My opinion is generally unpopular.
Then again, I've never been one of the popular kids anyway.....
It started and ended with Jerry Jones remembering that he was Jerry Jones.
The team had a great season last year and, by all appearances, this was going to be a memorable season. That's everything Jerry Jones needed to resurface after his little charade of allowing others to become more influential in the decision making. I mean, what the heck, if the team continued their average performance at least some of the media and fan heat would be off him. They couldn't say it was because of his intrusive and ineffective lack of expertise.
Now the team was looking great. Time for Jerrry to push everyone aside and claim the lion's share of credit that was sure to come with at least a conference championship appearance!
This was nothing new. He did the same thing to both Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells. Wait until the team is built and fire up the propaganda machine. He did it! The great Jerry Jones! look at him, he does it all! GM superstar...personnel guru....Why, he even formulates the game strategies and simply directs his coaching staff to call the appropriate plays as he sits on his throne from high above.
They got the young pass rusher he wanted and he made sure it coincided with him standing alongside the next Charles Haley, Greg Hardy. So what if he had a suspension. So what if he was a head case. The contract part was painless and incentive laden, a win-win.
After the coup he led in the acquisition of Collins, he was back on top, the sports media darling. Now it was just time to enjoy a dominating season and rake in the accolades.
Just one problem.....
He doesn't know K.R.A.P. about building a real team. it's all plug and play to him. Just get the talent, team, schmeam!
He has no concept of the carefully balanced ingredients of team chemistry. There is talent, yes of course. But there is also familiarity, cohesion, leadership, there is the built confidence in your teammates, you know this guy can do this, that guy can do that. When the season starts, you want to pick right up where you left off , with the same cast of important contributors.
No player contributed more to last season than DeMarco Murray, and in for more ways than his numbers.
DeMarco brought the confidence and the swagger to the entire offense, especially the offensive line, young and impressionable. He had always been there as long as these young guys started at their respective positions. He knew them, they knew him. He brought balance, defenses had to respect the running game. When he walked off the field for a break the other younger RB's were greeted by an opponent defense that had been abused.
Dez Bryant was a proud man. he had brought his game to the top of his position, receptions, yards, critical plays, and especially scoring. Guys like this get their contracts taken care of before the offseason. Their new contracts are announced in Novembers, on Monday night games. yes, he had past issues but they were PAST issues. Hammering out the new contract should never have been another issue.
So the guys that were really responsible for the new era, the other two parts of the new triplets we had been hoping for, were disrespected, DeMarco totally, Dez was put on ice.
The team's new leaders, the young guns, were not there, or half there. Either way, it just wasn't the same. the consistency was gone, the stability was gone, the confidence was gone.
All that was needed to end it all were a few unfortunate breaks and the gods of football obliged.
That's what happened. Jerry Jones happened......again.
