The Heart of the Problem

by 325424 on Nov 4, 2008 4:53 PM CST

What is the real problem with this team?

In two words: JERRY JONES.

Twice since he has bought the team Jerry has hired strong-willed, ill-tempered disciplinarian coaches who were total control freaks. Each time that has happened the team's roster was almost completely purged within 24-36 months and the team began to win.

Four times he has hired the "I'm just glad be here crew" Switzer-Gailey-Campo-Phillips. The Swi-Gai-Cam-Phi's group have been puppets. How can you tell? First, none of them have had the right to hire and fire assistants. How can any coach be the head coach if he has assistants picked by others? Heck, in Wade's case he had an offensive coordinator selected before he was made head coach. How can you even pretend that you are the final authority and enforce discipline and control thourgh the locker room if the team knows that the Head Coach has no real power over the OC and that the OC has been guaranteed that he will be the next head coach?

When you look at the team, the most disappointing units are the secondary and the offensive line. Both units were stocked with pro-bowlers and "improved" the coaching situations by replacing Parcells' guys with people hand picked by Jerry and then went straight to hell. This is a pro team. Screw the "Dallas Guy's" on their second and third tour of duty in Big D. Hire winners, hire guys who will make the team win and the players play. We don't need more Hudson Houk's, we need more Russ Grimm's.

The truth is that Jerry gets frustrated by the lack of credit he gets when a good coach runs the team, so he goes out and picks guys who are desperate and willing to let him put his fingers in the pie, host more press conferences, invite in hard knocks, etc and the then team falls apart. How freaking dysfunctional can a team be? (Quick answer: look at Oakland, they are more screwed up, but barely)

I mean Jerry tore into the team after the Rams loss. How stupid and screwed up is it that the OWNER has to yell at the players. Can you imagine that under Jimmy or Bill? Jerry has made Wade the equivalent of a 50 year old woman teaching a class of 9th grade boys. I can almost see Wade scolding the class and saying he will call the principal (or the football coach) and have him paddle anyone who acts up.

The team needs a coach. That coach needs to be an authority figure. He needs to hire and fire assistants at his whim and he needs to have the right to scare players straight and ban Jerry from the sideline. Wade isn't that guy. My fear is that this team has to slide lots further before Jerry hits bottom and hires a football coach.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 2 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Jerry is a little too hands on for my taste.

But he is NOT the problem. You paint him as a combination of Daniel Snyder and Al Davis. He is neither. He has done nothing but put the best roster on the field imaginable. Unfortunately the sum of the parts have so far been greater than the whole.

Bill Parcells had a lot of autonomy when he was here and what did it get us? Complete misses in the 04 and 06 drafts, and Decembers full of the same lifeless uninspired football we have been playing this year.

by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Nov 4, 2008 5:28 PM CST reply actions

you missed the point

He is neither. He has done nothing but put the best roster on the field imaginable.

my point is by emasculating the coach and choosing his friends as coaches he hurt the team.

i didnt mention the roster once, the issue is is he lacks the confidence, balls and humility to have a strong coach. his insecurity and need for attention and praise consistently hurts the team

by 325424 on Nov 4, 2008 11:48 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe it's the coaches faults for not putting their balls on the table.

They are men, too. Just because he signs their checks doesn’t mean they need to fear him. He is open to any suggestions that would better the team.
With Wade, he just wanted a 3-4 genius that could use the talent to initiate pressure.

Nevertheless, something seems to hold Wade back from doing anything drastic. He’s very comprable to Romeo Crennel, who does take a while to pull the trigger on things (even though he just did with D.A. & Quinn). It’s like a “patience, grasshopper” thing.

George Teague did it all.

by Aaron Novinger on Nov 5, 2008 12:11 AM CST up reply actions

i agree

Jerry has team loaded with talent there is no way we should be in this postion.. Not his fault.

"If you see me up in the mountains with a lion, I ain't lyin
don't help me, help the mountain lion"

by Wmillion on Nov 5, 2008 1:49 PM CST up reply actions

So were the Yankees...

But they didn’t do a damn thing this year…

by AikmanNailedMySis on Nov 6, 2008 7:41 AM CST up reply actions

Jerry is very judicial with

the deals he makes, not overpaying for over the hill vets that the skins (j. taylor) and the raiders (too many to name). I feel that Jerry may need to reconsider bring in someone to work with him who has actual GM experience to help guide him on the talent side and character side of things. But as far as contracts he has been playing it pretty well.

Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!

by cowboy78 on Nov 4, 2008 6:43 PM CST reply actions

The reason JJ has

made more moves this season is because of how close he thought this team was last year and he must have felt they were just a few playmakers away from going all the way.

Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!

by cowboy78 on Nov 4, 2008 6:44 PM CST reply actions

I much rather have jerry jones than most owners in the nfl

he is a top 3 owner no doubt…at the very least he makes things very interesting

by canty99 on Nov 4, 2008 6:48 PM CST reply actions

+1

You'll never get in a traffic jam,while going the extra mile. -Roger staubach

by TrueBlue24 on Nov 4, 2008 10:55 PM CST up reply actions

He is by far the best Owner in the league...He's not a maricle worker..

We’ve been hit with a drastic case of injuries, more so than any team in the league………We have a winning record, and you can’t ask for more than that….sure 6-3 would have us feeling alot better, but considering the circumstances( I expected a loss to Tampa), I’m pretty happy with where we are right now. We need to go at least 5-2 the rest of the way to have a legit shot at the playoffs…I think it can be done. we MUST beat Washington first….EVERY GAME is a playoff game from here on in…..We have the talent to go 7-0….If that talent can get it’s collective ass in gear…and Garrett and Phillips can call better game plans…we’re in……There’s alot of season left…pick your chins up..

A true diehard Cowboys fan since 1975.

"If you don’t take him off the field as a coach, he will just about die out there," Jerry Jones said. "That impacted my decision. It’s a Michael Irvin-type work ethic. That’s what we are talking about with Felix Jones."
- Owner/G.M of the Dallas Cowboys , Jerry Jones

by BoyzRback on Nov 5, 2008 7:53 AM CST reply actions

Jerry has made some mistakes as GM

there is absolutely no question about that, the lastest of course was hiring Wade over guys like Sparano and Singletary.

However, that being said, you gotta love Jerry because he’ll do whatever it takes to win a championship and many owners won’t do that. I love his passion for the team.

In Romo we Trust

by Terry on Nov 5, 2008 1:08 PM CST reply actions

-1

That is where you are wrong.

He won’t do WHATEVER it takes to win a championship because what it takes to win a championship is for him to admit he’s not a good GM, go out and hire a real GM, let them find a solid coach and let the coach hire his staff.

To win a championship in Dallas, Jerry will have to subjugate himself to the needs of the team.

Personally, I don’t ever see him doing that.

"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."

- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

by 5Blings on Nov 7, 2008 10:04 PM CST up reply actions