Wushu

[jday]

I’m a KongFu flick/movie buff. If you watch these movies with any degree of regularity, you may have noticed a reoccurring theme in the era pieces centered on the turn of the century leading into the 1900’s: This era in China witnessed KongFu masters battling for dominance in their villages to win pupils. The misnomer of that day was that the strength of ones Wushu (martial art) was dependent on their style or technique. Therefore, it was widely assumed that should one master beat another master, logically the victors’ style/technique was better than that of his vanquished foe and he, by extension, was the more suitable of the two to teach.

In the movie Fearless (based on a true story and one of my all-time favorites, due to the combination of good martial arts, acting, and plotline – a rare combination among these films) Jet Li’s character (Huo Yuanjia) was having tea with Anno Tanaka, a Japanese martial arts champion whom he is to fight to close out the movie. Anno asks Jet Li’s character his thoughts on martial art styles and the strength of said styles in comparison. Li’s answer was profound. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but essentially he told Huo that style does not matter; all that matters is the man behind the style/technique and how he uses that style/technique to his benefit both physically and mentally.

I thought of that philosophical conversation today as I drove into work this morning. It occurred to me that with the success Dak is experiencing in the NFL, going forward, scouts will likely take more time with under-appreciated QB’s from smaller schools in spread offenses who have never taken a snap under center. Like the many eager pupils-to-be of the aforementioned early 1900’s in China, scouts are far too concerned with the styles college players are using and not with the man behind the style/facemask.

Make no mistake, Dak is not experiencing success because of where he went to college or high school or because of the system he was brought up in; you need only look at how many other players have come from those schools to see the truth in that statement. Dak is experiencing success because of who he is as a person. His focus is on a level that is rarely seen in a twenty three year old. His understanding of what it takes to be a professional in this league already is on par with the elite players in the NFL.

Rather or not he continues to be the same player in the face of fame remains to be seen and that time is the only thing that distinguishes him from the established elite players in this league; but, for what he is accomplished this year, he has earned the right to be in the same conversation…for now. Thursday’s game against the Commanders will be another chapter in the book of Dak and he will have to once again prove he belongs in that conversation, but for now, the one thing I can say beyond a certainty, is that Dak is great because of who Dak is and the choices he makes on and off the field, not because of where or how he learned to play football.

The scouts of the league would do well to take notice.

Thoughts?

 

[Macnalty]

I’m a KongFu flick/movie buff. If you watch these movies with any degree of regularity, you may have noticed a reoccurring theme in the era pieces centered on the turn of the century leading into the 1900’s: This era in China witnessed KongFu masters battling for dominance in their villages to win pupils. The misnomer of that day was that the strength of ones Wushu (martial art) was dependent on their style or technique. Therefore, it was widely assumed that should one master beat another master, logically the victors’ style/technique was better than that of his vanquished foe and he, by extension, was the more suitable of the two to teach.

In the movie Fearless (based on a true story and one of my all-time favorites, due to the combination of good martial arts, acting, and plotline – a rare combination among these films) Jet Li’s character (Huo Yuanjia) was having tea with Anno Tanaka, a Japanese martial arts champion whom he is to fight to close out the movie. Anno asks Jet Li’s character his thoughts on martial art styles and the strength of said styles in comparison. Li’s answer was profound. I’m paraphrasing, of course, but essentially he told Huo that style does not matter; all that matters is the man behind the style/technique and how he uses that style/technique to his benefit both physically and mentally.

I thought of that philosophical conversation today as I drove into work this morning. It occurred to me that with the success Dak is experiencing in the NFL, going forward, scouts will likely take more time with under-appreciated QB’s from smaller schools in spread offenses who have never taken a snap under center. Like the many eager pupils-to-be of the aforementioned early 1900’s in China, scouts are far too concerned with the styles college players are using and not with the man behind the style/facemask.

Make no mistake, Dak is not experiencing success because of where he went to college or high school or because of the system he was brought up in; you need only look at how many other players have come from those schools to see the truth in that statement. Dak is experiencing success because of who he is as a person. His focus is on a level that is rarely seen in a twenty three year old. His understanding of what it takes to be a professional in this league already is on par with the elite players in the NFL.

Rather or not he continues to be the same player in the face of fame remains to be seen and that time is the only thing that distinguishes him from the established elite players in this league; but, for what he is accomplished this year, he has earned the right to be in the same conversation…for now. Thursday’s game against the Commanders will be another chapter in the book of Dak and he will have to once again prove he belongs in that conversation, but for now, the one thing I can say beyond a certainty, is that Dak is great because of who Dak is and the choices he makes on and off the field, not because of where or how he learned to play football.

The scouts of the league would do well to take notice.

Thoughts?

I agree his makeup is his most important talent. Many have greater talent but lack his composure under duress. He is also a student of the game, a trait I also admire in our backup Kellen Moore. He is well served behind this Oline which is turning out to be a generational phenomenon. Honestly I think this oline, as a group is better than any of the nineties boys SB lineups. For us to really only suffered one injury with Collins, and the nagging back of Smith is amazing. Teams are throwing everything at us for two quarters no holds barred, no doubt they are bruised and sore, their reward is the third and fourth quarters where their will is imposed and Dak/Zeke apply the coup de grace. It is amazing to watch.

 

[Bullflop]

Dak's overall makeup is well suited to bring success in the ranks of pro football. His intelligence, poise, work ethic and overall talent comprise a total package that is hard to match, much less beat. At Miss. St., he had a line that was just about as porous as any OL can be, nevertheless, he found great success there despite being forced to do a great deal on the strength of his own merits.

Of course, with Dallas, he has the advantage of operating behind an OL that is generally considered one of, if not the, best OL in the league. His ability to deliver strikes in the face of a fierce pass rush is exemplary beyond question. Additional experience is likely to supplement that ability even more by enhancing his recognition of defenses. His natural ability to readily absorb information and lots of it has certainly aided his cause.

QBs are well known to be among the toughest positions to evaluate accurately due to the many variables that influence their desirability. That fact was surely demonstrated when the Cowboys tried in vain to acquire several QBs other than Dak before finally deciding on him in the latter stages of the 4th round. There's no doubt that pure luck plays a role in the successful acquisition of a winner at QB but perhaps the individual's personal qualifications and traits might, indeed, play an increasingly prominent role in the future within a copycat NFL league. We'll see what follows.

 

[Macnalty]

Dak's overall makeup is well suited to bring success in the ranks of pro football. His intelligence, poise, work ethic and overall talent comprise a total package that is hard to match, much less beat. At Miss. St., he had a line that was just about as porous as any OL can be, nevertheless, he found great success there despite being forced to do a great deal on the strength of his own merits.

Of course, with Dallas, he has the advantage of operating behind an OL that is generally considered one of, if not the, best OL in the league. His ability to deliver strikes in the face of a fierce pass rush is exemplary beyond question. Additional experience is likely to supplement that ability even more by enhancing his recognition of defenses. His natural ability to readily absorb information and lots of it has certainly aided his cause.

QBs are well known to be among the toughest positions to evaluate accurately due to the many variables that influence their desirability. That fact was surely demonstrated when the Cowboys tried in vain to acquire several QBs other than Dak before finally deciding on him in the latter stages of the 4th round. There's no doubt that pure luck plays a role in the successful acquisition of a winner at QB but perhaps the individual's personal qualifications and traits might, indeed, play an increasingly prominent role in the future within a copycat NFL league. We'll see what follows.

Well said, Bull isn't it almost your bedtime? You better be rested for the afternoon kickoff on turkey day or you will not be worth a flip.

 

[jday]

Dak's overall makeup is well suited to bring success in the ranks of pro football. His intelligence, poise, work ethic and overall talent comprise a total package that is hard to match, much less beat. At Miss. St., he had a line that was just about as porous as any OL can be, nevertheless, he found great success there despite being forced to do a great deal on the strength of his own merits.

Of course, with Dallas, he has the advantage of operating behind an OL that is generally considered one of, if not the, best OL in the league. His ability to deliver strikes in the face of a fierce pass rush is exemplary beyond question. Additional experience is likely to supplement that ability even more by enhancing his recognition of defenses. His natural ability to readily absorb information and lots of it has certainly aided his cause.

QBs are well known to be among the toughest positions to evaluate accurately due to the many variables that influence their desirability. That fact was surely demonstrated when the Cowboys tried in vain to acquire several QBs other than Dak before finally deciding on him in the latter stages of the 4th round. There's no doubt that pure luck plays a role in the successful acquisition of a winner at QB but perhaps the individual's personal qualifications and traits might, indeed, play an increasingly prominent role in the future within a copycat NFL league. We'll see what follows.

I do wonder though exactly what will be copied by the league: Will they be looking for Dak character-clones or Dak dual-threat clones? His physical ability is certainly welcome, however, in the end, I believe his character is what has separated him from the rest of the league.

 

[Bullflop]

Well said, Bull isn't it almost your bedtime? You better be rested for the afternoon kickoff on turkey day or you will not be worth a flip.

As you've undoubtedly noticed, my bedtime hours vary from one night to the next. I always find ways to make up for lost sleep. Mother Nature has been good to me in that respect. I'll be watching the game with family and friends on Turkey Day. Guarantee you, I'll probably be the loudest, most lively and turned-on fan of the entire bunch. My diehard fandom wouldn't have it any other way. I can't wait. -- lol

 

[Bullflop]

I do wonder though exactly what will be copied by the league: Will they be looking for Dak character-clones or Dak dual-threat clones? His physical ability is certainly welcome, however, in the end, I believe his character is what has separated him from the rest of the league.

His character and toughness is surely a major component in what makes him tick so consistently from game to game. I'm thrilled that we managed to find someone with the type of aptitude that makes his development so consistently productive. He's been compared many times to Tom Brady in terms of his work ethic and preparation. That's really saying a lot.

Maybe the intangibles will be sought somewhat more deliberately, although they're probably one of the most difficult things to detect with total accuracy. I probably wouldn't recommend other GMs to copy Jerry's inclination to seek out three other QB candidates before deciding upon an eventual draftee/savior. Let's face it -- we were just about as lucky as all get-out to fare as well as we did -- we made out like bandits. -- lol

 

[waving monkey]

Dak's overall makeup is well suited to bring success in the ranks of pro football. His intelligence, poise, work ethic and overall talent comprise a total package that is hard to match, much less beat. At Miss. St., he had a line that was just about as porous as any OL can be, nevertheless, he found great success there despite being forced to do a great deal on the strength of his own merits.

Of course, with Dallas, he has the advantage of operating behind an OL that is generally considered one of, if not the, best OL in the league. His ability to deliver strikes in the face of a fierce pass rush is exemplary beyond question. Additional experience is likely to supplement that ability even more by enhancing his recognition of defenses. His natural ability to readily absorb information and lots of it has certainly aided his cause.

QBs are well known to be among the toughest positions to evaluate accurately due to the many variables that influence their desirability. That fact was surely demonstrated when the Cowboys tried in vain to acquire several QBs other than Dak before finally deciding on him in the latter stages of the 4th round. There's no doubt that pure luck plays a role in the successful acquisition of a winner at QB but perhaps the individual's personal qualifications and traits might, indeed, play an increasingly prominent role in the future within a copycat NFL league. We'll see what follows.

your remarks are is exemplary beyond question