If you are not a football fan, pass on reading this entry.
It's January, which means that, like 3 years past, it's time for me to mourn the passing of my beloved Cowboys. Funny thing happened this year; my condolences are a week later than they used to be! My 'Boys made it to the Playoffs!
My beloved
Cowboys are the 2nd casualty of the NFL Playoffs. Truth to tell, I never have liked
Bill Parcells. I hated him when he was with the Giants; I especially hated him that he won the only SuperBowl I have been to,
Superbowl XXV (Whitney Houston sings the anthem, Buffalo vs. The Giants, Tampa, the first Gulf War...remember?). I was still living in Boston then, and he came to coach the Patriots, and I still did not like him, despite the results. He went to the Jets, and I said good riddance.
Then he came to the Cowboys.
Now, after 3 straight 5-11 seasons of the world's greatest team, you would think I'd be happy, right? After all, a Hall Of Fame coach, with an owner who finally puts his ego aside (
Al Davis, pay attention!), and a proven track record of turning teams around, takes over my beloved 'Boys. I'm happy, right?
Wrong.
I don't know what it is:
Tuna bothers me. He's a great coach, no question, and the results are beyond fantastic. But this guy is a mercenary in the worst way: he will make these professional players feel like they are back in high school, failing, and will crush their ego, and build them up again around the cult of Parcells, inspiring them to overcome pain and reality to claw their way to the promised land...and he will leave them there. Whether it's a Superbowl win, or a Conference Championship, he will leave, having completed his work. And one year later, the team returns to its previous mediocrity.
Think about it: after Parcells leaves the Giants, in 10 years they get back to the Superbowl once, and lose. The Patriots lose the Superbowl, lose Parcells, and get back to it under a completely new coach years later, one who will probably lead them back again this year. The Jets? They haven’t had a whiff of championships since Parcells left.
I want a coach who will make a dynasty or die trying. I want a Jimmy Johnson, a Don Shula, a Dick Vermeil; heck, I'll settle for a Bill Cowher! But I want a coach who can make a team win, consistently, every year, for decades. I know, it’s not logical, given that I am a huge fan of the greatest NFL mercenary ever,
Deion Sanders (who played his best football with the Cowboys, IMHO), but having a coach who builds a cult of personality around himself, and has a track record of leaving on the completion of a single goal just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
So, while I am happy for the overachieving Cowboys this year, and I will always be on their bandwagon, win or lose, I hope they win in spite of Parcells. Next year, they need to draft a good running back (
Troy, you might be good in
Madden 2004, but not in reality), they need to make a big play for a great QB, because
Quincy Carter is NOT the answer, despite how he improved this year. I vote for going whole hog after
Mark Brunell: he's got 2 years in him, at least, and the
Jags don’t want him! Dump
Chad Hutchinson, sign
Doug Flutie to a 1 year deal as a backup, and keep Quincy as 3rd QB. I say with that, they get to the NFC conference, at least.
And yes…
How Bout them Cowboys? :-)
