Dallas Cowboys: Opinions Vary

Dec 29, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys mascot Rowdy reacts in the tunnel during the second half of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT

Opinions are like noses, as they say, everyone has one.  That is no different when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys.  Whether you are visiting various websites dedicated to the Cowboys and the NFL, reading the paper, watching TV, or listening to talk radio, you will be exposed to someone’s opinion.  You will see some of them as valid, because you agree with them, just like you will believe other opinions are not valid, because you don’t agree with the basis of the opinion.

In other words, because you believe Tony Romo is a lousy quarterback, you will agree with those that express derogatory opinions about Romo and discount any stories that heap accolades upon Romo’s head, no matter how much statistical proof is provided that shows Romo is a much better than average quarterback.  And no matter how many come from behind victories Romo is able to engineer, he will still be remembered by some for the last minute interceptions that prevented a chance to win, completely ignoring the fact that Peyton Manning, as well as other highly rated quarterbacks, have lost games the same way.  My opinion: Romo is a better than average quarterback that sometimes makes mistakes at inopportune times, but helps them win more games than he causes them to lose.

It’s not just about Romo though, as you have fans of head coach Jason Garrett and his detractors.  His fans will say he’s changed the culture of the team, they play harder, they make less penalties, his input in the draft has improved their selection process and that they are really close to breaking out of their mediocrity.  His detractors will say that they will be in this 8-8 rut as long as Garrett remains head coach because he doesn’t know what he is doing and never will. He doesn’t know how to manage the clock and his offense passes too much, rather than take a more balanced approach by relying more on the running game.  My opinion: Garrett has done all of those things that his fans would say, but he is still learning to be a good head coach.  It did appear that he was better at clock management this year, but still needs to create a more balanced attack.

Then we come to Jerry Jones.  No one connected to the team incites as much passion as Jerry.  Many detractors begin their litany of Jerry’s offenses with when he bought the team and fired Tom Landry, never mind the fact that many fans had been calling for Landry’s head long before Jerry arrived.  Fans loved the success that ensued, until they were able to find fault with Jerry for running head coach Jimmy Johnson off after the Cowboys second consecutive Super Bowl victory with Johnson, never mind the fact that Jimmy had a reputation of not staying anywhere beyond five years.  Besides that, I recently heard someone that was close to the situation say that Jimmy had developed a habit of exhibiting condescending behavior towards Jerry in public, leaving Jerry no choice but to part ways with him.

More recent criticism would be about the teams draft choices with Jerry in charge and large contracts offered to players beyond their prime.  They will also fault him for firing defensive coordinator Rob Ryan too soon and not firing his replacement Monte Kiffin soon enough.  My opinion: Jerry certainly means well and will pay whatever it costs to get a championship.  With Garrett’s influence, the team is drafting much better and I think recent issues with the large contracts given to Jay Ratliff, DeMarcus Ware, Doug Free and Miles Austin will cause Jerry to be more cautious in that area going forward.  Kiffin should be fired, or re-assigned, with Rod Marinelli being moved up to defensive coordinator, but we will have to wait a bit longer for that one.

When it comes to opinions, what drives me the craziest are those experts on the radio that say with the Cowboys finishing 8-8 again Garrett should be fired.  That’s when they aren’t alternately saying this team has no chance with Jerry as the general manager.  Which is it then? If the team has no chance with Jerry as the GM, what difference does it make who the coach is? I just can’t stand inconsistent thought.