party Leader: You could always make a statement by refusing to stand for the National Anthem before games?
Player: Seriously? You mean, all I have to do is nothing; take a stand by not taking a stand while I’m getting paid millions of dollars at the same time? I can do that!
My point is, while I understand the cause, and I understand the positive intent, I truly question the conviction. Doing something about it by doing nothing about it, I’m afraid, is not reaching their intended audience and certainly not yielding the positive change they seek. As protesting goes, it is the laziest approach to protest in the history of protest. For context, Martin Luther King marched 5 days and 54 miles from Selma, Alabama to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama in a nonviolent demonstration to bring attention to their cause of equality.
On the other hand, the outrage espoused by many on the other side of this issue, in my opinion, is a complete and utter waste of time and energy that serves little to no purpose in the scheme of things. If you allow these players actions to anger you, I encourage you to reflect on why that is the emotion you have chosen to view that situation through. How does their actions in any way negatively impact your life? Is their so-called statement a threat to you, your family and the collective freedoms you enjoy? You are offended by their disrespect towards our nation and yet our nation was founded on the principle of free speech and expression. Are we now going to cherry-pick what freedoms people can enjoy?
No judgement here, however, I will close this with a quote that I think may add positive perspective to the situation:
Innocence is drowned in anarchy. The best lack conviction given time to think, and the worst are full of passion without mercy.
~ Joni Mitchell’s paraphrased adaptation of an excerpt from the poem The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats ~
Addition by Subtraction
I know I said in the beginning I’d stay away from last week’s game; the following really isn’t so much about the game as it is about this new narrative that the Dak to Dez connection needs to get fixed; and quickly. I disagree. The connection is not the problem. The force-feeding Dez is not the whole story but certainly part of it. If the Cowboys offense places more emphasis on getting everyone involved, they wouldn’t have to worry about the match-up between Dez and the opposition’s best corner. Without further ado…
Finger pointing abounds in the wake of losses such as the one the Cowboys suffered at the hands of the Broncos this past weekend. Dependent on who you listen/read/watch, a myriad of different culprits have bore the bulk of the blame. Some say it was the coaches, some say it was Zeke quitting, some suggest it was the lack of chemistry between Dak and Dez, some point to the altitude in Mile High and that ridiculously successful home field advantage the Broncos faithful enjoy in September, some point to the Cowboys offensive line woes resulting from the Leary/Free exodus, some even suggest (despite initially celebrating their departure) that the Cowboys should have never let Carr, Claiborne, Church walk in the offseason. On it on it goes, where it stops, I, for one, know: when they win again.
The truth is, all those things and much more (I didn’t even scratch the surface of the defensive woes, but for context they didn’t force a punt until the fourth quarter) contributed not only to the loss but the manner in which they loss.
But for the sake of being a non-conformist, I’d like to take my own personal stab that features a point-of-view not previously discussed. We need only take a small trip back in time to this time last year. The Cowboys lost the first game and then went on to win the next 11 games in a row. That 11 win stint featured a 4 week absence of Dez Bryant starting in week 4. It did not matter. The Cowboys hardly missed him.
Flash forward to this year and he has 9 catches against 25 targets. Does anyone already see where I am going with my line of reasoning? Is it possible that Dez’s injury last year was addition by subtraction? His absence forced Dak to figure out ways to win without him and that mojo carried him throughout the regular season. Once Dez came back, rather than being a featured weapon, he was in more of a supporting role; he was icing on an otherwise delicious cake…a cake that really didn’t need the icing, but was admittedly a perfect complement to the tasty confection. Now, two weeks in, it seems as though Dak is forcing the issue of getting Dez involved.
I’m not saying Dez is campaigning for the ball in the huddle. And I understand that much of Dez’s targets against the Broncos were the result of good defenses daring Dak to take advantage of single coverage on him, while alternating double coverage against his other potential targets (Witten, Beasley, Twill, etc).
I’m reminded of that scene in Forest Gump where young Gump is being chased by a bunch of kids while he is still shackled by his “magic shoes.” As many of us likely recall, Forest was awkwardly running at first attempting to outrun bullies with a galloping gait that was merely stalling an inevitable merciless beat down by narrow-minded bigots in training. As he ran, the braces broke away and he was afforded the ability to pull away from his pursuers like they were standing still.
What if Dez right now is Dak’s “magic shoes?”
Just a thought…
The Rabbit Hole
Roughly 12 years ago, my wife and I made a deal. I agreed the only football I would watch is Dallas Cowboys and she agreed that no matter what I would never have to miss a single Cowboys game regardless of what was going on. Of course, this was at a time when my fandom was still surface level in understanding. I did not fully appreciate the subtle nuances of the game and did not have the understanding I have today about various schemes and what they are attempting to accomplish.
Over time, I grew to understand that football is the chess of sports and my love affair with the game became all the more intense. Anyone who have experienced a similar revelation and evolution in their fandom of this sport can likely relate to what tends to happen in the aftermath; you learn to appreciate watching football regardless of the laundry they wear…particularly on the professional level.
As fate would have it, after a 7 year hiatus from working while raising our two boys (8 & 5), my wife recently went back to work and my wife’s schedule requires her be absent from home on Sunday’s. When the cat’s away, I watch football all day!
What a great time to have that freedom placed back in my life, because football this season has ascended to another level of unpredictability and parity; great for us, horrible for Vegas and avid gamblers. Let’s review:
· The lowly Bills handled the big bad Broncos to the tune of 26 to 16 after seeming to be world-beaters last weekend against the Cowboys.
· While Jacksonville beating Baltimore wasn’t all that surprising, the fact that they beat them 44 to 7 absolutely was.
· The Saints made the Panthers look pedestrian, scoring 34 balanced against just 13 points.
· The Bears beat the Steelers 23 to 17.
· The Vikings beat the Buccaneers 34 to 17 with their backup quarterback Case Keenum.
· The Raiders struggled mightily against the hapless Commanders, losing 27 to 10.
If you follow the game closely, you might have guessed a few of those upsets, but predicting all of them happening in the same weekend is about as likely as Donald Trump being voted emperor of the world.
As it stands, based on what I saw from our NFCE foes, by my estimation the Cowboys are currently in 3rd place, with the Eagles in first and the Commanders in second. Keep in mind, it matters less how teams are playing now versus how they are playing at the end of the year, but we have yet to see the Cowboys supposed dominate offense flex its muscle in the same manner they spoiled us with in 2016.
To be honest, I’m not sure winning alone tonight will change my opinion. For that matter, dominating the Cardinals may still fall short of impressing me on the level both the Eagles and Commanders did over this past weekend. It will help, but for now, in my opinion, the Eagles and Commanders are playing better football in all three phases.
I Had a Dream
Or nightmare, dependent on how you choose to look at it. It had all the makings of a nightmare for the exception of the typical reaction you would expect from the person having it. As best as I can describe, in my dream there was a Freddy Krueger-like character attempting to terrorize my family. As a general rule, I forget the details of my dreams waking up with only a residue of how it made me feel. On this occasion, however, I happened to remember some specifics as a result of how it woke me up.
What I remember is this individual was in the middle of his taunting work-up, clearly trying to scare my wife, children and I. I was pretty cool, calm and collected up until this entity deemed fit to put his hand in my face. My reaction surprised even me. I chomped down on his hand, which woke me up because it turns out I actually bit a hand in the physical realm, only it turned out to be my own. Now, several hours later, I still have bite marks just above my wrist and right below where my right hand thumb begins.
Of course, this segues rather nicely into the question of how the Cowboys respond to their own nightmare of last weekend, tonight. Following the game, Skip Bayless of Undisputed made the point that while hard to watch, and likely harder still to experience, what happened last weekend is exactly what the Cowboys needed to happen; both the timing and the embarrassment were the perfect combination of medicine for what ails this young team. And, now that I have licked my wounds and had time to absorb and dissipate my own disappointment, I agree.
What we saw last weekend, aside from the specifics discussed above, had all the signs and symptoms of a team that lacked overall experience and might be just a bit overly-confident, which can be a deadly combination, particularly if it goes unchecked. For this disease, losing by a narrow margin simply isn’t enough. It might put a malady in remission for a time, but winning in the following week could invite it right back. To cure it, an embarrassing loss was key.
No telling at this point whether or not that medicine hit its mark, but their next follow-up exam (so-to-speak) is tonight. As I indicated before, regardless of what happens, we will find no definitive answers because a lot can happen over the course of the remaining season. But it will certainly tell us if the medicine hit it’s mark.
Thoughts?
Last edited:
,,, dude! Bro!,,, what?
