http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/columnists/jennifer_floyd_engel/story/1082276.html
Owner Jones is shooting his mouth at wrong target
By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
jenfloyd@star-telegram.com
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IRVING — Finally, a little fire spewed from Owner Jones.
We have waited for him to flash his angry face, begged for him to jump a few Cowboy butts, hoped he’d pump a little fear and loathing into his perpetual December underachievers lest anybody confuse another failure to finish with acceptable.
And when he finally unleashes Sunday, he chooses ... Marion Barber?
Really? You are going to call out this guy? Question this guy’s toughness?
And please ignore Coach Wade and his almost comical Baghdad Bob "clarification" from Monday, just listen for yourself to what Owner Jones said about Barber not playing in what obviously was a gut-busting 20-13 loss in Pittsburgh:
"His toe is good enough to play. He’s just not comfortable playing."
If that is not questioning Barber’s toughness, well, I’d hate to hear what the Cowboys would say if they were really upset at him. Jerry basically said Barber was a helmet tapper, intimating medically he was good to go and mentally was unwilling. Which is you may as well question his manhood while you are at it.
MBIII’s rep is built on toughness, his fierce running style a big reason why the Cowboys signed him, his Barbarian persona why fans love him, his relentlessness what makes him him. And what little I know about him says he’d play if possible.
Don’t get me wrong. Call outs are needed at Valley Ranch.
And God knows Coach Wade is not going to do it. He was busy blaming himself for Tony Romo’s hor-awful throw to Jason Witten which resulted in Deshea Townsend’s interception touchdown Monday.
Owner Jones has to be the hammer.
But of all the yahoos on this Cowboys team right now, he elects to kill Barber. He has earned like 457 benefit of the doubts. He and Jason Witten have lifetime passes on any toughness charges. Both have proven themselves willing to endure crazy amounts of punishment and pain to help this Cowboys team win.
And so Owner Jones loses a little credibility cracking on Barber, especially when almost everybody else has enjoyed Get Out Of Jail Free Cards or in Pacman’s case Get Out Of The Joule Free.
He practically played Johnnie Cochran for Pacman after his bodyguard brouhaha. He vehemently defended T.O.’s right to criticize The RHG after that Washington victory. He has given who knows how many votes of confidence to Coach Wade despite the fact he still doesn’t look like he gets it.
Did you know the Cowboys’ defense outplayed the Steelers? Or Tashard Choice had a good game? Or the special teams have been really good lately? Wade does, and he tells anybody willing to listen.
And yet Owner Jones continues to employ Cowboys special teams coach Bruce Read despite a failure to perform any of his assigned duties while taking shots at Barber.
Owner Jones was in New York and unavailable for comment. But I am guessing he woke up with a football hangover Monday morning, rubbing his temples and hoping he had not uttered any stupid in his fog of Steeler disappointment.
A quick scan of his words revealed he had.
He probably regrets saying "He surprised me that he’s not here playing. That surprises me."
And doubly regrets downplaying the severity of the injury.
"No, it is not," Jerry said when asked if the injury was worse that first thought. "It is not. He can play with that injured toe. He can play with the soreness, the combination of those things. I see nothing that would have led us to believe that he couldn’t."
And sure enough, any traces of his comments were yanked from newspaper clippings at Valley Ranch, which did not stop Coach Wade from addressing them despite supposedly not reading them. Funny guy that Wade.
"I don’t think that is the story," he said. "I don’t think anybody here, Jerry or myself, were questioning Marion Barber’s toughness. Originally, we thought he could play and then found out he couldn’t. That’s what happened."
An already confusing situation became confused at this point, as Coach Wade said trainers had communicated to Owner Jones that Barber’s dislocated right pinkie toe had caused strain on his calf. Trainers and Barber had ruled him out of Sunday’s game long before they boarded the flight.
So why exactly was Owner Jones surprised?
And why exactly did he repeat twice, once unprompted, his assertion that Barber’s toe was good enough to play on?
Obviously, he is angry. He is angry that his team had coughed up another victory. He was starting to believe that this three-game winning streak was legit and the first three-and-a-half quarters were proof. Then he watched them melt down.
Then he handled wave after wave of reporters asking him to dissect what had happened, and his anger spewed.
He has every right to be angry. And he needs to unleash.
He just needs to properly aim his fire, at Coach Wade, at Bruce Read, at whoever stands in the way of a big finish. What we saw in Pittsburgh indicates this Cowboys team has a very good chance of busting that December slump, of finishing strong, of winning a playoff game if properly motivated.
So spew away Owner Jones, just not at Barber.
Jennifer Floyd Engel, 817-390-7760
Owner Jones is shooting his mouth at wrong target
By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
jenfloyd@star-telegram.com
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IRVING — Finally, a little fire spewed from Owner Jones.
We have waited for him to flash his angry face, begged for him to jump a few Cowboy butts, hoped he’d pump a little fear and loathing into his perpetual December underachievers lest anybody confuse another failure to finish with acceptable.
And when he finally unleashes Sunday, he chooses ... Marion Barber?
Really? You are going to call out this guy? Question this guy’s toughness?
And please ignore Coach Wade and his almost comical Baghdad Bob "clarification" from Monday, just listen for yourself to what Owner Jones said about Barber not playing in what obviously was a gut-busting 20-13 loss in Pittsburgh:
"His toe is good enough to play. He’s just not comfortable playing."
If that is not questioning Barber’s toughness, well, I’d hate to hear what the Cowboys would say if they were really upset at him. Jerry basically said Barber was a helmet tapper, intimating medically he was good to go and mentally was unwilling. Which is you may as well question his manhood while you are at it.
MBIII’s rep is built on toughness, his fierce running style a big reason why the Cowboys signed him, his Barbarian persona why fans love him, his relentlessness what makes him him. And what little I know about him says he’d play if possible.
Don’t get me wrong. Call outs are needed at Valley Ranch.
And God knows Coach Wade is not going to do it. He was busy blaming himself for Tony Romo’s hor-awful throw to Jason Witten which resulted in Deshea Townsend’s interception touchdown Monday.
Owner Jones has to be the hammer.
But of all the yahoos on this Cowboys team right now, he elects to kill Barber. He has earned like 457 benefit of the doubts. He and Jason Witten have lifetime passes on any toughness charges. Both have proven themselves willing to endure crazy amounts of punishment and pain to help this Cowboys team win.
And so Owner Jones loses a little credibility cracking on Barber, especially when almost everybody else has enjoyed Get Out Of Jail Free Cards or in Pacman’s case Get Out Of The Joule Free.
He practically played Johnnie Cochran for Pacman after his bodyguard brouhaha. He vehemently defended T.O.’s right to criticize The RHG after that Washington victory. He has given who knows how many votes of confidence to Coach Wade despite the fact he still doesn’t look like he gets it.
Did you know the Cowboys’ defense outplayed the Steelers? Or Tashard Choice had a good game? Or the special teams have been really good lately? Wade does, and he tells anybody willing to listen.
And yet Owner Jones continues to employ Cowboys special teams coach Bruce Read despite a failure to perform any of his assigned duties while taking shots at Barber.
Owner Jones was in New York and unavailable for comment. But I am guessing he woke up with a football hangover Monday morning, rubbing his temples and hoping he had not uttered any stupid in his fog of Steeler disappointment.
A quick scan of his words revealed he had.
He probably regrets saying "He surprised me that he’s not here playing. That surprises me."
And doubly regrets downplaying the severity of the injury.
"No, it is not," Jerry said when asked if the injury was worse that first thought. "It is not. He can play with that injured toe. He can play with the soreness, the combination of those things. I see nothing that would have led us to believe that he couldn’t."
And sure enough, any traces of his comments were yanked from newspaper clippings at Valley Ranch, which did not stop Coach Wade from addressing them despite supposedly not reading them. Funny guy that Wade.
"I don’t think that is the story," he said. "I don’t think anybody here, Jerry or myself, were questioning Marion Barber’s toughness. Originally, we thought he could play and then found out he couldn’t. That’s what happened."
An already confusing situation became confused at this point, as Coach Wade said trainers had communicated to Owner Jones that Barber’s dislocated right pinkie toe had caused strain on his calf. Trainers and Barber had ruled him out of Sunday’s game long before they boarded the flight.
So why exactly was Owner Jones surprised?
And why exactly did he repeat twice, once unprompted, his assertion that Barber’s toe was good enough to play on?
Obviously, he is angry. He is angry that his team had coughed up another victory. He was starting to believe that this three-game winning streak was legit and the first three-and-a-half quarters were proof. Then he watched them melt down.
Then he handled wave after wave of reporters asking him to dissect what had happened, and his anger spewed.
He has every right to be angry. And he needs to unleash.
He just needs to properly aim his fire, at Coach Wade, at Bruce Read, at whoever stands in the way of a big finish. What we saw in Pittsburgh indicates this Cowboys team has a very good chance of busting that December slump, of finishing strong, of winning a playoff game if properly motivated.
So spew away Owner Jones, just not at Barber.
Jennifer Floyd Engel, 817-390-7760
