# Cowboys. Who is to blame? And the fix. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 29, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018 "2008-12-29T01:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/21 "2008-12-29T19:59:45Z")
> [@Thing\_Fish](#): > > Well, you should know. šŸ˜‰ > > Seriously, I completely agree. And the assumption that the Cowboys are entitled to win every year and that their failure to do so must be somebodyā€™s ā€œfaultā€ sums up why most fans of other teams canā€™t stand the Cowboys and rejoice in their suffering. {throws confetti} This attitude isnā€™t limited to the Cowboys. 14-2 Chargers lose in the playoffs? Must be Marty Schottenheimerā€™s fault! Jets donā€™t make playoffs? Must be Eric Manginiā€™s fault! Buccaneers canā€™t beat Eagles in playoffs? Must be Tony Dungyā€™s fault! Eagles havenā€™t won Superbowl under Reid/McNabb? They must suck! Cowboys donā€™t make playoffs? Must be Tony Romo/Wade Phillips/Jerry Jones/Terrell Owensā€™s fault! ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/22 "2008-12-29T20:02:42Z")
I actually agree with most of those facetious claims, and would be happy to argue the particulars of any of them. I donā€™t know that I could make a case against Dungy, but the others, absolutely. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/23 "2008-12-29T20:04:02Z")
It isnā€™t anyoneā€™s fault? I vote ā€œTony Aromaā€ā€“something stinks around here. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/24 "2008-12-29T20:19:31Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I actually agree with most of those facetious claims, and would be happy to argue the particulars of any of them. I donā€™t know that I could make a case against Dungy, but the others, absolutely. Schottenheimer? _Really?_ ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/25 "2008-12-29T20:36:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Schottenheimer? _Really?_ The guy is 5-13 in the playoffs. Thatā€™s not a fluke, or a small sample size. Thatā€™s 18 games; enough to say he isnā€™t a good playoff coach. The reason he isnā€™t a good playoff coach is because regardless of hwat he does in the regular season, he turtles in the playoffs. He goes ultra-conservative, never make a call that could be second-guessed, play to not lose. In the playoffs, you have to play to win. Which year did he lose to the Jets in the playoffs with San Diego? 2003ish? The next week, Herm Edwards lost by employing that exact same boneheaded type style, and he defended himself by pointing to a similar call Marty had made the week before. In case that isnā€™t clear, Herm defended his strategy by citing a coach he beat the previous week doing the same thing. The _losing_ coach. Yeah, good move, Herm. Anyway, talk radio went absolutely berserk after that one. ā€œMarty did the same thing? Marty?! What the hell has he ever won? Look at what Belichick did in the same situation: the exact opposite. Which one has Lombardi trophies?ā€ I can dig up the specific details if you like. Itā€™ll come back to me if I look at the game logs what exactly the bad calls were that Herm and Marty did, and the exact opposite one that Belichick did. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/26 "2008-12-29T20:56:16Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > The guy is 5-13 in the playoffs. Thatā€™s not a fluke, or a small sample size. Thatā€™s 18 games; enough to say he isnā€™t a good playoff coach. Leaving aside the question of whether 18 games is a stastistically significant sample size (and I contend that such a thing is simply not possible in the NFL), so what? Itā€™s not as though San Diegoā€™s choice was between a great regular season coach and a great playoff coach; it was between a great regular season coach and a coach. In any case, there is no rational basis for the idea of a ā€œgood playoff coachā€- the skillset required to win NFL games is exactly the same in the postseason as it is in the regular season. If a coach is good in the regular season, heā€™s good. If heā€™s good in the regular season but bad in the postseason, heā€™s unlucky, unless he changes style in the playoffs. As far as I can tell, Schottenheimer doesnā€™t. Martyball year-round. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/27 "2008-12-29T21:04:57Z")
If thereā€™s anything to blame, it was the injury bug. It wasnā€™t that anybody sucks. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/28 "2008-12-29T21:19:04Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > While itā€™s true that the Stay-Puff Marshmallow Man is a pretty terrible head coach (and heā€™s proved it three times now). The real problem with that organization begins and ends with Jerry Jones. The guy has no business being the teamā€™s GM and, as others have said, his constant antics like going down to the sideline in-game completely undermine any coach. Its no coincidence that under his ownership the Cowboyā€™s two periods of success came when Johnson and Parcells were running the team and Jeruhā€™s influence was minimized. > > On edit: > Also, Tony Homo isnā€™t nearly as good as the Espn hype machine built him up to be. Heā€™s a decent playmaker when he gets great protection and his receivers are wide open. If any of those things doesnā€™t happen, heā€™s a bottom 3rd NFL QB. Kindly keep your bigotry out of our sports threads. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/29 "2008-12-29T21:47:06Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Kindly keep your bigotry out of our sports threads. Are you offended by the anti-gay slur or the anti-fat slur? Just asking. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/30 "2008-12-29T22:11:26Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Are you offended by the anti-gay slur or the anti-fat slur? > > Just asking. Well, both. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/31 "2008-12-29T22:14:37Z")
I think Dallas needs to find themselves a new QB, ditch Terrel Owens and fix their defense. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/32 "2008-12-30T01:31:40Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Kindly keep your bigotry out of our sports threads. Kindly be a little less touchy. :rolleyes: Opposing fans tend to direct some choice language toward hated rivals. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/33 "2008-12-30T01:56:57Z")
Agreed. Iā€™m a Cowboys fan (reluctantly, after living in Phoenix during the debacle that was the Cardinals move) and coming into a thread about who is to blame for the drubbing on Sunday Iā€™m frankly amazed at the LACK of crude epithets being thrown around so far. As to what needs to be fixed: itā€™s a Jerry Jones problem which is reflected in the head coach. Wade Phillips simply cannot control or instill discipline in a group of guys with huge egos, huge contracts and off-field problems. The team has talented players but several of them need a smack upside their head every so often. The difference was clear during the game - 4th and inches and Phillips sends out the punt crew and Romo waves them back. They go back and Phillips is standing on the sideline looking like the most confused man in the world. I donā€™t care if it was right or wrong to go for it or not on that down - you cannot have a QB overriding the head coach, period. Look at Andy Reid - he benched McNabb, caught a lot of shit for it but it WORKED. McNabb and the Eagles have been playing with intensity since then. Gee, I wonder why? Because even their franchise QB can ride the pine if he screws up? What a concept! But with JJ as GM, I doubt weā€™ll ever see another strong head coach. Heā€™ll get another milquetoast go-along guy who cannot handle the braying band of egoists wearing the uniforms and the Cowboys will continue to underperform. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/34 "2008-12-30T09:19:50Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > In any case, there is no rational basis for the idea of a ā€œgood playoff coachā€- the skillset required to win NFL games is exactly the same in the postseason as it is in the regular season. If a coach is good in the regular season, heā€™s good. If heā€™s good in the regular season but bad in the postseason, heā€™s unlucky, **unless he changes style in the playoffs.** As far as I can tell, Schottenheimer doesnā€™t. Martyball year-round. The usual knock on Schottenhiemer is that he _does_ change in the playoffs ā€“ he goes from conservative to ultraconservative. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/35 "2008-12-30T13:56:21Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > Kindly be a little less touchy. :rolleyes: Opposing fans tend to direct some choice language toward hated rivals. Deal with it. If they do it here, they will get called on it. Deal with it. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/36 "2008-12-30T14:07:21Z")
> [@furt](#): > > The usual knock on Schottenhiemer is that he _does_ change in the playoffs ā€“ he goes from conservative to ultraconservative. That would be a fair criticism, then, but is it actually true? > [@](#): > > If they do it here, they will get called on it. Deal with it. Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/37 "2008-12-30T14:59:14Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > That would be a fair criticism, then, but is it actually true? It has been in the playoff games Iā€™ve seen him coach. If you think it could be just a fluke that he _happens_ to have a 5-13 playoff record, completely at odds with his stellar regular season record, then can I convince you that Detroit was a really good team in 08? They only lost 16 games. It was a fluke! I refute that the same skillset that wins in the regular season wins in the playoffs. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/38 "2008-12-31T05:23:56Z")
The fix? I hear a former Texas Rangers owner will soon be moving to Dallas in January. Maybe his experience and political acumen could be put to good use in turning the team around. ---
**Author:** ![Soapbox\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Soapbox\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soapbox_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/39 "2008-12-31T06:07:37Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > The fix? > > I hear a former Texas Rangers owner will soon be moving to Dallas in January. Maybe his experience and political acumen could be put to good use in turning the team around. As if 95% of football fans didnā€™t have _enough_ reasons to hate the Cowboysā€¦ šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018/40 "2008-12-31T14:43:11Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > I refute that the same skillset that wins in the regular season wins in the playoffs. So what skill is required to win in the playoffs that isnā€™t required in the regular season? Tony Dungy had a shitty playoff record until 2006, and people always said he couldnā€™t win the big game. Now heā€™s a Great Playoff Coach, etc. etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cowboys-who-is-to-blame-and-the-fix/479018.md?page=3)