Hard Knocked 2010

Austin, Tx.-- As a Cowboy fan, this has been the most exciting year I've had in a long, long time. Yes, I say that almost every other year. But it's true.

I've been lurking on Cowboyszone.com and I came across a hulu clip of Hard Knocks, which was released on August, 29th of 2008. I agree with most fans when they say Hard Knocks is a major distraction. It puts unneeded pressure on the players and the staff. But when I rewound and took a look through the historical looking glass, I found myself experiencing a sense of relief.

My first observation was T.O. was a cancer to the chemistry of the team. Looking back, I'm glad he's not part of our team any longer. Good riddance, T.O.

A few other things I noticed while watching Hard Knocks 2008 was that Miles Austin made some really important plays early on in his career. And if you really take a look at those plays you can see the potential [now] that a lot of people failed to see [then].

Bill Parcells saw something in Miles Austin. I have to give him that much. In hindsight, I have mixed feelings about Bill. But that's a topic for another blog.

One thing that jumps out at me is how close we were to having Amendola on our roster. I really think he would have been an interesting player to watch and he's an outstanding receiver. Wade Phillips liked him, too.

When I look at players like Lowber, it's a wonder why the Cowboys ever brought him in for a look, and I'm left wondering why HBO's Hard Knocks put such an emphasis on Todd Lowber. But we all know it's a tough competition in the NFL. I think most fans would agree we're better off for it personnel-wise.

I really liked watching the effort Danny Amendola put forth. He was the sort of Alice in Wonderland character we all forgot about. He's had a nice career. And I'm glad to see he found a home with the Rams. He epitomizes an example of competition. He hung around on the practice squad and finally found a home. Lowber did not. I guess that's the moral of the story. One day you're here, the next day you're gone.

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One other thing I noticed is that Wade Phillips does indeed have command in the locker room and with those surrounding him and those above him. When you see how he talks to the players, he is stern. Yet you can also see the influence of Jerry Jones all over the team and I like the personnel moves he has made. I will venture to say that is a good thing. Let the door hit Pac Man and Tank Johnson on their backsides, we're a better team now.

I may say this almost every year, but I mean it this time (I swear) when I say that Jerry, Wade and Co. have put together the best squad since 1995. The Dallas Cowboys' roster is a tight squeeze. We have a great group of talent, and the battle for the last few spots will be more than an interesting one. It will be intense and emotional as well. As much as I think Hard Knocks is a distraction, it sure would be interesting to cover the Cowboys in 2010.

But we've got a great season to look forward to. The excitement as a fan over the past few years has been a bit overwhelming, at times, thanks to Tony Romo.

As Tony says, "It's the old saying. The journey is the funnest part."

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[1] http://www.hulu.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Revamp Going into 2010

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Austin, Tx.--Excitement still fills the air six weeks after the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in the 2010 draft--and rightfully so.

The Cowboys got their man, deemed a top 5 talent by most scouts, at the #24 spot in the draft. A truly phenomenal player, Dez Bryant has all the potential in the world. However, some scouts warn about a troubled past, which begs some questions from Cowboys fans.

When was the last time Dallas was burned by drafting a player who had a poor relationship with their parents?

I don't recall this ever being the sole reason a player didn't work out for us in the past. Correct me if I'm wrong.

When was the last time the Dallas Cowboys passed on drafting someone based on their family life?

Everyone, everyone in the know at least, knows the question posed to Bryant by Jeff Ireland. Hey everyone! Dez Bryant has a dysfunctional family! So we should put stock in what Ireland says while simultaneously watching Dez's stock fall.

Right?

Because, somehow, coming from a dysfunctional family affects what kind of football player you can be....(and I've got some ocean front property in AZ.)

Hey, it works for me. But that's only because I'm a die hard Cowboys fan. And we got Dez with the 24th pick. That's value! To put it simply, it's thrilling we drafted a top 5 talent with the 24th pick. We fans love Dez's ability and we all know how much value we got this year. With a new feeling amongst us, we ponder the endless possibilities we now have on offense.

Dallas is obviously building for the future by drafting a player like Dez when the oldest pass receivers on offense are Jason Witten and Roy Williams, who aren't bad players themselves. And they certainly aren't too old at this point in their careers. So it's exciting to know that we have added to the talent already in place. The possibilities of Dez, Williams and Austin playing any position on the field enamors even the dullest of fans.

The kicker is, Dez Bryant wants to be here. During and interview he replied,"I'm not disappointed at all," said Bryant, who grew up two hours away in East Texas. "Me falling to the Cowboys, that's the best thing that could ever happen to me. I'm so happy. I'm exited. I'm ready to go to work." [2]

So much for the kid having a large ego, eh?

A close look at his on-the-field capabilities, coupled with his professional off-the-field demeanor, shows us that Dez's enthusiasm reeks of the stuff of the past. You know the stuff I'm talking about. The stuff #88 once awed us with. That pizazz.

Confident, Dez Bryant's on the field product is exciting to watch. He adjusts to the ball like a seasoned wideout. He makes yards after the catch. He goes up and gets it. The most exciting part is it comes down with him 95% of the time. The guy is a phenomenon, and he catches everything near his sight.

So why, again, did he fall to us at #24?

It turns out Jeff Ireland, a former Dallas Cowboys Scout, gives us a glimpse at why Dez Bryant fell to us. And it wasn't because of Dez Bryant. It was because of people like Ireland, who don't realize character comes from being given respect by others. Respect is really what molds a player into becoming great. Players sense respect. They're humans with instincts.

When he interviewed with Ireland, I'm betting Dez also sensed that he did not want to be part of the Miami Dolphins. To be honest, I could have seen his career taking a dive there had he been subject to the sort of prejudicial and psychological behind-the-scenes abuse in Miami. Of course, that's speculating to some degree. But it's often true that if you treat someone a certain way, they'll start to act like it even if they're not that way.

So surely we're making up excuses about why Dez fell to us, right?

True.

Some of it may be excuse making. But the factor which diminished Dez Bryant (his family life) was something irrelevant and the fact it was even questioned is something in and of itself that utterly lacks class. Jeff Ireland and people like him have no business being involved in young people's lives. A question like that could send a young player reacting and going down the wrong path. He could give the media a field day starting off on the wrong foot like that.But not Dez. He's here to work. If you don't believe him, just ask him.

So you might take Ireland's word for it and say, but Dez...you were merely the 24th pick.

True.

But there were three factors as to why Dez Bryant became a Cowboy. Firstly, other teams had positions of need to fill before Dallas' turn on the board. Seconly, people like Ireland devalued Dez with their old school mentality. To me that's exploiting someone's youth and disrespecting his manhood. Thirdly, we traded up a few spots with New England and so we got him before Baltimore took him at #25. That's risky business. But that's the business of the NFL.

And the truth of it all is it doesn't matter why Dez Bryant fell to the Cowboys. Some of us like to believe it's the guy upstairs, looking through the hole in the roof, working his magic.

If Dez gives it his all and leaves some things to a higher power, I think the guy will thrive in the NFL. I see Hall of Fame potential.

The below video isn't just a highlight reel; it's a capability reel. Bryant has the capability to go down as one of the best in history. If you don't believe me, just watch for yourself.

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In the past, the Cowboys have shown a knack for finding diamonds in the rough. For example, everyone knows that neither Austin nor Romo were drafted. Although make no mistake, Dez was drafted with high hopes in mind--high hopes for a championship. Dez Bryant adds a new feeling of confidence. As Dallas mounts its next attempt at a Super Bowl run for this year, they've also put themselves in a great position to win in the future with the right personnel and talent for years to come.

So from the first edition of Dallas Cowboys Daily, this one goes out to Dez Bryant.

A new era, and a new feeling, has begun. Nicely done, Dallas.

[1]http://www.sportssoundoff.com/forums/articles//attachment.php?attachmentid=71

[2]http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/6971823.html

[3]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sXYiZjT038