http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/ 15 Smart takes from players, coaches, and people in the know about NFL news. en Copyright 2009 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:51:19 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.2-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Everyone loves an underdog, and during the Super Bowl era, that means just about every team other than the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have won five Super Bowls, made eight appearances in our country's biggest game and have the most playoff wins of any team in league history. Dallas haters point to the arrogance stemming from that virtually unmatched level of success as to why so many football fans love seeing the Cowboys lose. In Philadelphia, New York and Washington, you'd probably find as many fans who relish a Dallas loss just as much if not more than a victory by their team. That's probably the case in most NFL cities other than Dallas-Fort Worth and its surroundings. Ill will toward America's Team starts with the players. As much as Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman, Daryl Johnston and Emmitt Smith exemplified ideals the NFL seeks to promote, many other Dallas greats http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-wang.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-wang.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:51:19 -0500 Everything is bigger in Texas, including the arrogance. From Jimmy Johnson to Barry Switzer to Michael Irvin all circling upstairs to the guy named Jerry Jones who owns and runs the franchise -- it's all arrogance. It's amazing that guys like Troy Aikman and Daryl Johnston came out of that franchise as well adjusted as they seem. It's no wonder that Emmitt Smith acted the way he did with his terrible stint on ESPN -- act like you're the best...it's the Cowboy way. I'm not old enough to really remember most of the Tom Landry era. He seemed like a classy fella, with the suit and the hat and the stoicism. But since then it's been a giant 'look at me' party in Dallas. And it's hard not to look. Even the stupid scoreboard got more attention this year than any new stadium has gotten in two decades. Just the http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-levy.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-levy.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:59:36 -0500 Tony Romo is a career 33-15 (69%) as a starter. Wade Phillips has a career 76-52 (59%) record, and is 28-13 (68%) coaching the Cowboys. What do both Romo and Phillips have in common? Well to the national public, they either stink, are overrated, and and/or are choke-artists. Like the New York Yankees, the Cowboys are judged under an intense microscope every single day, and to most fans are very easy to hate. Actually, hate is not even a strong enough word, most fans loathe the Cowboys, and will do anything they can to bad-mouth them. Is it fair? Not really. Romo is one of the premier quarterbacks in the league. Unfortunately, Romo has had a long streak of bad-luck, including the botched snap from a playoff loss to Seattle, a failed last-ditched effort against the Giants during the next playoffs, and missing 3 costly games due to injury (1-2 http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/like-yanks-cowboys-under-microscope.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/like-yanks-cowboys-under-microscope.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:41:26 -0500 Now here's a topic I could write a book on... There's a lot of reasons people hate the Cowboys but, in my opinion, the biggest is that guy wearing the Cowboys jacket in your office. Or that guy wearing the Aikman jersey in your local bar. Or that guy driving around with a Cowboys bumper sticker. Wherever you are in this country, you know the guy I'm talking about. He's the same guy in every state, in every town that decided to jump on the Cowboys bandwagon despite having no connection whatsoever to the city of Dallas or the state of Texas. Despite our rivalry, I have no problem with real Dallas fans. Those people that go to the stadium every week and live in the area are just regular football fans supporting their home team. I'll never understand the bandwagoners though. What fun is it to sit alone in http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cowboys-bandwagon-sucks.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cowboys-bandwagon-sucks.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:22:52 -0500 When I think of the Cowboys, I think of "Dallas,'' the prime-time soap opera of a generation or so ago. Too rich, too ostentatious, too ... Everything. That's not the only reason "America's Team'' is also America's most hated sports franchise. But when the stereotype fits -- as in a new $1 billion-plus pleasure palace for the Cowboys' games -- you savor it. Was there anyone outside the Cowboys' considerable fan base who didn't enjoy watching Jerry Jones watch his team lose in the final seconds to the Giants in the first real game his team played there? Nobody I know. A confession. I liked Texas E. "Tex'' Schramm, the California-born president of the Cowboys for their first 29 years, the founder of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and the man who created "America's Team.'' I love Gil Brandt, who put together those teams -- he's still a friend. I like http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-goldberg.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-goldberg.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:57:33 -0500 Why do fans outside of Texas hate the Dallas Cowboys so much? There are a million reasons, including that whole "America's Team" nonsense. The arrogance of the owner certainly doesn't help. Pardon me while I not only root for a punter to hit the 'JerryTron' during a game, but for somebody to knock the darn thing down and have it smash into smithereens right on the field. Yet, as a Yankee fan I can't really complain about the deep pockets, or arrogance, of an owner. Instead, my hatred of the Cowboys comes more from having to deal with the obnoxious fan base. Cowboys fans will tell you that their team is the best, the absolute best, every single year. No one is ever better, and it's always someone else's fault that things never quite seem to work out for the Cowboys. Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996. Ask http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-valentine.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-valentine.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:52:35 -0500 Why do Redskins fans hate the Cowboys? Let us count the ways. It began in earnest in the George Allen era (1971-77), when Allen knew the Pokes were the team to beat to gain supremacy in the NFC East. A master at whipping his teams into a frenzy, Allen had some Redskins believing that head coach Tom Landry had been a serial killer in a previous life and general manager Tex Schramm was evil incarnate. Allen went out of his way to bait choir-boy quarterback Roger Staubach, getting his veteran players to taunt him any chance they got. Defensive tackle Diron Talbert once insisted that the Cowboys employed the shotgun offense because Staubach couldn't read defenses and was usually the most vocal Redskin during Dallas Week, with Allen providing him the script. Schramm hardly endeared himself to Redskins fans when, during pre-game warm-ups, he walked over to where kicker Mark http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-shapiro.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-shapiro.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:43:06 -0500 Why are the Dallas Cowboys the most hated franchise in sports? Weigh in here... http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-readerpoll.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/dallas-cowboys-redskins-fans-hate-readerpoll.html Dallas Cowboys Fri, 20 Nov 2009 06:13:24 -0500 The universe must be titled on its axis. The Cincinnati Bengals have the second record in the AFC. Star players are moving to Cincinnati as a way of resurrecting their careers and the Bengals are playing primetime games. What's next, the Washington Generals defeating the Harlem Globetrotters, ABC TV televising the Men's collegiate Lacrosse championships in primetime? Yes, it is true, and that the Bengals are successful, have not only righted the ship but have a sincere chance of winning the Super Bowl this year. The reality is that the NFL is set up for competitive success regardless of a team's pedigree or market size. This fact alone makes the NFL unique in professional sports and enhances its image as the premier league in the world. Success and failure in the National Football League changes each year as quickly as fall turns into winter at Lambeau field. Turnarounds in both http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-schaffer.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-schaffer.html Cincinnati Bengals Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:05:45 -0500 Larry Johnson: count your blessings and please, fall quietly in line. The 7-2 Bengals took a calculated risk this week by adding Johnson to their roster. For the Bengals, sitting pretty atop the AFC North, the Johnson signing is a nice bit of insurance should Cedric Benson not bounce back soon from his hip flexor injury. The Bengals/Johnson deal could work out just fine, so long as they are on the same page with regard to two key issues. One of the great philosophers of the last century, The Rock, put it well when he said "know your role and shut your mouth." For Johnson, the key to his success on the Bengals lies in his ability to take a back seat to a healthy Cedric Benson. Benson is the clear starter, having amassed 859 yards on 259 attempts for a healthy average of 4.2 yards/carry. Johnson's averaging a modest http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-maloni.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-maloni.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:02:44 -0500 When we were discussing something to write for The Sporting Blog on Larry Johnson potentially signing with the Bengals to replace and eventually spell the injured Cedric Benson, I thought we could do a graphic as a play on the Land of Misfit Toys. Turns out, SB Nation beat us to the joke. Bloggers. For the last few years, discipline has been an issue for the Bengals, and seemingly -- I'm sure injury had as much to do with it, but public perception is what it is -- the more the team ended up in the police blotter, the further back the team slid from the top of the AFC. Carson Palmer needs to be the face of the Bengals, and his comments after the win over Pittsburgh, explaining that his team isn't even close to a Super Bowl contender, show he's doing his best to take this team back. http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-levy.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-levy.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:34:53 -0500 It's difficult to say, but Larry Johnson might just experience a professional rebirth with the Cincinnati Bengals. When LJ was relevant and overworked, putting up 1700-yard seasons in 2005 and 2006, the Chiefs had offensive lines that ranked second and 15th in Adjusted Line Yards, respectively. In 2009, that line is just one more broken part of the Chiefs' desperate rebuild, currently ranking dead last in the NFL. Though Johnson lost most of his top-end speed and elite burst in his 416-carry season of 2006 (making him the poster child for Football Outsiders' "Curse of 370"), there's still enough left in the tank - just barely - for him to contribute behind a good-to-great power-blocking line, which is exactly what the Bengals have. I wouldn't expect 150 yards per game, and I think that rookie Bernard Scott will be the real deal if Cedric Benson misses any serious time with http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-farrar.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-farrar.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:47:35 -0500 Running back Larry Johnson seemed to exude every characteristic of football poison when he was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Underperforming. Petulant. And he did himself no favors with the media. The Bengals got rid of such a player when they traded Corey Dillon in 2003. Signing Johnson reinforces an aging notion that Cincinnati has become some sort of Island of Misfit Skill Players, and maybe that's fair. But the logic is even simpler than that: the Bengals need a running back. Larry Johnson is a free agent running back, just as Cedric Benson was a season ago. Johnson might not yield the same returns as Benson has this season, but never mind. The Bengals once again have beaten the market for talent, and in doing so have given Larry Johnson a chance to beat his own bad rep. If you look at its history, you'll see http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-zerkle.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-zerkle.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:20:54 -0500 When I first puzzled out this question, I was completely ready to give the Bengals the benefit of the doubt. "The good news is that (Chris) Henry is probably the only bona fide bad dude on the team," I wrote, less than 24 hours ago. "The rest are just garden-variety, fast-living miscreants, with the clean-living egomaniac Chad Ochocinco thrown in for good measure." Make that two bad dudes. By courting and signing ex-Chief Larry Johnson, Cincinnati went and made fools of those who have forgiven them. It's one thing to accept your own fallen angels back into the fold, and quite another to round up the rest of the league's shady characters. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis claims that this move is unrelated to starter Cedric Benson's hip injury, and that Johnson's role will be that of a deep reserve. I would have more sympathy if they wanted him to http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-mccann.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-mccann.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:52:03 -0500 Obviously tired of his antics, thousands of Chiefs fans signed a petition asking for the release of running back Larry Johnson. He had just returned from his most recent suspension earned for unintelligent comments that included mocking his coach and a gay slur. The fans got what they wanted when he was released last week. Now the question is whether Bengals fans will want him. With Cedric Benson injured, Cincinnati needs a backup plan to hold onto first-place in the AFC North (one of only two winning seasons Cincinnati's had this decade). Apparently, Larry Johnson is that backup plan. This begs the question whether picking up Johnson is a smart decision for Cincy. Cincinnati can't be blamed for looking at Johnson - they need this season to turn around a rough decade, and Johnson is good. If he would just play football and not act like an idiot, it would http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-knight.html http://views.washingtonpost.com/theleague/panelists/2009/11/cincinnati-bengals-larry-johnson-pr-knight.html Cincinnati Bengals Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:36:06 -0500