Shake_Tiller
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Obviously, we are all judged on performance, and by that measure, Bill Parcells’ record in Dallas was mixed – not nearly as bad as some of his worst detractors claim, not nearly as good as the “promise” of Parcells appeared to portend when he was hired. What he’s done, I think, that stands pretty precariously balanced depending upon the lessons learned by Jerry Jones, is to restore the professionalism around Valley Ranch. The organization seems to be in much better shape than it was when Parcells was hired, and in that sense, the move might eventually be judged to be quite successful. The team has drafted better – the bar was pretty low, admittedly – and Parcells has not put out an embarrassing product, the late-season collapses notwithstanding. The 5-11 seasons are behind us, assuming Jones makes the right decisions now.
The fear I’ve had for a while is that Jones, freed from the influence of a strong coach, will revert to his post-Jimmy Johnson persona. We hope that he learned lessons during those years, but we aren’t certain. We can’t be certain. No coaching hire is a slam dunk, but the odds are greatest if the choice is made sensibly and not for the wrong reasons, such as to prove that Jones is the most important person in the organization.
I can’t prove it, won’t try, but I seem to sense that Jones reverted this year to some of his past errors. I don’t know whether Parcells was on board with the Terrell Owens acquisition – maybe he was – but it surely smacked of being a Jones decision. Regardless of whether I think it was a good decision, it wasn’t if it wasn’t one the head coach wanted to make. We won’t know for sure until Parcells writes his next autobiography, I suppose.
Further, when Tony Romo shown so brightly early – and I’m still very, very optimistic about his future – the Cowboys promotional hype machine went full tilt early and often… jersey sales, etcetera. I can’t blame Jones from a marketing standpoint, but it might have been a mistake from a competitive viewpoint. And yes, I understand that the Cowboys were going to make Romo’s jersey available, but from the e-mails I received, you might have thought that Roger Staubach had come out of retirement. Now, I do not intend to suggest that any of this had anything to do with Romo’s sort of “coming back to earth,” but I doubt if it made Parcells comfortable.
The Cowboys have a chance, here, to make a decision that turns out to be the best since Jones hired Jimmy Johnson. There is an abundance of bona fide NFL talent on the roster. One could argue that Parcells was unable to push the right buttons to get the maximum from that talent, but he did help to develop an organization that made decent personnel decisions more often than not and very good decisions pretty frequently. The next coach could benefit, and the right coach could win big.
But I’m having trouble getting excited about a Wade Phillips or a Norv Turner. Most of the arguments made in their favor seem to drift toward the “He’s not as bad as you think” direction. I’m not excited by Bob Stoops, though I think he’s a good college coach. It’s difficult for me to get past the fact that the coach of the Cowboys, if he is hired, will make his debut having lost in his most recent game to Boise State. I think Stoops has done a great job in rebuilding Oklahoma to its rightful place in college football, but I think he has been only fair as a big-game coach.
I am lukewarm on Les Miles, a guy who I thought was outstanding at Oklahoma State. I do not think he has been as impressive at LSU. I am equally underwhelmed by Houston Nutt – a good college coach. I don’t think Nutt has shown the star quality Jimmy Johnson demonstrated before being hired by the Cowboys.
Ron Rivera is interesting. I would hope he gets an interview. I’m intrigued both by Mike Singletary and by Jason Garrett, but both are probably too inexperienced to step into the pressure cooker that is the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t seem much else in the assistant ranks to make me feel warm and fuzzy – though I’m sure Sean Payton didn’t have that impact on Saints fans when he was hired.
I know there have been rumors that the Kraft family has become queasy about Belicheck, but I find it difficult to believe they would allow him to leave New England, even for a pile of draft picks. Bud Adams might be silly enough --- given the right circumstances -- to allow Jeff Fisher to walk, and if the draft pick compensation wasn’t onerous, that would be interesting. But Adams likely would block Fisher from joining the Cowboys, given his history.
In any case, there is danger in surrendering too much draft compensation. Gruden went to Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl, but the team deteriorated as the defense aged, in part because of the shortage of draft picks caused by the compensation to Oakland for Gruden.
This has begun to read to me as being overly negative, and that’s not a reflection of exactly how I feel. I am interested, cautiously optimistic, a bit concerned, but ready to keep an open mind. But given Parcells’ resignation, the Cowboys are in Jerry Jones’ hands once more, and we have to hope the decision is made by the “good” Jerry rather than the “bad” one. Makes a little bit of sweat pop out on the ol’ palms.
The fear I’ve had for a while is that Jones, freed from the influence of a strong coach, will revert to his post-Jimmy Johnson persona. We hope that he learned lessons during those years, but we aren’t certain. We can’t be certain. No coaching hire is a slam dunk, but the odds are greatest if the choice is made sensibly and not for the wrong reasons, such as to prove that Jones is the most important person in the organization.
I can’t prove it, won’t try, but I seem to sense that Jones reverted this year to some of his past errors. I don’t know whether Parcells was on board with the Terrell Owens acquisition – maybe he was – but it surely smacked of being a Jones decision. Regardless of whether I think it was a good decision, it wasn’t if it wasn’t one the head coach wanted to make. We won’t know for sure until Parcells writes his next autobiography, I suppose.
Further, when Tony Romo shown so brightly early – and I’m still very, very optimistic about his future – the Cowboys promotional hype machine went full tilt early and often… jersey sales, etcetera. I can’t blame Jones from a marketing standpoint, but it might have been a mistake from a competitive viewpoint. And yes, I understand that the Cowboys were going to make Romo’s jersey available, but from the e-mails I received, you might have thought that Roger Staubach had come out of retirement. Now, I do not intend to suggest that any of this had anything to do with Romo’s sort of “coming back to earth,” but I doubt if it made Parcells comfortable.
The Cowboys have a chance, here, to make a decision that turns out to be the best since Jones hired Jimmy Johnson. There is an abundance of bona fide NFL talent on the roster. One could argue that Parcells was unable to push the right buttons to get the maximum from that talent, but he did help to develop an organization that made decent personnel decisions more often than not and very good decisions pretty frequently. The next coach could benefit, and the right coach could win big.
But I’m having trouble getting excited about a Wade Phillips or a Norv Turner. Most of the arguments made in their favor seem to drift toward the “He’s not as bad as you think” direction. I’m not excited by Bob Stoops, though I think he’s a good college coach. It’s difficult for me to get past the fact that the coach of the Cowboys, if he is hired, will make his debut having lost in his most recent game to Boise State. I think Stoops has done a great job in rebuilding Oklahoma to its rightful place in college football, but I think he has been only fair as a big-game coach.
I am lukewarm on Les Miles, a guy who I thought was outstanding at Oklahoma State. I do not think he has been as impressive at LSU. I am equally underwhelmed by Houston Nutt – a good college coach. I don’t think Nutt has shown the star quality Jimmy Johnson demonstrated before being hired by the Cowboys.
Ron Rivera is interesting. I would hope he gets an interview. I’m intrigued both by Mike Singletary and by Jason Garrett, but both are probably too inexperienced to step into the pressure cooker that is the Dallas Cowboys. I don’t seem much else in the assistant ranks to make me feel warm and fuzzy – though I’m sure Sean Payton didn’t have that impact on Saints fans when he was hired.
I know there have been rumors that the Kraft family has become queasy about Belicheck, but I find it difficult to believe they would allow him to leave New England, even for a pile of draft picks. Bud Adams might be silly enough --- given the right circumstances -- to allow Jeff Fisher to walk, and if the draft pick compensation wasn’t onerous, that would be interesting. But Adams likely would block Fisher from joining the Cowboys, given his history.
In any case, there is danger in surrendering too much draft compensation. Gruden went to Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl, but the team deteriorated as the defense aged, in part because of the shortage of draft picks caused by the compensation to Oakland for Gruden.
This has begun to read to me as being overly negative, and that’s not a reflection of exactly how I feel. I am interested, cautiously optimistic, a bit concerned, but ready to keep an open mind. But given Parcells’ resignation, the Cowboys are in Jerry Jones’ hands once more, and we have to hope the decision is made by the “good” Jerry rather than the “bad” one. Makes a little bit of sweat pop out on the ol’ palms.