The Garrett Ban on Hazing

and Rec’d. I always thought that hazing was a terrible way to build team spirit. Give me a leader I can respect. I think RHG is establishing that in spades. Whoever that moron was that wrote that crap, HE needs to be hazed.

But when I read the quote you posted, I didn’t have as strong a reaction as you did. I agree a bit with what the writer is saying. Garrett’s making himself the center and obvious Alpha Dog of the team. That’s strong leadership-but you have to be careful.

    To use your military analogy, I see the Head Coach as more like a Captain in the army. He’s in charge of his unit-however, the leadership is filtered through lieutenants and even the sergeants on a day-to-day level. In football, you’re dealing with many players who’ve been there and proven their worth. These experienced players are the guys who need to motivate their fellow players-it can’t always come from the top. That gets tuned out after a while. Good teams with good discipline always talk about how the players get on each other and keep their standards high-like a Master Sergeant with his platoon.

   I’m really not on board with the star thing, it’s kind of bush league to me. This isn’t college. Those guys are getting a paycheck and were “hired” by the Cowboys. It seemed a little disrespectful, and too obviously manipulative to me. Kinda like Brookings and his pregame chant-embarrassing.

    Also, you mentioned Parcells. You called the Star/helmet thing a “tested” idea. Um, tested, but not really all that successful. Parcells didn’t have that great a run here-wasn’t he .500? And back then, I thought all of his mind-games and tricks like this were old-fashioned. This stuff just doesn’t work anymore. the players are different, the culture and media is different. One of Parcell’s problems was he stuck in 1988. It’s 20 years later, and all of the media attention makes that motivational less effective.

   Finally, I’m in the middle as far as hazing, but I’ll make a point. You said the players need to “earn” their way on the team. True. But isn’t the tradition of “hazing” (as long as it’s reasonable of course) part of earning your way on the team?
    Don’t tell me you’d want the military to get rid of it’s hazing traditions ! No more, “Drop and give me 20!” ? No more freshman year for the doolies and plebes?!

Not trying to disagree with everything, believe me I like a new leadership approach, but I think Garrett has to be careful about being too involved. A little distance is good. And I thought the article you mentioned is the other side of the coin, there’s some kernels (not colonels, lol-sorry , I like puns) of truth in it.

AS a victim of “bullying” throughout my school years I firmly believe that anything that causes humiliation and degradation is never a good thing

i say make em earn it, it betters the competition and better focuses their desire and energy and commitment to one goal.

Tells you all you need to know

Leave that stuff to them. I don’t want to be like the other NFC East blogs where every other post has something about us.

Faster. 3 times.

Most hazing just sucks and probably does absolutely nothing for anyone.
By definition, its meant to be demeaning. However, the goal of acceptance is greater after hazing. Not only have you been accepted, but the hazing is over!!!

I don’t condone serious hazing like physical or sexual assault or anything. But I would never lose sleep over hazing.

looks like mr sharp joined our blog today after all lol

would interpret making rookies earn their ensignia by making the roster as analogous with demeaning behavior.

Can’t wait…..

He can’t have my theme song…even if it does fit him very well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTVpxxzb2Dc

When I went to college I wanted to major in Journalism because of Grantland Rice. He was a great writer who covered sports in the USA in the first half of the 20th Century. I found that I was more interested in business but never forgot what really great writing looks like.

Today there are no few credible sportswriters. Sensationalism and opinion oozes out of every column and story. There are no editors. There are no standards. There is no fact checking (example Tom Zillers piece on the NBA lockout – full of factual errors). The idea is to attract readers using whatever works.

This BTB is an exception. Here there is objectivity and humility, Fans hunger for this and go wanting elsewhere. Thank you for calling this one out.

The military does use humiliation to break recruits down. But the humiliation is from failing to physically perform. And when they have broken them down (I am referring to boot camp) they build them back up until by the end of boot training they have great confidence in their ability to obey orders and to perform under pressure, There is no bullying (despite the bad movies to otherwise effect) but constant pressure to perform. After boot they are treated with respect.

And thank you, Pineywoods, for your service. It is deeply appreciated.

Notice this guy is now a brand new member of BTB, specifically joining, I’m sure, to see what kind of outraged reactions his article incited.

Glad we got rid of it.

I’d extend the concept to everyone on the team. No stars on any helmets through training camp and preseason games. You get the Star for the first regular season game. That goes for Tony ROmo and Demarcus Ware as well as the undrafted rookie

Did you get the username Pineywoods from Peter Straub’s novel Mr. X?

its apart of life, and more so apart of football.
and when u eventually no longer get hazed you are that much more apart of the team

but why isnt this post on the front page??

and culture starts at the top. He’s set the pace. If he says “we don’t believe in that sort of thing” then the players will buy in to it; because again good leaders set the culture from the top.

completley opinion based (from the small part i read). and just plain arrogant.
that said, i think that earning stars thing was a little pee-wee style, and kinda cute. like a strange old lady cute tho.
not like a little baby laughing cute.
tho i disagree with outlawing hazing. i ask a question. was that really a front page article? and does that guy get paid? also, by any chance was andy reid’s mother’s name sharpe, and was big ol andy hiding behind the alias andrew sharpe?

Jason Garrett is establishing a culture based on principles that I have been hearing my entire life. Set clear goals. Offer unambiguous feedback. Be fair. Build esprit de corps.

Nice Post. Rec’d.