Tag: Dallas Cowboys

Categories
NFL General

Cowboys and Dolphins fans can’t take it any longer


The mid-70’s seems to be the cutoff for anybody who wants to roam the sidelines at professional football games in silly costumes. Wilford `Crazy Ray’ Jones had been the unofficial mascot in the stands for Dallas in a trademark wild west getup with trademark white cowboy hat. Jones, 76, was never paid by the Cowboys for his services (shame on you Jerry Jones) but he was given a special parking spot and an all-access pass to every game at Texas Stadium. The diehard fan will now be buried in one of his traditional uniforms.

But Jones won’t be the only superfan watching his team from the big seat in the sky when this NFL season kicks off in the fall. Dennis Sym, a.k.a. ‘Dolfan Denny,’ died at the age of 72 on Friday after whipping Fins fans into a frenzy for over 34 years. Unfortunately, kidney failure and cancer would take the life of a man who had so bravely withstood every late season Miami meltdown for over three decades. But a disappointing Nick Saban stint proved to more than his old, proud body could take.

Links:

[DallasNews.com]: Wilford “Crazy Ray” Jones: 1931-2007
[MiamiHerald.com]: `Dolfan Denny,’ unofficial mascot

Categories
College Basketball

Jan 30 in Sports History: UCLA Bruins start streaking



John Wooden

In 1971: UCLA’s basketball team looked to rebound from a tough loss at Notre Dame the week before with a little tune-up against UC Santa Barbara before conference play began. The loss to the Irish ended a 45-game winning streak for the Bruins. Led by Sidney Wicks, UCLA dispatched UCSB 74-61. Then they decided to get serious and win 87 more consecutive games (and three championships). Ironically, the Bruins’ streak would come to an end again at the hands the Irish in South Bend 155 weeks later. Even more ironically (according to a site called referee.com), referee Rich Weiler worked both Notre Dame games. The Bruins’ 88-game winning streak (it could’ve been 133 if Catholics decided not to build a lovely campus in Indiana) will forever be untouched in college basketball.

In 1996: In the only Super Bowl where a player from the opposing team should’ve been given the MVP award, Steelers quarterback Neil O’Donnell “led” the Dallas Cowboys to their third title in five years with two horrendous interceptions in a 27-17 victory in Super Bowl XXX at Arizona’s Sun Devil Stadium. Brown was just sorta standing there, minding his own business and not covering anybody on either play. But O’Donnell insisted on landing him a huge free agent contract by giving Brown the MVP award. Even worse, O’Donnell questioned “which direction” the Steelers were headed that offseason when he landed an even bigger contract with the soon-to-be 1-15 Jets. Karma did the best it could, as Brown only played 14 games the next two years after getting all that money from the Raiders while O’Donnell fizzled out, became a journeyman backup and was not allowed anywhere near the ball during Super Bowl XXXIV with the Titans.

Categories
Dallas Cowboys

TO says good riddance to Parcells



See ya, Bill!

You know how Bill Parcells went out with class, issuing a statement that he was tired and physically he was tired and thanking all the players and coaches that supported him? Did you really expect the same from TO? Didn’t think so. The ever quotable TO had this to say about the Tuna’s retirement:


I am just hoping his retirement brings promise to what the team has to offer. This past year was a big letdown. On paper we were as good as anybody we played against every week. The end result didn’t show that. Our play was not indicative of what we could have done. What we should have done. Hopefully, the owner will hire a coach to take the team to the next level.

Parcell’s biggest sin?

I was underutilized in the offense. A new coach can be good for the Cowboys. It’s not just me. But my teammates know I could have done more. I wasn’t used as a No. 1 receiver. If you don’t involve a guy, that person is not going to be as productive as he can be. That’s how I felt.

What (good) coach in his right mind is going to take the Cowboys job? Can an incoming coach stipulate that his hiring is contingent on the cutting of Terrell Owens? (By the way folks, that’s our last TO/Parcells story for a while… we promise.)

Links:
[Star-Telegram]: Owens: Parcells’ retirement for the best

Categories
Dallas Cowboys

Bill Parcells has had enough


Well folks, everyone knew it was coming. Would the Big Tuna honor the final year of his contract with the Cowboys or had he had enough of coaching an underachieving team and dealing with TO the Media Whore? After only a week, the decision seemed fairly simple. Bill Parcells didn’t need more money, he didn’t need another year of padding his hall of fame resume and he certainly didn’t need any more headaches.

In a statement, Parcells said:

I am retiring from coaching football. I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years. Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help. Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it. I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here.

I am in good health and feel lucky to have been able to coach in the NFL for an extended period of time. I leave the game and the NFL with nothing but good feelings and gratitude to all the players, coaches and other people that have assisted me in that regard.

The look on Parcells’ face during the entire season (even sometimes during the Cowboys winning streak) seemed to indicate that he had had enough of this coaching business. Parcells has always ripped into players and let them know if they did something wrong on the field. This year, he seemed to just give it a half-hearted effort and went back to looking frustrated and annoyed rather than fired up and angry.

Perhaps Adam Schefter would like to change his story published two days ago about Parcells staying put?

Links:
[Dallas Morning News]: Parcells walks away from coaching

Categories
Dallas Cowboys

The Tony Romo Action Figure


Sometimes ebay is full of crap like an uneaten hotdog from the Seahawks NFCCG that fetches a bunch of money for no reason. But once in a while, you get a really clever auction item. Here is the Tony Romo Wildcard Playoff Edition action figure, custom made to look like Romo tackled at the 1 1/2 yard line after botching the snap.

Now, while the action figure botching a snap would have been better, you have to work with what is available.
The current bid is over $200 and for something this clever, it’s not worth it to us but the creator deserves a couple hundred for his efforts.

We’re eagerly awaiting the Koy Detmer FG holder action figure. After Romo’s gaffe, the placekick holder is getting way too much attention.

Links:
[eBay]: DALLAS TONY ROMO CUSTOM MCFARLANE NFL PLAYOFFS JERSEY

Categories
New York Giants

Bad Rumor Alert: Parcells to the Giants?


Remember that “false rumor mongerer” Adam Schefter, the one who predicted that the Raiders would fire Art Shell after one season? Well, he’s got a new rumor floating about: The Giants are trying to lure Parcells back to the NY Giants as GM.

Schefter is reporting that, even though it’s a long shot, the Giants are considering hiring Bill Parcells to come in and clean house. However, an artile in the Star-Ledger (NJ) claims that Bill Parcells was the one who contacted the Giants about becoming GM but the Giants said no thanks. NY wants someone to be there long term and with his age and recent wanderings, no one expects Parcells to be in his next (or current) job very long.

We would love to see Parcells back in the Big Apple. It would make for interesting press conferences and media coverage, not to mention the two times a year that the Giants go up against the Cowboys. Parcells leaving would also leave the door open for TO to blow up in Dallas and call his head coach a moron and say how he’s very happy to have the new head coach (Mike Martz/Denny Green/Bill Cowher/whoever) directing the offense and exploting what he “brings to the table”.

Alas… it is not to be. But can we all agree that there is no way in hell that Parcells and Owens will be on the same team next year? Or at least past the trade deadline next year.

Links:

[NFL.com]: Parcells may be lured back to Big Apple

[NJ.com]: Giants: Say no thanks to Parcells

Categories
Dallas Cowboys

Kim Etheredge has less reasons to be alive


The publicist who said “Terrell has 25 million reasons why he should be alive” has been fired by Owens. Not only did she insult the Dallas police department, she also provided one of the unintentionally funniest soundbites of 2006.

Now granted, she looked like a crack addict that day but we assume that if she weren’t up for 24 hours and dealing with TO, that she might look halfway decent when she cleans up. So there lies the moral of the story. Never hire someone just cause she’s good looking. Etheredge is/was probably the most incompetent publicist an athlete has ever had. She did more harm to TO’s image than any other publicist in the history of sports. Considering how low TO’s image was to begin with, that’s quite a feat. Maybe Nick Saban can hire her to make him look more like a money grabbing double talking weasel.

Links:
[Star Telegram]: Owens fires publicist

Categories
NFL General

Jan 4 in Sports History: More NFL playoff history


In 1976: The Dallas Cowboys became the first Wild Card team to reach the Super Bowl with a 37-7 drubbing of the Los Angeles Rams on the road. Roger Staubach, who had tortured the Vikings the week before with a miracle “Hail Mary” pass in the final seconds, threw for four touchdown passes in the blowout victory. The Cowboys were unable to complete the dream, as they lost in the Super Bowl to Pittsburgh.

In 1981: What does Sportscolumnhave against the Cleveland Browns? Nothing really — but when the Daily History writer is from Pittsburgh, these things get mentioned. Another January Sunday, another Cleveland Browns colossal playoff failure. This time, Browns’ quarterback Brian Sipe, kicker Don Cockcroft and coach Sam Rutigliano did the honors as the Browns blew another one they could’ve had. The warm weather Oakland Raiders were greeted with minus 37 degree wind chills (and snow balls from the Cleveland fans). But it was the Browns who were frozen, as Cockcroft missed three field goals and an extra point and Sipe threw three interceptions in a 14-12 loss. Cleveland drove to the Raiders 13 yard line in the final minutes, but Rutigliano elected not to have Cockcroft kick the game-winner (he did make two earlier) and called the infamous “Red Right 88” Sipe’s pass was intercepted by Mike Davis, and the Raiders went on to become the first Wild Card team to win a Super Bowl.

In 1980: President Jimmy Carter announced that the United States Olympic Team would be boycotting the Summer Games in Moscow later that year. In a highly criticized reaction to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan a few months earlier, hundreds of American athletes were not allowed to compete in their only chance to win an Olympic medal. The Soviets responded by not boycotting the upcoming Lake Placid Winter Games (we’re thankful for that- there wouldn’t have been a ‘Miracle On Ice’) but instead by skipping the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Both boycotts backfired, as the Soviets went unchallenged in 1980 and the U.S. had no competition in ’84. Really, it was just stupid, silly politics getting in the way of some great athletic contests. Carter wasn’t re-elected that year.

Categories
NFL General

Dec 28 in Sports History: The Greatest Game Ever Played

In 1958: It is known as the “Greatest Game Ever Played,” and it was the first NFL game to go into overtime. The Colts, led by a young Johnny Unitas, defeated the New York Giants 23-17 in Yankee Stadium to win the NFL championship. The highly anticipated game saw the Colts blow a 14-3 halftime lead, only to rally to tie the game in the final seconds behind the coolness of Unitas. Fullback Alan Ameche’s famous one-yard plunge clinched Baltimore’s first NFL title. The game was a coming out party for Unitas, who, a few years earlier was a Pittsburgh Steelers castoff playing semi-pro ball. He completed 26 of 40 passes for 349 yards, and converted many key first downs. Not only did the game make Unitas an icon, the high television ratings were a sign of things to come for the burgeoning league. The Colts defeated the Giants again the following year in the NFL Championship game

In 1975: The “Hail Mary” was born on a frozen Metropolitan Stadium field in Minnesota. Trailing the Vikings 14-10 with just 24 seconds left to play, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach flung a desperation pass from the 50-yard line down the right sideline in the direction of receiver Drew Pearson and Vikings’ defender Nate Wright. Pearson came down with it at the 5 and ran into the end zone for the stunning score. The Vikings protested that Pearson had pushed off Wright (which he later admitted to intentionally doing), but the field judge (who was hit in the head with a whiskey bottle for missing the call) upheld the touchdown and the Cowboys stole one from the Vikings 17-14. The Cowboys won the following week on the road as well, before losing to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

Categories
NFL General

TO’s got problems

From the Wiki entry for Paranoid Personality Disorder:

1. suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
2. is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates
3. is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
4. reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
5. persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights
6. perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack
7. has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner.

Check check check check check check and uh… maybe check.

Here’s the latest from Little T’s Paranoid Mind:

Owens remains upset that someone within the organization has been airing his dirty laundry… Although T.O. has a good idea of who is snitching — “This is not a situation where someone is hiding out in the bushes,” he said — he won’t confront the suspect until ‘the time is right.’
 

We can’t hardly wait.

Links:
[MSNBC]: A snitch among Cowboys, accuses Owens