The Dallas Cowboys have more problems than just Tony Romo being injured. The Cowboys have a team full of bad attitudes and selfish players. Josh Norman had Dez Bryant off his game from the first play. They were talking to each other before the first snap and when Romo through his first interception to Panthers defensive back Kurt Coleman that was returned for a touchdown, Dez Bryant stood face mask-to-face mask with Josh Norman jawing with him rather than try to chase the ball down. The announcers even caught that one. What they did not mention was the consummate Dallas Cowboys professional, tight end Jason Witten, loafing down the field after the ball and never really becoming involved in the play. He did not even attempt to tackle Coleman as he ran right by him.
The bad attitude starts with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. When the Cowboys released backup quarterback Brandon Weeden a few weeks ago, Jones took a few parting shots at Weeden and his inability to win games. The coaching staff developed an offensive game plan specific to Weeden skill set and it failed to produce results. I thought it was unprofessional of Jones for him to make comments like that. Who is Jones going to blame now? His "yes" man of a head coach Jason Garrett? The Doctors and training staff for not getting Romo more prepared? Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys reminds me of George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees of the 1970's. The Yankees were extremely talented and often won in spite of themselves but the Cowboys can't even get it together well enough to do that.
Friday, November 27, 2015
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Romo Is Not The Answer
As it turns out, Tony Romo is not the answer to the question who will be the quarterback that beats the Carolina Panthers? It seems that most Dallas fans have forgotten that Romo is the quarterback that could only guide the Cowboys to consecutive 8-8 records, has not gotten the Cowboys deep into the playoffs, if even past the first round, and until he went 12-4 last year, it seemed like the Cowboys were always looking for a replacement for Romo.
Romo was 3-0 as a starter this season and most Cowboys fans were basing the rest of their season on Romo going undefeated. He threw three interceptions, two were returned for touchdowns, and the Cowboys were losing 33-6 when Romo got sacked by Thomas Davis Sr. and from the looks of things of things, he broke his clavicle again. I hate to see any player get hurt and Romo is a gamer and a competitor but I believe he came a couple of weeks too soon.
Romo was 3-0 as a starter this season and most Cowboys fans were basing the rest of their season on Romo going undefeated. He threw three interceptions, two were returned for touchdowns, and the Cowboys were losing 33-6 when Romo got sacked by Thomas Davis Sr. and from the looks of things of things, he broke his clavicle again. I hate to see any player get hurt and Romo is a gamer and a competitor but I believe he came a couple of weeks too soon.
Will Romo Be Enough?
Will quarterback Tony Romo be enough to upset the Carolina Panthers today in Dallas? I look for Dallas to utilize the short passing game to try to neutralize Carolina's pass rush because Romo cannot afford to take any big hits. I also look for Josh Norman to shadow Dez Bryant to try to neutralize his impact on the game. The big "X" factor in the game is going to be Greg Hardy of the Dallas Cowboys. Will Hardy be able to pull his head out of his ass long enough to play the game of his life or will he play like his head is in a London fog? Cam Newton has not been under pressure much this season and I really can't wait to see the chess match between Ron Rivera and Jerry Jones.... I mean Jason Garrett
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Carolina Panthers 10-0 Start In Perspective
The Carolina Panthers are 10-0 and I don't care what your schedule looks like in the NFL, that is a monumental achievement. However to keep their undefeated start in perspective, the Carolina Panthers have only beaten one team with a winning record in their 10-0 start and that was the Green Bay Packers. Every other team they have beaten is at .500 or below.
The Panthers did beat a Seattle Seahawks team in Seattle in come-from-behind fashion that was probably their signature win on the season. The Panthers only play one team, the Atlanta Falcons who are currently at 6-4, in their last six games that has a winning record. The Panthers stand an excellent chance of going 16-0. The biggest obstacles will be the game in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, and the game in Atlanta.
In spite of all of his antics, Cam Newton is playing the best football of his career right now. The defense is playing solid football and their best defensive lineman, Charles Johnson, comes back this weekend. General Manager Dave Gettelman has made all of the right moves (the trade for Jared Allen was huge), Josh Norman may be playing the best cornerback in the NFL, and he has made all of the pieces fit together beautifully.
The Panthers did beat a Seattle Seahawks team in Seattle in come-from-behind fashion that was probably their signature win on the season. The Panthers only play one team, the Atlanta Falcons who are currently at 6-4, in their last six games that has a winning record. The Panthers stand an excellent chance of going 16-0. The biggest obstacles will be the game in Dallas on Thanksgiving Day, and the game in Atlanta.
In spite of all of his antics, Cam Newton is playing the best football of his career right now. The defense is playing solid football and their best defensive lineman, Charles Johnson, comes back this weekend. General Manager Dave Gettelman has made all of the right moves (the trade for Jared Allen was huge), Josh Norman may be playing the best cornerback in the NFL, and he has made all of the pieces fit together beautifully.
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Duke Vs. Kentucky
There was an article on ESPN.com the other day that made reference to the developing recruiting wars between Duke and Kentucky for the nation's top high school talent. Kentucky has won the recruiting wars for several years, consistently signing the #1 recruiting class. Coach K from Duke seems to have settled on the belief that the only way he can compete with Kentucky on the recruiting wars is to recruit many of these same "one and done" players that Kentucky does. Not only is college basketball big business but promoting high school basketball players is big business as well.
I have never had much respect for Coach K or John Calipari at Kentucky anyway because they seem more worried about pushing their own brand or promoting their own image. They are both great "X's and O's" coaches but all either one of them has to do most of the time is roll the ball out onto the court and tell them to play like on the blacktop back home.
The institution of college basketball has taken the student out of the student-athlete. The best players only go to college for one year because that is all they are required to go. Most of the major programs has at least one player leave early to go pro and it has been that way for 30 years. Kentucky has entire freshman classes, five or six deep, go pro after one year. I would love to take a peak at their class schedule, their SAT scores, or just about anything academic related. College football players have to be on campus for at least three seasons as do college baseball players.
I have never had much respect for Coach K or John Calipari at Kentucky anyway because they seem more worried about pushing their own brand or promoting their own image. They are both great "X's and O's" coaches but all either one of them has to do most of the time is roll the ball out onto the court and tell them to play like on the blacktop back home.
The institution of college basketball has taken the student out of the student-athlete. The best players only go to college for one year because that is all they are required to go. Most of the major programs has at least one player leave early to go pro and it has been that way for 30 years. Kentucky has entire freshman classes, five or six deep, go pro after one year. I would love to take a peak at their class schedule, their SAT scores, or just about anything academic related. College football players have to be on campus for at least three seasons as do college baseball players.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Cam Newton
Cam Newton is probably playing the best football of his young career right now and he has led the Panthers to an undefeated record to this point. He is managing the game better than he ever has before, he is staying in the pocket longer, and he is going through his progressions and hitting the open receiver. Unfortunately, his great play has been overshadowed by his antics on the field. He makes a big production every time he makes a first down and even announcer Joe Buck made the comment that he went into his celebration "after gaining five yards" and Newton's celebration was very premature as he did not even have the first down. He went through the exact same routine when he made the first down on the next play. He keeps adding moves to his touchdown celebrations, and if I was on the other team, it would be worth 15 yards to go clock him one.
I can remember back in training camp when Newton and cornerback Josh Norman got into it after Norman intercepted a Newton pass during a drill and Newton was not happy that Norman told him about it all the way down the field. I don't know if Newton thinks he is more entertainer now than he is football player because the fans eat it up or what but he has not accomplished anything until he gets to wear a Super Bowl ring.
I can remember back in training camp when Newton and cornerback Josh Norman got into it after Norman intercepted a Newton pass during a drill and Newton was not happy that Norman told him about it all the way down the field. I don't know if Newton thinks he is more entertainer now than he is football player because the fans eat it up or what but he has not accomplished anything until he gets to wear a Super Bowl ring.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Not A Shocker
Ronda Rousey getting knocked out by Holly Holm in UFC 193 really did not come as that big of a shock to me. I'll be the first to admit that Rousey looked about as unbeatable as a fighter can look. In that business, especially the MMA, all it takes is one slip up, one lucky punch, the perfect punch, or whatever and you are looking up at the ceiling wondering "What just happened?" You can just about count the fighters on one hand in boxing, the MMA, or whatever that have never lost a fight and if the truth be told they probably should have lost at least one but got the decision thank to some very lenient score keeping.
The MMA is the hottest game in town right now as long as Dana White does not run it into the ground. Boxing has ceased to be relevant (I see better fights watching the NHL), and there really is no governing body in the MMA to set up a rankings system to see who battles who. A loss like Rousey's (as long as it is legit)is good for the sport and sets up a rematch as well.
The MMA is the hottest game in town right now as long as Dana White does not run it into the ground. Boxing has ceased to be relevant (I see better fights watching the NHL), and there really is no governing body in the MMA to set up a rankings system to see who battles who. A loss like Rousey's (as long as it is legit)is good for the sport and sets up a rematch as well.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
"Getting It Right"
The end of the Miami-Duke game will be talked about for years if not for the rest of my lifetime. Duke had scored with just a few seconds left to take a 27-24 lead. Duked squibbed kicked the ball to Miami on the ensuing kickoff and what happened next would have made backyard football proud. Miami used an eight lateral sequence to finally get the ball to the end zone and give them a 30-27 almost impossible victory. Every scoring play is reviewed and there was a flag down. The flag was for an illegal block in the back (which it appeared there may have been several) and would have given Miami one untimed down. After a nine minute review, the flag was picked up because the official determined that the "block was from the side" and all of the laterals were deemed legal, the touchdown stood, and Miami got a 30-27 win.
My initial reaction was that I did not know a block in the back was reviewable especially since they were reviewing the play to see if one of the runner's knees were down. One of them did appear to be but the ruling on the field was that his knee was not down and there had to be enough clear evidence that his knee did touch the ground.
The ACC suspended the on field officiating crew and the replay officials missing multiple violations during the play but the ACC would not overturn the outcome of the game and give the win to Duke. I heard Kenny Mayne on a segment on ESPN called "1 Big Thing" rant on about the ACC wanting to "get it right" and his opinion was that in order to get it right, Duke should have been given the win.
There were multiple violations during the play. In my opinion, even if the flag would have stood, Miami still would have been granted an untimed down and that is why the ACC cannot just hand the win to Duke. It did take several minutes to carefully watch the replay. There was at least three potential blocks in the back, a runner's knee may or may not have been down, and at the very end of the play a Miami player leaves the bench area without his helmet on and runs onto the field to celebrate before the play is over. The ACC is never going to get this one right no matter how hard they try.
My initial reaction was that I did not know a block in the back was reviewable especially since they were reviewing the play to see if one of the runner's knees were down. One of them did appear to be but the ruling on the field was that his knee was not down and there had to be enough clear evidence that his knee did touch the ground.
The ACC suspended the on field officiating crew and the replay officials missing multiple violations during the play but the ACC would not overturn the outcome of the game and give the win to Duke. I heard Kenny Mayne on a segment on ESPN called "1 Big Thing" rant on about the ACC wanting to "get it right" and his opinion was that in order to get it right, Duke should have been given the win.
There were multiple violations during the play. In my opinion, even if the flag would have stood, Miami still would have been granted an untimed down and that is why the ACC cannot just hand the win to Duke. It did take several minutes to carefully watch the replay. There was at least three potential blocks in the back, a runner's knee may or may not have been down, and at the very end of the play a Miami player leaves the bench area without his helmet on and runs onto the field to celebrate before the play is over. The ACC is never going to get this one right no matter how hard they try.
Dan On Sports
I decided to revive this blog after about six months off because, although I do have my favorite sports teams and blog about most of them, I wanted a blog so I could have a forum on all things sports. A lot happens in the sports world that happen outside the realms of my favorite teams and I am going to use this as a forum to comment on those.
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