Are you growing tired of Mickey Spagnola?
by Eagles suck on May 29, 2009 1:57 PM CDT
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PrintDon't know if the "blogging the boys" boys will allow commentary here about the competition, but I can't imagine anyone on this blog doesn't already read the Cowboys site... So, here goes:
Is anyone else growing tired of Mickey Spagnola? I think that he's become a passionate defender of the Cowboys, their moves and their staff. Perhaps this has always been the case, but I've been feelng it more over the past year or two. Case in point: the current fan-mail post on the site includes a very legit comment about the Cowboys being thin of talent on the back-ups. While there's room for disagreement, I think there's no reason to dismiss the comment (I happen to agree with the post).
Mick's response, though, is the following:
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Mickey: Say it ain't so, Joe. Come on, go look at all the other teams in the league, and you can say the same thing about them if too many injuries strike. You know, there is a salary cap, making it hard to have proven players serving in backup roles. But you're right, there is a lot of inexperience in the wings. That's how you get younger and save cap space, though.
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Personally, I don't think this is a legit response. Sure, he does agree a bit about there being a lot of inexperienced players now, but the reality is that we have a large number of players who haven't proven themselves and who will be plugged into important roles. None more obvious than our new inside and outside linebackers. I don't recall (ever?) having this many few faces in the mix for the Cowboys. Not even during the lean 5-11 years.
Your thoughts?
Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.
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Who signs his checks?
Growing? lol.
He’s been this way for a long, long time now.
And the way he dismisses people who disagree with him EVERY time out is why he is on my ‘least likely to care what he wrote list’.
The sun isn’t always shining Mickey so stop trying to tell us it is.
Go Cowboys!
I thought Mickey's response was absolutely correct
as usually is the case. I think Mickey is one of the better beat writers out there covering the Cowboys without question.
He’s absolutely correct in saying you can’t have great depth at every position and the salary cap prevents teams from doing so. We had great depth on our dynasty 90s teams but there wasn’t a cap. Teams just have to hope their young guys come through if they have to…case in point, Tashard Choice last season.
In Romo we Trust
Terry, I agree that Mick's is a true statement
Surely it’s reasonable. But its also an obvious comment that neither advances the discussion nor comes close to the spirit of the emailer’s question.
Let’s agree that great, expensive depth can’t be had at every position. Not by the Cowboys nor any other team. Ok. With that out of the way, how comparing the Cowboys recent moves and/or our current roster to what we’ve had in the past? Any difference? I think so. Or let’s really consider other teams. Have others made roster moves to release effective pressure players (Ellis) of a supposed contender?
I’m not saying my questions/doubts are right, but I do expect a paid writer to try harder to actually write something interesting that advances the story instead of being dismissive to a fan who listens to/reads him and offers some contribution.
you have to keep in mind
that Mickey is answering an e-mail and can’t really respond with a long answer, he has to be short and to the point. That being said, I think it’s obvious why Jerry made the moves he’s made this off season, he wants to accomplish two things.
First, he wants to get rid of all the distractions and by doing that he has to get rid of the players who cause those distractions.
Second, he wants to develop the younger players on the team instead of thwarting that development by retaining the older players. He wants to allow guys like Austin, Jenkins, Scandrick and Spencer to develop into the good players he knows they’re capable of becoming. Keeping players like T.O., Henry, Pacrat and Ellis would not allow that to happen.
In Romo we Trust
Spagnola is unreadable...
Tex is tired of Mickey too… and compares the beleaguered honk to Brian Stewart. If everything was as rosy as that picture that Spanola paints, the Cowboys should be working on their tenth Super Bowl trophy. Tex found 2008 to be a disaster of a year, Mickey not so much. Fire Mickey Spanola!
what's the matter with you, Tex?
You are writing cogent sentences. Are you feeling OK?
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
-Winston Churchill
I agree that Mickey has rose colored glasses
he may as well be the press secretary for the cowboys. That said I think his stuff is ok, and he does temper some enthusiasm
by AustonianAggie on Jun 2, 2009 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions
Why would cowboys.com hire a writer with a negative slant?
Doesn’t seem likely to me. Mickey pretty much presents the company line, which accounts some for his rose colored lenses, but he has a point about depth. Exception maybe for Patriots, who somehow seem to have the best roster depth every year, but teams have rookie backups sometimes.
As for the number of new faces, someone in another posting already mentioned the year of the Dirty Dozen rookies. I think the Cowboy are taking the opportunity after missing the playoffs last year to get younger overall in a hurry.
"We'll see." --Bill Parcells
mick is a homer
but he is a cowboy employee, so i expect it. he’s not the biggest homer, go look at his counterpart for the Eagles (Dave Spadaro) he fights with fans on the radio and stuff if they bash the team, or even question a move.
in this case though, Mickey was correct, go take all of the injuries we had last year, put them on any other team, and they’d be hard pressed to make the playoffs.
yeah spags is a homer, for me though it is kind of entertaining
he flip-flops all the time, and I’m kind of looking forward to see his spin on the moves management does.
Every team has a spags..there all homers...
when jerry stops the checks his opinions would change in a heartbeat
Stopped reading the PR site years ago
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
I actually met Mickey last year
at the radio show the night before the Steelers game. I told him I really liked his writing, he seemed like a really nice guy.
In Romo we Trust
I am sure he's a nice guy
Doesn’t mean that he doesn’t work for the PR department. If you want PR, then read him. Having read your posts, I am sure that’s is just what you are looking for.
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
I'm looking for informative in depth anaylsis
and that’s exactly what Mickey delivers every time I read his articles.
In Romo we Trust
Wow. Really?
In depth analysis? Guy’s a total joke.
Epic Fail since 1985
by the red scare on May 30, 2009 10:26 PM CDT up reply actions
I haven't listened to Talkin' Cowboys in months.
I used to never miss a show, but I usually liked what Mickey had to say. Maybe lately he’s been different, but he does a good job at deflecting the crappy rumors that fly around Valley Ranch. Nothing wrong with being a homer. We all want the best for the Cowboys.
Am I the only one who misses Bill Jones on the show?
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 30, 2009 11:23 AM CDT reply actions
Ntohing wrong with being a homer...
…I like them. I also like critique and I enjoy critiquing homers and bashers alike. That’s why I like this blog — you can almost always find thoughtful commentary from the writers and audience.
btw., I do miss Bill Jones.
I remember some callers last year complaining about Bill Jones talking too much about non-football stuff.
Wonder if that has anything to do with him not being on the show anymore. Stupid callers.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 31, 2009 10:36 AM CDT up reply actions
I hate non cowboys talk
Everytime I hear Mickey talking about anything other than Cowboys I am annoyed. Why is the show called “Talking Cowboys”. I know they have about an hour of time so I want all the info I can get on the Cowboys… not the Lakers or Cavs or something else. If I wanted that info I’d go look for it! I also have to agree that I am tired of Mickey and have started to avoid his writings. I like The Lunch Break even though they also sidetrack on Cowboy issues too sometimes.
God 1st, Family Always & Dallas Cowboys 4 Life!!!!!
I guess I'm just a big Adam Corolla fan.
After years and years of listening to him go off on tangents, it didn’t bother me one bit when Bill Jones and Mickey would spend a couple minutes chatting—especially in the offseason. Learning about the people help you learn about their biases and the manner in how they react to news. For example, knowing that Mickey is from Chicago and grew up somewhat of Bears fan, to me, gave his reporting a bit more objectivity on the Cowboys becuz he wasn’t blinded too much by homer glasses. I don’t read his stuff as much as I used to (since I discovered BTB), but I’ve disagreed alot more with stuff Nick Eatman says over Mickey’s words.
Did I just go off on a tangent?
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on Jun 1, 2009 11:09 AM CDT up reply actions
I really enjoy the ones that have Nate Newton on the air.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
Yeah, Nate is awesome.
He did get my hopes high for Joe Berger though.
Is it too early to ask what round I should aim for Felix in my fantasy football league?
by Aaron Novinger on May 31, 2009 10:35 AM CDT up reply actions
I love that he is the Turk for the 4th and long show.
I look foward to the dallas preseason shows where they have nate on with Brad Sham; those guys have a good working chemistry on that show.
Ignore the Mainstream Media, EMBRACE THE HATE!!!!
If Raf is reading this...
Any consideration of bringing back the audio podcasts? I noticed the iTunes store has two Bloggingtheboys episodes from ‘08 (I think). Nothin’ could be finer than getting Bloggingtheboys audio podcasts. If you bring them back (and you can monetize them to make it worth your while), count me into the listening community.
Thank Goodness
First of all..most of the time Mickey is offering the opposing view in response to a NEGATIVE comment.
Secondly..thank goodness for someone that does not always have to do what is prevailing with today’s media…taking the negative slank to garner attention, many times outrage.
An example..Lebron James walks off the basketball court after a losing in the playoffs as opposed to talking to the media or interacting with the opposing team. He is getting ripped for it. Why…it is a negative article about a popular player..that will get a ton of reaction.
He's getting ripped because it was poor sportsmanship
"Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication." --Roger Staubach
Frankly
if i want to hear negative BS about this team, i’ll go to espn. If I want to here solid criticism, i’ll go to this blog. I’m fine with the main writer on DC.com being a homer. Don’t really see the problem – I’d bet most of each website’s writers are overly optimistic at this point.
I don't mind homers
But Mickey is over the top. Even he doesn’t believe half of the stuff he says
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.
-Winston Churchill
I disagree
Mickey isn’t over the top at all, his articles always make perfect sense to me.
In Romo we Trust
Really? Really?
HUGE surprise right here, fellas.
Everything's looking up, Milhouse!
by accidental innuendo on Jun 4, 2009 8:57 AM CDT up reply actions
He's rude and kind of a jerk.
I don’t have a problem with him being a homer since he writes for the team website, but he attempts to demean and belittle writers who have a different viewpoint than him, and often uses false stats to support his point. If a team employee is a homer, then that’s fine by me, but when a team employee is rude and dismissive of fans, I have a problem with that.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 3, 2009 2:30 PM CDT reply actions
not true
He only belittles writers who offer viewpoints that make no sense which obviously happens quite a bit.
In Romo we Trust
So how is that not true?
What part of what I said is not true? Your comment contradicts your headline.
And as a team employee and supposed journalist, I feel like he should be more respectful to the fans that write in to the website. He picks the letters to publish, so if he feels that their viewpoint makes no sense, he’s intentionally being a jerk by picking their letters solely to belittle them. And since the guy is often wrong, uses false stats, and contradicts himself from month to month, he should be belittling himself for not making sense more often than the writers that he selects.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 4, 2009 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
And I realize that he's not really a journalist.
I know he’s just a PR guy for the team, and not a real journalist, but that doesn’t change the fact that team employees should not be rude to fans.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 4, 2009 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
Is that a for real statement?
Jerry Jones is the owner and GM of the Cowboys. Therefore he is reporting on his employer. You’re just being silly, now.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 4, 2009 3:55 PM CDT up reply actions
the not true part is Mickey using false stats
I’ve never seen that at all in any of his articles.
In Romo we Trust
Do you research his stats when he uses them?
I do. When people use stats for their argument, I always look them up because it is an easily verifiable fact.
For example, last year, he often quoted tackle stats to assert what great players guys like Marcus Spears were, and would lead off with “I don’t know where you’re getting your stats, but …” When a guy throws down a line like that, of course I check it out, by pushing the Stats button on the same site that he works for. Every time, he had inflated the numbers.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 4, 2009 11:05 AM CDT up reply actions
thats not a good example
as tackles are one of the most deceiving stats in all of football and I cannot recall him ever saying Spears was great, only that he’s a better player than what most Cowboys fans give him credit for.
In Romo we Trust
If that is truly the case,
then he should not derisively cite those stats on the team website. That makes it an even better example.
by Baked Potato Soup on Jun 4, 2009 3:54 PM CDT up reply actions
hmmmmmmmmm
Yea u have to agree with Mickey that is true you cant have stars all across the board. We almost did in 08 but it was mostly risk players. Our cap is thin and after DWARE is signed and everyone else come off the books I think we might go on a little spending spree then .But that is like in 2010 or 2011.Right now we are just trying to find diamonds in the ruff trying to finding reliable cogs to put in the mix with our main heavy duty cogs.
Some players you will never know who they are bc they are not flashy but once they are gone problems arise in that area. Finding players who know how to get things done when called upon. But when u talk about the lack of back up talent you have to be talking about the rookies and stuff.
I think the cowboys are doing the right thing right now finding players from the draft and getting rid of those cap absorbing bench riders. If you ask me these rookies cant do any worst than who we already got as back ups so what the problem is. Some of these guys been on this team since the Parcell days and cant even beat out a fifth round rookie. So y pay millions for a guy to ride the bench.
when we had the injury bug in 08 who step up no one except for the rookies we drafted that year. They were not even expected to c a snap that year.Another thing y do everyone hate this draft class u have to understand more than half these guys was already scouted,interview, and targeted by the C Boys. I think Jerry is doing a lower tier team cleanup he is letting everyone know he getting hungry players who want to play. The same lower tier players who let us down last year.
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