Fantasy Fill-up
Well, reality does not mirror fantasy this week as my White Sox get “sweep revenge” over the Cubs, but my fantasy team continues their downward spiral.
By Rondo
CP Staff Writer, Analyst, Commentator
One of the joys of being a CP staff writer is the fact that I can "speak" to all of you as a fan and not as a member of the media. I don't have to be objective. As a fan, most of my articles will be biased toward the Cowboys. I admit it, and I'm not ashamed of it. I guess if you don't like it, you don't have to read any further.
If you are still with me, know this: my loyalty to the Dallas Cowboys is well-documented. I've spent a good part of my life following this team, through the bad times and the good, through thick and thin.
I've been in a great deal of pain lately because things are just not right in Cowboy-land. I don't like it that Dallas has not won a playoff game since 1996. And, I've been scratching my head and searching for answers as to just why that is.
I think I've come up with an answer: IT TAKES DEFENSE, BABY! There's been a lot of talk, especially in the past 26 regular season games, about how explosive the Cowboys offense is with the likes of Tony Romo, Terrell Owens and Jason Witten. But, for some reason Romo and company, and the players before him, have just not been able to get over the hump in the playoffs for over a decade now.
Oh, sure, there have been great offensive teams that won Super Bowls: the Rams in Kurt Warner's prime, the 90s Cowboys with Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.
But, look back at the successful Dallas teams of the past and you'll find one common factor: DEFENSE, BABY!
Even before Super Bowls came into the NFL, defense was key to Dallas' success. Of course, the Cowboys lost two very prominent NFL Championship games to the Green Bay Packers in the 60s, so "success" is a relative term. But, in those days you had to play great defense to even hang with the genius of Vince Lombardi teams. If you want to learn about how the Dallas Cowboys got their start as America's Team, read or ask about Willie, Lilly, Jethro and George! It all started with Doomsday I and later evolved with Doomsday II.
As the Cowboys started attending Super Bowls as participants on a regular basis, there were certainly an array of offensive stars, among them quarterback Roger Staubach. He was known as The Comeback Kid, Mr. Clutch. But, Roger would not have led so many Dallas comebacks had the Cowboys' defensive units and special teams not kept putting the ball in his hands. It was defensive guys like Randy White, Harvey Martin, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Charlie Waters, Cliff Harris and others who stopped the opposition and gave Staubach his opportunities to lead the offense.
Even when The Triplets (Troy, Emmitt and Michael) were leading the offensive explosions of the 90s, the Cowboys didn't win three Super Bowls in four years by playing sloppy defense. Take for example Leon Lett. He is probably best-known for two very noticeable screw-ups during the Jimmy Johnson era. But, the reason Jimmy didn't cut him was because "The Big Cat" played so well the rest of the time. Plus, the Cowboys had the likes of Ken Norton, Jr., Prime Time Deion Sanders and others too numerous to mention on an outstanding defense.
Fast forward to January, 2007. The Cowboys were in the playoffs as a wild-card team following the 2006 season in Bill Parcells' last season in Dallas. Dallas was at Seattle, and we all know how that one ended. Much has been made of the Romo bobble of a snap on what would have been a go-ahead field goal for the Cowboys. The Seahawks won that game, 21-20, after Dallas looked ready to claim a victory. But, it should be pointed out, that even after the Romo miscue, there was still some time left on the clock. Seattle had been moving the ball well on the Cowboys, and many feel that even if Dallas had scored the late field goal, the Seahawks may have had time to come back to win the game. All because the Dallas defense could not shut down Seattle on a consistent basis.
Then, last year in a Divisional playoff game, Dallas lost to the New York Giants, 21-17, after defeating the Giants twice in the regular season. Many say the reason NY won the playoff contest was because Eli Manning finally stepped up to become an "elite" quarterback. HOGWASH! Manning only went from average to adequate. He simply did enough not to screw things up for the Giants. But, there is only one great quarterback named Manning playing football in the NFL right now, and his first name isn't Eli.
The only reason Eli Manning is wearing a Super Bowl ring is because the Giants' defense played lights-out in the playoffs and because a guy named Tyree pulled the catch-of-a-lifetime out of his (backside).
So, for the Dallas Cowboys to get the enormous playoff monkey off their backs Tony Romo and the rest of the Dallas offense certainly has to have another great year. But, that offense must be supplemented by a great defense. Head Coach Wade Phillips was supposedly hired to pump up the defense. He has always been known as a defensive guru. He's been a winner as a head coach in the regular season everywhere he's been, but he's an O-fer in the playoffs. He has never recorded a post-season victory as a head coach.
I personally feel this is Wade's last year in Dallas regardless of how the 2008 season ends. If the team doesn't start winning in the playoffs, Jerry Jones will fire him; if Dallas wins the Super Bowl, I think Wade retires.
It's time for Wade Phillips to put his stamp on this team. If the Cowboys are going to be successful in the post-season, the team must play lights-out, shutdown defense. IT TAKES DEFENSE, BABY! GO COWBOYS! 
Paul M. Banks interviews Cougars slugger Corey Brown
“Downtown” Corey Brown is the Kane County Cougars leading home run hitter and a likely starter for the Midwest League All Star game.
The Counselor is IN:
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that the current money being thrown at early first round rookies is “ridiculous”. It is hard to disagree with him. When you have Jake Long becoming the highest paid Offensive Lineman as a rookie with $30 million guaranteed on a $57.75 million contract over 5 years.
The Players Association appears to find the idea of a Rookie Player Scale as a point of contention. They believe the market is dictating the rookie salaries. They are willing to fight for the salaries of their rookie players.
My big question to the Players Associations is "Why not support the veterans?" If you limit the money for the rookies, then you have more money for the veteran players. The NFL salary cap not only has a maximum but also a minimum salary. So if the cash is not being set aside for escalating rookie salaries, then it has to go to the veterans. I am not sure if this point is lost on the Players Union or not.
The Counselor is OUT:
The New England Patriots continue to struggle after the worst upset in Super Bowl history. The latest news is that Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at his girlfriend’s head. You can read the scoop here. Isn’t that great? Are we surprised? Nope.
This is disgusting, if true. It’s that thuggish, invincible attitude that got these guys in trouble in the first place. Now this?
Andrews isn’t anything special. He wasn’t a super star at his position. But his legal troubles are exposing a much larger picture in New England. They are out of control. When you have a coach who is fine with cheating, obviously the players don’t operate ethically. Already a team with no class , now the players are getting accused of pointing guns at women. Wow.
It is time someone puts an end to this mob team. The Patriots have been running organized crime long enough in the NFL, and last year’s upset wasn’t enough shock for these over-achievers. It is prime time that a classy, professional, honest organization with integrity ends it for these criminals.
That organization is the Dallas Cowboys. Pre-season is around the corner, folks. Let’s get pumped up.
Coming this week: Top 10 reasons to hate the Washington Redskins and power rankings.
I was going to write about this but I was rushed for my mini 4-day vacation and forgot to do it. Sports talkers speculated that the Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Joe Horn would be a top acquisition for the Dallas Cowboys, who are in need of another special wide receiver to split out with Terrell Owens. There are several reasons why trading for Horn would be a good idea and there are several reasons why it would be a bad idea.
It really depends on how the Cowboys would want to use someone like Horn, who was supposed to be the key receiver in a Falcons offense that fell apart after the Michael Vick scandal. The biggest issue with signing a veteran like Horn, who led the Saints in receiving for who knows how many years, is that it could cause problems with newly signed receiver Patrick Crayton.
Some thought Crayton was overpaid, and others thought he earned his stay. But if the Cowboys brought in a guy like Horn, do you think Horn is going to want to sit the bench on some plays? Do you think the Cowboys won’t be tempted to play Horn along side Owens on every down? I think it makes a pretty strong receiving duo.
But what we seem to forget all too fast is how the Dallas Cowboys really didn’t have a weakness on offense. The biggest problem was consistency and the lack of it. Joe Horn is not going to help with that. Good coaching will.
I'm saying instead of making a kids wait three years maybe reduce it or revise the rule. You have guys like Clarett who have had a chance to make an NFL living but missed out. At least he would have had an opportunity to create a better future for himself being allowed to enter the draft. No one has a crystal ball and can say he would not be in the same situation but I do feel the situation could have been better. I really feel bad for him because I've heard stories about how good he was.
On the other side of the spectrum you have a guy like Mike Munoz. Who some believe could have left after his freshmen year. Mike had the unfortunate problem of injuries and with him not being able to leave school hurt him even more (draft position). He had all the physical tools on top of the brains. He had a father who basically wrote the book on how to play the position he was ready. Being around the Mike and his family for five years of my life I know Mike had the support along with the talent to become a top tier NFL LT.
Personally there are very few teenage bodies that can handle the NFL. On top of the physical try someone like Bill for your first coach. To me that would just be too much to handle for most but I do believe it can be done. With that being said I am not for or against the rule I just believe the option should be there.
**Side note let's not be 400 lbs and 6'9" behind a keyboard. Remember when you use to get in trouble and your mom use to tell you leave that B.S. at home. Well to all my real FANS we have a new saying "roun her PICKSIX" were intercepting all the B.S. and leaving it at home. This is for all the hating that has been going on now we're HATER PROOF.
PICKSIX Holla Back
--Kevin BurnettThe Southeastern conference is the college football trend setter, and it has all reason to be. What better group to command the leadership role than the one having the most financial success? The SEC does, and others will attempt to do, but not all SEC doings are replicable. The structure of a conference may allow one to prosper with change, while another struggles with the same alterations.
