The Dallas Cowboys should not be saying they need to play Dallas Cowboys football

IRVING, Texas - One of the great and rapidly growing cliches in sports are athletes and coaches saying, "We just need to play TEAM X" kickball.

And when you play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, New York Yankees, LA Kings, etc. you should do that. To play to that brand means you are winning.

On Wednesday, Cowboys defensive end Jason Hatcher said, "We just need to go out and play Dallas Cowboys football."

Jason Hatcher is truly one of the good guys on this team, and in this league, but I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Hatcher. The Dallas Cowboys should NOT be playing Dallas Cowboys football. Winning on the road against the Giants and then following that with a bad loss in Seattle is Dallas Cowboys football.

The Dallas Cowboys should be playing New England Patriots football. The Dallas Cowboys should be playing Baltimore Ravens football.

The brand of football and identity of the Dallas Cowboys for more than a decade is that of mediocrity, and that is not good enough.

I asked Hatcher what 'Dallas Cowboys' football is.

"It's aggressive, physical, fast, loose, physical football," he said. "It's the way the Dallas Cowboys were in the '90s. I grew up on those teams."

That is an admirable aspiration. If the Dallas Cowboys want to play 'Cowboys football' as defined by this century, prepare for more stink.

If the Cowboys want to follow Hatcher's lead and try to define 'Cowboys football' as established by that collection of bad asses in the '90s, great. 

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A big loss for the NFL: NFL films exec Steve Sabol passes

One of the most iconic images in Dallas Cowboys history is that of a shadowy Tom Landry walking around Texas Stadium. The picture was captured by NFL FIlms in the '70s, and inside an editing room the shot was immediately recognized by NFL Films exec Steve Sabol, one of the most important people to the growth of the league.

Today, after a long fight with a brain tumor, Sabol died. The story was reported on NFL.com.

Sabol started out at NFL Films, which was founded by his father Ed, as a camerman and eventually became the voice and face of what was arguably the single biggest, and most important, media arm to the league for many years.

What Ed and Steve Sabol did was to produced movies based on an NFL game, or season. They used expensive technology and coupled it with script writing, stirring background music, and an extensive use of slow motion mixed in with sound bites from players and coaches no one could get anywhere else to create memorable scenes.

"He was such an innovator in the way they put together the highlights for the NFL. How many cameras they put out; it was documentary style. It was cutting edge," said TV sports producer Dave Keeney. "It was building on the popularity of the game. It's one of the reasons you had the NFL Network is so popular is because of what they did at NFL Films. The library is huge. They did such an awesome job. You knew what it was the minute you heard the music. You didn't need to see the pictures. You knew it was an NFL game. He and his dad created a brand is what they did."

Sabol's work has been recognized and celebrated by the NFL, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and earned him countless media awards, etc. 

He was 69.

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Prepare for bad news: Dallas Stars making lockout plans

The NHL and the NHL Player's Association are formally meeting today in the NYC to possibly reach an agreement and avoid a lockout that would begin Sept. 15; click here for more.

Proving how much they want to avoid a work stoppage, this is the first time the two sides have met since Aug. 31. Yes, that is sarcasm. The deadline is 11:59 pm ET on Saturday night to avoid a work stoppage.

NHL boss Gary Bettman is in a serious bind; this is not a lawyer who likes to lose and there is a good chance he is not going to body slam NHLPA leader Don Fehr the way he did Bob Goodenow back in 2004.

Unlike in 2004, when Bettman had the complete support of every one of the owners he represents, there are some disagreements within the ownership group this time. It is likely a good reason Fehr took over as NHLPA boss; he has some leverage this time whereas Goodenow had very little.

No one is supporting the owners or Bettman this time. The 2004 lockout was presented as a necessity to "fix the game". Nothing was really fixed but the problems just looked different; now we know that the '04 lockout and this potential stoppage is another money grab disguised as a solution.

A source with the Dallas Stars said the team remains in a holding pattern but is making plans to travel to Boise next week to begin training camp.

Contingency plans are now being made. The source said the team will send out a letter on Sunday morning to all season ticket holders about refunds for any potential lost games.

The source said the general feeling is that the season will be delayed, but not lost. The Winter Classic, which is scheduled for Ann Arbor, Michighan between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs, is not a game the league or those respective ownership groups want to surrender.

 

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How DeMarco Murray let down the fantasy geeks who have him on their team

IRVING, Texas - Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray had one of the best Week 1's of any NFL running back, but his decision to turn left rather than stay straight cost both he and the fantasy owners/nerds who have him on their team.

In the third quarter of the Cowboys' Week 1 win against the Giants, Murray was nearly stopped for a loss by a Giants defender, then by fullback Lawrence Vickers, when he broke loose on the right side for a 48 yard run. Should have been longer.

He had Dez Bryant in front as a blocker, but rather than remain straight on the right sideline he opted to turn left towards some chasing Giant defenders where he was stopped at the 25-yard line.

Murray said he thought the Giant defenders were much closer than they were and he did not think he was going to be about to out-run them.

"Looking at the film I could have just walked into," Murray said. "Hopefully that won't happen again."

The additional 25 yards would not have made him the week's most productive back, but his fantasy owners would have been grateful for the points.

1. C.J. Spiller, Bills: 14 carries, 169 yards, 1 TD
2. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys: 20 carries, 131 yards
3. Steven Ridley, Patriots: 21 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD
4. Frank Gore, 49ers: 16 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD
5. LeSean McCoy, Eagles: 20 carries, 110 yards 

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NFL replacement refs are as good as the "real" ones

Since it is the first Monday after the first day of the NFL regular season, and there is no way we can survive without complaining, I will choose to do the latter and praise the jobs done by the "replacement" referees in their first real game.

Job well done to the Replacement Refs. You're as bad as the real ones.

I especially liked it when the "fake" refs gave the Seahawks an extra timeout. 

Of course, I also have fond memories of the "real" refs for screwing up a coin toss for the Steelers once.

As you may know the regular referees are stuck in a nasty labor fight against the NFL. The league is basically saying you aren't as important as you think, and Sunday is proof the league is correct. The NFL refs' union screwed with the wrong league; this is a league that has used replacement players before to prove the point that we just want to watch this game and we don't care who is wearing the uniforms.

On Sunday, The Twitter thingy was buzzing with complaints of bad officiating. There is always bad officiating because it is inherently an impossible task.

There may not be a harder job in sports than officiating an NFL, MLB, NHL or NBA game. It is not whether the referee is "good" but where they reside on the Scale of Suck. It is an impossible task that requires 10 eyeballs per ref, solid conditioning, quick thinking, high concentration and thick skin.

A retired pro hockey player once complained to me that the refs were nothing more than a collection of frustrated jocks. Not that much different that sports journalists. There is no credit or fame in being a ref. 

I hope the real referees get everything they want and then some in their labor fight against the NFL, but they won't because if we will watch scab player football we will certainly watch scab referee football.

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Cowboys chit chat No. 5: Brandon Carr & Morris Claiborne make Rob Ryan look genius

In the first of what will be a season-long, next day chat with you - the greatest people on earth - we will chat about the Dallas Cowboys' previous game.Post your comment underneath and we can begin a discourse.

Question: Does Rob Ryan suddenly have great hair?

Answer: Yes. The mop atop Ryan's head is likely more a source of envy, but the way the Cowboys defense played against the Giants every thing looks pretty good. And even if you are no good at lip reading, it was pretty easy to determine what Ryan was screaming from the sidelines on Wednesday night: "Play some bleep bleep bleep defense! If you want to bleep bleep bleep bleep win bleep bleep bleep this bleep bleep bleep game you have to bleep bleep bleep ... I forgot what I was going to bleep bleep bleep bleep say!"

Props to corners Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr, each of whom held coverage longer than their predecessors allowing a front seven to get a little more pressure on Eli Manning.

Jason Hatcher, whom not enough people realized what a raw project he was coming out of Grambling, was solid as a starter as was nose tackle Josh Brent, who filled in for the injured Jay Ratliff. Brent is developing into a solid nose tackle; he doesn't have Ratliff's motor, but he is a bigger body who can occupy space.

Sean Lee forced a fumble, had more than 10 tackles, and is chasing DeMarcus Ware as this team's best defensive player. The guy makes quality plays all the time. Second-year LB Bruce Carter continues to make the Cowboys look good for drafting him last year even though he was coming off a torn ACL. He has the speed, and looks like he has the instincts.

The Cowboys held Eli Manning to 187 yards passing and sacked him three times; the Giants were 4-of-12 on third downs, and ran for 82 yards.

And a tip of the cap to Cowboys LT Tyron Smith for hustling to tackle Giants LB Michael Boley at the 2-yard line after he intercepted a second-quarter pass. The Cowboys defense held on the ensuing possession and forced a Giants field goal after a 1st-and-goal from the 1.

Anything about this defense you didn't like?

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Angels CF Mike Trout & this former Texas Rangers MVP share this in common

Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout recently turned 15 years old and already he is the American League MVP, and its Rookie of the Year. His numbers are absurd:

.339 BA in 437 ABs
148 hits
22 doubles
6 triples
25 HR
74 RBI
41 steals
4 caught stealing
.401 on base percentag
.588 slugging

Also,
* Feeds the homeless
* Gives all of his money and future contracts to a village in Central America
* Delivers Meals on Wheels on Saturdays
* Is thought to be the Navy SEAL team 6 member who got Osama Bin Laden on the daring night raid
* Is secretly dating Condi Rice

He is thought to be the easy winner for the 2012 AL MVP award. 
He is has no business winning it.

Why? The Angels are in third place in the AL West, nine games behind the Rangers for first and four for a wild card spot. Only if the Angels make a push and grab that playoff spot will I change my mind.

The best team in the league may not require an MVP candidate, but a team that does not make the playoffs, especially in the expanded format, was going to be just as irrelevant with or without a Mike Trout type of season.

The last time the AL MVP award went to a player on a team that didn't make the playoffs was in 2003 when Alex Rodriguez won it for the Rangers. They finished 71-91 that season.

Stat me up all you want - but a non-playoff team can't have the MVP.

 

 

 

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Roger Clemens signs with a baseball team. To pitch. Again. Seriously.

Proving once again that nothing can defeat an ex-jock like boredom, former MLB star pitcher Roger Clemens is going to play baseball again. Seriously. Not making this up. FOX 26 in Houston broke this story.

Clemens, 50, has signed a deal with the minor league and very unaffiliated Sugar Land Skeeters to pitch.

According to the Skeeters' website, he is scheduled to make his first start on Saturday. The Skeeters play in the Atlantic Baseball League. When I think of Sugar Land, Texas I usually think of the Atlantic Ocean.

Could be a big pickup for the Skeeters, who are 18-19 and in third place in the Freedom Divsion. They are 5.5 games behind first-place Lancaster.

Clemens' 873-year career ended in 2007 when he pitched for the Yankees, when he was 44. He was 6-6 with a 4.18 ERA that season. His last start came on Sept. 16, 2007 in Boston, a 4-3 loss.

This is not the first time an aging player hooked up with an unaffiliated club to keep playing the game that gave them so much, and they obviously love. The one that comes to mind is Rickey Henderson, who played with the Newark Bears and San Diego Surf Dawgs after his MLB career was over.

But unlike Clemens, Henderson did not play the game - and leave the game - with a giant steroid cloud hanging over his head.

Even though Clemens was cleared of lying to Congress for using PEDs, the accusations made by his former trainer - and teammate Andy Petite - cloud this man's future not necessarily with the game but certainly his legacy. In fairness, it was cloudy before the accusations.

Either way, if he is willing to do this it's hard to deny Roger Clemens loves baseball.

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Texas Rangers today & at the same point one year ago

Despite a first-place lead in the American League West, consecutive World Series appearances, the Texas Rangers apparently stink. Didn't you get the memo?

The Rangers avoided a four-game sweep against the New York Yankees by winning today in the final of this series.

Here we are on Aug. 16, 2012 and the Rangers are 68-49 with a 6.5 game over second-place Oakland and Anaheim.

At this same time one year ago, the Rangers were 71-52 with a 6 game lead over second place Anaheim.

Even with Josh Hamilton in a contract year, why does this feel so different?

Take your pick. A various number of injuries to starting pitchers that did not happen one year ago. Michael Young appears to have hit middle age.

The biggest worry should be starting pitching. Not only do they still not have a postseason hammer, but Matt Harrison is the only healty starting pitcher on this staff with a sub 4 ERA.

If it makes you feel any better, and this won't, but on this date in 2011 the St. Louis Cardinals were seven games behind Milwaukee in the NL Central.

 

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Dear Roger Goodell - About preseason football, do the right thing

Dear NFL boss Roger Goodell,

Not sure you are aware of this, but there were a lot of people who paid anywhere between $45 to $185 to watch the Oakland Raiders play the Dallas Cowboys in a fake football game on Monday night in Oakland. According to the box score, a little more than 50,000 people attended this game. Why is not the issue; I don't know why anyone would pay $100 to watch that crap.

If I paid to watch that I would demand a refund, and a case of beer so as not to sue the NFL for breach of contract. Or something. Somebody is getting sued if I drop $100 to watch 3-0 fake football.

Thats' right, Roger, the final score was 3-0. Please do not be fooled into believing the final score indicates the quality of entertainment produced by these two teams. This was unwatchable. I'm not even sure the parents and loved ones of the actual players could have watched this game without feeling ill.

A few years ago you lobbied hard to reduce the exhibition season by two and have an 18-game regular season schedule. It felt like a done deal, until the union stood on this issue and you backed off. So four fake football games remain on the schedule.

Hosting a pair of home games where the owners pay the players almost nothing while charging regular-season ticket prices is the easiest money this league makes. It is also perhaps one of the worst gestures among the four major pro sports leagues, and serve as a nasty tease to us fans. Technically, it is football. But it's not. We really have another month before real football begins.

If the NFL is going to keep the 16-game regular season schedule, which it should therby reducing the risk of diluting its product, it does not mean it can't tinker with this four-game preseason. Get rid of the four games and go to three, or two.

Or, reduce the prices of these preseason tickets by half so the fans who already know they are getting screwed don't feel exploited. Do that, or give away seats to people who can't neccesarily afford to see a pro football game in person.

You can't change the fact that preseason football is bad; there is simply too much to lose for both the coach and the player to expose much of anything from certain plays or formations to more than a handful of snaps for the best players.

Fake football is a minor league product, so do the right thing and charge a minor league price.

Sincerely, 

An NFL fan

 

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