Question About "Excuses"

[BIGDen]

I always find it interesting that some people acknowledge injuries or bad calls as reasons for losses and others say they're just "excuses". Of course every team has to overcome some injuries and maybe a bad call or two, but sometimes those injuries and calls are more critical than others.
Was Plaxico's injury just an excuse, or a legitimate reason, for the significant decline in the NY Giants play? They are not "mentally weak" like our "heartless" Cowboys, so what happened? The Plax loss just an excuse? The Seahawks SB loss a couple of years ago where they had to overcome numerous critical bad calls...was that just an excuse? The "Tuck Rule"? An excuse?
I believe that injuries were a HUGE part of what happened this past year with Dallas. I also don't believe that they were the only reason. Coaching and whining also hurt. Winning tends to minimize other deficiencies. Without the injuries, I think there would have been more wins and less of a focus on the other crap. I think injuries were a reason for Dallas' disappointing season, but not the only reason.
To me, an excuse is "Well...I had to clean up my room so I didn't have time to do my homework...." Not having multiple Pro Bowl players, including a QB who hides OL deficiencies, injured. Those are reasons IMO.

 

[Everlastingxxx]

Definition:

1. An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement.

Please tell me what the excuse is for 44-6.

 

[EPL0c0]

Definition:

1. An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement.

Please tell me what the excuse is for 44-6.

It's TO's fault! He'a a cancer! If he wasn't on the team, we would have only lost by 35 or maybe less!! lol

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It makes sense to say that if your the player or coach. You cannot allow yourselves an excuse to lose or it allows you to give up. Despite how egomaniacal some people are, they are not coaches or players and what they think does not effect the locker room.

At the end of the day how can you objectively look at the outcome of a game without looking at injuries is beyond me. No, people just say that because they have their own pet excuses like Jerry Jones or Tony Romo and do not want to detract from that. Its hard to stay scared of the boogeyman once you get down and start looking at the nitty gritty.

Cowboys Nation is in serious need of a night light.

 

[zrinkill]

Definition:

1. An explanation designed to avoid or alleviate guilt or negative judgement.

Please tell me what the excuse is for 44-6.

They just fell apart ..... It happens

The 1992 Cowboys lost to those same Eagles 31-7 ..... and they were one of the best teams of all time.

 

[NextGenBoys]

They just fell apart ..... It happens

The 1992 Cowboys lost to those same Eagles 31-7 ..... and they were one of the best teams of all time.

The thing that stings...is that was in all essence a playoff game. And we got annihilated. Those 90's teams came to play when it mattered. And even when they were sloppy (94 NFCC) they still fought hard and were always in it.

We got embarassed the last week in Phily

 

[zrinkill]

The thing that stings...is that was in all essence a playoff game. And we got annihilated. Those 90's teams came to play when it mattered. And even when they were sloppy (94 NFCC) they still fought hard and were always in it.

We got embarassed the last week in Phily

I agree ....

And I am in no way comparing them to that team.

Just saying it happens to the best of them


There is something wrong with this team ..... but whether its a mental thing or physical has yet to be determined.


But I do not question guys like Romo or Wittens heart ..... both played beat up like crazy this year.

They left it all on the table ..... they just failed.

 

[jackrussell]

To me, an excuse is "Well...I had to clean up my room so I didn't have time to do my homework...."

Cleaning your room is no excuse for not doing your homework.

 

[BIGDen]

Cleaning your room is no excuse for not doing your homework.

Lol...sorry mommy.

 

[jterrell]

Anything offered as explanation is an excuse.

To say we suffered injuries is an excuse.
To say we lost because of cancerous elements is an excuse.

The only non-excuse is just to say we got a butt whipping.

44-6 was really ugly and it had all the elements of an old fashioned country thumping.

We were on the road in the most hostile environment this team faces each year, we were dealing with distractions, we were banged up at best and downright hurting imho, we were trading punches with Philly but we'd get all the way down the field after a strong drive and turn the friggin ball over. We didn't have much of a swagger going in after recent losses and we were totally blown out of the water when 2 plays saw a 28 point swing in a matter of minutes.

End of the day its all just excuses but at the same time most recognize there was also causality there.

 

[BIGDen]

So what about the Giants example? Plaxico's injury an excuse or a reason for their collapse?