Rooting for the Cowboys - It Just Keeps Getting Harder, and Harder…
Ok, I understood the firing of Tom Landry, and actually thought it was long past due. His Flex defense had been outmoded and out-sped in the NFL for about a decade by then, the franchise had lost the advantage it had once had in identifying and drafting players who could make a difference, and the whole organization had gotten old and tired. So I didn’t really have a problem with that whole deal, even though it meant I had to stomach Jimmy Johnson for several years.
And I was even able to live with bringing in Barry Switzer to be the caretaker coach for a few years, given that all he was there for was to provide a face for the media to deal with and he wasn’t going to do anything radical to screw things up. A loss in the NFC Championship game and a third Super Bowl win in four years resulted from what turned out to have been an astute move by owner Jones, so, even though it meant tolerating the presence of one of the most heinous cheaters in college football history on the sidelines, it was a livable arrangement for Cowboys fans.
The coaches who followed were non-entities like Chan Gailey and Dave Campo, perrennial mediocrities who were able assistants but unable head men, making tolerance of the ongoing screwups of Owner and now General Manager Jones in player personnel and salary cap decisions that much tougher to live with.
Then came Keyshawn Johnson and the thought was, well, he’s not any more obnoxious than Deion Sanders, and we managed to live with him for several years. But then Keyshawn was followed by the hyper self-centered blowhard Terrell Owens, and the dam finally began to crack, especially with the playoff failures that followed the last two regular seasons.
And now, this morning I wake up to find that, if I want to remain a fan of the Dallas Cowboys I am going to have to just suck it up and live with the presence of freaking Martellus Bennett on the goddam team? Are you seriously telling me this? This is the f*cking thanks I get for being a fan of the franchise since I was old enough to adjust the vertical hold on our old black and white Zenith in 1963?
This is what Cowboys fans have to look forward to rooting for in 2008? Seriously??
Holy shit, this is asking a lot. I’m going to have to think about it, really. We may have at long last reached my breaking point.
April 27, 2008 at 7:42 am
C’mon man why the hate? He’s entertaining and besides his presence in Big D means we probably won’t win this year in Austin. I mean you guys did switch coordinators in the offseason right? Davis is gone and Major took over didn’t he?
April 27, 2008 at 8:37 am
It’s the pros. Not college, the pros.
I wouldn’t care if the Cowboys drafted Hillary Clinton, so long as she blocks on the goal line and releaves pressure from Glenn and Owens and Witten every once in a while.
April 27, 2008 at 9:13 am
I finally realized that it made almost zero sense to be unquestioningly loyal to a business entity. The only thing they’re loyal to is my wallet.
It’s been a lot easier since I figure that out. There’s no point in being loyal to any pro team. So I’m not, really, anymore. I still like the Cowboys because I grew up liking them. But it’s certainly not a big deal anymore. It really started going away while I was at UT attending those games.
April 27, 2008 at 9:19 am
I stopped being loyal to the cowboys when they asked for $25 to park.
April 27, 2008 at 9:27 am
“It’s been a lot easier since I figure that out.”
I were gone say that. Only the right word is “it”.
April 27, 2008 at 10:16 am
College allegiance, for me, leaves with graduation. I learned to root for Evil Roy Williams (until he started sucking), so I’m actually glad to have Bennett. Dominating blocker and underrated receiver. Good pick.
There are a few cases, like Pacman Jones or Adrian Peterson, where I could never root FOR them. I would just tolerate their presence.
Luckily for me I was too young to really hate Barry Switzer when he was hired, so I missed out on that fun moment. I didn’t even know who he was. My dad came around on him though, and we have about the same level of homerism when it comes to Dallas, so I probably would have, too.
Fuck Pacman though, dammit.
April 27, 2008 at 10:27 am
Barry Freakin’ Switzer = OK
Martellus Bennett = Breaking Point
WTF?
April 27, 2008 at 10:39 am
I like the Bennett pick. Great blocker who allows them to use the two tight end set more.
April 27, 2008 at 2:29 pm
What TTP, Fred said.
I would take a team of 22 Pacman Joneses and 22 Terrell Owenses and one Martellus Bennett over living through Barry Shitzer again. You realize, don’t you, that Barry pretty much single-handedly lost that NFC title game you mentioned, right? And they won the Super Bowl the next year pretty much because Aikman ignored him, right?
Sticking withe the Cowboys through the Shitzer Era pretty much convinced me that I would stick with them no matter what.
The only thing with the Bennett pick was, why not just keep Fasano? That Fasano-Ayodele trade was pretty much just a gift for Parcells. But I’ll take Bennett. Hell, I’d have taken Bennett on the Horns, too. Although Finley’s record indicates that we probably wouldn’t known how to fully use him, either.
April 27, 2008 at 3:07 pm
As an Ag, I like seeing Bennett in a Cowboy uniform. Makes me pretty happy, actually.
As a football fan, I wonder why the hell they traded former 2nd rounder Anthony Fasano (a pretty good TE, in my opinion) and Ayodele for a fourth rounder, and then turn around and use another 2nd on Bennett. All this with Jason Witten firmly as a starter, and Tony Curtis a promising backup. Kind of a headscratcher.
I kinda hope Pacman doesn’t play this year, and I have a feeling Goodell won’t let him back in.
April 27, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Shoot, Holla will be backing up Pro Bowler Witten, who really cares. Besides, just a year ago, they shoveled a couple of dumptrucks of money at Big.
Objective — Spagnola said on the radio that Fasano hurt his shoulder, but unnamed types on the coaching staff though his real problem was above the shoulders. Apparently they thought he blew too many assignments. I agree, though, that I thought it starange the Cowboys only got a four out of it for those two players.
April 27, 2008 at 3:32 pm
The trade of Fasano and Ayodelle to Miami and then taking a TE in the 2nd round makes little to no sense to me as well.
This draft has been incredibly disappointing for me.
April 27, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I don’t get the hate for Bennett. So the Aggies bought his dad, wasn’t his fault. He did want to come here.
Plus he took a bad situation, for him, and still brought his work pail every week and played hard. You have to respect that.
April 27, 2008 at 10:18 pm
The trade of Fasano and drafting of Bennett makes a lot more sense when you consider that Fasano completely sucked. I only wish that the other “Parcells guy” from that draft - Bobby Carpenter - was a part of the trade instead of Ayodele.
April 28, 2008 at 3:53 am
I didn’t know Fasano had shoulder issues. Makes a little more sense then. The overall maneuver on the part of the Cowboys still doesnt make much sense to me though.
I still think Carpenter can play. Dallas is really stuffed at linebacker like no other team in the NFL right now. Ware, Zach Thomas, Spencer, Burnett, Ayodele and Carpenter were all starting quality guys in my opinion.
April 28, 2008 at 6:08 am
I don’t think Carpenter is considered starter quality anymore.
April 28, 2008 at 6:12 am
I like Bennett a lot as a player, he just doesn’t seem to be a need position for the Cowboys. I think the best corner in the draft was Terrance Wheatley. I just hope Jenkins physical tools translate into football ability. Hell, Wheatley ended up with the Patriots, an example of an organization that knows how to draft.
April 28, 2008 at 9:24 am
Carpenter was a huge draft mistake in ‘06. He’s out of the league in 2 years. I actually liked Ayodell (as did Parcells) so I think it hurts the team that he was traded.
Still, the worst Cowboys draft of the last 5 years is better than the last two drafts (combined) of the Tenny Titans. Goddamn those assholes.
April 28, 2008 at 10:44 am
dedfischer - Shoot me an email at sailorripley AT barkingcarnival DOT COM
Thx.
April 28, 2008 at 1:11 pm
you mean the same Terrance Wheatley that got burned by one of nebraskas defensive ends for a touchdown? Yeah he’s a special one alright.
April 28, 2008 at 1:52 pm
You’re talking about a kid who was criminally underused, yet refused to throw a clinically dead coaching staff under the bus. He was the unheralded best blocker on a team that ran the ball entirely too much, and he was as graceful with the media after a zero-catch game as he was after a 10-catch game. The guy is all class. The ‘Boys are lucky to have him.
April 28, 2008 at 7:20 pm
You’re probably right, South ‘06, but a lot of Horns don’t like Bennett because of the incredibly sleazy way he handled his recruitment. First impressions and all that.
April 28, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Wow man get a life. Should Aggies hate on Leonard Davis because he treated us the same way? or Opie - I mean Major?
High school kids change their minds and for the wierdest reasons. Get used to it.
April 28, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Lurker,
I got no problem with Bennett, as you’d know if you read my first post here. But the recruiting thing was pretty sleazy, from his ridiculous behavior to aTm getting his daddy job to the Ryan Perriloux text messaging.
I wasn’t ‘hating’ on him. But hey, feel free to ‘hate’ on Leonard Davis or Major if you want. After all, they did go to the school that you hate so much you sing about it in your school songs and make up names like “t.u.” and “teasips” and so forth. Go ahead - hate them! You know you want to!
April 28, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I made up the names “t.u.” and “teasips.” I wrote the song too.
April 28, 2008 at 9:05 pm
April 28, 2008 at 9:29 pm
“High school kids change their minds and for the wierdest reasons.”
Like, say, their dad telling them to.
April 29, 2008 at 7:37 am
All right since you guys seem to believe this job rumor give me the facts. All I know is Mr Bennett works as a software developer and seems to be doing well. Any credible proof to the contrary?
April 29, 2008 at 12:27 pm
aggy is right. micheal bennett sr has been with the same software company for over 10 years.
April 30, 2008 at 5:21 am
This story makes absolutely no sense. Care to bring any reason into your posts?