Usually, I tend to ignore parting shots from former players. Not all parting shots are of the mean or vindictive flavor, sometimes guys just say they need a fresh start, or they wanted a chance to compete to be a starter. Guys have all kinds of reasons for leaving a team although it really seems to be all about the money in most cases - even though they won't admit it. Who can blame them, this is their profession and money plays a big factor in life decisions; just because we fans have a binding loyalty to a team doesn't mean the players have to have the same feelings.
I'm getting off track. Back to parting shots, every once in a while, you get one so hilarious and unhinged that you can't ignore it. Vying for the crown of craziest parting shot is our own, errr...our formerly own, Greg Ellis. Did you guys catch his gem about playing time in Dallas and the secretive help he was receiving from DeMarcus Ware? Sure, Ellis used to upset the apple cart with his constant offseason complaints about his contract, his playing time, who the Cowboys were drafting at his position, etc. That stuff is common place. You hear it all the time from players. It took Greg leaving the Cowboys for him to really project his inner-fears into the public consciousness like he did on Michael Irvin's radio show yesterday.
Make the jump for Greg's comments.
"It's a disgrace when DeMarcus Ware comes off the field just so I can get in the game and when the coaches tell him to come on the field, he tries to hide so I can play," Ellis said on Irvin's show. "And you're telling me we're trying to win the Super Bowl?"
Wow, talk about revealing your inner-most fears about your own inadequacies. Ellis is projecting onto Ware his own thoughts that the Cowboys obviously weren't trying to be the best team they can be and win the Super Bowl, because they weren't playing him enough. So instead of his own complaints that we've heard year after year, he puts those same complaints into the mind of Ware, so he can say, "that's not just me thinking that way, the best guy on the Cowboys defense also thinks that way." I can't wait to hear Ware's reply to this.
More from Ellis:
"On his own. He would say, 'G, come on.' And I would tell him, 'No, DeMarcus, go ahead, man. You're coming up on your contract year. Don't mess that stuff up. Go ahead and do you, and we're just going to do what the coaches, or whoever the powers that be, what they want to do.'"
You're coming up on your contract year! Holy crap, can you be more explicit about your true motivating factor for playing the game. Greg is bringing up "contract year" in the middle of a game! If Greg truly believed he should be in the game, and these events really did happen, wouldn't he take that chance and get in the game. What does he have to be worried about, he can just say DeMarcus told him to go in. Instead, he brings up Ware's contract year? WTF?
All of this is kind of moot anyway. DeMarcus Ware rarely came off the field last year and besides, I don't think Ware is the kind of player who would voluntarily take himself out of a game. So basically, what I'm saying is, Greg is making this stuff up. He might believe it in his own mind, but I don't think it has much to do with reality. Then again, if Ware ever confirms it's true, then I got a bone to pick with Ware.
After hearing this latest tirade from Ellis, I'm absolutely sure the Cowboys made the right move in releasing him even though it leaves us thin at OLB.
Hat tip to Boundforbeach for the FanShot.
[UPDATE]: cowboy78 points out in the comments that Ware has responded. Thanks to the DMN blog.
"You know, I just think that everybody got an ample amount of playing time, for what it was worth," Ware said diplomatically, acknowledging that he was uncomfortable discussing the subject. "At the end of the day, if I was off the field, there was a reason why I was off the field. Maybe Greg rushed the passer better against a certain guy. But I think at the end of the day, the time that guys got is how it is."
When asked how many plays he missed, Ware estimated that he was on the field for 95 percent of the defensive snaps. I believe it was actually a bit higher.
Hitzges mentioned that he didn't recall seeing Ware watching the defense from the sideline too often.
"Hey, tell me about it," Ware said.
That one is easy enough to read. Ware is all class. Other Cowboys should take note of how to handle the media. He didn't throw Greg under the proverbial bus and cause more soundbytes, but he made it plain that Greg was seeing a different reality, and not what Ware and the rest of the Cowboys were seeing . [END UPDATE]