The Best Move the Dallas Cowboys Made In 2011

As disastrous as it was, the 2011 season for the Dallas Cowboys could have been worse. With all the media attention going on about how the ‘Boys can’t win the big games, and how Tony Romo can’t be the leader that the team needs, Dallas couldn’t afford more distractions and relive old bad memories of the Cowboys history. By old memories I am talking about our glory days being shot down by star players of the team being arrested for drug charges.

I remember being young and hearing jokes from Cowboys haters about the Chicago Bears having a “Fridge” (William Perry) and the Dallas Cowboys having a “Coke Machine” (Michael Irvin). Nate Newton was another star for the Cowboys that had multiple drug charges. For a good chunk of years whenever drugs and the NFL were brought up it seemed like everyone thought of the Dallas Cowboys. I recall Jay Leno making jokes on his show about Dallas Cowboys players coming to practice while being on house arrest and referees at Cowboys games given handcuffs instead of flags. That was a bad time for Cowboys fans all over the country and was a disgrace for Americas Team.

I do believe Jerry Jones raised the bar as far as work ethnics and lifestyles for future players on the team. A prime example of that would be Randy Moss. The Cowboys were going to draft Randy Moss in 1998 but because of an incident that occurred in college he was placed on probation and tested positive for marijuana. Moss served a 60 day sentence for his violation and although it was 2 years before the draft, Jerry Jones couldn’t risk putting another cloud of smoke in the locker room. Jerry Jones may regret not drafting Moss but at least the organization has tightened up and drugs and Dallas Cowboys are not in the same sentence anymore.

All the forgotten memories were very close to being relived in “Big D”. Last year the Dallas Cowboys were trying to set up a new contract with WR Sam Hurd but he ended up in Chicago along with Roy Williams and Marion Barber. Hurd didn’t take long in Chicago before getting caught trying to purchase large amounts of various drugs that in such would have made Irvin and Newton’s charges look like traffic violations. Hurd was released by the Bears after his arrest and is currently waiting for his trial, but there are reports that Hurd has a cousin trying to make purchases for him in which got him arrested as well. I am not a judge or a juror but it is obvious that Sam Hurd is choosing the wrong paths in his life.

It may not have seemed that big of a deal back in December when Hurd was arrested, but if he didn’t move to Chicago this whole incident would have been another slap in the face for the Cowboys. The way the media likes to poke at the Cowboys this would have opened a door to the past and given the team another big distraction. Distractions are one thing the Cowboys need less of. So now it becomes obvious, not signing Sam Hurd was by far the best move the Dallas Cowboys made in 2011.