No prime-time game for the Dallas Cowboys in week one
The prime-time schedule for the first week of the 2008 season was announced today; surprisingly Dallas was left off the list.
Green Bay will host Minnesota on Sept. 8 in a Monday night game on ESPN. That game will start at 7 p.m. ET and will be followed by Denver at Oakland at 10:15.
The Super Bowl champion Giants will host the Redskins Sept. 4 in the opening game of the season at 7 p.m. on NBC. The Colts will host the Bears in a Sunday night (Sept. 7) game on NBC.
The schedule for the Thanksgivings Day games should have been announced today, yet will most likely come out tomorrow.
When the opening day game was announced I thought it an odd choice to pit the defending Super Bowl champions against the Washington Redskins. I guess the league is still looking to ride the big run the 'Skins had at the end of last season. The fact that the Cowboys played the Giants opening night last year on NBC was probably the main deterrent is not working a rematch of the playoff game into opening night. I can understand that but it would have been one heck of week leading up to it.
The league worked out all the compensatory picks for this year's draft and the Cowboys ended up with none. That's a good sign that your team did a good job improving the year before. The Cowboys signed Ken Hamlin and Leonard Davis and the biggest offseason loss was special teams ace Ryan Fowler.
With the compensatory picks out of the way, the full draft schedule is now in place. The Cowboys' picks will work out like this:
First round - Nos. 22 (from Cleveland), 28
Second round - No. 61
Third round - No. 92
Fourth round - No. 126
Fifth round - No. 163
Sixth round - No. 167 (from Miami for Jason Ferguson trade)
Seventh round - No. 235
Hat tip to DeRat for posting the story in his diary.
SI.com lists some risers and sliders headed into the draft and CB Justin King tops the list.
Scouts are rethinking that opinion as King's combination of athleticism, intelligence (he graduated from PSU early) as well as his high character now has him on the verge of breaking into in the first round.
It would be interesting to have one of the best all around character guys in the draft on the same team as Pacman Jones.
Another day, another chapter in the never ending Pacman Jones trade saga. Something we all have to remember about this whole thing is that there is no guarantee Roger Goodell will reinstate Pacman anytime soon. The commissioner issued a brief statement today on the situation.
Addressing the "Adam" Jones suspension today, commissioner Roger Goodell had this to say: "In my last correspondence with Adam, I told him that I would make a decision prior to the start of training camp. I have seen some of his recent comments that he made on the Michael Irvin radio show, and I think some of those comments are encouraging. I always said he has to accept responsibility for his actions, and that when he does, I would reconsider his status."
But just because acquiring Jones makes sense for the Cowboys doesn't make it right — especially while he is barred.
Goodell said some of the comments Jones made about his past actions last week during a lengthy radio interview were "encouraging." Yet there also were times Jones continued to make excuses for his troubles. Jones even admitted he wasn't necessarily going to stay out of strip clubs forever despite the problems he has encountered there.
I have remained a bit silent amidst all of the Pacman Jones drama. I wanted to make sure that I truly assessed the situation before flying off the cuff and making statements based on my personal emotions. This is a tough situation to deal and one that is completely different than what Cowboys fans went through two years ago when Terrell Owens was signed. I had slowly started coming around and had come to a point where I would accept Pacman Jones as a player on my favorite team if he was able to stay out of trouble. Yet today I watched a video about the bouncer who was paralyzed in the infamous Vegas strip club incident.
I find myself completely torn about this whole thing. Ever since hearing the true nature of Pacman's past I have felt that he no longer belonged in the NFL unless he received professional counseling. While I do not think that Pacman is completely to blame for Tom Urbanski getting shot, his decisions throughout his life have yet to show that he learns from mistakes and respects the authority of those around him. This player is in a different situation than any of the other Dallas Cowboys problem players of the "white house" era.; what those guys were doing was only hurting themselves. Pacman has been involved in incidents that could and have hurt other people; Pacman's statements on the Michael Irvin show came far from convincing me he had learned his lesson. It was just too rehearsed and coached.
On the other hand, I think Roger Goodell needs to go ahead and make a decision one way or the other. If he does in fact reinstate Pacman and the Cowboys make the trade for him, what will I do? Well, I have no choice but to begrudgingly cheer him on as a Cowboys fan. You just have to hope that he truly has learned his lesson and stays clean for the duration of his time in a Cowboys uniform.
SB Nation Mock Draft
SB Nation is holding a mock draft again this year. Last year it was a three-round draft but this year it's been shortened to two rounds. It will be hosted over at Mocking The Draft and will probably have two or three picks a day. So the Cowboys won’t be on the clock for a while, but when the time comes, I’ll let you guys know and you can weigh-in on the Cowboys pick. I'll either post a poll for everyone to vote in or just take suggestions in the comments. Brandon and Tuna Helper will also get a vote.
The first pick is already done and the Dolphins chose Chris Long.
In honor of mock drafts, I’ll post a few more.
- Dallas - Aqib Talib CB Kansas
Talib has the ability to play corner or safety, which is a plus for the Cowboys. There is a lot of talk about trading for Pac Man Jones but even if they do, he may not be eligible this season.
- Dallas - Felix Jones RB Arkansas
All the attention is focused on the Cowboys targe ting Darren McFadden in a trade up but Jones is much more realistic. His playmaking ability would be a great fit alongside Marion Barber.
- Dallas Cowboys (from Cleveland Browns) Chris Williams OT
Vanderbilt A bit of a project, but Dallas has a lot of time with Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo entrenched. However, youth is needed; CB/RB/WR a consideration
- Dallas Cowboys Felix Jones RB
Arkansas Probably too high to draft him, but he has speed to burn. Texas' Jamaal Charles a possibility, too. WR could be considered if someone fell. RB Marion Barber III needs someone to be paired with; CB considered
- Dallas Jonathan Stewart RB Oregon
- Dallas Antoine Cason CB Arizona
Late Draft Sleepers the Cowboys should focus on
One of the things I liked about "American Gangster" was Denzel using the term "my man."
So let me borrow the term and apply it to my new best friend.
"Chris Steuber, my man."
Chris Steuber is quickly becoming my go-to guy for draft info. He recently focused on late round prospects (fifth round and further) and came up with All-Sleeper offensive and defensive teams. He's got a little bit for everyone. The defensive team features two defensive ends, two defensive tackles, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties. On the offensive side of the ball he highlights a quarterback, running back, fullback, two wide receivers, a tight end, two offensive tackles, two offensive guards and one center.
One prospect that stuck out to me: Davanzo Tate, a cornerback from Akron.
CB, Davanzo Tate, Akron
Strengths: Tate is a physical corner with good cover skills. He's a tremendous athlete with excellent speed and agility. He's fluid transitioning off the line, backpedals nicely, anticipates the action and displays a great burst defending the throw. He's solid against the run and isn't afraid of contact.
Weaknesses: He lacks ideal height and struggles against taller receivers. He anticipates well, but doesn't have great ball skills. He's not a big-play prospect.
Overview: A former recruit of West Virginia, Tate transferred to Akron following his freshman year. When he got on the field at Akron as a sophomore, he was an immediate contributor who ended up starting the final nine games of the season and recording 41 tackles. As a junior, Tate played in all 12 games, started nine and had 54 tackles, 4.5 for a loss. This past season, Tate started all 12 games and emerged as a defender. He had 73 tackles, four for a loss and two interceptions. He also led the MAC with 17 passes defended in 2007. The 5-foot-10, 186-pound Tate wasn't invited to the Scouting Combine, but at Akron's Pro Day he really showed his athleticism and skill. He was timed at a 4.26 and a 4.35 in the 40-yard dash and finished the workout with a 40-inch vertical.
Draft Projection: Sixth Round-Free Agent
Roger the Dodger will always have a special place in my household. With respects to Dandy Don, he will always be the standard every Dallas quarterback will be judged by. We drool over the accuracy and winning percentage of Troy Aikman and the elusiveness and spontaneity of Tony Romo. He did both and he did both after serving his country in Vietnam. Yes he was a square but he was also a war hero who won the Heisman and Super Bowls. If you wrote a Hollywood script about this guy's life it would be rejected for being too unrealistic.
I highlight Staubach because his accomplishments came after fulfilling his military commitments. He missed four years in his prime. Who knows? Maybe the Cowboys win a few more Super Bowls with Staubach at the helm. A new rule could allow U.S. Military Academy cadets to avoid this same predicament.
As always, Staubach is on the right side of this issue.
Army is offering its top athletes a side door to professional sports. West Point has implemented an alternative service option program that allows cadets to turn pro – and play – right away.
Cadets accepted into the program "will owe two years of active service in the Army, during which time they will be allowed to play their sport in the player-development systems of their respective organizations and be assigned to recruiting stations. If they remain in professional sports following those two years, they will be provided the option of buying out the remaining three years of their active-duty commitment in exchange for six years of reserve time."
The Air Force Academy and Naval Academy do not offer such a program. Both academies require two years of active service upon graduation before presenting the option of swapping the final three years of active time for six years in the reserves.
"It's a complicated issue," Staubach said. "But I think it's good for the service academies if you have athletes that can compete at a higher level – and can still give back to the service – that they can find a compromise that allows them to play professional athletics. It's worth the effort to look at it and try to figure it out."
You guys have to check out the ESPN conversation between Bob Knight and Bill Parcells with Rece Davis. They speak about a lot of things: complaining about their teams to each other, how their sports have evolved over the years and the cost of winning. Apparently, Parcells has called Knight to complain about defensive backs on his teams who couldn't cover anybody. We need to go back and check the outgoing calls from Valley Ranch to Lubbock in 2005 and 2006. I'm sure he'd have a lot to complain about.
The most interesting part, in my opinion, is when they start discussing pickup games in their youth. If there's one thing you start to understand it's that Knight and Parcells aren't grumpy old men. They've always been grumpy. Two young curmudgeons who decided to stop bumping heads and become friends.
Davis: What were your pickup games like at West Point?
Parcells: Volatile. (everyone laughs)
Davis: Imagine that, huh?
Parcells: Volatile. No, not just the two of us, we had some other contributors. We had Don DeVoe, who was one of Bob's, went on to coach many years on the collegiate level. Dave Bliss, another assistant for Bob for a long time. Then we had a football player named Bob Knightinger who was a Penn State guy, that played with San Diego Chargers. So we had some athletes who played.
Knight: Sam Koons played.
Parcells: Sam Koons played. General Schwarzkopf played with us. Arthur Ashe played. So we had some guys in the game that, from time to time, the competition level was up, and we were young and ...
Knight: What wasn't good was our playing on opposite sides. One day, we'd go to lunch, and I think he initiated the conversation, and he said, "We gotta quit, we gotta figure out how we're going to play together. ... All we do is argue with each other. We gotta play on the same team." So, we kind of made that one of our noontime features that he and I got to choose first. And if he chose, he'd choose me, and if I chose, I'd choose him, and then we went from there.Davis: What was the most memorable argument you had before you came to this accord?
Knight: We'd argue about ... I might be guarding him in the post (reaches and puts hands on Bill) I'd hang onto him. And he'd take a shot and say there's a foul, and I'd say, "I didn't touch you!" And then I'd shoot, he'd hit me in the wrist, or something like that. I'd say, "Man, I get hit in the wrist, nah, I didn't hit you!" We were a lot better off playing on the same team.
Sources used for this story:
The Dallas Morning News
Dallascowboys.com
Foxsports.com
Youtube.com
Wikipedia.com
Dallas Cowboys random articles
Peter King reports this from the owner’s meetings.
"The next 24 hours are crucial,'' a source close to the {Pacman} talks told me this morning. The Cowboys are offering a late 2007 draft choice and a minor player; ESPN's Ed Werder reported last night Tennessee wants two draft choices, one in 2008 and another next year.
Minor player? Here we go again. For some reason Rotoworld has inserted two names in parentheses which aren’t in King’s original story for the minor player. (Bobby Carpenter or Isaiah Stanback).
Long article on Jonathan Stewart.
Stewart tells us he has a scheduled visit with the Cowboys coming up in early April. A Marion Barber/Stewart combination could be scary. With Barber unsigned past this year, it would make a lot of sense.
Romo didn’t close very well at his golf tournament. (Insert playoff collapse joke here). I Kid!
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo finished T-34 at 19-over 303, a shot ahead of former U.S. Amateur runner-up and Walker Cup captain Buddy Marucci. Romo shot 2-under 69 in the third round, but closed with an 81.
Hashmarks reminds us we’ll be mixing it up with the Broncos in training camp. Remember last year the big dustup about the Cowboys/Broncos pre-season game, with the Cowboys blitzing and acting unseemly and all? Good times.
Speaking of offseason workouts. The Breerman has a good post on the rules around OTA’s and such.
Pacman talks stall
The Pacman Saga continues to slowly wind its way through the offseason, with every step being cataloged and analyzed. (And yes, I’m as guilty as anybody of doing that). Today we have "news" that the talks between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tennessee Titans have stalled. Wait a minute? Wasn’t the deal done last night? Guess not, ESPN hits us up with the latest.
The Titans are seeking a fourth-round pick in this month's NFL draft and another selection next year, according to the source. The Cowboys are so far unwilling to provide either, believing they are the only team pursuing Jones, who remains suspended for violations of the personal-conduct policy.
Good move by Jerry. When the news broke that the Cowboys had an interest in Pacman a couple of weeks ago, there’s been a real momentum that the deal would happen. The Titans most likely got caught up in that momentum and thought they could squeeze Jerry. But it appears that the Cowboys are the only team bidding at the moment. So he’s doing the right thing by slowing down that momentum and digging in at a low draft pick only.
Hat tip to Longhorn for the link in his diary.
Pacman’s agent concurs that no deal is done.
A report on Rototimes.com said Jones has been dealt, but Manny Arora said he has been told nothing of the kind.
"You would think the Titans would tell me they had traded him if they had," Arora said.
Also, in the article, Arora continues to insist that other teams are interested. He also says they’ll be petitioning the league shortly for reinstatement.
Arora said he plans to have Jones apply for reinstatement to the NFL shortly after April 10. That is the one-year mark of the league's new behavior program.
So that’s the latest. Which led me to only one natural conclusion - put it to song.
Sung to the tune of The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song.
Come and listen to a story about a man named Pac
A poor Mountaineer, Roger Goodell said he’s wack,
Then one day Jerry was looking for some "wow"
Pac said trade for me I want to join the Cows.
Cowboys that is, Dallas Texas, America’s Team.
Well what everybody knows is Jerry's a millionaire,
Pac’s agent said "Jerry, get him down there"
Said "Dallas is the place he ought to be"
So he loaded up the draft picks and moved Pac to the Valley.
Ranch, that is. Practice fields, helmets with stars.
(closing credits)
Well now its time for the fans to say hello to Pacman.
The strippers of the metroplex want for him to kindly drop in.
Pacman is invited back to this strip club,
To help make it rain and get a little rub
Lap dance, that is. Set a spell, Take your pants off.
Y'all come back now, y'hear?
Pacman Jones: When will he land with the Cowboys?
A lotta Pacman talk today. Some are saying Pacman Jones has already been traded to the ‘Boys, others say he hasn’t but he’s darn near close and others are reporting the news is no news.
The RotoTimes is reporting Adam Jones has been traded for a 5th round draft pick and that a press conference is scheduled for today. Now this could be a completely legitimate claim but I’m skeptical about it because this is the first time I’ve heard about the RotoTimes. You would think if this were true the larger media outlets would be aware of it. I’m more familiar with Rotoworld.com and they were citing NFL Network’s Adam Schefter who is claiming the deal is imminent but not yet consummated. Now they are citing the DMN Blog and they're saying nothing from nothing means nothing. They claim no news is imminent and both teams are talking but we'll just have to wait and see.
Apparently, the Titans want a third-round pick and Dallas is offering a sixth-rounder. I think that’s fair for a player the Titans are going to cut anyway.
So basically we’re back to where we started. We still don’t have Pacman Jones with a star on his helmet, we still have him expressing his desire to come here and we have the Titans resigned to the fact he’s probably gone.
Wow. Can’t we make this happen like yesterday please? I’m starting to get an itch like Bruce Dickinson. And it’s not cowbell I’m looking for. It’s Pacman Jones, gosh dangit. I’m getting sick and tired of all this waiting. Bring him to the Ponderosa, better known as Valley Ranch, sign him, let him give is obligatory mea culpa speech and let’s get on with the offseason shall we!
Hat tip for Heartburn and Mullin for posting diaries on the Pacman story here and here.
Greatest Cowboys By Their Jersey Numbers: #14
Part of the Greatest Players by Number Series
Jersey #14
Five players have worn #14, including some well-known quarterbacks.
Note: Although Miles Austin wore #14 during the 2006 season, I have included him as #19 because that is his current number.
Gary Hogeboom, QB, Central Michigan, 1980-85
Statistics: Hogeboom threw for 3,550 yards with 13 TD and 23 Int. in six seasons with Dallas.
Accolades: None with the Cowboys.
Longevity: Hogeboom was a backup for most of his tenure in Dallas. The big exception was during the first part of the 1984 season, when Tom Landry started Hogeboom over Danny White.
Intangibles: Hogeboom very nearly brought the Cowboys back from behind in the 1982 NFC Championship Game, but his short tenure as the starter was a bit of a disaster. The Cowboys started the season 4-3 en route to a 9-7 finish that kept the team out of the playoffs for the first time since 1974. Hogeboom returned to the backup role before moving on to play for Indianapolis and Phoenix later in his career.
Brad Johnson, QB, Florida State, 2007
Statistics: Johnson threw for 79 yards in 2007.
Accolades: None with Dallas.
Longevity: Johnson was signed in 2007 to back up Tony Romo.
Intangibles: Johnson seldom played during the 2007 season, except as a kick holder. He is much better known for his years of service with Minnesota, Washington, and Tampa Bay. With Dallas, he simply has not done much.
Eddie LeBaron, QB, Pacific, 1960-63
Statistics: In four seasons with Dallas, LeBaron threw for 5331 yards and 45 touchdowns.
Accolades: LeBaron was named to the Pro Bowl in 1962, even though he only started five games that year.
Longevity: LeBaron came to the Cowboys after spending seven seasons with Washington. Prior to joining the Dallas franchise, he had planned to retire to practice law. He lasted four seasons, starting at total of 26 games.
Intangibles: LeBaron is also often remembered fondly as the first starting QB in team history, though he suffered a great deal of punishment as the Cowboys tried to put together a team.
Paul McDonald, QB, Southern California, 1986-87
Statistics: McDonald never threw a pass for Dallas.
Accolades: None with Dallas.
Longevity: McDonald came to the Cowboys after spending several seasons with Cleveland. However, he never played a down for the Dallas, serving instead as a backup.
Intangibles: McDonald was better known for taking over Brian Sipe’s job in Cleveland in 1984. The Browns went 5-11 that year, and McDonald lost his job to Bernie Kosar in 1985. McDonald threw for 3,472 yards in 1984 but never attempted another pass as a pro, either with the Browns or with the Cowboys.
Craig Morton, QB, California, 1965-74
Statistics: In ten seasons with Dallas, Morton threw for 10,279 yards and 80 TDs. He started a total of 47 games for Dallas.
Accolades: None with Dallas. He was the starter for the Cowboys in Super Bowl V.
Longevity: In the modern NFL, a player like Morton would not have stayed with the same club as long as Morton did with the Cowboys. He was drafted in the first round of the 1965 draft but spent four years backing up Don Meredith. Morton became starter in 1969 and led Dallas to an NFC title in 1970. He lost his starting job in 1971 but took over again in 1972 when Roger Staubach became injured during preseason. Two games into the 1974 season, Dallas traded Morton to the Giants.
Intangibles: Most thought that Morton had a better arm than Staubach when the two played together in the early 1970s, though Staubach went on to become a more prolific passer. The Cowboys experienced success with Morton, though the team could not get over the championship hump until Staubach became the full-time starter. Morton played for the Giants and Broncos and even played against the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.
Poll
Here is your chance to vote for the greatest player to wear #14:
Note: There is a poll within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.
My Vote: Morton
Although I understand an argument for Eddie LeBaron, Morton played several more seasons with Dallas and accomplished more than LeBaron did. Only three quarterbacks have led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, and Morton was the first to do so.
More Dallas Cowboys players speak about Pacman
It’s relatively quiet on the Dallas Cowboys news front. We’re all just waiting to see what will happen with Pacman. Speaking of Pac, Sam Hurd and Quincy Butler say they’d welcome Pacman in Dallas and claim that the Cowboys character guys in the locker room and front office would keep him out of trouble.
"We're like a family," Hurd said. "Everybody is going to treat you well and not let you be an individual and go out there and cause chaos and hurt the team.
"We're going to teach you and talk to you and let you know we love you."
"Look at Tank," Hurd said. "He was wild. He was doing a lot of crazy stuff. He came here and he calmed down. He's got people on this team he can hang around and associate with that want to know what he's doing off the field and that want to be part of his life outside the locker room."
"[Calvin Hill] really motivates young guys, especially ones with troubled pasts," Butler said.
Nick Eatman breaks down fan reaction to the possibility of Pacman lining up with the star on his helmet. Which group do you fall into?
Jerry Jones is going to get a gazillion-billion dollars for naming-rights to the new stadium.
BTB-regular Mullin has a diary up about Pacman’s desire to wear the #21 jersey in Dallas. I’m guessing Prime Time wouldn’t mind. And as noted, if you currently have a Julius Jones jersey, you win. #21 with the name Jones on the back would still be viable. Woo hoo!
Second Round Mock Draft and other Cowboy tidbits
I haven’t seen many Second-Round Mock Drafts but Scout.com has one up. Very interesting stuff. Chris Steuber, a draft analyst, has us taking Arkansas RB Felix Jones (first time I’ve seen that) and Virginia Tech WR Eddie Royal. Steuber has this to say about Royal:
The Cowboys have done well in this draft and look to upgrade their offense even further in this round. They got Felix Jones ... and now get the speedy Eddie Royal as their slot receiver and return specialist.
Felix Jones in the second round? Don’t know about that one. Apparently these projections are based on a trade in the first round with Atlanta and the gamble is that Felix Jones will still be available midway through the second round. Don’t know if I agree with that. Jones certainly hasn’t done anything to suggest he's slipped that far. I haven’t heard of Jones’ posting bad 40 times, having low Wonderlic scores or anything of the sort. I may be wrong, but I just don’t see a talent like Jones slipping that far into the second round.
The book on Royal is that he’s fast (he ran a 4.39 in the 40) and he’s strong (he benches over 400 pounds) but he’s small at 5’10" and 184 pounds and the inconsistent quarterback play at Virginia Tech didn’t allow him to show his abilities adequately. He’s a good punt returner and kickoff returner.
Sweet. We need both of those.
So is our boy already married to Jessica? That’s what her mama says. But she could just be pulling the media’s chain. Could they even pull that off? I doubt it. They couldn’t even go to Mexico without the paparazzi following. If they got married somebody would know. They might even interrupt March Madness for exclusive coverage of the reception.
Like I said before in a previous post, she’s kinda part of the family so I gotta defend her. If and when it does happen tell me where to send the wedding gift. I’ll spring for some silverware, a crock pot or something.
The larger point here isn't the secret marriage -- real or imagined -- it's the fact that MSNBC reported this story along with People and Us magazines. Almost anybody could see the wink-and-nudge being played on the media here. No serious person believes they secretly got married. But Tony Romo is big business ladies and gentlemen. He's big news and Romo and Jessica together are starting to rival TomKat and Brangelina.
There’s a new installation in Ray Buck’s Old Boys Club series. Calvin Hill, a longtime consultant, discusses sports and his connections throughout the years. Here's an interesting fact: he hired Theo Epstein, current Red Sox GM, as a public relations assistant when he worked for the Baltimore Orioles. Wow. That’s impressive. He’ll need every one of these prior connections to keep Pacman Jones in line.
Hill also talks about some Cowboy history. He talks about being the first Cowboy to rush for 1,000 yards, playing injured in the Super Bowl and having to play second-fiddle to Duane Thomas during their Super Bowl run.
Hill takes us back to a November game in 1969, a high-scoring victory against the Redskins.
With five games to go, Hill needed to average only 40 yards to become the NFL’s first rookie 1,000-yard rusher. Instead, he ended up with 942.
And Gayle Sayers — with 1,032 — was the NFL’s lone 1,000-yard rusher that season. Oct. 25, 1970 (Cowboys 27, Chiefs 16) — Hill went to KC in a three-way battle (with MacArthur Lane of the Cardinals and Larry Brown of the Redskins) for the NFL rushing lead.
"Second play of the game, I did a cross-over block on [Chiefs linebacker] Willie Lanier, and he kneed me in the back," Hill said. "I couldn’t play after that."
This injury opened the door for Cowboys rookie Duane Thomas, a first-round draft pick from West Texas.
Landry to Hill: "Sit out a couple weeks, then come back."
"So, I sat out two weeks," recalled Hill. "Duane had two 100-yard games ... and when I came back, I didn’t play much."
The NFL is considering a restriction on hair length. I thought some of the celebration and taunting rules were dumb but apparently that wasn’t enough for the NFL. Now they are trying to up that absurdity with hair rules.
The DMN Blog points out The Barbarian, Captain Caveman and Isaiah Stanback all have long hair and might be affected. I can’t see MB3 without his dreads or Bobby Carpenter without his long mane. I agree with ESPN’s LZ Granderson who says this is more of a generational issue than anything. I thought everyone had a constitutionally-protected right to have a mullet. On that note, Patrick Kerney is thanking his lucky stars this rule wasn’t considered in 2001.
Come on, No Fun League. Can we concentrate on something that matters? Instead of end-zone dances and hair? Does the NFL really want to seem like the crazy preacher in "Footloose"? It’s not like we have all these long-haired hippies in the league who’d rather sing "Aquarius" than play football. For every Troy Polamula there’s a Patrick Crayton or Anthony Henry. Long hair is not the norm. This is a non-issue. Can we move on please?
That being said, these guys get paid a lot of money. And it’s not a right to play in the NFL but a privilege. So if they say snip it, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I can’t wear my Marion Barber jersey to work, so I can see how people could make a parallel.
Still sucks though.
I promised that I’d highlight some of the comments made from this blog. We’ll here it is. The first semi-regular Hat Tip Awards. Here we go!
Most Effective Running Gag:
Nelson for his response to Grizz’s post about Adam Schefter’s report that the Pacman trade is imminent and his post about not trading for Darren McFadden.
Nelson unveiled what has become his signature: a hilarious clip of some random guy dressed like a giant Pacman running through an office. The graphic speaks for itself. No matter how many times I see it, it never gets old.
Feel free to nominate others for these completely arbitrarily and random awards.
COWBOYS DRAFT COVERAGE
The two-headed monster of Jones and Phillips is working hard on the Cowboys next draft. We are planning some cool coverage of the event. Lets go get another superbowl. It starts with draft day.