Tank vs Culture

[Vtwin]

A lot of hope here for losing out to secure the highest possible draft pick. I can certainly see the reasoning for that and the potential value in it. Wouldn't bother me in the least if that is the way it plays out. It provides no guarantees, but it does bring at least some hope. The downside is, it also fosters a 'give up' attitude in the locker room. The goals can be come personally motivated. Stay healthy. Put good tape on the record. What's left to play for after that? Why play for the guy next to you in that situation?

Compare that to playing to win and scratching out a few more wins that could have easily gone the other way. For that to happen there has to be a strong desire to win coming out of the locker room, from everyone, every week. You can't draft, trade for, or buy that intangible. It germinates and grows organically. Teams either have it, or they don't. IMO it is one of the most significant factors in achieving great success. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't happen overnight. You can't turn it on and off. It can be built on season to season, once the seed sprouts.

You hold the magic wand. What do you choose? Full blown, bag wearing tankathon, or sacrificing draft position with a few unexpected and hard fought victories that galvanize the locker room and lights the fire of desire to keep taking the next step as a team towards reaching the top.

No guarantees either way. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

 

[Ranching]

A lot of hope here for losing out to secure the highest possible draft pick. I can certainly see the reasoning for that and the potential value in it. Wouldn't bother me in the least if that is the way it plays out. It provides no guarantees, but it does bring at least some hope. The downside is, it also fosters a 'give up' attitude in the locker room. The goals can be come personally motivated. Stay healthy. Put good tape on the record. What's left to play for after that? Why play for the guy next to you in that situation?

Compare that to playing to win and scratching out a few more wins that could have easily gone the other way. For that to happen there has to be a strong desire to win coming out of the locker room, from everyone, every week. You can't draft, trade for, or buy that intangible. It germinates and grows organically. Teams either have it, or they don't. IMO it is one of the most significant factors in achieving great success. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't happen overnight. You can't turn it on and off. It can be built on season to season, once the seed sprouts.

You hold the magic wand. What do you choose? Full blown, bag wearing tankathon, or sacrificing draft position with a few unexpected and hard fought victories that galvanize the locker room and lights the fire of desire to keep taking the next step as a team towards reaching the top.

No guarantees either way. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

You play to win the game....who the staff puts on the field is up to them.

 

[nate dizzle]

I get that the players and coaches will always want to win. But as an organization that has legitimately no chance at all of winning a championship, or likely even making the postseason, you have to look at what is actually best long term for the team.

A 8-9 season lands you somewhere in the later middle parts of the draft. Having a top 5 picks gives you a much better chance of landing that blue chip talent that your team needs, or if you are riddled with holes and have to have as many cheap players as possible because you've mangled the cap, you can trade that pick for a plethora of picks and try to reshape the future of your team.

One bad season can turn your team on a dime with a smart draft and a few quality free agents. There's a reason so many teams go from worst to first within a season or two.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

A lot of hope here for losing out to secure the highest possible draft pick. I can certainly see the reasoning for that and the potential value in it. Wouldn't bother me in the least if that is the way it plays out. It provides no guarantees, but it does bring at least some hope. The downside is, it also fosters a 'give up' attitude in the locker room. The goals can be come personally motivated. Stay healthy. Put good tape on the record. What's left to play for after that? Why play for the guy next to you in that situation?

Compare that to playing to win and scratching out a few more wins that could have easily gone the other way. For that to happen there has to be a strong desire to win coming out of the locker room, from everyone, every week. You can't draft, trade for, or buy that intangible. It germinates and grows organically. Teams either have it, or they don't. IMO it is one of the most significant factors in achieving great success. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't happen overnight. You can't turn it on and off. It can be built on season to season, once the seed sprouts.

You hold the magic wand. What do you choose? Full blown, bag wearing tankathon, or sacrificing draft position with a few unexpected and hard fought victories that galvanize the locker room and lights the fire of desire to keep taking the next step as a team towards reaching the top.

No guarantees either way. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

we don't have a culture...well culture of winning. we have a culture of making money and showing off

 

[America's Cowboy]

I get that the players and coaches will always want to win. But as an organization that has legitimately no chance at all of winning a championship, or likely even making the postseason, you have to look at what is actually best long term for the team.

A 8-9 season lands you somewhere in the later middle parts of the draft. Having a top 5 picks gives you a much better chance of landing that blue chip talent that your team needs, or if you are riddled with holes and have to have as many cheap players as possible because you've mangled the cap, you can trade that pick for a plethora of picks and try to reshape the future of your team.

One bad season can turn your team on a dime with a smart draft and a few quality free agents. There's a reason so many teams go from worst to first within a season or two.

This!!! ^^^

Too bad many let their pride get in the way. They should have had that pride to begin this season when they were playing so sloppy and started the season 3 - 7, pretty much guaranteeing they were not making the postseason. Too late to try to win out to save face and for pride after this point.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Again lets slow down a little, we were not going to lose every game...hell we get to play the Giants and they are all in tanking...i dont think we will win the rematch with Wash either, this team was never trying to tank with injuries and the off season they just are not very good so we will get a high draft pick. Dont have to choose the talent is gonna fall where it should.

 

[Whyjerry]

I don’t believe in Tanking at all. This organization’s culture sucks anyway so they need to do everything they can to win.

That said don’t tank but do things you wouldn’t normally do. Play the young players. Sit the vets not working hard. Try different schemes and play designs. Do those things that can help the franchise long term.

Dallas has a dubious drafting record plus they signed Dak to that lousy contract so I am not hellbent on a top 5 pick.

Plus kids - look at the standings. A 9 win team or 2 is making the playoffs.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Again lets slow down a little, we were not going to lose every game...hell we get to play the Giants and they are all in tanking...i dont think we will win the rematch with Wash either, this team was never trying to tank with injuries and the off season they just are not very good so we will get a high draft pick. Dont have to choose the talent is gonna fall where it should.

Giants ownership and management is way smarter than Cowboys. They know tanking helps them better in the upcoming draft and long run. Too bad this ownership is too dumb to realize that. It's all about winning as many games as possible to keep the fans interested/entertained in order to keep making sales. Those wanting wins even though this team is not making the playoffs are only contributing to the 30 year old mess of how Jerry manages this mess of an organization. Congrats. Don't complain.

 

[BrassCowboy]

I get that the players and coaches will always want to win. But as an organization that has legitimately no chance at all of winning a championship, or likely even making the postseason, you have to look at what is actually best long term for the team.

A 8-9 season lands you somewhere in the later middle parts of the draft. Having a top 5 picks gives you a much better chance of landing that blue chip talent that your team needs, or if you are riddled with holes and have to have as many cheap players as possible because you've mangled the cap, you can trade that pick for a plethora of picks and try to reshape the future of your team.

One bad season can turn your team on a dime with a smart draft and a few quality free agents. There's a reason so many teams go from worst to first within a season or two.

Or you can be the Browns who always seem to have multiple picks at the top of the draft and yet…..

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

Giants ownership and management is way smarter than Cowboys. They know tanking helps them better in the upcoming draft and long run. Too bad this ownership is too dumb to realize that. It's all about winning as many games as possible to keep the fans interested/entertained in order to keep making sales. Those wanting wins even though this team is not making the playoffs are only contributing to the 30 year old mess of how Jerry manages this mess of an organization. Congrats. Don't complain.

Giants have been terrible for 10+ yrs, tanking hasn't helped

 

[Nova]

You play to win the game....who the staff puts on the field is up to them.

I want the higher draft pick, but I'm not going to apologize for winning-- especially if it comes against a divisional foe.

Yesterday was fun for a change. And it was good to see some semblance of progress in the young guys

 

[bsbellomy]

I get that the players and coaches will always want to win. But as an organization that has legitimately no chance at all of winning a championship, or likely even making the postseason, you have to look at what is actually best long term for the team.

A 8-9 season lands you somewhere in the later middle parts of the draft. Having a top 5 picks gives you a much better chance of landing that blue chip talent that your team needs, or if you are riddled with holes and have to have as many cheap players as possible because you've mangled the cap, you can trade that pick for a plethora of picks and try to reshape the future of your team.

One bad season can turn your team on a dime with a smart draft and a few quality free agents. There's a reason so many teams go from worst to first within a season or two.

It's really frowned on in the league. I believe it's the reason Pedersen was fired from the Eagles after just winning the SB a couple years prior.

 

[Cmac]

Careful.....Point Shaving up the road.....the wrong road.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Giants have been terrible for 10+ yrs, tanking hasn't helped

Who cares about the Giants? Cowboys badly need the higher draft picks.

 

[Blackspider214]

Tanking is for the fans and front office. Coaches and players play to win. They aren't trying to lose on purpose for the hope of being able to select unproven college players months down the road. Players and coaches care nothing about this and many have been on record saying as much when this topic gets brought up. If you are going to tell the players to lose on purpose, you might as well pack it up and forfeit. Cut all practices and meetings. It's not happening.

Dallas players and coaches are going to try and win every game they play. Now, their talent isn't going to let this happen. But them losing won't because they are doing it on purpose for a higher draft pick.

This season could possibly go the way of 2010. Dead in the water. But gained a little spark at the end that meant zero but pushed them down the draft order, though. Still got Tyron Smith that draft so definitely wasn't bad for us in the end.

 

[atlantacowboy]

A lot of hope here for losing out to secure the highest possible draft pick. I can certainly see the reasoning for that and the potential value in it. Wouldn't bother me in the least if that is the way it plays out. It provides no guarantees, but it does bring at least some hope. The downside is, it also fosters a 'give up' attitude in the locker room. The goals can be come personally motivated. Stay healthy. Put good tape on the record. What's left to play for after that? Why play for the guy next to you in that situation?

Compare that to playing to win and scratching out a few more wins that could have easily gone the other way. For that to happen there has to be a strong desire to win coming out of the locker room, from everyone, every week. You can't draft, trade for, or buy that intangible. It germinates and grows organically. Teams either have it, or they don't. IMO it is one of the most significant factors in achieving great success. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't happen overnight. You can't turn it on and off. It can be built on season to season, once the seed sprouts.

You hold the magic wand. What do you choose? Full blown, bag wearing tankathon, or sacrificing draft position with a few unexpected and hard fought victories that galvanize the locker room and lights the fire of desire to keep taking the next step as a team towards reaching the top.

No guarantees either way. Advantages and disadvantages to both.

Players are paid but fans are not. So, that kinda frees us up to worry about what is in the best interest of the team. Players are only concerned about their contracts. They have to put it on the line regardless of the teams long term interests.

Finishing strong isn’t going to change the culture.

 

[BrassCowboy]

Yeah, the culture mentality of losing is real. Teams should play to win because losers don’t need help

 

[nate dizzle]

Giants have been terrible for 10+ yrs, tanking hasn't helped

You still have to make smart picks and have good coaches. There's no guarantees in any of this, other than this team is not good enough to contend.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Building a culture of character and winners is what I want. If they're giving their all and lose, I can stomach it. Even if we had lost yesterday, I'd have been proud of the effort the team showed. I don't want a team that quits when the going gets tough.

 

[foofighters]

I get that the players and coaches will always want to win. But as an organization that has legitimately no chance at all of winning a championship, or likely even making the postseason, you have to look at what is actually best long term for the team.

A 8-9 season lands you somewhere in the later middle parts of the draft. Having a top 5 picks gives you a much better chance of landing that blue chip talent that your team needs, or if you are riddled with holes and have to have as many cheap players as possible because you've mangled the cap, you can trade that pick for a plethora of picks and try to reshape the future of your team.

One bad season can turn your team on a dime with a smart draft and a few quality free agents. There's a reason so many teams go from worst to first within a season or two.

This. The front office and some of the fans lack the ability to play to win the long game. Our fans can't let the pride go because beating Washington was the highlight of the year. Either way, Jerry will screw it up.