I truly believe there is no answer McCarthy could give at this juncture which would satisfy the fans of Dallas as a whole. And I use fans of Dallas as hyperbole in this context.
If he said something that resembled the three inch headlines comment by Johnson, the boo-birds that reside here would skewer him unmercifully.
He makes a comment they expect to win, and still the rancor flies.
I have often wondered if the cynicism that is a mainstay on this site is generated by the twenty-seven years of mediocrity, or is this what the American society has become. Long gone are the days where the fans would say, "We'll get 'em next year," if the team fails. And that would be uttered in thirty-one cities around this country because there is only one winner. The fanbase would still be fans of the team.
But now days the benchmark is a continued litany of grumbling and grousing, which makes me think this is an antic to keep the team at arms length. A way to put a band-aid on hurt feelings. I didn't use to feel this way about this posture. I would argue against it. But I see it now for what it is.
I can accept what happens Sunday. Win or lose. I will be disappointed at failure, but still have the memories of a season of adversity where the team fought hard and got to the play-offs. And one shining moment when this team went into a hostile environment and shoved it in Tommy Brady's face for all the football world to see.
What makes this interminable harangue a cesspool of misery is the catcalls from the gutless gallery who complain when things get tough, and when things go well avoid the site until the next contest where they start in again with their whimpering, bilious carping.
But don't let me sugarcoat it for you. Negativity is a sport played here which removes you from truly committing to this team in the event they don't get to the Championship and win. I see this as a form of tanking emotionally. Giving up. Quitting.
And if I were to ask disinterested bystanders how they would characterize people who quit on a franchise they follow, representing themselves as devotees - not just a football team, but any going concern - I believe the common response would be losers.
And as we all should know from playing sandlot sports is this.
Losers walk the field.
... point being none of that has a bearing on the outcome. So who cares what he said.
WIN
