Quick thoughts on the 9/24 Bucs game

• How is it that we HAVE had the full preseason to work on schemes, assignments and all and yet we still have countless mental/presnap/missed assignment mistakes in mid-september?
• Romo...whatever the hell you're looking at in the binder-o-mistakes...stop it! It's not helping!
• Every year since the departure of Keyshawn Johnson  I've been asking for a guy who would just say, "hey, get it out here close for me partner and I'll catch it". Miles Austin, please step forward. You are our best shot at that.
• Felix, Felix, Felix....how could someone go from dynamic playmaker to dogs**t in 18 months. Everyone wants to blame it on injuries, confidence, etc... hmmm...
• That secondary looks formidable with Carr, Jenkins, Claiborne, ...and I'll even through Scandrik in that mix. Hey, I've never thought he was a starter. But if you've got 32 on your 4th best receiver, I like our chances. C'mon safeties, we need 'ya.
• This just in...#94 can play a little bit.
• Free you're killin' me dude...absolutely killin' me 

For a while, I was getting that sinking feeling I would get while watching Campo, Gailey, and the rest of the perennial 5-11 coaches pacing the sidelines waiting for the inevitable when we would let a poor team hang around, only to beat us by a last minute field goal or broken tackle for a game clinching touchdown.

I believe in the MLS

I believe in the MLS.

No one is going to seriously argue the level of competition, fandom or style of play vs. a serious international soccer league.

I do think that the US has the best athletes in the world.

So in order to grow the league there has to be ground swell at grass roots. I think that's begun. However, there also has to be a national cognizance of the sport which I think is not so evident yet. YET! Yes, we're sending quite a few players to other leagues around the world and enjoying at least some modicum of success. What we need is to garner more interest in OUR OWN leagues. I think the league is working on that with some fruit for their labor. The David Beckham experiment has been a success (unfortunately for the Galaxy, not in wins). And with new high profile involvement like Oscar de la Hoya's recent alliance with the Dynamo's ownership, I think things are headed in the right direction.

This is a slow process however and will need ample time for real penetration.

I have a theory on sports moving to mainstream and I'll be succinct as possible;

a. EXPOSURE (Why can you only use your feet?) - it always starts with exposure. Let me ask you this - 10 years ago how many motor sports would you see broadcast on big 4 TV (not cable)? Daytona and Indy pretty much, right? How about now? Now you may say the fandom grew so much there was a need for broadcast. I would say that's your chicken to my egg. Which leads to...

b. CASUAL INTEREST (What's all the brew-ha-ha?) - Once the sport has invaded your personal sports space you decide to take a cursory look to see what these idiots are so interested in. Before professional hockey came to Dallas (all apologies to the Dallas Blackhawks, Freeze and Ice of CHL fame) I really had no interest in hockey. We didn't play it in high school and there was no exposure (there's that word again) to it locally. But at my job where I was inundated with Boston expatriates (ex-patriots? hmmm) I was constantly hearing about hockey this and Ray Bourque that and "it's going to be a great weekend, I'm watching the Bruins/Whalers game with friends". What? Well, I decided to pick a random team and start following them so I could come in on Monday and say "yeh, but did you see what my Blackhawks did to the Canucks yesterday". It was fun. These were not the Dallas Blackhawks but Chicago. A city where I had never stepped foot. But I had a great time talking with the guys about it at the water cooler. By the end of the first season, I could even tell you the names of several starters and who was the best player on their checking line (whatever that was).

c. EXPERIENCED NOVICE? (I think that 4-4-2 means 2 forwards not defenders)- When I was in third grade my parents joined a bowling league and my options were to stay in the nursery with my 3 year old brother or join the junior bowling league. Hmmmm. "Do they have snacks in the nursery?" I didn't know anything about bowling except that the longer adults bowled the louder they got and it made them go to the bathroom about every other frame. But all things considered I decided to join the league. My first day of instruction a cute young girl with brown curly hair and a ball with her name inside it says to me, "what's your high game".

"Huh".

"Have you never bowled before"?

"Oh sure, I thought you were talking about something else".

"My high game is 125, what's yours"?

"375".

I'm not sure if the look was "you're an idiot" or "he must bowl in the 'special league'".

At any rate, I ended up being a pretty good bowler after about a year and if you asked me what a 7-10 split was I could tell you. I knew where to line up on the lane to have the best chance of picking up the spare. I knew the advantages of having a lighter ball over a heavier ball for my size and strength. In other words, I knew just enough to make me dangerous and I would give you the "idiot" eye if you told me you bowled a 375.

d. IMMERSION (I can't believe we lost Kreis, he was our best scorer) - You start to have some knowledge of the game as a whole. Maybe you become a member of the Hoops Nation as I have (FC DALLAS). I also have 3 daughters that all play soccer and one plays for FC DALLAS Youth academy whose uniforms look exactly like the pro team. It's very cool. I watched my first MLS Superdraft the other day. Talk about exposure. I don't know many people who even knew it was televised. I bought a rebounder (no, not Shaq) for the kids to kick against in the yard. I bought a Fulham replica jersey, my first since graduating from CASUAL INTEREST guy. I can't seem to get enough of everything soccer.

e. FAN (So and so is good but he's no Johnny Haynes. Hey, you remember when...) - I am a huge football fan. NFL, College, High School, you name it. I begin studying the NFL draft in late November and it doesn't take place until the end of April. I will go and watch a game between two high schools that my kids don't go to, just because it's a big rivalry. I really love the sport and have a better than average understanding of it from a tactical standpoint. I love the history of the game. The old guys wearing leather helmets and the oddly oversized wool pants with the pads sewn inside them. The underlying theme here is history tied to the present and predicating the future. They're all connected to the fan.

This is why the MLS will never be a truly accepted fan favorite sport until these factors come to pass and there is a heritage of fans. That can only be accomplished with time and history in perspective of the present. The MLS will get there if they concentrate on A through C. Then D and E will happen.

CITIZENSHIP IN A REPUBLIC

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt
Speech at the Sorbonne
Paris, France
April 23, 1910

Past Articles/Carter (?/03)

Get Carter
By Bill Palmer/Contributor


I think we all feel empathy for Dave Campo and the situation he was harnessed with in Dallas. Sure he was a stand up guy with a lot of fire in him. Who, blameworthy or not, would be the first to tell you that three consecutive 5-11 seasons just won't cut it at this level. Sure, he was given a bogus hand when told he would still be able to rely on Troy and Emmitt and Larry for years to come. But Dave Campo also had some measure (albeit slight) of control when it came to decisions regarding personnel and depth chart maneuvers. The same cannot be said of Quincy Carter. In the final analysis, if there is a martyr to be found from the campo era, let's make sure we choose the most qualified for the job.

After all, was it Quincy Carter's fault Jerry drafted him well ahead of where most scouts thought he should go? Was it his fault that we SQUANDERED!! two first round picks for Joey Galloway, making Carter the supposed Messiah of this team by being our first pick of the 2001 draft at the 53rd spot? He walks into a no win situation where he has to try to replace a soon to be legend. Where he's got a 2nd year head coach and an offensive coordinator in Jack Reilly who want him to be league MVP Kurt Warner. So he is taught to stay in the pocket, go through your progressions, dump the ball if you need to. Just like Warner. That's a lot for a guy who probably wasn't ready for it in the first place and certainly didn't have Faulk, Holt, Bruce et al to fall back on. Then, after getting hurt early in the season and missing most of 9 games, he comes in and wins 3 of the last 6 games including a game in which he throws a beautiful deep pass to Rocket Ismail to best the Redskins (so much for can't throw the deep ball). But then Jerry tells him after the Seattle game, we need you to be more of a playmaker and make things happen with your feet as well. He admitted as much on national television! Which absolutely flies in the face of what they've been trying to teach him all year! So he tries to accommodate "Coach" Jones' request with only moderate success. As the season closes, despite a poor showing at Detroit to close the year, he is becoming more confident .
Then comes 2002, his sophomore campaign where most rookie QB's (even those who've been injured better than half a season) start to show some signs of improvement. He makes great strides in the offseason. Then he finds out that Jerry is bringing in Bruce Coslet to replace Reilly. He also runs a west coast offense. With a QB position whose job it is to drop back, read coverages, stay in the pocket and get the ball out quickly. Sound familiar? Once again, 180 degree turn from what "coach " Jones had asked of him. Additionally, Jerry brings in a prototypical west coast QB in Hutchinson to compete for the starting job. All of a sudden the heir apparent is on the outside looking in. I don't know how many of you were there at training camp last summer but the situation was nothing short of comical. Quincy Carter never had a chance with Coslet there. It was Chad this, Hutch that. To add insult to injury, it was showcased every Sunday night on HBO's Hard Knocks series. Even with Jones perpetrating a fraud on the Cowboy faithful saying that Carter was going to be the starter, anyone who attended even ONE HOUR of those practices could see the writing on the wall. And so did Quincy. Is it any wonder that early last season he became short with the media and began to feel like nothing was going to be good enough? And he was right. After a horrific Oct 20th game against Arizona where he threw 4 int's and fumbled once because he was pressing and trying to get it done on the move, he was benched and would not take another snap in 2002. Nevermind the fact that one week earlier, he threw for 225 yards and two TD's and ran 3 times for a 9.3 yd average despite the fact that he was sacked 7 times for 52 yards in a 14-13 win over Carolina.

So apparently, Chad Hutchinson is the heir apparent's heir apparent. He may be able to throw the ball as hard as anyone in this league. He may turn out to BE the next Troy Aikman like everyone seems to want him to be. He may well be the best quarterback on this team. But know this, he was not given the starting job last year because he earned it. He benefited from the mass criticism thrust upon Jerry Jones for taking Quincy Carter in the second round of the 2001 draft. Almost since the day he arrived in Dallas, Carter has been being set up to fail and primed for replacement. Forget what you hear Jones saying. He was wrong for taking Carter that high and he knew it, probably within minutes of taking him. Since that time he has done no less than sign a troubled veteran QB in Tony Banks and give him the job before dropping him. Then signing a kid who had not played football in 4 years and payed him more money than Carter (another slap in the face) and put all of his support behind him. All the while, stroking Carter and telling him, "you're our guy".

Quincy Carter may never throw another pass for the Dallas Cowboys or possibly any other team. In all likelihood the Cowboys will get a veteran QB in free agency and either that person or Chad Hutchinson will take every snap for the team this year and next. The Cowboys, the NFL and maybe even Quincy Carter, may never know if he was good enough to play at this level. But in this house of cards, where Carter is being portrayed as the lone gunman of an ineffective offense, he is nothing more than a patsy for the real villain who has been busy for 7 years selling the Cowboy fans "magic bullet" theories. Well, we've seen enough sir. Quincy Carter may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time but the masses know at whose feet to lay the blame.

Past Articles/Galloway (DFW Sports 7/15/03)

What Have You Done For Me, Greatly
By Bill Palmer/Contributor


Well, football season is upon us again and once again it's time for me to get on my Joey Galloway soapbox. Believe it or not, I'm not even going to start in on the ridiculous money we're paying him after costing us first round picks two years in a row in order to provide us with 4TD’s and 60 catches over that time. Years in which our combined record was 10-22, potentially costing us a great deal more in lost talent by way of draft picks. We already know that. I'm not even going to get started on how many times he went up after passes last year with the "alligator arms", dropping ball after ball. We all saw it. It doesn't need to be rehashed here. Furthermore, I'm not even going to address the issue of the constant nagging injuries that seemed to have plagued this beleaguered athlete the last few years. I'm not going there.
What I am going to say is that this is the year to put up or.…..wait….. no, that's no good. How about you've talked the talk, now it's time to...no, still no good. The thing is, Galloway is actually a likable guy and he isn't a big trash talker (see Keyshawn Johnson), showboat (see Terrell Owens), or big mouth (see Randy Moss). He has quietly worked his way into a nice little position of mediocrity here in Dallas and no one has really taken notice. The reason those other guys talk all that trash is because they are out there backing it up, week after week from August to December. So Joey's not stupid. If he's not walking the walk, he'd better be whispering the talk.
What I am afraid of, as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, is that we will quietly let Joey Galloway wither on the vine of mediocrity because he's been here for a while, he's likable and we have a short memory when it comes to certain personalities. The "what have you done for me lately" which pervades professional sports, for some becomes "what have you cost me lately". Sure, he cost us some money and potential talent, but that was long ago. And Coach Campo probably wouldn't have drafted anyone with any talent in those years anyway, right? He's good in the community, he's good in the locker room. We like him and he really doesn't bother anyone. Plus, he's still really fast and he can be used to run back punts if the game is on the line, and so on, and so on.
Here's the problem; how many punts did he return for touchdowns last year? None. How many times did you see Galloway blow by someone last year? I'm not saying it didn't happen, I'm saying how many times? A couple? A handful? And in order to help these young inexperienced quarterbacks, it really helps if you've got a guy out near the sidelines that says, "you know what, you just get it out here close partner and I'll do the rest". I don't know that that's what we've got in Joey Galloway. And if it's not, we need to be realistic as to what his future here is. I'm sure that Coach Parcells sees it that way, and it's about time those of us within reach of the court of public opinion begin to as well.

Past Articles/Playoffs (Coastal Bend Herald 11/15/03)

Be Careful What You Wish For
by Bill Palmer
Dallas Correspondent

For Dallas Cowboy’s fans, the question you should have on your mind is where this team will play its games this January. Oh sure, we are barely half way through the season and the Cowboys have some difficult games ahead. But I think to everyone it should be a forgone conclusion that this team WILL make the playoffs this year. I mean, is it possible they could go 0-7 to finish the year? Certainly. Is it possible that the Lions (winners of their last two games) could go on a tear and rip off 9 straight wins to finish at 10-6? Sure. But odds as well as common sense should tell you that the Cowboys should expect to be probably no better than 12-4 and no worse than 9-7. Which in the NFC East gets you a division title. So should you start to put some Cowboys wishes on that Christmas list? Sure, as long as you know what to wish for.

So first things first. Win your division. It always has been and always will be the easiest way to get to the playoffs. The Cowboys have 3 of their last 4 games against division rivals Philly, Washington and New York (Giants) respectively. So in that sense they control their own destiny as far as getting to the playoffs. Those games are crucial because not only will that clinch a division title but also it will provide some added cushion in the standings. This could come in very handy. Remember, in the case of a tie record between two conference leaders, home field will be decided by who has the best record against teams in their own division.

So, we want to win our division and we want our division-mates to lose all of their games, right?

Not exactly. Yes, the demise of the hated birds, skins and giants is a delicious thought. But keep this in mind; as just mentioned, if the Cowboys take care of business in their own games against their annual nemeses, that will take care of the playoffs. But what those teams do against others in the NFC might be just as important. The Redskins have already helped by dropping Seattle who is tied for the lead in their division. And the Giants chipped in early in the season by beating the Rams who share that lead with Seattle.

But the most formidable adversary may be Carolina, who seems determined to hold onto the conference lead. The Panthers, at the time of this writing, are tied with the Cowboys atop the NFC with a record of 7-2. They play each of the other teams in the Cowboys division once in the last half of the season. A loss or two or three to those teams could increase the chance of the Cowboys getting home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now there's something you haven't heard around Dallas in the last several years.

So Cowboys fans should cheer for them for the remainder of the season because for the first time in a long time, they are in the drivers seat. And make sure you keep a little mental post-it next to your football-watching schedule for what days to use your love-hate relationships with the boys' division brethren. (or hate-tolerate if that pill is easier to swallow).

b.palmer@dallassportsinsighter.com

Past articles/'03 Outlook (DFW Sports 9/10/03)

Dallas Cowboys Outlook '03
By Bill Palmer/Contributor


How many times has someone passed you on the street and asked you, “how’re you doin’” and your answer is “not too bad”. There may not be a thing wrong with you (that you know of) and yet you don’t proclaim “never been better”. Why? Sometimes, in the absence of some euphoric state brought on by winning lottery numbers or the like, you tend to stay cautiously optimistic. And that’s okay! This seems to be the attitude around the Dallas Cowboys organization this year. But why?
The Cowboys are coming off a hat trick of 5-11 seasons. So is there any reason this team should be optimistic about a season ahead which boasts the NFL’s toughest schedule? Is there anything that suggests that even though Quincy Carter has been awarded the starting QB slot that he will finish the year there? Is there anything at all surrounding this team’s lack of continuity on the offensive line or backfield, lack of pass rush from the defensive front, lack of size in their linebacking corp or apparent youth movement in the secondary to give those Cowboy faithful a warm fuzzy feeling in their tummies? Hardly. But therein lies the beauty of CAUTIOUS optimism.
From top to bottom of this roster, you'll find very few positions where you would say this player is far and away better than the next guy in line. What that means is you have no superstars. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Because what that also means is you don't have a gulf of talent to try to fill. Unlike past years when you always thought as long as you've got 22 in the backfield or a guy with one or two 8's on his back that the Cowboys still had a little magic in them. Well no more. But that’s not to say that these guys have no talent.
In the black hole of star players on this team lies several young talented projects that Coach Parcells hopes will show that they can play in this league. Offensively that means second year guys like OT Tyson Walter, OG Andre Gurode and WR Antonio Bryant need to show that last years freshman campaign was just a preview and not the pinnacle of their abilities. Defensively, SS Roy Williams appears poised to make a run at post-season honors and corners Pete Hunter and Derek Ross showed flashes at the end of last season and have had solid training camps. Even the rookies look to add something this season.
Jason Witten was regarded by many as the best pass catching TE coming out of this years draft. Additionally, LB Bradie James has already impressed Parcells with his size, speed, and playmaking abilities. Special teams looks to be improved with the addition of kick/punt returning specialist Zuriel Smith. And even though rookie C Al Johnson suffered a season ending knee injury, he was having a great camp and still figures heavily into the Cowboys future.
But you never know what might happen during the course of a season. Ask the Atlanta Falcons who lost Michael Vick, their phenom QB, for probably the better part of the season with a broken leg. Likewise, the NY Jets lost their ProBowl QB Chad Pennington to a broken wrist for possibly longer. And the NY Giants are hopeful that their ultra-talented TE Jeremy Shockey won’t have any lingering effects from a broken rib he suffered in a preseason game. These critical players, arguably the franchise players for each team, will be out or questionable at least the first three weeks of the season. It just so happens, these are the Cowboys first three opponents. Now, all of a sudden, what would have been certain losses for the team are not such a sure thing.
In all likelihood, this team hovers around that same 4 to 6 win season. But, if you don’t expect too much from this group, they just might surprise you.

Past articles/03 Outlook (Coastal Bend Herald 8/28/03)

Dallas Cowboys Outlook '03
by Bill Palmer/Contributing


The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2003 season under the guidance of new head coach Bill Parcells who has led three different teams to the Super Bowl and is one of the most well respected coaches in the NFL. However, with a daunting schedule and a roster full of youth and inexperience, Coach Parcells will rely on individual achievement to set the course for future Super Bowls. Or in professional football vernacular, this is a “rebuilding” year. Coach Parcells will use his experience and that of his staff to evaluate talent, make changes and position this team for a run at the playoffs. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, that's probably playoffs '04 or '05. The consensus among football guru's is not so much IF Parcells will be successful but WHEN. But when you rest your hopes on the "mojo" of your head coach more than the talent of your team, the outlook for the upcoming season isn't pretty. Indeed, the Cowboys should feel like lottery winners if they can get anywhere close to 8 wins this season. The problem is there are too many holes to fill and just not enough talent to go around. So here's the way this season looks to shake out:

The glass is half empty- The cowboys will face 11 of 16 opponents whose 2002 record was better than .500. Of those eleven, 7 were playoff teams. This teams efforts to improve a pathetic pass rush through the draft and free agency proved fruitless. To add insult to injury, not only did they not address this huge need, but 3 of the 4 starting defensive linemen are the same unproductive crew from last year, and the fourth was a BACK-UP to this group. Although Quincy Carter has won the job as the starting QB over incumbent Chad Hutchinson, he has not shown that he can be the kind of leader to put this offense on his shoulders and carry them throughout the entire season. Undoubtedly this QB controversy will raise it's ugly head the first time Carter has a bad outing. The offensive line seems in disarray after losing rookie C Al Johnson to a season ending knee injury after it appeared he had won the starting job and questions arising regarding OG Larry Allen's motivation and conditioning. This group has some talent, but thus far has been unable to stay healthy long enough to develop any sort of esprit de corps as a unit. For that reason, last year both Carter and Hutchinson spent most of their time in the pocket staring up through the hole in Texas Stadium from their backs or checking the ground for their teeth. RB Troy Hambrick will try to validate his claims of being Emmitt Smith's heir apparent this year. But what does it say about a coaches confidence in you when he goes out and gets a nine year veteran whose been out of football for two years to come in and challenge you for a spot?

The Glass is half full- When a team is in rebuilding mode, it's all about youth. And this team has plenty of it. Rookie draft choices like CB Terence Newman, TE Jason Witten, PR/WR Zuriel Smith and LB Bradie James appear to have a chance to see considerable time this year, setting them up for even more productive sophomore campaigns. Accordingly, second year defensive guys like CB Pete Hunter, CB Derek Ross and FS Roy Williams look ready to take the next step, and the latter should be poised to garner some post season honors. On the offensive side of the ball, other second year players like OG Andre Gurode, OT/G Tyson Walter and WR Antonio Bryant look to prove that last years freshman season showed a preview of and not the extent of their talents. Bryant could be on the verge of a breakout season after finishing last year strong, including a season finale in which he caught seven passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. Joining him will be the speedy and experienced tandem of Joey Galloway and Terry Glen, a couple of old Ohio State teammates, both looking to rediscover past glory. The WR position should be the strongest it's been in a long time with Bryant, Galloway and Glenn as well as WR Randal Williams, coming off an impressive training camp. Special teams should be solid with K Billy Cundiff seemingly finding his range and rhythm and prodigal son P Toby Gowin coming back to the Cowboys after three seasons with the Saints. The Cowboys should have plenty of options in the return game with Woody Dantzler, Newman, Smith, Galloway and Reggie Swinton. All seem to have a flair for the spectacular and should share in the mix.

In the End- The 2003 Cowboys should be more fun to watch. They certainly will be better conditioned, better disciplined and better coached. The talent and speed in the secondary may cover up some of the deficiencies in the defensive lines pass rush. Athletic and exciting receivers may overshadow the shortcomings of a weak running game, uncertainty in the leadership at QB and sub par offensive line play. The fact is this team is young and improving and should be preparing for good things in the future. But building from the ground up is a long and tenuous endeavor. Which basically means that come next April, this team will probably have another top 6 or 7 pick in the NFL Draft (I'll let you decide if that's half full or half empty). And until this team becomes settled at more positions and attains some cohesiveness as a group while gaining more experience, it will continue to renew its annual membership in the brotherhood of teams stuck in the mediocrity of NFL parity.

Quick Hits with Jason Witten (Elizabethton Star 5/11/05)

Quick Hits with Jason Witten
By Bill Palmer/ Contributor

There were probably many times in the life of a young Jason Witten when he dreamed of being a player in the NFL. Most young athletes try to emulate some of their favorite players and want to play like them. Whether it be Joe Montana or Emmitt Smith or Jerry Rice, they picture themselves doing great things on Sunday afternoons and hearing the crowds cheer them on. For most, however, they will never see that dream come true. The odds of becoming a professional football player are roughly the same as becoming the President. For Jason, he is living his dream every day.

I had a chance to talk with Jason between practice and position meetings in Oxnard during a particularly tough stretch of training camp this summer. Here are some of his thoughts going into his third season as a Dallas Cowboy.

Jason on football

ES - I know a lot of professional athlete’s will use the off season to work on something about their game that they feel may be able to take them to the next level. Anything specific that you worked on this off-season?
JW - Well, I mean really it’s just being more consistent. I was able to have a good season last year and I’m really just trying to build off that and play more consistently.

ES - How has a veteran like Dan Campbell been able to help you?
JW - Well, he really helped me a lot my first year and now we’re great teammates and he still helps me and it’s really paid off for me.

Jason outside of football

ES - What’s a car that’s not in your garage right now, but one you’ve had your eye on?
JW - Oh man, I don’t know (laughing). I have been looking at some of these Harley-Davidson’s lately. That’d be nice.

ES - Is there anything about Dallas that reminds you of home?
JW - You know, the friendly people are a lot like home. I haven’t found any of the restaurants like in east Tennessee, you know, with home cooked cornbread and all, but it’s really nice though.

Jason on home

ES - I understand your grandfather who coached you in high school recently retired. How special was it for you to play for him before he retired?
JW - It was really special. My brothers and I were fortunate enough to play for him and it’s amazing now looking back how he taught me so many lessons about the game that I still use today, you know. It was an honor to get to play for him and, he basically taught me the game.

ES - Finish this sentence for me, “Oxnard’s great but right about now I sure could go for some of mom’s famous _____”?
JW - Oh, steak and gravy, for sure!

ES - Can you tell me what kind of advantage it may be for you to come from a small town, compared to some of these guys from larger cities?
JW - Well, I mean, I just understand what family is and I think when you’re trying to play on a football team, team unity is huge and that’s kind of the same thing. And coming from a small town, I just have so much support from everyone that it’s always helped me in my career.

ES - Finally, what’s it like when you go back home now? Do you still see any of your high school buddies?
JW – Yea, I do. We just kind of hang out. They’re a bunch of good guys and they really are true friends. Be sure to tell everybody back home hi.

Then, just like that, he was off to another meeting, followed by practice, then another meeting….well…,you get the idea.

This whole NFL thing may not be everything that a young Jason Witten thought it would be. Then again, it may be all that and even more. Coming off a Pro Bowl season and being seen as possibly the biggest threat on a team coached by one of the games best coaches, Jason certainly has got a bright future ahead of him and appears to be up to any challenges that may come his way. He has shown that practice and persistence really can pay off if you have the desire and commitment to follow your dreams. Even in the face of heavy odds.

Hmmmm,… Witten for President? Stay tuned.

By Bill Palmer
b.palmer@dallassportsinsighter.com

Interesting NFL Draft Perspective

I recently watched a program on local television that had sports talk show host Norm Hitzges and four former Dallas Cowboys talking all things Cowboys, past and present. It was a short round table following the Pat Summerall Humble Beginnings Luncheon, benefiting the Austin Street Centre. On the program were Cowboy greats Mel Renfro, Bob Lilly, Don Perkins and Randy White. During their discussion, the conversation turned to the NFL Draft and what each of them thought about the policy of not letting amateur athletes enter the draft until they had been out of high school for 3 years. I found it telling that, to a person, each one of these former professionals made reference to the kids responsibilities to the schools that they were leaving. In all the media hype surrounding the early entries of potential draftees Mike Williams of USC and Maurice Clarett of Ohio State, not much was made of what that meant to their respective football programs. All the talk surrounded the anti-trust suit against the NFL and whether these young players were actually READY to play in the NFL. Not much was made of what losing these players, arguably one of, if not the main cornerstones of their progams might do to the team. Each one of the former Cowboys, in one way or another, expressed their belief that if you say you're going to come and play for a University and they will pay for your education, you need to hold up your end of the bargain. When you are given a scholarship, you sign a letter of commitment. Not a letter of I'll do this until something better comes along. If you are an average student who goes to school and then decides you have found a better path to take, there's no one to tell you you can't or you shouldn't because you're too young or not experienced enough. But you did not sign a letter of commitment. Is that fair to the student athlete? Well, to be revered on Saturdays for playing a game, to be given special treatment in many if not all things you do at the school and to have the OPPORTUNITY to turn your passion into a very lucrative career for yourself means you have to make a few commitments in the process, well.....you be the judge. Instead of looking at who was responsible to whom for what, these four players from a different era showed that in this age of personal entitlement, maybe people need to be more concerned with what they owe than what they deserve.

What's up with Dat? Vietnam Weekly News (Summer '03)

What's up with Dat
By Bill Palmer - Contributor

For those who don’t know who Dat Nguyen is, here’s the summary; local product who led the Pirates with 188 tackles his senior year which was good enough to earn him a full scholarship to Texas A&M. There, he received numerous accolades throughout his 4 year career (as well as a degree, by the way) and holds school records in several statistical categories.

Despite coming off a stellar collegiate career, many NFL scouts were concerned that Dat's size (5'11", 240) would not be good enough to stand up against todays professional offensive linemen. Most linemen in today's game range in height from 6'2" to 6'6" and weigh in the neighborhood of 315-350 lbs. The Dallas Cowboys decided to take a chance on this undersized college star and picked Dat with the 85^th pick of the 1999 NFL draft. Today, he is the starting middle linebacker for the team and in 2001 led the team with 172 total tackles, the second most in club history. He was preparing for another big season in 2002 when a wrist injury cut short his season. His tenacious style of play and his fierce competitiveness have earned him the respect of all who have had the opportunity to play with him or coach him over the last 4 years. Unfortunately for Dat, his biggest test as a professional may come this season.

In the spring of 2003, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hired former New York Jets coach and two-time Super Bowl winner Bill Parcells to be the new head coach of the team. Although Coach Parcells seems to really like Dat’s productivity, he has made no secret of his questions regarding the use of “smallish” type linebackers like Dat and linebacker Dexter Coakley (5’10”, 236 lbs.). This prompted Coach Parcells to sign Al Singleton (6’2” 230 lbs.) from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the team this spring and draft Bradie James in the 4^th round of this years NFL draft. James will compete for a roster spot while Singleton will play on the other side of Dat at linebacker. Singleton and James (6’2”, 245 lbs) are more “prototypical” linebackers and more of what Parcells is used to having on his defenses.

So once again, Dat’s size has become an issue. His injury from last season will be watched carefully by the current coaching staff for signs. Signs that an “undersized” linebacker, indeed, may not be able to play football at this level. His speed will be scrutinized to make sure he has not gotten slower in an attempt to increase his size. But as with every hurdle Dat has faced in the past, in his personal or athletic life, he has either cleared, run around or simply run through it and come out ahead. This one is tough and it may be challenging, but it's probably unwise to bet against this local hero.