"Easy Taps" Training Camp With the Dallas Cowboys

[Apollo Creed]

Jerry did great making an already overhyped bunch's egos even more inflated this year. All the hoopla over Pacman Jones and he did absolutely nothing, all year long. The most impressive thing he did was catch 5 balls at one time. Too bad he can't hold on to one when it matters. So much drama and built up nonsense that just leaded to more distractions.

This is where the problem was born. Soft training camp breeds an injury riddled team that lacks focus, fails to execute, and commits stupid penalties. Didn't seem like guys were working, looked like they played themselves into shape this year.

Training camp is where you put in your work, just like Troy used to say; they would have grueling camps and push each other so hard - that Sundays were the easy part. I seriously doubt our guys push each other, and judging from what I saw in training camp we have a bunch of old fogy coaches that no one takes seriously.

Seriously though. Campo got pants by Pacman. John Garrett looked like a creepy guidance councilor. Bruce Reid obviously wasn't even there. Brian Stewart isn't even taken seriously.

We don't need another grueling camp like BP, where guys were worn down for the stretch - but we don't need guys to go through the motions either.

 

[AlterEgo]

This team is the ultimate schizo. You have one coach that grinds them in training camp and they collapse. You have another one that runs training camp like flag football and they collapse.

I think what they need is a motivator. Someone to coach them up. Not someone who demeans them or someone says gosh darn everytime something bad happens.

 

[RoadRunner]

I have serious doubts the team practiced at all the last couple of weeks. It sure didn't show up on the field if they did practice.

 

[28 Joker]

The Cowboys not making the playoffs had nothing to do with a "soft training camp". If it was so soft, how come the Cowboys looked great in their first three games and started 3-0.

You have a $ 3 million dollar offensive coordinator who wasn't picked by the head coach that gave Felix Jones zero carries and Marion Barber 8 against Washington. Garrett had major coaching power and talent, and the offense struggled. Special teams played better down the stretch, but made major mistakes at Arizona and Pittsburgh.

Forget the offensive struggles. Simple offensive game management in three games (Washington, Arizona, and Pittsburgh) would have netted the Cowboys at least 11 wins.

 

[ghosttown cowboy]

The Cowboys not making the playoffs had nothing to do with a "soft training camp". If it was so soft, how come the Cowboys looked great in their first three games and started 3-0.

You have a $ 3 million dollar offensive coordinator who wasn't picked by the head coach that gave Felix Jones zero carries and Marion Barber 8 against Washington. Garrett had major coaching power and talent, and the offense struggled. Special teams played better down the stretch, but made major mistakes at Arizona and Pittsburgh.

Forget the offensive struggles. Simple offensive game management in three games (Washington, Arizona, and Pittsburgh) would have netted the Cowboys at least 11 wins.

 

[RoadRunner]

The Cowboys not making the playoffs had nothing to do with a "soft training camp". If it was so soft, how come the Cowboys looked great in their first three games and started 3-0.

You have a $ 3 million dollar offensive coordinator who wasn't picked by the head coach that gave Felix Jones zero carries and Marion Barber 8 against Washington. Garrett had major coaching power and talent, and the offense struggled. Special teams played better down the stretch, but made major mistakes at Arizona and Pittsburgh.

Forget the offensive struggles. Simple offensive game management in three games (Washington, Arizona, and Pittsburgh) would have netted the Cowboys at least 11 wins.

Camp Cupcake was indeed a major factor in this debaucle we call the 2008 season. You play like you practice, and Camp Cupcake set the tone for how this team would "practice" all season.

I recall Wade emphasizing right before the Arizona game that the team had practiced "extra hard" on special teams. They responded on the field by giving up the opening kickoff return for a TD, and an NFL first blocked punt to lose an overtime game.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

I don't think Hard Knocks is the problem. The Cowboys started strong, had the injury bug, lost some ground, made a comeback, had their usual late season slide - in that order. HBO had nothing to do with it.