Twitter: "The 88 Club" is making a commercial

[plymkr]

Where's Antonio Bryant?

He's working at Chipotle.

 

[stilltheguru]

The "didn't work hard" criticism of Dez is completely unfounded. Dez worked hard to maximize HIS gifts. He wasn't fast (by NFL receiver standards) but he could jump 42 inches into the air and could outmuscle 99% of DBs who ever played. He was also an absolute beast to tackle in the open field. Then there were those hands. Maybe the best set in franchise history. Certainly the strongest. He routinely used them to pluck the ball away from DBs even when the throw was bad and by rights should have been an INT. If the Cowboys had simply gone to him when the matchups favored him (which was nearly every Sunday) he would have put up Megatron type numbers and the Cowboys likely would have won a lot more games. They wasted him in much the same way they wasted Amari Cooper when he was here. The bottom line is Dez worked to be great at what HE could do.. He didn't need to try to be Megatron or Julio or anybody else. He could dominate just being Dez. But only if he was given the opportunity.

He admitted on I am athlete podcast that he basically relied on his physical gifts. Then when he got heat he hired a route running coach. Too late

 

[RonnieT24]

He admitted on I am athlete podcast that he basically relied on his physical gifts. Then when he got heat he hired a route running coach. Too late

All athletes rely on their physical gifts. I think what Dez means is that he tried to maximize his .. as opposed to trying to be something he wasn't. Ironically the injuries to his lower body probably cost him some of the ability to run routes as intended. I suspect he played his last two seasons in Dallas with shooting pain hitting him every time he planted on that injured foot. He kept rushing back from those injuries and I don't think either that one or his knee ever fully healed until he was forced to sit after the achilles tear. I bet he has bone spurs in that foot to this day because I seriously doubt he ever went in and had it addressed surgically and most of the people in his "circle" probably don't care enough about him to make him go do so.

"Hired a route running coach?" You mean the Cowboys didn't have a WR coach during Dez's tenure here?

 

[Hawkeye0202]

He admitted on I am athlete podcast that he basically relied on his physical gifts. Then when he got heat he hired a route running coach. Too late

Not just that but I read a piece that his coaches consistently warned him about relying on his physical gift too much. One day he would have to be a better route runner. So he heard it throughout his career but he was making plays.

 

[Established1971]

poor Antonio Bryant, he was good

 

[stilltheguru]

All athletes rely on their physical gifts. I think what Dez means is that he tried to maximize his .. as opposed to trying to be something he wasn't. Ironically the injuries to his lower body probably cost him some of the ability to run routes as intended. I suspect he played his last two seasons in Dallas with shooting pain hitting him every time he planted on that injured foot. He kept rushing back from those injuries and I don't think either that one or his knee ever fully healed until he was forced to sit after the achilles tear. I bet he has bone spurs in that foot to this day because I seriously doubt he ever went in and had it addressed surgically and most of the people in his "circle" probably don't care enough about him to make him go do so.

"Hired a route running coach?" You mean the Cowboys didn't have a WR coach during Dez's tenure here?

You tell me why he hired the route coach then. Nobody told TO to work on his routes. I'm tired of dudes like Dez and Zeke that get caught up in the Cowboy hype.

 

[jazzcat22]

Where's Jackie Harris and Antonio Bryant????

Ron Sellers says ...hello...

 

[gimmesix]

Not just that but I read a piece that his coaches consistently warned him about relying on his physical gift too much. One day he would have to be a better route runner. So he heard it throughout his career but he was making plays.

I think the point is that he worked on those physical gifts. He may have been short-sighted in believing that that would always be enough, but he was a hard worker. There's plenty of evidence of that. Sure, he had natural attributes, but he honed those attributes to be able to win consistently against top corners in the game. His numbers attest to his hard work. Big and gifted is not enough to succeed in the NFL against other big and gifted players. You've got to work at it.

He just failed to understand or believe what he was being told about his route-running because he was successful concentrating on the areas that he thought was important. Dez was an emotional knucklehead, so it's easy to understand why he wouldn't see the need to focus on route-running when he was having success with the things he was focusing on. But being a knucklehead does not diminish his work ethic.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I think the point is that he worked on those physical gifts. He may have been short-sighted in believing that that would always be enough, but he was a hard worker. There's plenty of evidence of that. Sure, he had natural attributes, but he honed those attributes to be able to win consistently against top corners in the game. His numbers attest to his hard work. Big and gifted is not enough to succeed in the NFL against other big and gifted players. You've got to work at it.

He just failed to understand or believe what he was being told about his route-running because he was successful concentrating on the areas that he thought was important. Dez was an emotional knucklehead, so it's easy to understand why he wouldn't see the need to focus on route-running when he was having success with the things he was focusing on. But being a knucklehead does not diminish his work ethic.

I will never question his work ethic. He was one of the hardest workers and from my understanding, that practices and games. But it's to believe constructive criticism if what you are doing is working. It was working for him.....as long as Romo was his QB. He knew Dez best routes, which were not always the play or plays from the sideline. Rather than calling the play from OC. Romo would change to favor Dez. It's why Scott (OC) want him gone after Romo left. It's also why he never clicked with Dak coz he runs plays exactly as they are called and expects his receivers to be where they suppose to be.

 

[GINeric]

Love this......especially including Dez. No, his career didn't go exactly as he wanted but you won't find a more dedicated former player other than Michel Irving. I believe this is the first time he has been linked to the 88 Club.

Man!!! This is pretty dope!!

 

[gimmesix]

I will never question his work ethic. He was one of the hardest workers and from my understanding, that practices and games. But it's to believe constructive criticism if what you are doing is working. It was working for him.....as long as Romo was his QB. He knew Dez best routes, which were not always the play or plays from the sideline. Rather than calling the play from OC. Romo would change to favor Dez. It's why Scott (OC) want him gone after Romo left. It's also why he never clicked with Dak coz he runs plays exactly as they are called and expects his receivers to be where they suppose to be.

I do think Dez got spoiled to Romo because Romo adjusted to Dez's style of play. When we first drafted him, Romo didn't seem sure about throwing him jump balls, but learned to trust him. Dak didn't get there. Maybe he would have with time, but Dez's skills were eroding due to injuries, so there was less reason for Dallas to do more to make that connection work.

If Dez would have worked as hard on route-running as he did on the rest of his game, no telling how good he could have been or how much longer his career would have lasted. Of course, I think we also have to acknowledge that if he'd spent more time working on route-running that it might have taken away from other aspects of his game. It wasn't like he was just standing around doing nothing.

 

[CowboysDrew]

Where's Antonio Bryant?

I snatched up one of his Jersey's for less than $10 when they gave Dez the 88.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

There may have never been a player as gifted as Dez who worked less hard on their craft. He does not belong with Pearson and Irvin.

Dez worked on his craft let’s stop it…

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

I snatched up one of his Jersey's for less than $10 when they gave Dez the 88.

And nobody knew the difference lol

 

[Floatyworm]

Where's Antonio Bryant?

Exactly....probably has the best catch of all of them.

 

[RonnieT24]

Dez worked on his craft let’s stop it…

Well he didn't work on the thing that the internet experts WANTED him to work on so it doesn't count.

 

[Manster68]

Where's Jackie Harris and Antonio Bryant????

People forget that the first "Clutch" 88 in Dallas was Ron Sellers. He caught the 10 yard TD pass from Staubach to fulfill Roger's first miracle in the 1972 Divisional Playoff game versus San Francisco.

 

[Runwildboys]

Well he didn't work on the thing that the internet experts WANTED him to work on so it doesn't count.

You mean his route running? Yeah, what an insignificant aspect of a WR's repertoire.

 

[RonnieT24]

You mean his route running? Yeah, what an insignificant aspect of a WR's repertoire.

The main point that's being missed is that he DID work on his route running. There were plenty of reports over the years of Dez staying after practice to work with whichever QB would throw him the ball to put in work on his routes. However he did not prioritize if over the things he really did well. Nor should he have. He was better than 99% of the guys he faced.. and should have put up monster numbers if people like Garrett and Linehan weren't so busy trying to turn him into Julio Jones or some such. He was Dez.. Tailor your offense to maximize Dez.. don't waste his talent trying to make him into Beasley. If he hadn't gotten hurt he would have continued to be a top 10 receiver in the league if he never spent 5 minutes on route running. But injuries have claimed a lot of guys over the years.. I still say it was that more than "route running" that kept Dez out of the league the last 5 seasons. That and his "reputation."

 

[exciter]

Love this......especially including Dez. No, his career didn't go exactly as he wanted but you won't find a more dedicated former player other than Michel Irving. I believe this is the first time he has been linked to the 88 Club.

So no Antonio?