CrazyCowboy
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T.O.'s health and scrimmage notes and quotes :starspin
11:49 p.m. PCT, OXNARD, Calif. -- It's no secret that Bill Parcells doesn't like players who can't stay on the field.
When Dave Campo coached the Cowboys, their injury report at training camp went on forever. The list always included players with a sore this and a sore that.
But when Parcells took over in 2003, the malingering ended. For the past three years during camp, the injury report has rarely been longer than three players or so.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Terrell Owens has been one of those players the last three days.
So why isn't Parcells coming down on Owens the way he came down on, say, cornerback Anthony Henry when he was hampered by a lingering groin problem last season?
Parcells answered that question early in camp when he was asked if he would treat Owens like any other player.
"I don't try to treat any of them the same," Parcells said. "I try to get to know most of them and talk to them. Some kids, if I treated them like I did (former New York Giants linebacker) Lawrence (Taylor), that would drive them into a shell. Where a kid like Lawrence, he would think you were weak if you weren't tough and aggressive toward him. You have to try to figure out what's what."
Judging by the amount of time Owens has already missed because of a "sore" left hamstring, Parcells apparently has already figured out his star receiver has to be coddled like a European countess.
I'm not doubting Owens has some sort of a problem with his hamstring. But what about all the other players that have aches and pains after 13 practices?
Publicly, there won't be any grumbling among the team's rank and file. They fear Parcells too much. But I'm guessing the grinders are already talking among themselves about the new guy getting "special treatment," especially after he was allowed to work out on his own during the offseason.
Superstar athletes having a different set of rules than their teammates is nothing new. Why even Jimmy Johnson had a different set of rules for Emmitt Smith.
But Owens is no Smith, who easily mingled with the mere mortals around him.
Owens said Saturday that he hasn't received any pressure from Parcells to return. That's true, but Parcells did suggest during his media briefing that he's beginning to get a bit nervous about Owens' situation.
"It's a little disappointing from the fact that we're hoping that he's a big part of our offense and he really hasn't been able to be out there that much," Parcells said. "Hopefully, we'll get him back soon and go forward with it."
Meanwhile, Owens continues to let everybody know how badly he wants to return to practice.
"It's frustrating for me," Owens said Saturday after informing the media that an MRI taken on his thigh was negative. "It's not like I like sitting over here on this (stationary) bike pedaling. Anyone who knows me knows I would rather be practicing. But I just want to be smart with this thing and try to get as healthy as possible before I get back on the field. If it's sore to the point where I get on the field and try to open up, it will make matters worse.
"I want to be there (in practice) as bad as (Parcells) wants me to be out there. My pain just tells me to be smart. I've been through this before. It's not like we are playing next week. If it was a dire situation, then, yeah, I would try to do everything possible to get back on the field."
Some would say the Cowboys are in a "dire situation." The offense is sputtering and Bledsoe has had trouble connecting with Owens even before the sore hamstring surfaced.
And, without a healthy Owens, the Cowboys receiving corps and the offense in general falls into the below-average category.
So with that said, don't be surprised if Parcells puts some subtle pressure on T.O. to return to practice.
Stay tuned. It could be an interesting week.
Short shots from Saturday's media briefing and scrimmage:
• Parcells said he's glad the NFL is cracking down on excessive celebrations.
"I've never been a big advocate of all that stuff, so I'm glad to see they are trying to tighten it down," he said. "But you want your kids to have fun too. It's not like you can't be exuberant about something."
Asked how much fun Owens can have this season after he scores a touchdown, Parcells said: "I don't know. He's got to obey the rules."
Wonder if Parcells meant NFL rules or his rules?
• Sam Hurd turned in a solid performance in the 100-play controlled scrimmage, catching five passes for 96 yards, both team highs for the event.
But before we anoint the Brackenridge graduate to starter status, keep in mind that he posted those numbers against the third-team defense. They would have been much lower had Terence Newman or Anthony Henry been shadowing him instead of fellow San Antonian Quincy Butler.
Drew Henson directed the third-team offense to two touchdowns, including an 11-yard pass to rookie Skyler Green. Henson misfired on only 5 of 17 attempts.
Green, by the way, looked sharp. Earlier in the week, Parcells made it sound like the former LSU standout had frying pans for hands.
• Marion Barber seems to be running much harder than Julius Jones. Barber even scored on a 5-yard run that included a textbook stiff arm to Henry.
• Backup quarterback Tony Romo looked sharp running the second-team offense. He completed 9-of-18 passes and led three scoring drives, including one capped by Barber's TD run. The others ended with a 40-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt and a pass to J.R. Tolver.
Vanderjagt also kicked one from 24 yards and nailed both of his extra-point attempts.
• Drew Bledsoe connected on 10 of 17 attempts and guided the first-team offense to two field goals.
• Maybe all of Greg Ellis' worries about switching from defensive end to outside linebacker are for naught. Ellis worked with the first-team defense at left outside linebacker and was in on several tackles, including one that dropped Julius Jones for a loss on second-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
Ellis also sacked Bledsoe and swatted down one of his passes.
"I still have a lot to learn," Ellis said. "The coaches say I'm coming along pretty good, but we'll see. The thing I still struggle with is being in the right place at the right time.
"It's an uncomfortable position for me, but I feel better about it today than I did (earlier in the week)."
• First-round pick Bobby Carpenter lined up at inside linebacker with the second-team defense and recorded two sacks.
Carpenter was drafted to play outside linebacker opposite DeMarcus Ware.
"I think the coaches are trying to move me around just to kind of give me a feel for the whole defense and to see how I do in each spot," the former Ohio State standout said.
The Observation Deck
• Some fans heckled Owens during the scrimmage, complaining that he was pedaling too slowly on the stationary bike. "Hey, T.O., put some resistance on the bike," one fan shouted.
• Parcells made left offensive tackle Flozell Adams lead the team in sprints after the scrimmage. Adams, who played with the second-team offense, is struggling to get back in shape after undergoing knee surgery in October.
During the 2003 training camp at the Alamodome, Parcells made Larry Allen lead the team in sprints as a punishment for showing up to camp out of shape. Parcells even dubbed Allen "Secretariat" after the 1973 Triple Crown winner.
11:49 p.m. PCT, OXNARD, Calif. -- It's no secret that Bill Parcells doesn't like players who can't stay on the field.
When Dave Campo coached the Cowboys, their injury report at training camp went on forever. The list always included players with a sore this and a sore that.
But when Parcells took over in 2003, the malingering ended. For the past three years during camp, the injury report has rarely been longer than three players or so.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys, Terrell Owens has been one of those players the last three days.
So why isn't Parcells coming down on Owens the way he came down on, say, cornerback Anthony Henry when he was hampered by a lingering groin problem last season?
Parcells answered that question early in camp when he was asked if he would treat Owens like any other player.
"I don't try to treat any of them the same," Parcells said. "I try to get to know most of them and talk to them. Some kids, if I treated them like I did (former New York Giants linebacker) Lawrence (Taylor), that would drive them into a shell. Where a kid like Lawrence, he would think you were weak if you weren't tough and aggressive toward him. You have to try to figure out what's what."
Judging by the amount of time Owens has already missed because of a "sore" left hamstring, Parcells apparently has already figured out his star receiver has to be coddled like a European countess.
I'm not doubting Owens has some sort of a problem with his hamstring. But what about all the other players that have aches and pains after 13 practices?
Publicly, there won't be any grumbling among the team's rank and file. They fear Parcells too much. But I'm guessing the grinders are already talking among themselves about the new guy getting "special treatment," especially after he was allowed to work out on his own during the offseason.
Superstar athletes having a different set of rules than their teammates is nothing new. Why even Jimmy Johnson had a different set of rules for Emmitt Smith.
But Owens is no Smith, who easily mingled with the mere mortals around him.
Owens said Saturday that he hasn't received any pressure from Parcells to return. That's true, but Parcells did suggest during his media briefing that he's beginning to get a bit nervous about Owens' situation.
"It's a little disappointing from the fact that we're hoping that he's a big part of our offense and he really hasn't been able to be out there that much," Parcells said. "Hopefully, we'll get him back soon and go forward with it."
Meanwhile, Owens continues to let everybody know how badly he wants to return to practice.
"It's frustrating for me," Owens said Saturday after informing the media that an MRI taken on his thigh was negative. "It's not like I like sitting over here on this (stationary) bike pedaling. Anyone who knows me knows I would rather be practicing. But I just want to be smart with this thing and try to get as healthy as possible before I get back on the field. If it's sore to the point where I get on the field and try to open up, it will make matters worse.
"I want to be there (in practice) as bad as (Parcells) wants me to be out there. My pain just tells me to be smart. I've been through this before. It's not like we are playing next week. If it was a dire situation, then, yeah, I would try to do everything possible to get back on the field."
Some would say the Cowboys are in a "dire situation." The offense is sputtering and Bledsoe has had trouble connecting with Owens even before the sore hamstring surfaced.
And, without a healthy Owens, the Cowboys receiving corps and the offense in general falls into the below-average category.
So with that said, don't be surprised if Parcells puts some subtle pressure on T.O. to return to practice.
Stay tuned. It could be an interesting week.
Short shots from Saturday's media briefing and scrimmage:
• Parcells said he's glad the NFL is cracking down on excessive celebrations.
"I've never been a big advocate of all that stuff, so I'm glad to see they are trying to tighten it down," he said. "But you want your kids to have fun too. It's not like you can't be exuberant about something."
Asked how much fun Owens can have this season after he scores a touchdown, Parcells said: "I don't know. He's got to obey the rules."
Wonder if Parcells meant NFL rules or his rules?
• Sam Hurd turned in a solid performance in the 100-play controlled scrimmage, catching five passes for 96 yards, both team highs for the event.
But before we anoint the Brackenridge graduate to starter status, keep in mind that he posted those numbers against the third-team defense. They would have been much lower had Terence Newman or Anthony Henry been shadowing him instead of fellow San Antonian Quincy Butler.
Drew Henson directed the third-team offense to two touchdowns, including an 11-yard pass to rookie Skyler Green. Henson misfired on only 5 of 17 attempts.
Green, by the way, looked sharp. Earlier in the week, Parcells made it sound like the former LSU standout had frying pans for hands.
• Marion Barber seems to be running much harder than Julius Jones. Barber even scored on a 5-yard run that included a textbook stiff arm to Henry.
• Backup quarterback Tony Romo looked sharp running the second-team offense. He completed 9-of-18 passes and led three scoring drives, including one capped by Barber's TD run. The others ended with a 40-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt and a pass to J.R. Tolver.
Vanderjagt also kicked one from 24 yards and nailed both of his extra-point attempts.
• Drew Bledsoe connected on 10 of 17 attempts and guided the first-team offense to two field goals.
• Maybe all of Greg Ellis' worries about switching from defensive end to outside linebacker are for naught. Ellis worked with the first-team defense at left outside linebacker and was in on several tackles, including one that dropped Julius Jones for a loss on second-and-goal from the 3-yard line.
Ellis also sacked Bledsoe and swatted down one of his passes.
"I still have a lot to learn," Ellis said. "The coaches say I'm coming along pretty good, but we'll see. The thing I still struggle with is being in the right place at the right time.
"It's an uncomfortable position for me, but I feel better about it today than I did (earlier in the week)."
• First-round pick Bobby Carpenter lined up at inside linebacker with the second-team defense and recorded two sacks.
Carpenter was drafted to play outside linebacker opposite DeMarcus Ware.
"I think the coaches are trying to move me around just to kind of give me a feel for the whole defense and to see how I do in each spot," the former Ohio State standout said.
The Observation Deck
• Some fans heckled Owens during the scrimmage, complaining that he was pedaling too slowly on the stationary bike. "Hey, T.O., put some resistance on the bike," one fan shouted.
• Parcells made left offensive tackle Flozell Adams lead the team in sprints after the scrimmage. Adams, who played with the second-team offense, is struggling to get back in shape after undergoing knee surgery in October.
During the 2003 training camp at the Alamodome, Parcells made Larry Allen lead the team in sprints as a punishment for showing up to camp out of shape. Parcells even dubbed Allen "Secretariat" after the 1973 Triple Crown winner.
