CFZ Revisiting Parcells-isms: Being a Bus Driver is Actually a Compliment

[Whirlwin]

The bus driver, the man responsible for taking the team where it needs to go. The man who fixes the flat when the wheel comes off.

 

[Cowboys5217]

I remember the BSPN writer being fired because his headline was titled “The Chink in the Armor” on his Jeremy Lin article….probably not the best choice of words considering there were literally millions of other options.

Common sense has to come back in to reality at some point, though. Clearly the guy was not attempting to do what got him fired, and the choice of words requires one to make that conclusion on their own. You have to intentionally choose to get offended.

As to the main topic - another Parcells-ism is that "You are what your record says you are", and that applies to Dak too.

 

[Flamma]

Let it be known. I was a believer in Tony Romo before most even knew who he was. Truth be told, I also believed in Quincy Carter. I still believe had it not been for his substance abuse problem that he could have developed into at least a middle-of-the-pack starter in the league.

For those that will stop reading at Quincy Carter, save your breath, and just stop reading.

There's no telling about what could have been or ought to have been. Just like one cannot derive an ought from an is, one also cannot derive a could have been from what has been.

Fast-forwarding a couple decades, there has been some who have referred to Dak as a bus driver. I've been one of them.

The only problem?

Many fans view "bus driver" as an insult to Dak.

It isn't.

In fact, it's actually a compliment.

In 2016, when Dak threw a mere 4 interceptions and 23 touchdowns with a 104.9 QB rating, he did so by being a bus driver. Each year, he hovers within a few points of a 66.6 percent completion rating. In 2019, he passed for 4,902 yards at his second-lowest completion percentage of his career at 65.1 percent, almost one percent more than Romo's career completion percentage, which speaks for itself.

I personally never understood the arguments over who the better QB was, and I've never really gotten too involved in that argument. To me, it's like splitting hairs. It's not a false dilemma. They're both good. I'd take either one of them on my team.

Last year, almost any time I wrote the word bus driver, many insisted I was insulting Dak. That's not the case. In fact, this year more than any other year, I think it's important for Dak to get back to his roots of being the type of player who drivers the bus. Does anyone remember Dak being a gunslinger in 2019 — or ever for that matter?

How do you bring down the INT numbers?

By not forcing it and just taking what the defense gives you. That has been Dak's bread and butter, throughout his career.

Prescott has never been a big INT guy. Only when fans started insisting Dak couldn't do this or Dak can't do that, along with all the Tom Brady, Josh Allen, or Matthew Stafford comparisons did Dak seem to be under pressure to be more than just a bus driver. When I say bus driver, it's about an approach. It isn't that Dak can't make almost any type of throw or play that any other QB in the NFL can make. He can.

Show me a so-called "gunslinger," who wasn't prone to INTs. Driving the bus means you get your team to their desired destiny, not revving up the engine and turning a tight corner and flipping your team into a ditch. If the Cowboys are to reach their destiny this year, they're going to have to pile 53 players onto the bus and place Dak in the driver's seat. From there, it's up to him to do what he does best: drive the bus to victory.

Let's stop comparing Dak to others' or feeling like we have to keep up with the Joneses. How many times have we heard Matthew Stafford's name this offseason? We're fortunate to have Dak no matter what the nay-sayers insist. And Dak is at his best when he's not under pressure to be something he's not. His best asset has always been composure and knowing what not to do even if he can do it. That wisdom has placed him in the upper echelon of QBs in this league.

History is gone. With the right pieces around, and a good enough defense, I believe Dak has the tools and ability to drive this team to the Super Bowl in 2023.

And I genuinely mean that as a compliment to Dak Prescott.

Good post. And Quincy Carter was ok. Parcells knew how to use him, and knew his limitations. But he wasn't terrible. As far as a bus driver goes, most QB that aren't elite need the team talent around them. That's just the way it is. Too many people assume QBs take teams to great places. They don't. How many examples do we have to have to prove this point? Dak isn't leading the team anywhere. He's driving the bus. All we can hope for is that he doesn't do anything to drive it off the road.

 

[Whirlwin]

Common sense has to come back in to reality at some point, though. Clearly the guy was not attempting to do what got him fired, and the choice of words requires one to make that conclusion on their own. You have to intentionally choose to get offended.

As to the main topic - another Parcells-ism is that "You are what your record says you are", and that applies to Dak too.

Says he’s a winner

 

[eromeopolk]

Let it be known. I was a believer in Tony Romo before most even knew who he was. Truth be told, I also believed in Quincy Carter. I still believe had it not been for his substance abuse problem that he could have developed into at least a middle-of-the-pack starter in the league.

For those that will stop reading at Quincy Carter, save your breath, and just stop reading.

There's no telling about what could have been or ought to have been. Just like one cannot derive an ought from an is, one also cannot derive a could have been from what has been.

Fast-forwarding a couple decades, there has been some who have referred to Dak as a bus driver. I've been one of them.

The only problem?

Many fans view "bus driver" as an insult to Dak.

It isn't.

In fact, it's actually a compliment.

In 2016, when Dak threw a mere 4 interceptions and 23 touchdowns with a 104.9 QB rating, he did so by being a bus driver. Each year, he hovers within a few points of a 66.6 percent completion rating. In 2019, he passed for 4,902 yards at his second-lowest completion percentage of his career at 65.1 percent, almost one percent more than Romo's career completion percentage, which speaks for itself.

I personally never understood the arguments over who the better QB was, and I've never really gotten too involved in that argument. To me, it's like splitting hairs. It's not a false dilemma. They're both good. I'd take either one of them on my team.

Last year, almost any time I wrote the word bus driver, many insisted I was insulting Dak. That's not the case. In fact, this year more than any other year, I think it's important for Dak to get back to his roots of being the type of player who drivers the bus. Does anyone remember Dak being a gunslinger in 2019 — or ever for that matter?

How do you bring down the INT numbers?

By not forcing it and just taking what the defense gives you. That has been Dak's bread and butter, throughout his career.

Prescott has never been a big INT guy. Only when fans started insisting Dak couldn't do this or Dak can't do that, along with all the Tom Brady, Josh Allen, or Matthew Stafford comparisons did Dak seem to be under pressure to be more than just a bus driver. When I say bus driver, it's about an approach. It isn't that Dak can't make almost any type of throw or play that any other QB in the NFL can make. He can.

Show me a so-called "gunslinger," who wasn't prone to INTs. Driving the bus means you get your team to their desired destiny, not revving up the engine and turning a tight corner and flipping your team into a ditch. If the Cowboys are to reach their destiny this year, they're going to have to pile 53 players onto the bus and place Dak in the driver's seat. From there, it's up to him to do what he does best: drive the bus to victory.

Let's stop comparing Dak to others' or feeling like we have to keep up with the Joneses. How many times have we heard Matthew Stafford's name this offseason? We're fortunate to have Dak no matter what the nay-sayers insist. And Dak is at his best when he's not under pressure to be something he's not. His best asset has always been composure and knowing what not to do even if he can do it. That wisdom has placed him in the upper echelon of QBs in this league.

History is gone. With the right pieces around, and a good enough defense, I believe Dak has the tools and ability to drive this team to the Super Bowl in 2023.

And I genuinely mean that as a compliment to Dak Prescott.

Troy Aikman is the most successful bus driver in Dallas Cowboys history.

 

[Shane612]

Phil Simms was Bill Parcells' bus driver.
Dak isn't Phil Simms. Not even close.

 

[erod]

Depends on what you're paying that bus driver.

 

[plymkr]

They can even get away with public flatulence…….hilarious to see in action

Yes very funny to see happen. When I’m in a bad mood I YouTube videos of it. Makes me laugh every time.

 

[plymkr]

I respect Parcells as a Coach , being a bus driver an win you games with good Defense , but when you face team like SF and Eagles who are very good defensively and have good offense also , bus driver is going to cut it. When the offense was finding it tough against SF last year , even with our very good defensive play, we needed a couple of scores to get over the top, where the bus driver concept wont cut it.
Dak and offense wet the bet with turning the ball over and that was the end of it. In those moments we need better than average QB play , Offensive play calling , WRs who will put them on line and fight for the ball and OL which block like crazy.

I always thought the term “bus driver” was someone who didn’t turn the ball over. Aka Trent Dilfer or Joe Flacco. Those guys played well enough to let the defense win the games. That’s what Dak has to do. He has to channel his inner Joe Flacco and drive the bus and maybe make one or two crucial plays a game. But definitely no bad decisions.

 

[shabazz]

Yes very funny to see happen. When I’m in a bad mood I YouTube videos of it. Makes me laugh every time.

I had this old lady dropping straight bombs on me the whole time while waiting in line a the store….you know she committed a hate crime in those Depends

when I get to a ripe old age, I’m bringing a roll of toilet paper to Home Depot and gonna boo boo in one of the demo toilets……I can’t be blamed

 

[plymkr]

I had this old lady dropping straight bombs on me the whole time while waiting in line a the store….you know she committed a hate crime in those Depends

when I get to a ripe old age, I’m bringing a roll of toilet paper to Home Depot and gonna boo boo in one of the demo toilets……I can’t be blamed

 

[links18]

As a journalist, I’m surprised he didn’t see the potential bad optics that people would have gladly jumped on.

………or maybe he was merely ignorant of that term being basttardized from it normal meaning?

When I was in 5th grade, a guy got suspended because he told an Asian kid he would, "See you later, Chump." Not sure if he got suspended for the sentiment behind "Chump" or another word more than a few letters away.

 

[shabazz]

When I was in 5th grade, a guy got suspended because he told an Asian kid he would, "See you later, Chump." Not sure if he got suspended for the sentiment behind "Chump" or another word more than a few letters away.

Wow, that’s crazy. I thought chump was universally accepted as ok by everyone…..now if he said CHAMP….that’s another thing

yeah, Jk…..I know the other word, lol

alot if things have gone away but the worst is tolerance for humor…..it’s just not allowed unless it’s used in one direction and it usually filled with venom. not a fan of that stuff

 

[Pass2Run]

You must love to witch and complain, huh! If you think we don't have the team to win it all then why put yourself through it all? To witch and complain?? I always thought it was the opposite sex who always does the complaining. After hanging here for a few years, I was dead wrong about that.

Maybe take up golf, or Badminton?

I'm told hockey is also an option. I've only been to one hockey game ever with my drunk uncle. The crowd was chanting "we want the puck!" And of course you can guess what he thought they were saying and began chanting. I'm paraphrasing.. but something along those lines. lol

I remember the BSPN writer being fired because his headline was titled “The Chink in the Armor” on his Jeremy Lin article….probably not the best choice of words considering there were literally millions of other options.

No way I would have gotten fired for that one. I have always thought it was kink for some reason. Shows how smart I am.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

If Romo was a bus driver he would’ve had a ring…..oh well.

 

[Qcard]

AHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

If you ever had the confidence of ANY poster on this board, you just lost it by saying you believed in Quincy Carter.

How about the credibility of those who thought Drew Henson and Chad Hutchinson were better!!!

Does anyone have the confidence to say they thought Drew Henson or Chad Hutchinson were better???Ahhhhh Bwahhhhaaaaa nobody wants that work ...

Cowboys fans were given a choice..

Most fans Believed in Drew and Chad..

 

[Pass2Run]

Common sense has to come back in to reality at some point, though. Clearly the guy was not attempting to do what got him fired, and the choice of words requires one to make that conclusion on their own. You have to intentionally choose to get offended.

As to the main topic - another Parcells-ism is that "You are what your record says you are", and that applies to Dak too.

This is right. A big part of me wanted to apologize to anyone offended by my choice of diction in another thread. Then I stopped and thought about the fact that I have literally donated thousands of hours of my time effort and energy to help make the world a better place for various groups and anyone who knows me would vouch. Then I thought, well, it really isn't about myself or my intent and I should just apologize anyway, in spite of their cowardly attempt at so-called cancellation.

But I finally thought about the source criticizing me, and realized it was not my poor choice of words that offended them. It was the way they choose to see the world and their own [ironic] hatred being projected onto me, and I actually can point to specific examples of this. So apologizing would be allowing someone to apply meaning to my words, which I didn't mean the way they had wished I'd meant. So I decided against an apology, because anyone who really cares to dig can see my actions speak for themselves.

 

[Pass2Run]

If Romo was a bus driver he would’ve had a ring…..oh well.

You may be right.

Romo's gunslinger approach may have won some games, but it also lost a few as well. He had the ability that everyone talks about to "put the team on his shoulders" and win.

But that comes with a cost for every QB that played with that approach.

Parcells tried hard to coach Romo to be more of a bus driver. Had The Clapper not come along, no telling about Romo's career.

The important thing here, Dak's career is still going. Romo's is over.

 

[strollinruss]

Did anyone actually read all that?

 

[gtb1943]

You may be right.

Romo's gunslinger approach may have won some games, but it also lost a few as well. He had the ability that everyone talks about to "put the team on his shoulders" and win.

But that comes with a cost for every QB that played with that approach.

Parcells tried hard to coach Romo to be more of a bus driver. Had The Clapper not come along, no telling about Romo's career.

The important thing here, Dak's career is still going. Romo's is over.

By the time Romo had the experience necessary, he did not have the team or the coach to go any further. Dak has more of a team and coach then Romo had at this stage of his career.