Questions for Old Timer's Thread

[Hostile]

Look at those two photos, and you can see the proof. Lilly's not worried about getting blocked. He's watching the ball.

I thought of exactly that in looking at those photos. In fact ever since I heard Roger tell that story I have thought of that when I see him in action.

 

[THUMPER]

Man, how could I have missed this thread? I was gone all day and I come home to find a thread I could really get into and it is all filled up. :bang2:

Let's see some more questions from the younger fans, because us old guys just LOVE to share about the "good ole days".

 

[EastDallasCowboy]

Ok, apparently no one else wants to get into this.

So, in effect, it's become the "EDC asks Old Fogies questions and they reminisce thread."

That's fine, too.

More questions:

1) Don Meredith. His career seems, from what I've heard, to have been the ultimate rollercoaster....very up and down. And while I grew up hearing his name, I've also heard a great many negatives. Although everyone loved his MNF broadcasts.

2) Many people have said Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters were the ultimate duo. That they looked as though they had ESP when executing on this field. Did it really seem that way....or is it just good ol' days syndrome?

3) A subjective question. If you had to name an all-Cowboys offensive line, who goes on it?

4) Steve Pelleur. I've been told he's the original chutch or quincy. Was he really that futile? And what did the fans think at the time?

Oh, and thanks guys for the reading suggestions. I'll definately grab those books.

 

[trickblue]

Ok, apparently no one else wants to get into this.

So, in effect, it's become the "EDC asks Old Fogies questions and they reminisce thread."

That's fine, too.

More questions:

1) Don Meredith. His career seems, from what I've heard, to have been the ultimate rollercoaster....very up and down. And while I grew up hearing his name, I've also heard a great many negatives. Although everyone loved his MNF broadcasts.

Roger Staubach has frequently said that the success of the teams he QB'ed were directly a result of Don Meredith...

2) Many people have said Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters were the ultimate duo. That they looked as though they had ESP when executing on this field. Did it really seem that way....or is it just good ol' days syndrome?

Nope they were great... Harris remains the only player named to the "All-Decade" team of the 70's not in the HoF... there were two until last year. The other was Rayfield Wright. I had lunch with Cliff a couple years back and he is disappointed he hasn't had the recognition. He is very bitter in regards to the HoF...

3) A subjective question. If you had to name an all-Cowboys offensive line, who goes on it?

I couldn't even start...

4) Steve Pelleur. I've been told he's the original chutch or quincy. Was he really that futile? And what did the fans think at the time?

Pelluer was a really good guy with some talent. He felt he could have been the guy but in reality he wasn't. Hutch and the Q weren't nearly as good...

 

[THUMPER]

Ok, apparently no one else wants to get into this.

So, in effect, it's become the "EDC asks Old Fogies questions and they reminisce thread."

That's fine, too.

More questions:

1) Don Meredith. His career seems, from what I've heard, to have been the ultimate rollercoaster....very up and down. And while I grew up hearing his name, I've also heard a great many negatives. Although everyone loved his MNF broadcasts.

Meredith was an excellent QB who played on some pretty bad Cowboys teams in the early 60s. He really took a beating out there until we started to get our O-Line built up. 1964 was a particularly bad season for him as he was playing with an injured leg and we gave up 68 sacks.

Landry rotated Meredith and Eddie LeBaron for the first few seasons but by late 1963 Meredith was the full time starter. We had some very good receivers in Frank Clarke, Billy Howton, and of course Bob Hayes. Near the end of Meredith's career we added Pete Gent, Lance Rentzel, and TE Pettis Norman. Frank Clarke is one of the most underrated receivers ever IMO as he averaged almost 19 yards per catch and his TD% was 18%, that's one TD every six receptions! He moved to TE later in his career which ended after the Ice Bowl in 1967.

Meredith had a tendency to take risks at times which didn't sit well with Landry. He also had an easy-going, fun-loving personality and Landry thought that meant he didn't take his job seriously enough but Dandy Don was one of the toughest guys ever to play pro football IMO. If you watched him play, particularly early on, and saw the horrendous hit he took, there is no way you could think he wasn't serious.

In 1968, we had one of the best teams in the league (along with the Colts), going 12-2. Lombardi had retired and our nemesis Green Bay wasn't going to the playoffs this time. That meant that we had a chance to win it all and I was sure we would do it. But when we played the Browns in the playoffs Meredith had a horrible game, completing only 3 of 9 passes and 3 INTs.

This was our big chance and we stunk it up losing 31-20. Craig Morton came in and looked somewhat better but it was too little, too late. After the game, Landry was absolutely crushed and blamed the loss, PUBLICLY, on Meredith. That was too much for Don and he promptly retired at 30 years old.

I firmly believe that if Meredith had been with another team, and under another coach, he would have been one of the best QBs ever to play. He had all the skills and a great arm but he and Landry just were never on the same page which was a shame.

2) Many people have said Cliff Harris and Charlie Waters were the ultimate duo. That they looked as though they had ESP when executing on this field. Did it really seem that way....or is it just good ol' days syndrome?

Harris and Waters were the best safety tandem in the league, and likely the best ever in terms of how well they played together. They both came in as rookies in 1970 played well almost from the start. Waters had his low point in the 1972 NFC Championship game when he was starting at CB in place of veteran Herb Adderly, who we had picked up from the Packers. The Commanders ate him alive and we lost 26-3.

After that, Waters moved back to safety where he and Harris made a great duo. They always seemed to know where the other one would be, who would cover which receiver, and both had a nose for the ball. Waters was the better cover guy and Harris was the better hitter although both were excellent in all areas of the game.

3) A subjective question. If you had to name an all-Cowboys offensive line, who goes on it?

For my 10-man (starters & Backups, starters listed first) O-Line I would go with:
C- Mark Stepnoski & Dave Manders
OG- Larry Allen, John Niland, Nate Newton, & Herb Scott
OT- Erik Williams, Rayfield Wright, Pat Donovan, & Mark Tuinei

4) Steve Pelleur. I've been told he's the original chutch or quincy. Was he really that futile? And what did the fans think at the time?

Honestly, I don't think Pelleur was all that bad. He had a pretty good arm and could move some but he made dumb mistakes at times. In 1988, he threw for 3139 yards which was 2nd only to Danny White's 3157 yards in 1985 at the time for the Cowboys. He threw a lot of INTs and they seemed to come at the worst possible times, like in the endzone after we had driven the length of the field. Our teams were not that good when he was playing and I think he got a bit of a bad rap because we still expected to win every game.

IMO, he was much better than Chad Hutchinson, but then again so am I. I would say he was on a par with Carter in terms of physical talent, not as good a runner but he had size and a strong arm and could throw the deep ball pretty well.

Well, that's all I have time for now, I'll come back later and add some more...

 

[Cliff]

Man, how could I have missed this thread? I was gone all day and I come home to find a thread I could really get into and it is all filled up. :bang2:

Let's see some more questions from the younger fans, because us old guys just LOVE to share about the "good ole days".

i have one for you.... how long did it take for folks to realize Caoch Landry was somethin' special?.... AND.... lotsa talk these days - in every town - 'bout firin' the coach - was this ever a concern in the early Landry days?