Zoners: Spencer... what was he thinking?

[JoeCorrado]

It was very obvious he was doing it last year.

Him, and about half the team. At least he has the nads to admit what was already common knowledge. The team just quit on Wade last season... at least true on the defensive side. Not so bad on the offensive side.

Of course, Wade was DC, Jason was OC. Wonder if that means anything?

 

[Doomsday101]

I think it is just a continuance of James saying their was a sense of entitlement with this team. I dont think that will be the case with JG and Rob Ryan running the show.

Plus the first step to fixing the problem is admitting there is one, I would be more worried if they didnt take a look in the mirror and ask themselves what they could do differently.

Exactly, what is done is done he has manned up and took the responsiblity and I think the coaches will judge him based on the work he does under their control if he fails to live up to their expectation then his time here could be done.

 

[8FOR!3]

Guy admits to his mistakes and we're getting on him about it?

 

[Doomsday101]

Guy admits to his mistakes and we're getting on him about it?

So much for him holding himself accountable.

 

[realtick]

QFT!

He was referring to some oversight IN PRACTICE and used a bad choice of words for sure.

He never said he wasn't playing hard in games and those who watch the games, while observing that he might have some shortcomings as a pass rusher compared to Ware, would say he gives effort and plays hard.

But let the witch hunt continue. Although, Spencer is the one who called open season this time around.

Pathetic.

Spencer said he was watching his own game tape last year and saw where he wasn't doing things technique wise pass rushing that he should have been.

He was getting sloppy, lazy, ie. "mailing it in."

What fans witness was the end result of him mailing it in when it came to him pass rushing in games. That being little consistent pressure from the opposite side of Ware. Most fans realize he's a good run defender and suprisingly good in coverage, but fans do recognize that he's not bringing it as a pass rusher.

And what do you know, we got Spencer pretty much admitting he wasn't bringing it in that department.

Remember? This where you tried to confuse the matter by saying people were saying Spencer generally sucked all together.

And then you posted still shots of him being double-teamed as if that answered anything. Or the fact that NOBODY said Spencer wasn't double teamed on occasion.

 

[Vtwin]

What about the character it showed when he mailed it in?

I get that.

These guys are kids pretty much though. The fact that he did own up to it and invited the spotlight shows that he may be maturing and get's him another chance from me. On a short leash maybe but another chance.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

he only confirmed what many of us have figured out the hard way. The culture in Dallas had become sickening. This had become the biggest front running bunch of gutless chumps. So what Romo is hurt...does he play defense? But for the players in Dallas, they figured "well, does not look we are going to win the Super Bowl, so why bother". Where do you think that mentality comes from? How about our very owner and GM who routinely said (he does not say it anymore)..."this team will go as far as Romo takes us". But Garrett is here to clean this mess up. We will know for sure if Garrett is the real deal starting with the play of the OL and the performance of the defense. If those 2 things are imporved...we will be in a for a good season and a bright future.

 

[Cowboys22]

Epic over-reaction?

As stated by others, the guy watched film of himself and in hindsight he felt he had lost direction and focus. This is a direct result of the lack of accountabilty that was instilled into this organization during Wade's time here.

Personally, I respect the guy for recognizing it and publicly admitting it.

Don't care. You can't change the culture away from the exact thing he admitted to by keeping him around. If they re-sign Spencer after this year, they may as well bring back Phillips as the coach. Not only did the guy mail it in but he has proven to just be plain stupid by admitting it. The biggest problem with Spencer now is how do you trust him? If he has a good year, how do you give him a longterm big money deal and have the confidence he won't go back to mailing it in once he gets guaranteed money?

 

[tupperware]

whole defense mailed it, he admits his part in what was obvious and he is an idiot?

:umm:

If it was obvious, why the hell would you need to admit it, to make it harder to stay on your team or become the target of fans?

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[Gadfly22]

I bet Spencer even got Michael Vick's autograph at some point.

 

[Shinywalrus]

This is classic Cowboys forum!

1. Poster reads a headline - probably the awful one on the DMN blog.
2. Poster runs to CZ without reading - much less understanding - the article
3. Poster makes grand pronouncements based on content of headline
4. Other posters do no research or critical thinking and whole-heartedly agree with original poster's unresearch assumptions. "We didn't like Spencer anyway! Woo confirmation bias!"
5. When content of article and ACTUAL statement by player comes to light, all of the overreactors run for the hills

Thanks for this, guys! Needed a pick me up at work.

 

[EPL0c0]

"Why would Spencer admit to mailing it in last year?"

He's owning up to it. Maybe now under Garrett and Ryan guys are going to be more likely to stand up and admit when they've screwed up & be responsible for themselves.

I think a few other players mailed it in last year. Reading other comments, I think other folks agree... if it was that obvious then the coaches let it happen, or at least let guys get away with it.

Hopefully it's a sign that things have changed.

 

[dboy214]

This actually gives me comfort knowing they weren't trying. I would have been more worried if they played that bad while actually trying.

The bigger issue is the lack of VOCAL player leadership on this team to put any player not givving 100% on blast. I love Ware to death, but he needs to speak up more in these instances.

 

[cowboys2233]

Why would Spencer admit to mailing it in last year?

Last year of his contract and he admits something like this?

I am sure Garrett is not happy.

It did not help his new contract negotiations with Stephen Jones.

Is he Stupid?

What was he thinking?

I'm not sure how this is any different than Bradie James suggesting that he and other players felt entitled simply because they play for the Cowboys. Doesn't that essentially translate as the same thing?

 

[xwalker]

He did not say that he was doing it intentionally. He said that he determined it after reviewing old practice film.

The old coaching staff should have been showing this to him during the timeframe that it was happening.

He probably noticed it now because the new coaches probably pointed it out to him.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

This is classic Cowboys forum!

1. Poster reads a headline - probably the awful one on the DMN blog.
2. Poster runs to CZ without reading - much less understanding - the article
3. Poster makes grand pronouncements based on content of headline
4. Other posters do no research or critical thinking and whole-heartedly agree with original poster's unresearch assumptions. "We didn't like Spencer anyway! Woo confirmation bias!"
5. When content of article and ACTUAL statement by player comes to light, all of the overreactors run for the hills

Thanks for this, guys! Needed a pick me up at work.

So very true.

Except maybe #5. Oftentimes that part never happens.

 

[kmd24]

When a guy hits the pros, he ought to realize that he needs to work even harder if he wants to have success. I suppose that it is possible that Spencer, who has only known Wade Phillips as a DC and head coach, never really got that message. I don't know what the environment was like under WP; I wasn't at practice. But I do know that he defended the players in the pressers a lot. I don't think it's a stretch to say that Spencer has been coddled and entitled as a first round draft pick. In the past, he wasn't going to lose his starting position due to poor play.

Reading the article, I got the feeling that AS is waking up to the fact that he needs to work a lot harder. He talked about making mistakes in games despite knowing better, which is the kind of thing that happens when you don't prepare in the right way. He talked about lack of effort, which is often a sign of poor conditioning or lack of mental toughness.

Not coincidentally, those are the things that Garrett is stressing. Be prepared. Be well conditioned. Play with high effort.

I think it's worth noting that he didn't have a rap as a low motor guy before he came to the Cowboys. The little bit of research I did turned up phrases like "relentless," "plays hard," and "goes hard until the whistle blows."

I get the feeling that AS has had an intervention of sorts. I think it's a positive step that he recognizes that he wasn't putting in the work that he needed to. Too bad it didn't happen in 2007. Better late than never, though. Where he goes from here is up to him.

 

[TwoDeep3]

The more important question is, "Can you really believe he will give maximum effort this season?"

It is a contract year, so perhaps. But then he never has shown he was a game changer. I suppose he could be, but history on this guy suggests he isn't.

Garrett may make a difference, but the contract year in my mind is of more significance.

Another great question is this, "If he could see practice tapes - and he said he could - and recognize him just going through the motions, then why was he not benched?"

Didn't the coaches see this as well?

And if not, then why not?

"Are there other players that were giving less than their best last year?"

"If so why were they not benched?"

Davis was until injury, but surely others deserved it.

"And if we have players who are just going through the season doing the minimum last year, doesn't that say there should be some wholesale changes to get the mindset right?"

Not just the ones who were let go, but people like Spencer.

If a guy quits it shows character. And regardless of the head coach, when things get tough he will do so again.

 

[realtick]

This is classic Cowboys forum!

1. Poster reads a headline - probably the awful one on the DMN blog.
2. Poster runs to CZ without reading - much less understanding - the article
3. Poster makes grand pronouncements based on content of headline
4. Other posters do no research or critical thinking and whole-heartedly agree with original poster's unresearch assumptions. "We didn't like Spencer anyway! Woo confirmation bias!"
5. When content of article and ACTUAL statement by player comes to light, all of the overreactors run for the hills

Thanks for this, guys! Needed a pick me up at work.

Funny, I see the flipside of this too...

1. Poster reads a headline...
2. Poster runs to CZ without reading - much less understanding the article
3. Poster makes grand pronouncements based on content of headline
4. The poster, regardless of what the article actually says, wants to adamently defend named player, and will do a spin job on what is actually said by the player himself
5. Poster makes preemptive strike claiming anyone who reads the article for face value is actually wrong, they should instead accept his spin jobbed explaination of said article
6. The contents of the ACTUAL words of the player are available, but the poster will turn a blinded eye to it in favor of supporting his own contention.

 

[TwoDeep3]

6. The contents of the ACTUAL words of the player are available, but the poster will turn a blinded eye to it in favor of supporting his own contention.

This!!!