Cowboys Coach "Emasculated?" Like He Cares
by Rafael Vela on Feb 21, 2009 11:19 PM CST
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PrintConventional wisdom in the Metroplex has congealed around the idea that Jerry Jones' gag order has diminished head coach Wade Phillips. See here and here for examples.
I'm wondering how many of Wade's fellow head coaches are envious?
The NFL requires head men to address the press, and anybody who's endured Phillips' pressers knows he does so grudgingly. The conferences are aural soporifics. Bill Belichick hates them too; he would be thrilled if he could read his dry cleaning receipts at the podium for five minutes and be done. Some will argue that he actually does this, in the guise of "talking football."
You notice Wade was "smiling" when he told the press he had been gagged? Of course he was. No more gotcha questions! No more lectures from beat writers telling him they could coach better then he can. No more questions period! It's like telling an eight year old he no longer has to eat raw vegetables every night with dinner. He can now go straight for the steak and dessert -- prepping the team for games and calling the plays from the sideline.
Take an anonymous poll and see how many other coaches want to be "emasculated" like Wade? I'll bet the number will be pretty high.
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The scribes,
no longer can cover soap opera. They’ll actually have to cover football 24/7.
I wonder how many of them can function without quotes?
Sure Short Term Silence Is Golden . . .
But, think about how the NFL was built and how it developed such a loyal and dedicated core following of supporters. Part of the equation is fan access to information. Recall the early days of the Dallas Cowboy Weekly? Any part of this magazine could be used by anybody without attribution; Tom Landry was a rock star on his TV show with its projector that could rewind and show a play over and over. Today we have more comprehenive information flows and the means to absorb them, with the advent of blogs, discussion boards, cable, NFL network. Jerry issueing a gag order is not compatable with this spirit of free information that built the NFL. Wade may enjoy the gag order, but that demonstrates more about his ability than it does anything else. Wade is borderline illiterate in an age of wide and free flowing information. Not good. Jerry is trying to control a lava flow; good luck with that . . . I think this gag order is reflective of the underlying pathology boiling at Valley Ranch; I do not think it emasculates Wade — instead, it reveals the Jerry dominated franchise and the ongoing turmoil that helped destroy last season.
"borderline illiterate?"
Ever watched Bill Belichick’s press conferences? He says nothing — by design. I talked to someone who covered that team and he tells me the organization, from top to bottom, meets the letter of NFL requirements but does NOTHING to impart data.
You see what Scott Pioli did what he took over in K.C.? Total communications shutdown. And that’s following the Patriots “bluepriint.”
And nobody can argue that an imformation embardgo has damaged them in any way.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
Yeah...
Billichick’s answers are very one wordish, disinterested.
He might be out of the Parcells tree, but definitly different in his press conferences.
Dallas makes me act like Christian Bale......
by AirforceBat on Feb 22, 2009 12:16 PM CST up reply actions
Billacheat Is A Liar and a Cheat
That is why he talks so little; that way he does not have to face the reality of his actions; hardly someone to hold up as an example, however.
Please...
Spygate or not, the dude is a great coach.
If you can’t see that, you probably shouldn’t be talking about football.
Dallas makes me act like Christian Bale......
by AirforceBat on Feb 22, 2009 12:25 PM CST up reply actions
+1
Even though I can’t stand the guy you gotta give him credit. You never hear any of the garbage out of their locker room that you hear out of others. He may be a jerk but you gotta give the guy credit.
OMG you two agree on something!!
Where is the tornado Dorothy, it is getting windy here in KS.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
haha
actually airforce and I agree quite regularly. It’s mainly just Terry and me.
GunsUp
Be careful though, airforcebat told me he hates Tech yesterday right Bat? We’re cool though
Yep....
I agree with most posters here, it’s just that when I disagree I’ll fight to the bitter end.
I’m just a Texas fan so of course I’m not real high on Tech…
Dallas makes me act like Christian Bale......
by AirforceBat on Feb 22, 2009 11:06 PM CST up reply actions
I'm just messin with you.
I have a really diverse family-son goes to Baylor and spouse graduated from UT. Hopefully I don’t get in trouble for saying this but I have lived in Austin for so long that I am a UT fan unless they are playing TTU. You can’t help it. When you live here you get to know the players etc.
I feel for you
I love my Cowboys, and anyone who is playing the Giants, Eagles and Redskins. As far as college my heart belongs to Tech, then I cheer for the Texas teams if they aren’t playing Tech, then the Big 12 if they aren’t playing a Texas team or Tech. So i guess every now and then I will cheer tor UT, heck every now and again I cheer for A&M too. Someone shoot me please!
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
Ha Ha
but I can’t root for OU. I have to admit I delighted in Florida beating OU (and I’m not even a Gator fan).
+1
I hated that it came down to a non head to head tie breaker for that. The Big 12 needs to address that little item and do it soon. We don’t need to send OU to a championship game they can not win any more.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
+1
IMO it was all a media set-up anyway. For some reason, they love Bob Stoops.
Well, if TTU had taken care of business
it wouldn’t have been up for discussion anyway. Also, when OSU played them so close it told everyone in the world “OU has no freaking Defense”. Once Florida got the first stop on OU it was over. OU was not gonna keep up with them.
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
Agreed,
it still irritates me how the media arranged it for OU to jump over UT in the first place. I know there’s all this computer system crap but they had a hand in it as well, For some odd reason, they love Bobbie. I just love when he get beat, he’s always complaining about the refs or something.
I have news for you...Florida would have wooped up on Texas even more so than they did Oklahoma.
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 23, 2009 5:05 PM CST up reply actions
Oh I know that
and I will say it right now “thank you OU”. Did you go to OU BTW? I’ve always said that they did Texas a favor. It’s just the whole system (BCS) is screwed up. I don’t think they will ever get it right until they go to some sort of playoff system. BTW I didn’t go to UT
Personally, I would've rather seen USC/Florida.
I’m not arguing they deserved to be there given how inferior the Pac-10 was to the SEC and Big 12 but aside from Florida no team was playing as well at the end of the year as USC.
Well, there’s also Utah but we all know nobody’s giving them a seat at the big boys table.
Stupid bowl system. Bleh.
The Patriots Should Not Be the Model
Agree that the Patriots are disingenious with information. I just don’t think we should strive to model the Cowboys on how Billacheat handles the media. It is not the team that is hurt, it is the league. The league was built on exposure of the team and the players to the fans, through the media. When information about the team is off limits and the media is the enemy, then the fans suffer. This idea the media is a culprit in the Cowboy soap opera is a red herring. The problem is within the organization, not without.
I'm not arguing that the media is the culprit
I am arguing that the media has been an irritant. It’s also arguable that the team has gone too far in allowing access.
The policy can always be changed. As for Patriots, well, Parcells was pretty good at tamping down info too. He talked to the press, but did he ever say anything? He played with the media and gave them good sound bytes, but did you learn anything from his pressers?
Or from any NFL head coaches pressers?
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 12:52 PM CST up reply actions
The fans suffer?
I’m sure their fans suffered through their 3 Super Bowls in the past decade.
I’ll take fans ‘suffering’ through no information from the coach in exchange to their jubilation of success on the field.
well
now I gotta listen to ESPN people saying stuff like:
“The Cowboys are worse than we think cause they have to tell their guys not to talk”
“Would Bill Parcells or Jimmy Johnson ever agree to this? I think not.”
“It’s amazing how far they’ve fallen”
Personally, I don’t care how it makes Wade Phillips look, I love the fact that Jerry said not to talk. That’s all this team does it talk. If ESPN wants to hate and call this franchise pitiful, let them. I heard that they’re garbage since they didn’t make the playoffs when the Dolphins did. Dolphins had one pro bowler, and Dallas had 4, and that proves Dallas is garbage. Wow, last time I checked, neither did the Patriots, and ESPN loves them some Bellicheck. I guess they’ll just hate on the Boys until they win a playoff game, and that’s fine by me. It will make it better once they win.
They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.
No doubt about that.
I’m sure the “source” will be on the roster in fifteen years when the current roster has been turned over a couple times. I’m certain that Wade loves this because no matter what he says to the media, he can’t be right.
I know I have been a huge proponent for a team wide "gag order"
but Jerry did more than I could have ever imagined.
I’m so behind this move….What are these azz clowns going to write about now ??
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 21, 2009 11:53 PM CST reply actions
Am I wrong to feel sorry for Wade?
He’s no PT Barnum but he is the alleged figurehead of this circus. I’m actually very happy about this turn of events however.
if Wade were feeling sorry for himself you might be justified
He’s probably whooping it up behind closed doors, saying, “I’m off the hook!”
I guess Double J finally decided not all news is good news?
And I thought the mere fact your team was being talked about was good. What exactly is behind this move I wonder?
According to DMN Jerry said that there were "some inconsistent stories"
coming out from the media. 2 incidents in particular-1 being Stephen has been trying to talk JJ into cutting TO and the other was the story that JJ was meeting with players over his house about TO. Interesting that both these stories involve TO.
Could the league office issue fines for this gag order?
Or does the league require only that a coach be physically present to address the press, even if he offers little else?
If you are beating a dead horse, you might be a Cowboys fan.
I was StarStruck at TBB/BSR, now...
Yes; the League Will Not Like Gag Order
Pressers are mandatory; player availability is mandatory. How can a gag order be good for the league? Does the league benefit if every coach is like Billacheat who distorts and actually lies to acheive an end? The sport should be open and transparent. Jerry has a problem, and TO is just the most visible portion of this problem. A gag order is a short term attempt to deal with a longer term and much larger issue that we saw play out last year with all of the TO Witten Romo Crayton drama. Jerry should cut out the problems, and let the press do its job.
Here's an experiment
name one thing Wade has said of any value the past two years that the public has suddenly “lost” by the gag.
There’s nothing the assistants are saying because they were gagged under Parcells. Big Bill provided a lot of entertainment, but what do press conferences tell us other than this guy is hurt, so and so is recovering, etc?
I can see it from a journalistic POV but I also think that can be grossly overblown. This is sports. The reporters are not “talking truth to power” or acting as a voice for the fans. They’re trying to get dish on Tony and Jessica, publishing pictures of T.O. and his GFs, etc., etc.
If the team was holding vital information back, yeah, it would stink. But they’re not, are they?
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 10:15 AM CST up reply actions
Jason Garret Recently Commented on TO
Wade lost his cool in a presser during the season; sure, the coaches can act like Billicheat and say words without meaning or worse, lie. But wouldn’t it be better to have the head coach available for frank discussions? The media is to blame for a lot of this, for sure. But, there is something going on at Valley Ranch and Jerry is trying his best to covery it up.
I disagree...
The sport should be open and transparent.
I don’t think a coach should have to do anything other than following the letter of the law. Should a business that’s successful publicly tell what they are and aren’t doing to become/remain successful? I think the league owes nothing to the media. I doubt the league is going to lose any revenue from Dallas because Wade can’t talk to Werder’s moustache…
by AikmanNailedMySis on Feb 23, 2009 10:01 AM CST up reply actions
false....This is not regular season...This is off season...I don't believe they have any obligations to speak with anybody..
PR director and Owner/gm are stil available…..so there isn’t complete silence..
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 22, 2009 9:59 AM CST up reply actions
After the media writes all that bs and attack Wade non-stop
this is better than telling them where he’d like them to go…….
i bet it burns them to no end and thats why they write such BS about WP being emasculated,,,,,,,,,,,,
I bet Wade is enjoying this…….to no end…..let’s keep it up all season long,
I’d wish……
Wade loves
this gag order. To the press it doesn’t matter so much. I’m pretty sure that a lot of their stories come from blogs such a this where we discuss or wish and toss around different ideas and different reporters think, that could work and put it mainstream. Many of them haven’t had a original thought for years. They just rehash the same story time and time again.
+1 oldboys...
looks like these crap for brains journalist will finally have to roll up their sleeve, and do some real reporting for once…we’ll see how long they go without pulling out a “source” to initiate their writings…
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 22, 2009 10:03 AM CST reply actions
Fernie
He’s desperate to stop the leaks of discord. If he’s gagging the coaches and not
the players, maybe he’s giving us a hint?
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 10:44 AM CST up reply actions
Is the line of thinking now that the leaks from
coaches? If true, that unbelievable!
Well, it might quiet those "unnamed sources," and Wade does have a remarkable
ability to say stupid things (I’m not sure the Cowboys would have suffered as much humiliation as they did against the Pats season before last if Wade hadn’t pointed and laughed at Spygate), but it seems to me there’s plenty of open backstabbing, too. This team is such a mess.
Those Local Beat Writers...
are the ones that have really been “emasculated” and they know it. They’d just rather blame someone else. If they actually focused on real reporting and less gossip and speculation this gag order never would have been needed.
Those Local Beat Writers... are the ones that have really been "emasculated" and they know it.
Ding, ding, ding!
We have a winner!
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 11:42 AM CST up reply actions
Emasculation Is Besides the Point
Government works best in the open. Bacteria grows best in the dark. Football is supported by the fans, at the ultimate level. A free flow of information makes for a heathier league. The real issue is what trumoil is Jerry trying to cover up? This reminds more of a cat in a box covering up its business than it does a wise frachise move. I am surprised so many are so quick to applaud a decision that forces more franchise operations into the backroom and deprives the fan of more information; it sure gives lie to Jerry’s recent statement that all publicity is good; I guess that statement goes into the garbage can.
Mister
I’m a media professor. I’ve written a football blog for six years now. I get your arguments. I simply disagree.
I seriously, seriously doubt the NFL will suffer one bit either way.
This isn’t government, btw, it’s entertainment. And what “information” has been taken away from us? You think the day to operations of a business (and this is a much better analogy than the government) should be public information?
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 12:56 PM CST up reply actions
Business Analogy
Well I was no arguing we should open up the playbook or reveal our draft board. Obviously there is confidential information . . . the point is the NFL as entertainment relies upon a free flow of information between the teams and players and the fans. Can you imagine Tom Landry have a gag order imposed upon him? The whole idea is stupid and silly and just another example of a frachise in turmoil. Blaming the media is a red herring.
Wrong
the NFL as entertainment relies upon a free flow of information between the teams and players and the fans.
The NFL does not rely on coaches talking to the press. Landry didn’t have to deal with as many idiots as there are today. Sure, there was a Skip Bayless here and there, but nothing like the slackjaws Wade has to face.
I’d hope Wade would take questions from Raf and Grizz via phone or email, but I couldn’t care less if he never talks to the DMN or Startlegram again.
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
+1...I hope Wade never talks to the media again...
Let the reporters come up with their own material….Isn’t that what reporting is ?? There’s more to it besides quoting others, and using “unknown sources”
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 23, 2009 5:10 PM CST up reply actions
This isn't the WWE!
We need some characters, but can we keep it to one character per team? I think the most talked about character on the team should be Cricket Anderson. Dude, just pay the bet off, why eat a cricket? Anything else is just Soooooo over the top. (T.O.)
When did I become a Cowboy fan? When my mom told me I was.
Completely agree, Raf...
I was a media student and found that you have to go out and get information. The media has gotten lazy. They sit back and wait for “sources” (AHHHHH!!!) to spoon feed them information and when they don’t, they turn into high school girls gossiping about the popular kids in school. Open government works because the government is “for the people, by the people.” Again, the NFL is a business with paying customers. They owe nothing to those paid to cover it. The NFL will absolutely NOT suffer from any sort of gag order. Call me old fashion, but I like the NFL for the football they play. I’ve been watching the combine, I’ll watch the draft, then twiddle my thumbs til TC. I could seriously care less about the locker room rumors that retards like Ed Werder want to spread…
by AikmanNailedMySis on Feb 23, 2009 10:07 AM CST up reply actions
+100 on following the secret word policy, I was LOL when I saw it.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
I'm sorry
but the media in Dallas brought this on themselves with a little help from ESPN. The print media in this country in dying a slow death and for good reason. Everything today is tabloid journalism and editorials by people who are not competent to write them. Everything done in the football world is not the fan’s business. Football is a business and should be run like one. If the fan does not like that, they can stop watching/going to games. It’s that simple.
Football teams are not the government and in no way should be held to the same standard as respects news reporting. Maybe if the print media spent more resources exposing corrupt bankers and investment moguls instead of worrying about T.O., their readership would improve. Tell Cowlishaw and Engel to find next Beernie Maddow through their “investigative reporting” and I will subscribe to DMN tomorrow.
Couldn't have said it better...
Tried to, though haha. +100!
by AikmanNailedMySis on Feb 23, 2009 10:08 AM CST up reply actions
You notice the pieces from Indy the last few days?
All about “stakeouts” of Jerry in his hotel lobby, and the gag order.
No reporting on prospects, no apparent attempt to learn which prospects the
Cowboys want to or have interviewed.
I’ve gotten more off kffl.com’s ticker than from the entire Metroplex workforce.
by Rafael Vela on Feb 22, 2009 11:44 AM CST up reply actions
+10000000...I really wonder how an editor can hold onto those highly underqualified know nothings...
Seriously, I have lived throughout the country, reading sports pages all my life, and i’ve never seen a group of such hating blow hards covering their own local teams with such hatred, and obvious one sided bias against a team in my life…
I never once seen any of them write a piece using factual info, or qualified insight….every day, talking crap, spewing their own opinions, and simply hating on the Cowboys….every day…
If I had to read those newspapers every day, I’d feel cheated that my local newspapers don’t even cover their hometown team with objective, unbias, reasonable reporting…sign a petition and boycott the papers is what i’d do…
what kills me is reading the comments below these crap stories, and all the wacked out fans that believe in these writers..
by CowboysRnumba1 on Feb 22, 2009 12:22 PM CST reply actions
+1
I had forgotten about the media from the 90’s but I was thumbing thru the NFL Network last week and it was the last time we beat GB to go to the Super Bowl-1996. Anyway, Sommerall and Madden were saying how Troy and the Boys are now relieved because the media had been so mean to them. That was in 96. BTW it’s the 20 year anniversary of Jerry firing Landry. Of course that little nugget is in the Star Telegram-haha
I agree with
you 1000%. I live in the Northeast and the kind of negative that I have seen against the Cowboys from their local media is worse than what the Yankees get by far! I mean the team went 9-7 and has won 22 out of 32 regular season games in the last two years. It is not the total disaster that the local media in Dallas is trying to make it.
Jerry was right on this move. Especially when it is time for evaluating potential draft picks. Can you imagine what these Bozos would do with just an inkling of whom the Cowboys were considering in the drafrt? I shudder to think.
The media has their shorts wadded between their cheeks......
i guess I can say i’m enjoying it………
like if they need Wade’s comments to make up those worthless,twisted,opinioned articles they go to print with anyway……..
ahhh the joy of seeing the media having a cow about this…….exhibiting their childish behavior in print………though agreeing with the gag rule……..let’s continue with the fun and games
but now, at their expense………………yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like this too.
This reminds me of when I was in jail, watching all the meth addicts convulsing on the floor after a couple days without a fix. Let BSPN bang their heads against the wall to try to find a Cowboys story when no one from our camp is talking.
I love it.
TELL MITCH ALBOM THAT IF HE'S GOT A PROBLEM WITH BLOGGERS, THEN HE CAN COME SEE ME IN THE OCTAGON.
by Carl Shelton (GloryDayz88) on Feb 22, 2009 1:08 PM CST reply actions
I would appreciate a gag order
for Wade the entire year if he’s going to be here. Now’s not the time to impose a gag order.
We didn’t get any information out of him last year at the combine or before the draft that I can remember. It’s when he’s required to give press conferences I cringe. It’s depressing when I rely on Wade’s press conferences to get unfiltered info about the goings on of the team and for the most part it’s coachspeak. He’s just not very good at it.
Agreed
Opinions will differ but the info received to form your opinion should be consistent
That's part of the problem right there
too many so called journalists mix in their own biased opinions with facts therefore scewing the truth. Sad day. Okay, I’m going to show my age but what the heck. I remember when Walter Cronkite retired he said that journalists were becoming sensationalists instead of journalists. That was back in 1980. How correct he was. I loved his phrase “and that’s the way it was.”
+1,000
Cronkite was the man. The guy dripped with integrity. I never doubted anything he was saying and never needed to.
Unfortunately when he left
that was the beginning of the downfall of today’s journalists. There’s a reason he was voted the most trusted man in America.
And where did Cronkite graduate from?
University of Texas baby.
: )
Dallas makes me act like Christian Bale......
by AirforceBat on Feb 22, 2009 11:08 PM CST up reply actions
ther is a big difference
in a coach not wanting to deal with the media, and the owner telling him he can’t talk to the media. How many coaches would prefer not to talk to the media? probably all of them. But how many want their owner to say that he doesn’t know enough about his own team to talk to the media about them? I’m going with none
exploding highfive
I can understand your point and I can see both sides.
The one thing that keeps bugging me though is Wade never addressed the team at the end of the season. From what people are saying, this is unheard of unless they are just making that part up.
those players didn't deserve a speach....
silence was a good analysis of their play, what can you possibly say to a team that played that poorly ??…….I would have left them on the field myself…
Silence is golden
and I agree that Wade would be delighted to extend the gag rule through the season.
So, now the only info coming out of Valley Ranch will come from Jerry and Ed Werder’s deep-throat anonymous source (Terrell Owens).
Keep doing what you been doing, keep getting what you been getting.
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