Thank God and Greyhound

According to ESPN (the New York Times of the sports world, so the veracity might be questionable)the Dallas Cowboys have released controversial receiver Terrell Owens.

Blog post on the Cowboys website

I'll let Roy Clark sing what I'm thinkin':

The Wrong Appendage

Was just listening to Talking Cowboys, the daily online talk show on the Dallas Cowboys website, and one of the hosts compared the Dallas injury woes to a cartoon character, trying to stop leaks in a dam with his fingers and toes, hands and feet.

"Sometimes you just don't have enough appendages." quipped one of the show's hosts.

Uh, that's not it. It's just that sometimes, when the leaks are just beginning, that Dallas sticks the wrong appendage in the dam.

Not the fingers or toes, either.

DCC Alumni

Watch the video of the current and alumni Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders at last weekend's game with the Bengals. Most of the former cheerleaders from the 70's and 80's still look pretty good!

Of Course I Am

Cowboys Win in Green Bay

First win ever at Lambeau Field.

Cowboys win this one by even more than the score shows. The contest started out looking like the Packers would dink and dunk their way to a win, but Dallas made the necessary adjustments at halftime and came out and put the game away.

Next week the Cowboys host the 2-1 Washington Redskins. The combined record of NFC East teams is 10-2. The East is a Beast!

Vince, The Pack & Mrs. Olsen

I'm sure looking forward to the Packers/Cowboys game tonight. I hope the Pokes can beat 'em, and I think they will. (probably jinxed 'em, right there)

I thought it another one of those insignificant - but cool - coincidences that a day or so ago there was a Vince Lombardi quote on the Quote of the Day feed in the right-hand column. Lombardi was the coach of the Green Bay Packers and is considered to be one of the best football coaches of all time.

I had a coach for the first couple of years in h.s.; he hadn't been out of the Army for very long, had a wife and a young girl. He was fresh off his first coaching job, having some success, so his gung-ho atttitude was still fierce...but I think my home town drained him of a lot of it in the short time he was there.

Anyway...he was fond of Lombardi quotes and had them plastered all over the locker room, a few nicely printed out and framed in his office. There were a few I thought silly, such as

"A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall."

What a crock. So self-serving...of course if your life is football, you'll defend it even with nonsensical "facts".

There were, however, a few that I've remembered all my life and thought them profound then and still do:

"Fatigue makes cowards of us all."

And "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity."

During my sophomore year I injured my knee and was out of practice for a game and a week's practice. My mom bought me Jerry Kramer's book, Instant Replay to read while I was recuperating. I admired Kramer; we played the same position, both of us were pulling guards, but I'll go to my death thinking he beat the snap on the winning touchdown in The Ice Bowl.

(4:27 on the video, it's certainly debatable, I'll admit)



My pop and this coach became good buddies, but that sure didn't curry me any favor with the coach. If anything, he seemed to go harder on me, almost more than I could bear. One time when I was at my breaking point, ready to quit the team crying, he told me "Mike, I wouldn't be so hard on you if I didn't think you had good potential." Looking at it from that perspective, I could see that he didn't spend nearly as much time (especially yelling time) with most of the other boys as he did with me. I think he realized that I was one of those guys who needed to be pushed, but also appreciated. I think most people are like that, actually.

I remember a time when we were playing basketball in Booker; I rode with my folks and we were early by quite a bit, even for my sister's game which came before mine. We rode around the tiny town for a while, then Dad saw the coach and got him to get in the car with us; we drove a couple of blocks away from the school to a burned-out house. Dad pointed at it and with a snicker told him:

"That's where last year's coach lived."

And now for my Green Bay Packers joke:

Mrs. Ollie Olsen, a Scandinavian immigrant to the U.S. was drawing attention because of her size, 6'8", 345 lbs. Reporters were interviewing her, asking her questions such as "Gee, Mrs. Olsen, how'd you get so big?"

"Ah, from eating dot gud Svedish cheese." she replied with a good-natured smile.

Another reporter yelled out: "You're big enough to play for the Green Bay Packers, Mrs. Olsen!"

Turning serious, she grimly replied:

"Nein, I play wid nobody's packer but Ollie's."

Scoreboard!

What a game.  Whew.   I couldn't bear to watch it at times.   I know I'm supposed to have faith, but...  Horror movies never scared me, but sometimes while watching Dallas play I have to cover my eyes.

I'm not nearly as big a fan of the Cowboys as I used to be, but there's two games...three if they meet again in the playoffs...I agonize over every year, and it's when the 'Pokes play the Eagles.    It's torture to watch them lose to Philly, but it's even worse to see the posts by Eagle fans in forums, particularly the Dallas fan sites.

I won't go into specific reasons, but let's just say Will Rogers never met an Eagle fan.

Cowboys Schedule Widget

EDIT: After looking at the title of this post, I realized it was a bit ambiguous.

Maybe they SHOULD schedule a widget; better that than the Eagles.

---

Noticed a hit on this post, then noticed the widget wasn't coming up. I'll have to go see if they've got a new one

http://www.statbeast.com/

Dallas Chipmunks

There's not a lot of websites I visit religiously these days; of course, I check in here several times a day, go to the tv listings to see what's on, Drudge for news and during the season and training camp, I like to keep up with my beloved Dallas Cowboys.

They've recently revamped their award-winning website and have been putting in more articles and videos, gearing up for what is hoped to be another exciting season.

Something caught my eye, though: the following screenshot is from a recent video about today's scrimmage. Look closely, just to the left-of-center, the guy on the back row.

Is that just the glare from the sun, an odd angle or is the player storing up nuts for the winter?

Chowder Heads - Free Reign

Dallas Cowboys players Marc Columbo (tackle/singer) and Cory Proctor (center/drums) performing at the Cool River Cafe.

They're both linemen, so that explains the lyrics. (or lack of)

Listen to another of their "hits", Tale of Two Jakes, if you dare. If you're strong enough for an encore, you're probably strong enough to play for the 'Boys.

Zach Is Back

The Dallas Cowboys have announced the signing of Zach Thomas to a one year contract: 1 million in base salary, a million in the form of a signing bonus and a million in incentives. (not announced, but generally geared to the percentage of plays during the season and/or if he makes the Pro Bowl)

Personally, I was against the signing. Dallas has quite a few pressing needs such as shoring up the defensive secondary and finding a receiver who can stretch the field. (IOW, has "speed") The linebacker spot is one that Dallas is deep in personnel and at first glance, it seems as though Thomas is a "biscuit shy" of being large enough to play an interior LB spot in the 3-4 which Dallas employs.

Still, Miami used the 3-4 over the last few years and Thomas excelled in that alignment, making the Pro Bowl each year except for this last one. Something that has been thrown out in the hundreds of forums discussing this signing is the fact that Thomas has more tackles in his career than does any other defensive player now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Very Impressive.

Another concern of mine is Thomas' age (he's 34, think he will turn 35 before or during next season) He's getting on up there in age where the end of his career is definitely in sight, so I was glad to see Dallas not break the bank or mortgage the future to sign him.

Also worrying many is the fact that Thomas missed most of last season with a concussion (given to him in the Dallas game) and then was in a car wreck with his new bride and suffered from a concussion and subsequent migraines.

Since this was a "bargain basement" type signing, getting Thomas for not much more than the NFL minimum for a veteran, then I will have to give my reluctant approval to the transaction. (not that MY opinion counts for a damn thing)

The funny thing to me is that Thomas' public statements said he was proud to be a Cowboy, but in my conversations with his own grandmother (I sort of know the family, his uncle lives only a few blocks away, but have met Zach only once. More on that later) when Zach entered the NFL draft, I found out that Thomas didn't like the Cowboys and was glad he wasn't drafted by them.

Of course, people can change their minds, but I believe money talks louder than anything else!

His grandmother said the rest of the family would've been happy to have seen Zach with a star on his helmet, esp. since half of his games would've been played in Dallas, fairly easy for his family to attend.

As I've mentioned in here before, Zach's father is responsible for building the Groom Cross, and that's one of the reasons I bring up a football related topic. The main reason I posted this is because Zach is from this area and played his last year of h.s. football here in Pampa.

This article isn't about Thomas' signing so much, but to mention the back-and-forth going on about it all in the football forums. Some are more than pleased with the transaction, while others bemoan that it is the beginning of the end of hope for this current crop of players and that Jerry Jones (DC owner) is once again meddling with the team, forcing it into mediocrity--once again.

I thought of making the following the theme of this post, but decided against it. "Zak is Bak!" was more in line with what I was thinking, esp after this post. (a fair example of the level of posting in football forums...heck, ANY forum)



I'm curious as to just how much money a chicken costs?

I dunno, guess it's just me, but if I don't know the meaning of a word, I don't use it. Also, if I don't know how to spell something, I will go look it up. I'm sure many of us do the same thing - we're all guilty of the occasional typo now 'n then - but I'm anal to the point of being mortified if I let something like "poultry" escape my keyboard into the Internet Ozone, especially if I meant "paltry".

John Lennon, when once asked if McCartney had written the lion's share of their collaborative efforts, replied "That's such a paultry question; I refuse to answer it. "

Where do you hang crooked politicians? Why, from the pol-tree, of course!

I could go on, but won't. Aren't you glad?

A Folk Hero!

"Picked Apart" That was the entry on the Dallas Cowboys website last night at halftime, the Cowboys behind and Romo having already thrown four interceptions.

The Cowboys never led during the game, but managed to get back into it after scoring a touchdown, but missed the tying two-point conversion. Then came some controversy and reviews after the 'Boys recovered an onside kick. After a couple of short passes to get them within range, their rookie kicker, Nick Folk, nailed a 50+ yd. field goal, winning the game.....BUT....Buffalo had called time before the snap, so the Cowboys had to kick it again and Folk once again split the uprights.

I WAS going to title this post "Buffalo gets Folked", but...

The Cowboys website was a little more cutesy:



Not for sure if Folk is saying "Hook 'em Horns" or is practicing for the next Ozzie Osbourne concert.

Any more wins like this and I won't survive the season.

Run, Romo, Run!

A "highlight" from Sunday's game vs. the Rams.

The snap goes over Romo's head, but he turns a busted play into a first down!

Composed Cowboys Credit Coach

I couldn't let this article's headline go unmentioned.

Wonder if I could get a job there?

I can see the announcement now:

Dallas Dreads Doofus Debut

Worker Injured at New Cowboys Stadium

A worker struck by a crane at the construction site for the new Dallas Cowboy's stadium required a crane to lift him to a waiting ambulance.

VIDEO

FoxNews Dallas online

So far, so good

How 'bout them Cowboys!!!

Since this IS a blog, I've decided to write as much as I can about the Dallas Cowboys, mention any noteworthy news, trades or injuries, plus try my best to review the last game and perhaps even preview the next opponent.

Then again, if they start playing like crapola, I may never mention them again. We'll see.

You're certainly welcome to comment, and if there's certain news or something else you would like to discuss in a new thread, please reply and I'll start one. Maybe.

There's a Dallas Cowboys feed on the side navbar from The Dallas News, but I also go to the official Dallas Cowboys website (award winning!) You can do that too, so I will save my posts for commentary on what's happening.

Yesterday's game vs. the Denver Broncos was satisfying; the Cowboys not only walked away with a 31-20 win, the DC first units looked excellent against both of Denver's. I would think Mike Shanahan's teams would be better prepared than that, so I am going to give the 'Boys the credit for being that much farther along in the season. I also noticed the same thing last week against the defending Super Bowl champs. (whom the Cowpokes beat LAST year, too)

Granted, this is only pre-season and the games mean nothing and at least half of each game has been played by guys who won't be on ANY NFL roster by the regular season, but it's encouraging to see how advanced that Dallas looks.

The only position that's really up for grabs is the kicker spot. M. Gramatica has looked good, but Nick Folk hit a 52 yarder (good for at least 57)in the last game under a pressure (end of half)situation and the vet would make three times what they'd have to pay the rookie. It may very well come down to economics, but Gramatic IS pretty much a proven commodity. I really wouldn't want to wager on this either way, but I honestly don't think Dallas will keep two kickers, preferring to try to get another def. lineman via the waiver wires over the next few weeks.

Dallas is blessed with some capable starters and some very good backups at other spots, and that may pose a hard problem for the Dallas front office in having to decide who to cut when The Turk comes to visit for the last time. Junior Glymph, a reserve LB may very well be wearing different colors, perhaps even starting for a different team by the time of the first reg. season game.

Guard/center Joe Berger may be another of the last cuts. He will certainly not be able to be placed on the practice squad; linemen that can do both spots are rare and he won't clear waivers.

I think Dallas will keep as many WRs as they can, probably six, mainly due to the age of the top two wideouts, T.O. and Glenn. (Glenn did not play due to a knee 'scope a few weeks back but is expected to be back within a few weeks, at least by the reg. season) I think they have a decent WR corps even without those two vets.


Stanbeck, the QB turned WR, showed great speed and hands the other night from the backup QB, seasoned vet Brad Johnson, who also helped calm some fears "IF ROMO CAN'T GET THE JOB DONE" or the silly conjecture that last year's fumbled placekick attempt will bother him during this season. Hogwash, he's a vet. Johnson put the ball right in Stanback's hands and in the only spot where the ball could be caught. That old wiley vet might not have a big arm (if he ever did) but he's got a great touch and was cool under pressure.

I watched some of the Giants/Ravens game tonight; NY won by a score of 13-12, but the Giants didn't impress me much, other than the HUGE RB Brandon Jacobs. There will certainly be some collisions between the two hard-hitting Dallas safeties and this mountain of a running back. (6'4" 264lbs, larger than most linebackers, as large as some defensive ends)

I can't see much competition there and I doubt there will be much from the Redskins; I'm waiting to see an Eagle game.

That's the Cowboys news for now!

Free Cowboys Wallpaper

If you're a Cowboys fan, there are some great wallpapers on the Dallas News website.

This is some schedule wallpaper I'm using right now, with Tony Romo.



There are other Cowboy stars from which to choose, such as Marion Barber, Julius Jones, Jason Witten and others. (even T.O.)

Here's one of Tom Landry I plan on using during the offseason.

(or DURING the season if Wade Phillips has a meltdown)



For some reason, they still offer up a Drew Bledsoe wallpaper:



Drew last played for the Cowboys near the middle of last season and was let go shortly after the season ended and now is out of football.

His wallpaper shows him running for his life towards the sideline and getting creamed by an Eagles linebacker.

Appropos

"Despite a new look..."

From the Dallas Cowboys website:



JJ, the only new look I'm seein' is the one on your face where it looks as though they've pulled your cheekbones behind your ears.

As much money as you have, a guy would think you could afford a better plastic surgeon.

I've seen snare drums left out in the rain that weren't stretched that tight.

Aw, Emmit!

THIS STORY was in the side-bar newsfeed and is about some comments that Emmitt Smith made concerning the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal. Vick, as you may or may not know, is the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and Smith is saying Vick is "being used".

"He's the biggest fish in the whole doggone pond right now so they're putting the squeeze on him to get to everyone else," Smith said Saturday.

The article FINALLY says Smith also places some blame on Vick.

*sigh*

How 'bout all of it, Emmitt? What sort of person fights dogs? My pop used to have bird dogs, even "coon" dogs and I owned a few fighting cocks ( never fought them,tho) but dog fighting is barbaric. I never cared for hunting, but I see the sport in it and also see the necessity in *some* types of hunting in order to control the population of the animal.

Nope, dog fighting's savage, even to me...and I'm to the right of Atilla the Hun.

Vick's just a thug, and Emmitt oughta call him one. I can't decide if Smith is cuttin' Vick some slack because of the NFL ties they share or...something else.

Quite a few years ago I read that there would be some competitive card games in the locker room and on plane rides when Smith was a Dallas Cowboy. ( If Charles Haley wanted to bluff me, I sure would let him. ) I also learned, from reading interviews with his teammates, that Emmitt was a fanatical and pretty darn good domino player.

Stick to Dancing With the Stars and dominos, #22. Don't play the race card.

I never knew his name was Lavonya

(Note: This is a couple of days old, sorry 'bout that. I did give some consideration to going to this game, I've never attended an arena football game in person. I did something equally time-consuming, though, worked on this blog )


Despite having a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback in the starting lineup, the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings aren't expecting a warm welcome tonight in the Amarillo Civic Center.

"We've been Googled," said a re-energized Battle Wings coach Jon Norris on Monday after his coach's show. "They've Googled me, they've Googled Quincy, they've Googled everybody on our team to find out as much as they can about us.

"They'll be wanting to get under our skin. They Google because there's nothing much else to do in Amarillo."

Norris, of course, was referring to the Internet search engine that allows you find out everything from how to raise peaches to how to build a fertilizer bomb.

Google up Battle Wings quarterback Quincy Carter and you find out first that his given name is Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter. On his first game back two weeks ago after a four-game layoff, Carter threw for a franchise record eight touchdown passes in an 81-35 victory.

If the Dusters want to make fun of Carter's name, they might want to think again. Carter's not a guy that you want to provide with additional motivation.

Google up defensive end Elex Reed and you find out that he played collegiately at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Ohio State, USC or Oklahoma it ain't and Mary Hardin won't strike fear in opposing offensive linemen.

But if the Dusters plan on making fun of Reed's soon-to-be alma mater, they can expect the same wrath that other af2 teams have come to dread. Reed has a wide lead in the 30-team af2 in sacks (15.5) and tackles for a loss (20.5).

Google up Jon Norris and you find out about a guy who is a graphic designer, artist, photographer, sculptor, and musician. There's another "Jon Norris" who has reviewed 61 items, including some Target shelving, on Amazon.com. Neither of those Norris guys coach the Battle Wings.

For harassment purposes, the latter Jon Norris is listed on the ArenaFan Web site as a 6-foot-3, 260-pound lineman, who played at American International and then played in the AFL for several seasons. There wasn't much else found to gig the guy who has turned the Battle Wings from a cellar dweller to a title contender in one short year.

With the Battle Wings on a roll and standing just a gnat's hair away from clinching the first playoff game in franchise history, the Amarillo Dusters would be well-advised to keep their Google razzing to a minimum.

FOND MEMORIES: The game at Amarillo will be a homecoming of sorts for Norris and for offensive coordinator Jon Lyles. Norris coached Lyles at Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla., located just a short drive from Amarillo.

"Amarillo had the closest mall for my wife to drive to," Norris said. "In Goodwell, we had a 26-mile drive to get a carton of milk. We hope there'll be a crowd driving down to watch us coach."
While at Panhandle State, Norris led the first-year NCAA Division II school to its inaugural victories over NCAA Division I-AA and Division II opponents. Lyles was the assistant head coach for the Dusters during their championship run in the IPFL.

QUINCY TIME: What did Quincy Carter do during the team's recent bye week?
"I stayed around here working and hanging out," said Carter, who was busy selling ArenaCup tickets on Tuesday afternoon.

NINJA'S RETURN: Several Battle Wings players will also be returning to a homey site tonight. Linemen Nick Codutti, Greg Hodges and Kert Turner, along with Kendrick Walker, previously played for the Dusters.

Turner, one of Norris' offensive line "ninja's," was a late-season offensive line pickup for the Wings and has been instrumental in filling in for injured players. Walker was on pace to be one of the top defensive backs in the af2 until he was sidelined with an injury. He could return in the next couple of weeks.

AMARILLO BY MORNING: The Battle Wings departed the CenturyTel Center about 11 p.m. on Wednesday for the nine-plus hour drive on a sleeper bus to Amarillo for today's 7:30 p.m. contest.

"We'll wake up in Amarillo, get some breakfast, then go about our regular routine," Norris said.