Bad Publicity For The Cowboys Means Nothing
By Luke Swiney
When it rains, it pours. A negative light began to shine when Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee went down with injury. The negative light shone brighter with Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain failing to convince a judge to get a continuance on his trial, causing him to miss some camp time. Oh, but it’s not over yet. Recently, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones decided to do his best impression of Hugh Hefner with some racy photos and really compromise his integrity (what little is left), shining an even more negative light on the Dallas Cowboys.
Now, he claims the photos are being misrepresented, and I believe him. Obviously, he was performing the Heimlich maneuver on the young lady in one of the photos. The other lady was simply trying to find her earring. The third picture…well, we all have those embarrassing moments when we walk in the wrong restroom. Jerry, c’mon man. If I’m not mistaken, these photos allegedly date back five years. That puts these pictures back to around the same time Jerry was recorded going on a drunken rant about why he would never draft quarterback Tim Tebow. Misrepresented indeed. This is not the type of publicity the Cowboys need.
The latest event is just as embarrassing but hurts the team in a greater capacity. Dallas defensive back Orlando Scandrick is now suspended four games for violating the NFL substance abuse policy. I do commend him on not claiming conspiracy or misrepresentation. Beyond that, I commend him for just admitting he made a mistake. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but at least he can man up.
I’m going to look at the bright side though. At least we didn’t draft quarterback Johnny Manziel and have that attention coming along with everything else that would take place. The situation could be worse. There would be rumors of Manziel starting over Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo this season. Especially when everyone was on red alert because Romo didn’t start the first preseason game. Could you imagine the rumor mill and the headlines if Manziel were on the team and started that game? Even worse, could you imagine Manziel and Jerry spending a night on the town? That just spells disaster.
We have to remember, it’s the Dallas Cowboys. Anytime the haters get fuel, they will throw it on the fire. The old saying is true; no news is good news, especially for the Dallas Cowboys. But, here’s the good news. The season hasn’t started yet. You think it’s bad now? Wait until the Cowboys lose a game, or Romo throws an interception. Wait until our defense gets burnt on a deep play. It’s annoying to me that most people and media outlets put more energy into hating the Cowboys, than they do cheering their own team.
On the field, none of this means anything. Many teams have recovered from negative publicity brought on by players and coaches. Look at the Pittsburgh Steelers for example. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a couple rough off seasons riddled with bad choices. Ex-Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis wasn’t exactly a saint, but he’s wearing two Super Bowl rings. Look at the New England Patriots if we must. Spy-Gate was a huge scandal, but since that, they haven’t had one losing season. They have also been to the playoffs five times with two Super Bowl appearances. Why can’t it happen for the Cowboys too?
I hate to quote a guy that brought negative light into Dallas on a weekly basis, and many times said, “I love me some me.” But, wide receiver Terrell Owens was right about one thing when he said, “they still love to hate me.” The same is true for the Dallas Cowboys. As for Owens, I’ll admit, I actually liked the guy.