Posted on 03/24/2006 10:33:19 AM PST by cgk
This column is dedicated to all Cowboy sheep, aka those who faithfully follow the football command of the Valley Ranch herders.
By the way, the same herders who have led the flock to a 25-23 record the last three seasons, with one quick playoff exit in the 2003 season.
It's OK to be sheep, but do understand that the ultimate destination is either a shearing or a slaughter.
Meanwhile, at least get your Terrell Owens love notes in order.
About half of 832 e-mails (as of Wednesday) on this subject have been sheep droppings, which makes the Owens acquisition the best jock kingdom debate we've had around here in forever.
This move has totally polarized the Cowboys' fan base. Based on your opinions, I sense very little middle ground. The Owens addition is either good/great or a total disgrace.
This is perfect. The perfect storm for us media mudslingers.
But being helpful, here's a quick primer for the sheep element because, frankly, you seem to be wandering a bit.
Be careful with the following Owens arguments:
Sheep: Give the man a chance because he has changed, or will change. He has learned much from the past, and he's also now happy with his money.
Oh, really. Well, go back to Saturday and the Owens' introduction at a strange Valley Ranch media conference.
"I'll be a better teammate, a better person, a better man in life," Owens said. "I have learned from the past. I am looking ahead. I don't want to discuss the past."
Two days later, we found out Terrell lied. Shocking.
His new book, it was announced Monday, is coming out in July, just in time for the opening of training camp.
In a media release from the New York publishing house, the new book was described this way:
"Bad Boy Terrell Owens to hate on the Eagles in football tell-all."
This man wouldn't discuss the past. Instead, he will sell the past.
In two weeks of negotiations, you would think someone -- Owens or agent Drew Rosenhaus -- would have mentioned the new book to the Cowboys.
Did you notice Saturday how eager Rosenhaus was to answer questions even when he wasn't being asked? Funny, but he never told us about the book.
If there is going to be even more training-camp fuel on the Owens fire, shouldn't Jerry Jones or Bill Parcells have heard it from their new best friends?
Not a word, however, from Owens or the talkative agent. The Cowboys found out about the new book on Monday, like the rest of us.
That's not being honest with your new team. And you're surprised?
Good luck, Big Bill, with the training-camp circus and distractions that you hate so much.
Sheep: Owens is no more of a bad guy than Michael Irvin.
Not even close, sheep people.
Michael disgraced the franchise with off-the-field criminal escapades. Meanwhile, Irvin was the ultimate teammate and locker-room leader. He attempted to hold a team together, not wreck it.
If you want to compare Owens with a former controversial Cowboy, get off the Michael kick and go immediately to Deion Sanders.
Now there was a guy with many off-the-field adventures (including an interesting religious conversion), but nothing criminal.
It was criminal, however, the way me-me-me Nine-Toed became a locker-room Judas, attempting to divide the team.
Plus, the same way there are Eagles players who still fawn over Owens, there are former Cowboys, and at least one respected (by me) assistant coach, who will speak favorably of Deion.
Overall, the Jones signing of Sanders was a costly mistake.
But if you want Owens comparisons, Deion is your crutch, not Michael.
Sheep: Owens' presence will make everyone on offense better -- Julius, Witten, Barber, Glenn, Bledsoe, etc.
Sheep, sheep. sheep. Do you really think this is the Owens objective?
Since when has he been happy "making other players better?"
This is not even a debate. Owens wants the ball and the glory, period.
Sheep: Drew Bledsoe said he's "excited, truly excited" about the arrival of Owens.
Along with drug testing, the NFL should also have polygraph testing for statements like that.
Think of it this way:
Owens publicly trashed and attempted to destroy an excellent quarterback in Donovan McNabb.
And now he's going to be happy with Drew Bledsoe?
Dream on, sheepsters.
Sheep: The Owens move is the Charles Haley move from the early '90s.
Don't try to revise history on me. Been around too long for that.
As controversial as Haley was, he at least represented the true "final piece" to a team that would become a dynasty.
These Cowboys have multiple missing pieces.
Take the three most vital off-season objectives:
(1) Total upgrade of offensive line.
(2) Kicker.
(3) Safety.
Only in the OL have there been changes, but is anyone ready to say it's an upgrade?
For a team in desperate need of a kicker, the Cowboys at least were moving in the right direction Wednesday, when Mike Vanderjagt paid a visit to Valley Ranch.
Not from the sheep, but my favorite media conference quote on Saturday came from Rosenhaus:
"These guys have fallen in love already. On the jet here, the bond that they've established, and I'm referring to Terrell and Jerry Jones, was moving. Moving."
You probably think I'm going to throw in a Brokeback Mountain reference here, but actually, I'm taking the high road and sticking with sheep.
Randy Galloway's Galloway & Co. can be heard weekdays 3-6 p.m. on ESPN/103.3 FM.
All bought by T.O. probably.
A former disgusted cowboys fan
Randy Galloway is the best sportswriter in the history of the Metroplex. Better than the immortal Blackie Sherrod, even.
I'm of the opinion that we'll be in love with T.O. for a year, maybe two.
That may be all it will take to get to the show.
He's won more, or as many, Super Bowls as any of your faves, though, hasn't he?
It's about winning, baby!!!
Well he isn't as dumb as the 1,500 who bought TO jerseys. LoL what losers.
"Did you like those three Superbowls? I'll bet you did......" </Fake Jerry>
Owens has a big mouth, but he doesn't have multiple drug offenses like Irvin, hasn't been caught fleeing the scene of a multiple homicide like Ray Lewis, and hasn't plowed into a cop like Randy Moss.
I think the Cowboys are trying to put together a Super Bowl run this year. Owens is probably the best receiver in the NFL. If they can upgrade the offensive line, they can make a run at it. Bledsoe is very much like Aikman. Give him time, and he's one of the best, but he's got the mobility of a small office building. I would have liked to have seen the Cowboys keep Keyshawn, as Keyshawn shallow, and Glenn and Owens deep would have been great.
Galloway's not an athlete. He's a sportswriter. He's paid to critique the athletes, the owners, the coaches, the umpires, the cheerleaders, the water boy.
And he does a witty, superb job of tweaking the noses of anybody who breaks a sweat in competitive sport.
If they can upgrade the offensive line, they can make a run at it. Bledsoe is very much like Aikman. Give him time, and he's one of the best, but he's got the mobility of a small office building.
I'd love to see the Cowboys go to the show, but the only old quarterback who's done that was Jim Plunkett with the Raiders in 1981.
Offensive line is a gaping need, especially now that Larry Allen's been cut loose. Unless they plug a couple of holes, da Boyz are stuck at going out of the playoffs in the second, if not the first, round.
The two biggest things that bother me about Jones are (1) the way he treated Landry (it was time for Landry to go, but it could have been handled much more diplomatically), and (2) the fact that he and Johnson couldn't put aside their differences. I don't think there's any way the 49ers take the Cowboys in the NFC championship with Johnson coaching, and I think Johnson could have pulled another Super Bowl with the talent that was there after the ninety-five championship. The Cowboys would have had seven Super Bowls if Johnson and Jones could have kept it together.
Not in the last 10 years, in fact for much of the last 10 years his team has been under 500 and/ or missing the playoffs. The Jones method did well for a while, but it led to him paying a lot of money for the past and the rebuild since then hasn't been terribly impressive.
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