Jason Garrett cleans up Play Calling Gate

IRVING, Texas - One week after his boss embarrassed him, Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett picked up a shovel, a broom and a mop to clean up the mess that made him look like the second coming of Dave Campo.

On the first day of the Cowboys' mini-camp, Coach Process addressed the play calling situation as best he could. He said the decision to have offensive coordinator Bill Callahan call the plays was made back in late January, but team simply fumbled how it was going to be announced.

Garrett called it a miscomunnication. That's a cute way to say, "Thanks, Jerry."

Garrett would say he's on board with this decision, that he wanted to delegate this responsibility but would not say this decision was a directive by owner/GM Jerry Jones. The perception that Jerry made this decision turned Garrett into a national punchline.

Because I am an incredible sports journa-least, I asked Garrett specifically, "Just to be clear - this was a not a case of your boss saying we want you to delegate this responsibility to somebody else?"

Garrett said: "You hear me say this a lot about collective decisions. We make collective decisions. I talk to the executive part of this organization and to the staff and come up with the decisions that we think are best for the Dallas Cowboys."

That's a non-answer answer.

He may be full of it, and maybe Jerry did tell him to have Callahan call the plays, but I actually believe Garrett. He butchered this story from Day 1, which he took responsibility for, but in terms of the evolution of a coach his thought process makes sense.

He said 28-plus teams have a coordinator call the plays becuase it is a big job. It's too much to do along with being a head coach. He would not say he has veto player over a specific play call, but he does. Ultimately, he is going to have the right of refusal on "Load Left".

"You have to understand the progression of your career; these things happen," Garrett said. "You can't have all the responsibility you always had when you're a coach. Staffs are big, responsibilities are big and it's important to delegate in the right way. We felt it was the right time to do this. We're trying to make a positive change."

Garrett's decision to explain his side of this is a positive for his reputation. He may be full of it, but he did himself a favor by explaining his side of this butchered story.

 

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Jason Garrett has been made into a Muppet

IRVING, Texas - The coach who was going to be the happy medium between the Jimmy Johnson/Bill Parcells types has now been relegated to Dave Campo/Barry Switzer/Wade Phillips status. It is not Jason Garrett's fault, but this is what happens when you coach the Dallas Cowboys.

This is Jerry's team, not yours.

Garrett wants us to believe the reason he didn't tell the world that he would no longer be calling the plays for the Dallas Cowboys is for the "competitive advantage."

So imagine his surprise on Tuesday afternoon when his boss said, and the offensive coordinator confirmed, that Coach Process is no longer the primary play caller for the Dallas Cowboys.

Jerry said offensive assistant Bill Callahan will call the plays for the Cowboys in 2013. He said this before JG addressed the media. And Callahan confirmed it before JG was asked about it.

"There is no real advantage for us to reveal who is calling plays in June," Garrett said Tuesday, after he tried not to comment on this non-story story for months. "We have had a plan in place for a long time."

Think February, but Garrett has doggedly tried not to say who would do what in regards to play calling. Maybe because for years play calling was Garrett's baby, and the reason Jerry hired him away from the Miami Dolphins' staff in 2007.

"He's still involved in the game plans," Callahan said. "It's (Garrett's) offensive system and I'm honored to take on the additional responsibilities of calling plays."

Now we know for sure - Jerry took it away, and handed it to Callahan. This is another chapter of the Great Uncomfortable Offseason of 2013.

For the sake of this offense, and the team, it may be better that Garrett is no longer calling plays. He will have more time to worry about the other two phases of the game.

For the sake of the perception of power and his authority, this looks terrible that Jerry made the announcement.

Garrett was the guy who was going to have total scene control, but now he longer does because this is what happens when you coach the Dallas Cowboys.

Garrett was polite, professional and decent in trying to deflect the questions. Whether he really agreed to this decision is debatable, but he certainly didn't like how Jerry just can't help himself around a microphone (God love him).

"What my job is to proceed in the best interest of the Dallas Cowboys and that's how I answer every question," he said.

I asked him if he was concerned about the perception of his authority being usurped by his owner.

He said, "No. I don't."

I asked him why not, then he got assertive.

He said, "Because I know what I do each and every day in regards to this football team. I know how he and I work together and how this organization works. And how well we communicate and how we come to decisions. I know what I do in the morning, when I come over here and how I coach this football team."

How his power is perceived among the media, or fans, or observers does not matter. What matters is how Garrett's power is perceived among his players and his assistant coaches.

And now they know - it's not his call. It likely never was because it's Jerry's team. 

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The Cowboys WR not to forget

IRVING, Texas - Dez Bryant is No. 1, Miles Austin is on notice as the No. 2, while rookie Terrence Williams is No. 3.

Where is the love for Dwayne Harris ? (If you want to follow him on Twitter, he's @D_Harris17)

Harris is 25, and entering his third year where he has become a quite the football player on the football field in the National Football League. He was a sixth round pick out of East Carolina three years ago, and has signs of maturing into a good No. 3/slot receiver. At least more than Kevin Ogletree, whom the Cowboys did not bring back.

The third year is usually the time if a guy is going to "get it" he "gets it", and the safe play is to think Mr. Harris is there. But we won't know if he is all the way there if the Cowboys quit asking him to return punts.

Harris made a name for himself last season as a punt returner. It put him on the field, he returned one punt for a touchdown, and put the Cowboys in favorable field position countless times with solid returns.

Ask any WR/punt returner and they'll tell you they want to do both because it means more playing time. But any player in that position will gladly give up punt returning duties because it means the team values them more as a receiver than as a returner.

"That's a question for Dez," Harris told me on Tuesday. "It's the same for (Bryant)."

The Cowboys used their prized No. 1 receiver as a returner for a while until it was decided not to risk any injury. It didn't help that Dez was a bit of a wildcard when he did it.

The trick for Harris is to catch everything when the ball is thrown his way, and make plays when either Austin or Dez go down. At the least he needs to stay in front of Terrance Williams.

"Every year you do fight for your job because every year they're always drafting the next guy," Harris said. "I know I took a step forward last year and I'm trying to improve on that. I'm a good return guy and I like returning kicks."

At 5-foot-11, Harris is not physically suited to be a top threat on the outside. Terrance Williams is 6-2, and can do that. 

What Harris should be able to is be an upgrade over Ogletree as the No. 3, at least, and return punts. If the Cowboys are using him as a receiver, and ask him top stop returning punts, then he should feel much safer.

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DeMarco Murray is fooling himself about this

IRVING, Texas - DeMarco Murray didn't bristle or change facial expressions, but he does not agree with the label a reporter used to help phrase a question:

"DeMarco, you're injury prone," the reporter said on Tuesday at Dallas Cowboys' OTAs.

You may as well call the guy a loser. Jocks normally hate being called injury prone.

"I wouldn't say I'm injury prone at all," said Murray, who is being held out of some of the Dallas Cowboys' OTAs because of a hamstring thingy. "I'm just trying to be smart about it."

He's not injury prone? Hmm ... what's a delicate way to say this? He is. Murray played in 13 games as a rookie in 2011 and in 10 games in 2012. That generally means he is injury prone.

I asked him if the tag bothers him.

"No, it doesn't bother me. I can't control that or anything that happens," Murray said.

As a freshman in '07, he missed OU's final three games.
In '08, he missed the final two games, including the national title game.
In '09, he appeared in every game but one.
In '10, he played in every game.

Murray is basically right on the line of injury prone. It's always something, and you're always holding your breath when he clears the pile it's not a toe, foot, ankle or knee.

He needs to play 15 or 16 games this season to prove he is indeed not injury prone.

 

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Dez Bryant is THE MAN on Twitter

Not sure what else to say about this other than Dallas Cowboys WR Dez Bryant ain't playin' on the Twitter thing.

 

This Twitter message has since been removed, but much respect to Dez. 

Twitter is stuffed with keyboard cowards, and Dez - or really anyone - doesn't have to put up with this. So what better way then to hand it back to said fan.

Well played, sir.

 

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Former Cowboys tormentor to retire

The NFL basically said Donovan McNabb retired two years ago, and he is making formal what the rest of us knew a long time ago. He last played a game on Oct. 16, 2011.

McNabb said he plans to officially retire as a Philadelphia Eagle. This is the type of player who should sign a one-day contract with a team. McNabb played elsewhere, but he is an Eagle; he was the face of a good franchise for nearly a decade. 

Maybe he should have done more, but he did a lot. Three NFC title games and a Super Bowl, among many indvidual achievements.

It sounds as if McNabb will do a ceremony when the Eagles host the Kansas City Chiefs in Philly in Week 3 so he can be reunited with his former head coach, Andy Reid, who is now in KC.

When he was in his prime, and before he and Terrell Owens went through their lover's spat, McNabb kicked the living bleep out of the Dallas Cowboys. 

In 20 games against the Cowboys, McNabb was 12-8 with 4,122 yards passing, 26 TDs and 13 Ints. Most of the positive numbers he amassed in the first few years of his career when the Eagles were one of the best teams in the NFL, and the Cowboys one of the worst.

Between 1999 and 2004, McNabb was 8-2 against the Cowboys. In this stretch is arguably the most famous play of McNabb's career: Monday night, November 15, 2004 at Texas Stadium.

  

 

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The position in football that is no longer worth it

IRVING, Texas - Looking at Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Joseph Randle my first thought was, "Switch positions."

It is not his fault, or even any kind of indictment on his ability. Looking at any NFL running back these days is like the tired "dead man walking" cliche.

Randle is a fifth round pick out of Oklahoma State, which is just about the right place to draft a running back these days. 

With the way running backs "die" these days, why would any kid willingly want to play the position? 

"I like to run the rock," Randle told me.

Without any prompting he continued, "All of them (defensive backs) that were taken in the draft early. I thought about it. I was like, 'Man, I should have played defense.' I did think about that."

I don't have a son, but if I did and he wanted to play football I would tell him to play any position but running back.

With the pounding running backs take these days, and the way more teams both in college and in the pros rotate at least two of them, the "safer" long term plays seems to be something other than this position. Punter, perhaps.

Randle said he played running back, cornerback and safety in high school.

This draft was not running back heavy - the highest taken was North Carolina's Giovani Bernard. A total of six running backs were selected in the first three rounds. Sixteen cornerbacks were selected in the first three rounds.

ME: Running backs just seem to die out so fast.
Joseph Randle: Not my kind.

ME: What is your kind?
Joseph Randle: "I can do a lot. If you have more than one good back, like we do, that will help us. I'm a running back and that is the position I wanted to play. I wanted to score touchdown. It's more fun defense. I liked to tackle and hit people, but you can do that on defense. This is what I chose and I'm sticking with it."

 

Godspeed.

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Travis Frederick's beard is worth a first round pick

IRVING, Texas - The first day of Dallas Cowboys' rookie mini-camp commenced on Friday, and here is what you need to know:

* Each rookie thinks he can start by Week 1.
* Each rookie is in awe of the chance to learn from Jason Witten, Dez Bryant, DeMarcus Ware, et all.
* Each rookie has a tremendous upside, but the speed of the NFL is much greater than college.
* The coaching staff is incredible.
* Each rookie impressed his respective position coach with knowledge that is far greater than his experience.
* It's a tremendous jump to play in the National Football League.
* This class is loaded with "steals" and "value picks".
* Each rookie just wants to do whatever it takes to help the team win because they are "team" guys.
* First round pick Travis Frederick's beard is better in real life, and is worth of a top 10 pick.

Look at that thing ... it's amazing.  

Frederick can play center, and his beard will play right guard.

The Cowboys' first round pick out of the University of Wisconsin may be a complete bust, but that beard is headed for Canton and the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

He said that all o-linemen at the University of Wisconsin try to grow beards, and his obviously took. He said it's been growing for the last 10 months. The beard looks like it has its own cell phone.

"I cut it off a little bit and it started back," he said. "I'm attached to it."

He said babies are often scared of it, but "women obviously love it."

And men are in awe of it.

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Dallas Stars could play a game in Cowboys Stadium

This concept is going to need one more season before it becomes a reality, but do not be surprised if in about one year the Dallas Stars announce they will play a home game at Cowboys Stadium. With the roof open, preferably.

The outdoor NHL game has become one of the league's signature events, but mostly those games have been confined to cold weather cities. With the Los Angeles Kings scheduled to play a game at Dodgers Stadium against the Anaheim Ducks, an outdoor game in a non-traditional market may become more frequent.

Talked to Dallas Stars president Jim Lites this morning and he said it's a concept that he has kicked around and believes can happen. Which means it will happen.

"We could do it at the Cotton Bowl but Cowboys Stadium makes more sense because of the cache of the building," Lites said. "You would do it in January or February, and open the roof. You can turn down the temperature of the ice to zero degrees. What we have at the time of year is not really a temperature issue but it's the rain. It's seldom humid at that time of year but it does rain."

The roof must be open. If not, it's just another indoor hockey game only with a giant TV set on top of the ice.

"It would take a lot of advance planning and really we are not in a position to do it this year," Lites said.

Lites said the amount of planning would be akin to hosting an NHL All-Star game, and would require several months of detailed work. 

"Two seasons," he said. "That would be about right."

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The worst team in Texas needs to lose more

Just when you thought some of those God-awful Dallas Mavericks teams of the '90s were the very worst, the Houston Astros are in a serious battle of "we can be the worstest".

In their first year of the American League, the Astros are 8-25 for an impressive .250 "winning" percentage. The Astros did not play on Monday night, but still lost 5-3 in extra innings.

The Astros simply must lose more if they want any hope of challenging the 1899 Cleveland Spiders for the supremacy of crap. The Spiders were 20-134, a .120 winning percentage, the worst in pro baseball history. What the final record does not reflect is that the Spiders were in a lot of those games, and needed just a few calls and they could have won as many as 25 games.

At the very least, the Astros are hard at work trying to at least be "worser" than their garbage year of 2012, when they finished 55-107 (.340).

BTW - The worst season in the history of the Texas Rangers was their first in the state, 1972, when they finished 54-100.

The sad part is there is no way for the Astros to post a winning percentage bad enough to distinguish itself as the very worst in the history of pro sports in this great state.

The Dallas Cowboys were 0-11-1 in their first season. The Houston Oilers had a few one-win seasons.

The Astros can't challenge winning .000 percentages like that because they play too many games. But for sheer quality of badness, these Astros could challenge the 1992-'93 Dallas Mavericks (11-71, .134) as one of the worst in the history of the state.

The odd part is that normally teams that suffer through seasons such as the one by the Astros normally are in their early part of the existence. The Astros have been around since 1962.

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