The Underrated Greatness Of Emmitt Smith - Part 2

The Underrated Greatness Of Emmitt Smith - Part 2


In Part 1 of this series, I talked about 3 of the biggest reasons why I believe that Emmitt Smith was underrated. The 3 reasons I gave are:

1.) The Supporting Cast Double Standard - Emmitt gets penalized for the teammates he had, while other all-time greats that played on stacked teams get a pass.

2.) The Offensive Line Cop-Out - As good as Emmitt's offensive line was, they got way too much credit for his success.

3.) Intangibles/Impact On The Other Units - Emmitt was the prototype for what championship caliber teams want from their running back......extend the drive, wear down the defense, score the touchdown to put the game away.


Starting with this piece, I'll be focusing more on what Emmitt did in his later years, after all the Super Bowl years were over. Before I get into that, I want to point out a couple of things:

-Most people don't realize that Emmitt actually racked up most of his yards post-1995, after the Cowboys started to decline and Jimmy Johnson was long gone. In that time, Emmitt put up 8 straight 1,000-yard seasons, including his NFL record (5,789 yards) for most rushing yards after turning 30. Only 2 other running backs have ever managed 5,000 yards after 30, and they were John Riggins with 5,683 yards, and Walter Payton with 5,101 yards. Out of all the intangibles that Emmitt had, the one that amazed me the most was his durability. In his 13 years with the Cowboys, Emmitt only missed 4 games due to injury. That kind of durability has only been matched by Walter Payton (missed 1 game in 13 years) and Jim Brown (never missed a game). You could even give Emmitt a slight edge over them if you take into account that he was the workhorse for his team every year on every level he played, as well as all of the NFL playoff games he played in. When you think about it, Emmitt played a little over 16 seasons in his 15 years in the NFL.

-What people that only pay attention to stats don't realize, is that before a set of significant injuries slowed down Emmitt's pace in his prime, he was on pace to SHATTER the all-time rushing record way before he actually did, along with every other major rushing record. Emmitt was about to rewrite the NFL record book for running backs. Barry Sanders wasn't the only running back that had a legitimate chance at 20,000 yards. Emmitt was also on pace for a 2,000-yard season through the first 9 games of the 1995 season, and had a decent shot at it until around Thanksgiving. There were a few games where he could have easily added to his totals if not for leaving early due to injury or the team putting the game out of reach early.


The Cowboys had a simple, but very efficient offense in the early 90's. If the defense had 7 in the box, then they would run Emmitt all day. If the defense had 8 or 9 in the box, then they would start throwing the ball to Michael Irvin. If the defense rolled a safety over the top to double team The Playmaker, then Jay Novacek would get some passes in his direction. If another safety was rolled over the top for him, then Troy Aikman would go deep to Alvin Harper. Once the Cowboys' passing game started clicking, then the opposing defense would back that extra man out of the box, leaving them with 7 again. Once they did that, the Cowboys would go right back to handing the ball to Emmitt. There was a little bit more to it than that, but that sums up how the Cowboys' offense operated back then.

I enjoyed watching the Cowboys so much because EVERYBODY, including the other team, knew what was coming and STILL couldn't stop it. I never got tired of watching that kind of dominance every week. Those were some of the best times of my early teenage years. Back then, I just knew the Cowboys would dominate forever.....but then I learned a lesson. When free agency came along, that was when I learned that pro sports are a business first. The biggest lesson that I learned was that it costs money to keep a good team together. That well-oiled machine took ALL parts to function properly. Once the first part went missing, the machine started to fall apart. Alvin Harper, the Cowboys' deep threat, left after the 1994 season and signed with the Buccaneers. Even with him gone, the machine could still function at a high rate. It was when Jay Novacek's bad back forced him into early retirement that the machine broke down. At that point, opposing defenses could put 8 in the box to stop Emmitt, roll a safety over the top to double team Michael Irvin, and leave 1 on 1 coverage on the backside receiver because the TE was no longer a threat. That makes the numbers those 2 players put up that much more impressive, because if the Cowboys had another true threat at TE, the machine would have kept rolling, and the Big 3 would have still been among the league leaders late in their careers.

We all know about the perception that Emmitt played only on stacked teams, with a powerhouse offensive line and All-Pros at every position, and that we don't know how he would have done without all of that. That's not true. As a matter of fact, nothing could be further from the truth. People that truly understand the game and don't have a bias against the Cowboys know very well how Emmitt would have done on a losing team, with a mediocre to bad QB and an average to bad offensive line, because those are exactly the kinds of teams that he played on after the Super Bowl years, up until the end of his career with the Cardinals. The deteriorating supporting cast along with a lot of injuries in his prime are what accelerated Emmitt's decline.


Here is what Emmitt had to endure after the Super Bowl years were over:

1996

Here are the things Emmitt had going against him in 1996:

1.) There was no cohesion in the offense whatsoever. They didn't even play together as a unit until the season opener.

2.) Several key players were out because of injuries and suspensions.

3.) The offensive line got older.

4.) Defenses were stacking 8 and 9 in the box to stop Emmitt.

5.) A long list of injuries: 2 sprained ankles, sprained left knee, strained back, bruised ribs, bruised shoulder, bruised and jammed neck, spinal cord contusion - Emmitt was hurting from the top of his head to his ankles. His ability to accelerate and cut was reduced by a half-step or split-second, which is enough to separate the best from the rest. Emmitt lost push-off speed and power, and his ability to start and stop, then restart in another direction became fractionally slower. By medical measurement, he lost 18% flexibility in his right ankle.


The 1996 season seemed like it was doomed from the start. In the preseason game against the Broncos, which was Emmitt's first game, he made a 5-yard run when Erik Williams was sideswiped and fell off-balance against the back of Emmitt's knee. He ended up suffering a sprained left knee and right ankle. The injury looked much worse than what it was, and Emmitt said that it felt like the worst injury of his career. I was nervous as all hell after seeing that happen, and you could hear a pin drop at Texas Stadium while Emmitt was being tended to. Even former Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson, who was a guest commentator that night, was worried about Emmitt's health. Things went from bad to worse after Michael Irvin was suspended for the first 5 games and  learning that Jay Novacek wouldn't be able to play because of his bad back. The Cowboys had a mix-and-match lineup to start the season. For starters, Larry Allen was moved from RG to LT, and George Hegamin took his place. Because of this and all of the other switches on the offensive line, the run blocking was as coordinated as 3rd grade recess. Daryl Johnston played some TE, and even Deion Sanders played a lot of receiver with Michael Irvin being out.

In the season opener against the Bears, Emmitt was misused. The Cowboys didn't have Michael Irvin or Jay Novacek, and still decided to go pass-happy on early downs, ignoring Emmitt. He got 18 carries for 70 yards in that game, but that wasn't enough. For all I know, they might have been trying to lighten his load, but at the same time Emmitt Smith was the reason the Cowboys won so many games. They could have run him more to take some pressure off the passing game, which was obviously feeling those losses. Fewer people were open, and the receivers that were open were dropping the ball. Then add 9 penalties along with a couple of wasted timeouts because of things like people being in the wrong formations. It was also a close game until 4 turnovers finally did the Cowboys in.

This was also the game where it went from bad to worse for Emmitt, who was already playing with a bad knee and ankle. Here is how it went down:

The play was a bootleg right by Troy Aikman, which ended up losing yards. At the beginning, Troy faked a handoff to Emmitt, who tried to sell the fake by jumping over the pile as a decoy and ended up landing on his head and right shoulder. He laid motionless on the field for several minutes until he was finally carted off. I didn't get much sleep at all that night because I was worried that Emmitt was paralyzed and would never play again. It turned out that Emmitt suffered a spinal cord contusion, which would further limit his explosion, agility, and power for the whole season. Those skills were a big part of what made him "Emmitt". I remember hearing and reading about him waking up one night during that season, putting his feet on the floor to stand up and then crumpling to the floor because his legs went completely numb. Emmitt also developed bone spurs in both of his ankles because of a change in step to overcompensate for the spinal injury. He finished that season, just one year after his record-setting production in 1995, with 327 carries for 1,204 yards, a 3.7 yards per carry average, and 12 touchdowns. To me, that's amazing considering that he was never at 100% physically at any point of the season because of all those injuries he had to play through, along with defenses selling out to stop him every week.

In both 1996 and 1997, the sports world watched Emmitt's production dwindle down even more from 1,204 yards in '96 after a career season the year before, to 1,074 yards in '97. Everybody in the media was talking about how he looked like a RB that was quickly declining. They even predicted that for the rest of his career, that he could be a workman-like 800-yard back if he worked at it. A few of the all-time great RBs in NFL history thought Emmitt's workload had caught up with him. I even remember reading a Football Digest article in 1998 that talked about Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders being equals up until 1996, and then Barry blew past Emmitt, and that his career even soared to new heights. They even said that Emmitt probably wouldn't even be in the NFL by the time Barry broke Walter Payton's record. Everybody said it looked like Emmitt was hitting a wall, basically pronouncing his career over and saying that he was washed up.


1997

Emmitt had another injury-plagued year in 1997. He had an ankle that was still bothering him, bruised ribs, a strained groin, a slightly separated shoulder, and he even played 1 game with the flu. Like I mentioned earlier, his decline was sped up by an aging and increasingly ineffective line. The Cowboys' offense was built around the power running game, which means that the middle of the offensive line has to be dominant and blow people off the ball. That wasn't the case in 1997, and it was the single most important reason for the decline of the Cowboys that season. They started a new undersized center (Clay Shiver), an out of shape and injured left guard (Nate Newton), and a left tackle who was never 100% (Mark Tuinei)......that's 3/5 of the offensive line. It's also the main reason that all 3 of The Triplets had bad years.

Here is what the power running game is designed to do:

1.) Keep Defenses Honest - They won't be so quick to blitz if you have a running back that's a threat to score on any play. That's why Troy Aikman had a bad year, and he was pressured more than any QB that I could remember.

2.) Give The Lead Receiver A Clear View To The QB - This goes especially for play-action passes because the weakside linebacker has to play up to the line for run support instead of dropping back into the slant zone. With the offensive line struggling, the linebackers were able to drop back more.

3.) Allows Elite RBs To Have 1,500+ Yard Seasons - Once again, I believe Emmitt Smith did an amazing job for a running back that was supposed to be washed up, especially with all those injuries and not having the line he had during the Super Bowl years. Emmitt's greatest asset besides his vision was his ability to make linebackers miss and/or grab their reaching arms and move them out of his way. He could still do that, but he had to have an offensive line that could give him a hole to run through. When teams started blitzing up the middle, it threw off the blocking schemes of the line, combined with the injuries and out of shape linemen, Emmitt couldn't find a hole. Not even Barry Sanders could have done much of anything under those conditions.


Execution wasn't the problem for the Cowboys offense, a lack of innovation is what cost them. Defenses started changing, and they stayed the same and got stale. It's bad enough that the Cowboys didn't have a threat at TE to replace Jay Novacek or a receiver to compliment Michael Irvin, but the coaches keep trying to force the running game inside where all the blitzes were coming from instead of running outside more. That wasn't where Emmitt was at his best, but the Cowboys did have Sherman Williams, who had that extra burst of speed to be effective on the outside. Every team in the NFL figured out that the way to stop Emmitt was to bring linebackers in the gaps between the tackles. That's the biggest reason why Emmitt wasn't himself and the Cowboys were being outschemed. Defenses were attacking Emmitt's strength, which was running between the tackles.

I also saw some hesitancy from Emmitt at that time. He wasn't attacking the line of scrimmage like he used to. There was a lot of uncertainty. It was a combination of his injuries and him being unsure of either his linemen or blocking scheme. He was also being held back by an old offensive line with Clay Shiver, a young overmatched center, and the left side of the line was old (Mark Tuinei, 37, Nate Newton, 35). In other words, the line was too old on the left side, too inexperienced in the middle, and a shadow of itself on the right. Also, since the Cowboys had become so predictable, defenses would just stack the line and wait on Emmitt. He wasn't even getting a chance.

There was a reason why Troy Aikman wanted the Cowboys to move up in the 1997 draft and take Tony Gonzalez (with all-due respect to Jason Witten). From time to time, I fantasize about how he likely would have almost instantly opened the offense back up and took the extra man out of the box for Emmitt. I'll even take it a step further. What if the Cowboys had also went on and drafted Randy Moss the next year like everybody expected them to, instead of Greg Ellis? That would have been one NASTY offense if they could have pulled that off. I won't even mention the line, because if they had all that talent on the offense, I believe they almost certainly would have bolstered the line. I believe the Cowboys would have been right back to winning Super Bowls with that offense, and Emmitt probably would have gotten a couple more rushing titles. I can't help but fantasize about that once in a while, but I guess it turned out the way it was supposed to.

I will say one last thing about 1997: If anybody had told me that a team with Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman, and Deion Sanders on it would only win 6 games and not make the playoffs, I would have laughed in their faces and told them they were crazy. I don't think anybody saw that kind of season from the Cowboys. I'll be picking up with 1998 in the next installment.

My Emmitt Smith Report From 9th Grade

I was doing some cleaning last week and came across an old report I did on Emmitt Smith in my 9th grade English class. Here it is in raw form, without any formal training in writing or the upgrades that I have made to my current writing style:


12/12/94


Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith is a superstar running back for the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys football team. He is in his 5th year with the Cowboys. They drafted him in 1990 in the first round with the 17th pick overall out of the University Of Florida, where he set 58 school records. In his freshman year with Florida, Emmitt was only the second freshman to finish in the top 10 in the Heisman Trophy balloting. During his collegiate career, he only missed 2 games and ran for 100-plus yards in 25 of 34 games, and was the only Gator to earn first team All-SEC honors his first 3 seasons. In his junior year he had a college career-high 316 yards against New Mexico, had a 96-yard touchdown run against Mississippi State as a sophomore in 1988.

Emmitt is the Florida Gators' all-time leading rusher with 4,232 yards. In high school, Emmitt ran for 8,804 yards in 4 years at Escambia High in Pensacola, FL with a 7.8 yard average per carry and 106 touchdowns. He ran for 100-plus yards in 45 of the 49 games he played for Escambia, including the last 28, and he was never held to less than 71 yards, even as a freshman. The 8,804 yyards puts Emmitt 2nd on the all-time rushing list in the National High School Sports Record Book behind Ken Hall  of Sugar Land, TX (11,232 yards from 1950 to 1953). In his first game in 1983, Emmitt ran for 115 yards against Pensacola Catholic High. By his sophomore year, he was already District 1's most feared back. Defensive units were taping his number 24 on their helmets. By his junior year, he had turned it up a notch with seven 200-yard games, and in a furious outburst against Milton High he had 28 carries for 301 yards. In 4 years Emmitt hit Milton for 855 yards.

The 1990 NFL Draft was the first in which juniors were allowed to pass up their final year of eligiblity and enter the draft pool. Emmitt and 37 other juniors came out early. He was an incredible yardage machine. But pro scouts are funny people. Size, vertical leap, speed -those are the things that get the exclamation points in their notebooks. In terms of speed -the burst and the breakaway ability, there was a question mark next to Emmitt's name. His time in the 40 while at Florida was 4.55, on synthetic turf. A New York Giants scout reportedly got him at 4.7. Too slow. The Cowboys weren't worried about the speed. They were coming off a 1-15 season and a last-place NFC ranking in team rushing.

Emmitt never misses a workout, not a nick or bump guy who'd miss a lot of practice time, and not a complainer. Emmitt held out in his rookie year for the whole training camp. Still, he was the Cowboys' starting running back by Game 2 of his rookie season. One big day, 121 yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was about it for his first 11 games, and then he did a strange thing. he complained. Dallas was coming off 2 losses to the N.Y. Jets and the san Francisco 49ers in which he didn't score a touchdown. Emmitt had carried a total of 21 times in those games. He spoke to the backfield coach and then went public on a radio show, saying: "The ball, please, I'd like the ball." In the next 4 games, Emmitt had 88 carries for 374 yards and 7 TDs, and the Cowboys had 4 wins. He ran for 100-plus yards in 2 of the games. 

In 1991, Emmitt rushed for over 1,500 yards. In game 2 in a loss to Washington, Emmitt had 11 carries for 112 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown run. In Game 4, he had 23 carries for 182 yards, and a 60-yard touchdown run. The 75-yarder is still his longest run ever. That season, Emmitt had 6 other 100-yard games including 112, 122, 132, 109, 112, 160. That year, Emmitt edged out Detroit Lions star running back Barry Sanders to win his first rushing title with 1,563 yards to Barry Sanders' 1,548 yards. He finished with 12 rushing TDs, and 1 receiving TD. 

In 1992, Emmitt won his 2nd straight rushing title with 1,713 yards, his best season. He also lead the league in scoring, 19 TDs, a Cowboys record- 18 rushing, 1 receiving. His longest run was 68 yards. His best day was 174 yards against the Atlanta Falcons on December 21. On that same night, Emmitt's most spectacular run of his career came. When he got the ball, he ran up the middle, about 5 or 6 Falcons piled up on him, he broke out of the pile and ran about 40 yards for a touchdown. That year, Emmitt led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl since 1979. The Cowboys blew out the Buffalo Bills 52-17. Emmitt had 22 carries for 108 yards and 1 TD. Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman was Super Bowl XXVII's MVP. Emmitt got his first ring.

In 1993, Emmitt held out the whole training camp and even missed 2 games. The Cowboys lost their first 2 games without him. Then he signed a contract worth $13.6 million over 4 years. When he came back, the Cowboys got a 12-2 record. The final record was 12-4. In Emmitt's first game back he had 8 carries for 45 yards against the Phoenix Cardinals. That season, Emmitt ran for a career-high 237 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. In that game he got 1 TD when he broke his 62-yard touchdown run. In the other game the Cowboys played against the Eagles, Emmitt ran for 172 more yards. That year, Emmitt went on to win his 3rd straight rushing title with 1,486 yards, due to the knee injury of Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions. Emmitt also won the league MVP. The Cowboys went back to the Super Bowl and beat Buffalo 30-13. Emmitt was the MVP of Super Bowl XXVIII. It was close between him and safety James Washington. Emmitt got his 2nd ring. Emmitt had 32 carries for 132 yards and 2 TDs. He is the only back in NFL history to win the rushing title and Super Bowl in the same season, and the trifecta (rushing title, NFL MVP, and Super Bowl MVP).

This year, he went over 7,000 career yards (7,109). Emmitt is in 2nd place as one of the Cowboys all-time leading rushers behind Tony Dorsett (12,036). Emmitt trails Tony Dorsett by 4,927 yards. He wants to break former Chicago Bear running back Walter Payton's all-time record of 16,726 yards. he trails Payton by 9,617 yards. The other record Emmitt wanted is held by former Cleveland Browns fullback Jim Brown, which is 5 rushing titles in a row. Emmitt has 3. It doesn't look like he will get his 4th. He is on the verge of being dethroned by Barry Sanders, unless a big miracle can happen. If he gets lucky, he will break Jim Brown's record in his 11th season if he is as good as he is now. If Emmitt was to get 300 yards in the last Cowboys' 2 games, the rushing title is his. He needs a BIG miracle. If it's 1 thing he wants for Christmas that would be it. Emmitt has 74 career touchdowns. 

Clearly, Emmitt Smith is THE BEST running back in the NFL, and has the statistics to prove it. He has 3 straight rushing titles, 2 Super Bowl rings, an NFL MVP, a Super Bowl MVP, and 11 NFL records (7 or 8 of them are Cowboy records). Barry Sanders is the best pure runner in the NFL. Compared to Emmitt, he has 1 rushing title (on the verge of 2), the Detroit Lions' all-time leading rusher, and he won the Heisman Trophy in college. Barry Sanders is "poetry in motion". He makes more tacklers miss than any other back. He makes them look bad. He has speed, agility, and strength. He and Emmitt have it good because they are so small. Emmitt is 5-9, 209 lbs. and Barry is 5-8, 203 lbs. Emmitt has power, speed, and agility. He is a heads-up runner with outstanding vision. He has the ability to cut back and go all the way at any time. 

I would like to know what exactly Emmitt is doing out there, a guy with a supposed lack of speed who gains all those yards. What is his style? Here are some descriptives: "Frantic hopscotching, barefoot, on a blistering sidewalk." One newspaper wrote "He darts, feints, shifts back and forth like a typewriter carriage." My descriptive is this: He stops in the hole - comes to a complete stop - looks unhurriedly for a seam and skates across the field like a hot dog wrapper. Emmitt has the same vision and awareness Tony Dorsett had. He'll thrill you with his strengths, not speed. He'll go into a pile and come out the other end. I've seen him leave the ground and have to do a hitch step, like a long jumper, and then burst through. He also has the ability to keep his legs clean - he very seldom gets hit with his feet on the ground. That's where you see people get hurt.The yards don't awe him, but he keeps track of them, as he has ever since high school. Every time he scores a touchdown, he keeps the ball.

In the off-season, Emmitt still lives at home in Pensacola with his parents, 3 brothers, and 1 of his 2 sisters. He has a store there called Emmitt, Inc that sells sports collectibles such as cards and jerseys. His parents and 1 of his sisters run the store. He also has a football camp in the off-season for boys ages 8-16. Emmitt, as an individual player, is a lot like the Cowboys as a team - inexorable, indomitable, bound for gretness. He'll take your breath away and you won't get it back until he scores. It is his total package. The thing that turns Emmitt on the most is his desire to be a tremendous player. That's refreshing. It's easy to look at his prolific performance so far and project him as one of the greats, taking into account that he has never had knee surgery and that Dallas has the perfect offense for a back to put up big numbers. Emmitt wants to make a mark on football that few players will ever equal.


Bibliography

The Emmitt Zone
by Emmitt Smith w/Steve Delsohn
Crown Publishing Group
September 6, 1994

25 Most Popular Players In 1994
by Harry Peterson
Collector's Sports Look
December 1994

A Man Of Vision
by Leigh Montville
Sports Illustrated
February 14, 1994



***I mentioned that the 1990 NFL draft was the first that allowed early entry for underclassmen, but it was actually the 1989 draft that was first. Barry Sanders left college after his junior year for the NFL.

***That spectacular touchdown run that Emmitt had against the Falcons in 1992 was actually 29 yards instead of 40 yards.

  

David Robinson - The Reason I Became A Spurs Fan

David Robinson - The Reason I Became A Spurs Fan

I became a Spurs fan right before David Robinson joined the team, but he was the reason I became a fan. Let me explain: I remember watching a game the season before he joined the team (the Spurs were 21-61 that year), and they showed highlights of The Admiral and said that he would be with the team next year. From that point on, I was hooked, because I was amazed at what I saw in those clips of him at Navy. All I kept seeing was him with those powerful dunks, that leaping ability, blocking shots in bunches, and those muscles. As a matter of fact, I even had this jacket when I was in the 6th grade, as well as the David Robinson's Supreme Court video game. The Admiral went on and put together this resume:

Career Highlights And Awards

-Naismith College Player Of The Year (1987)

-AP College Basketball Player Of The Year (1987)

-Adolph Rupp Trophy (1987)

-John Wooden Award (1987)

-USBWA College Player Of The Year (1987)

-NABC Player Of The Year (1987)

-NCAA Silver Anniversary Award (2012)

-2x Olympic Gold Medalist (1992, 1996)

-2x NBA Champion (1999, 2003)

-NBA MVP (1995)

-NBA Defensive Player Of The Year (1992)

-10x NBA All-Star (1990-1996, 1998, 2000-2001)

-10x All-NBA Selection (4 First Team, 2 Second Team, 4 Third Team)

-8x NBA All-Defensive Team Selection (4 First Team, 4 Second Team)

-NBA Scoring Champion (1994)

-NBA Rebounding Champion (1991)

-NBA Shot-Blocking Champion (1992)

-NBA Rookie Of The Year (1990)

-NBA All-Rookie First Team (1990)

-NBA Sportsmanship Award (2001)

-NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team

-Jersey #50 Retired (Spurs)

David Robinson started helping the Spurs the moment they won the lottery. They had such an uncertain future at the time, that some were advising him to use his 2-year Navy commitment to become an unrestricted free agent and go to a team with a higher profile. As a matter of fact, the Lakers even tried to steal him away from the Spurs to replace Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after he retired. Ownership flew The Admiral to San Antonio when his Naval career began and started giving him VIP treatment, including a parade along the San Antonio River and a pep rally in the parking lot of Red McCombs' car dealership. The Admiral had become sold on San Antonio, its pleasant climate, and open spaces. The Spurs did something they had never done.....paid big money, signing The Admiral to an 8-year $26 million contract, including a $1 million per year for each of his 2 years in the Navy, and got a clause that guaranteed that he would never be lower than the 2nd highest paid player in the NBA the 5th year of his contract. The hardest part wasn't the contract, it was convincing him to come to SA, because the Spurs had no leverage. David Robinson's commitment to the Spurs was also the key to the Spurs hiring Larry Brown as their head coach. Attendance and revenue also increased in anticipation of The Admiral's arrival in 1989. Let me paint a picture for you of the Spurs' situation before then.

Before David Robinson arrived, the Spurs were:

-playing in an outdated arena 

-had no marquee players 

-declining home attendance for several consecutive seasons  

-last in the NBA in season ticket sales and most other measurements of success

David Robinson had the "Bill Russell 2.0" label attached to him coming into the NBA, and that was who Larry Brown wanted him to pattern his game after, but The Admiral didn't have that luxury because the Spurs didn't have the players around him that would allow him to focus primarily on defense. He had to carry the whole load on offense and defense. It was believed that The Admiral would become one of the 10 greatest players ever. It was even said that the Bulls were having internal discussions about offering the Spurs Michael Jordan for him straight up before the '92 and '93 seasons. That's how good everybody thought David Robinson would be. Here are a couple of quotes to support that:

"He's the spitting image of Bill Russell, only a better athlete."  

                                                                                                     -Pat Riley

"Bird, Magic, MJ......they're all MVPs, but this guy is more. He's the greatest impact player this league has seen since Kareem." 

                                                     -Cotton Fitzsimmons

To paraphrase Bill Simmons (The Book Of Basketball), if we ever started cloning basketball players one day Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, and LeBron James would be 1-4 in some order. On paper, you couldn't ask for a better center than The Admiral. He had every conceivable tool you would want:

-Bill Russell's defensive instincts

-Wilt Chamberlain's strength and agility

-Wilt/Dwight Howard's leaping ability

-Hakeem Olajuwon's hand-eye coordination and footwork

-Robert Parish's ability to run the floor

In addition to all of the above, he was left-handed. The advantages for being a left-handed basketball player, especially a big man. For starters, it throws off opponents because you usually expect a guy to drive to your left (his right), so a defender is used to going left when they slide. When that happens, the lefty usually has a step in front of the defender since he's playing the wrong side of the drive. Natural lefties are also said to have better visual temporal skills. Left-handed big men have an advantage because they don't have to reach across their body to block the shot of a right-handed opponent. It also requires an adjustment to play with a lefty because his passing, footwork, and positioning are all different too. 

The 2 biggest things that stood out to me about David Robinson were: 

1.) He was a physical specimen.

2.) He was an athletic freak of nature.

A lot of people don't remember what kind of an athletic freak The Admiral was. I honestly believe that he's the most freakish athlete I have ever seen play basketball in my lifetime. There was no other 7-footer out there who could do what he did. For starters, he was a big man chasing down point guards, could jump through the roof and had hang time, rebounded like a machine, and blocked shots in bunches. He was the fastest man on ALL of his teams. Gregg Popovich has even confirmed that The Admiral was still faster than Tony Parker........at 37 years old in his last year in the league, with a bad back and all. Even against modern NBA players, it looked to me like he was running in a completely different gear than everybody else. This man had the explosiveness and agility of a guard, and his body didn't get slower as it got bigger like with most big men. I have even seen him do 360 dunks with 2 hands in games before. The Admiral also had incredible upper body strength, which was obvious by looking at how big and sculpted his arms were, and the fact that he could walk the entire length of a basketball court on his hands.....he competed in gymnastics when he was growing up. The Admiral was a 1-on-1 physical mismatch for any player in the league in his prime because there was no big man that was faster than him, Shaquille O'Neal was about the only man stronger, and he had very quick hands that enabled him to rack up on steals, becoming the Spurs' all-time steals leader. Plain and simple, at 7'1" The Admiral was doing things that were unheard of for a man his size.

It was believed that David Robinson lacked the dedication to become an extraordinary pro basketball player. Because he did so many things on the court so well and with such apparent effortlessness, he has always been considered an underachiever even though he had achieved so much. Once in a while I even catch myself wondering how much better he could have been if a few things were different. Here are the biggest issues that I believe kept him from reaching his full potential:

1.) Being A Late Bloomer

As a result of staying in college all 4 years and serving 2 years of active duty in the Navy, David Robinson's career got off to a late start, making him a rookie at 24 years old. He didn't play a whole lot of basketball before he got to the Spurs. With only one year of high school basketball and 4 years at the Naval Academy, a college that didn't play a whole lot of big games, The Admiral didn't have the same background as most NBA players. After going back and watching old Spurs games from his early years, you could see it. I noticed that there were some situations that came up where he looked awkward and didn't know what to do. As he continued to develop, those situations didn't happen as often. When he first got to the NBA, The Admiral had unlimited physical abilities, but limited basketball skills. Because he wasn't properly developed, it was much harder for him to develop a complete offensive game early in his career. He had next to no offense and was using his height, speed, and leaping ability to get away from his opponents. Once he put in the work and put together a package, he became even more dangerous, and the accolades just kept flowing in.

2.) Too Many Head Coaches

Another hindrance in David Robinson's career was a lack of continuity, playing for 5 head coaches in his first 6 years. Each coach asked him to do something different. One coach wanted defense, one coach wanted rebounding, and one coach wanted offense. It wasn't until the Spurs hired Bob Hill that The Admiral finally had a coach that wanted balance from him. Bob Hill required the whole package from him, including leadership. Here is a quote from The Admiral on that situation: 

"I used to have the idea that I just had to come here and take care of my job. I thought that was what professional basketball was all about. I do my job. You do your job. If we all do our jobs, we win. I know now that I have to do more than that. My energy level fuels half the team. I tell these guys that if you prepare yourself physically, you'll be able to do well. If you don't, you won't." 

3.) Supporting Cast

Like I mentioned earlier, David Robinson was supposed to be Bill Russell......but with a jump shot. Like Bill Russell, he could run players down from behind and block their shots, recover from the weak side to block a shot or grab a rebound, and he could even block shots to ignite fast breaks. The Admiral has led the league in blocks and rebounds, but he also had to lead the league in scoring because he was on a team without an offensive star. He didn't have a post game, but he had to score against Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Patrick Ewing, who were the best centers of that era and also selections of the NBA's 50 greatest players. Not only did he have to score against them, he had to keep them for scoring and lead the fast break. Here is a quote from The Admiral in 1999, basically admitting that he wasn't a scorer:

"I'm not a Michael Jordan-type player. I don't handle the ball. I can't go out there and take 30 shots a game. That's not my style. I had to figure out what is my style. That's part of what's great about being where we are right now."

Let's look at it this way: 

What if Bill Russell came into the NBA in 1989 and went to a team with only one player besides him (Sean Elliott) who would ever make an All-Star team, and that was the case for the first 8 years of his career? And even though he is a defensive specialist, he has a supporting cast of sub-par offensive players, poor or limited range shooters like Avery Johnson and Vinny Del Negro, and a transcendent rebounder in Dennis Rodman who couldn't even make a layup. Now check this out: What if David Robinson came into the NBA in 1956 as a lean, athletic and intelligent young player that was only asked to do 2 things.....rebound and block shots? He has a supporting cast stacked with Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, and Tommy Heinsohn, 3 of the greatest offensive players of that era who will make All-Star teams for many years to come, as well as the Hall Of Fame. The next year, he ends up getting Sam Jones, another HOFer, who would become one of the all-time great shooters in NBA history.

Which one of these men would have the 11 championships?

After giving that some thought, you can't help but wonder how much different things would have been for The Admiral if the Spurs had the pieces in place that would have allowed him to thrive as a defensive specialist. They had a GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY to make that a reality in the Summer of 1992, and almost did until Red McCombs blocked the move at the last minute. The Spurs and the 76ers had a trade worked out that would send Terry Cummings and Willie Anderson to the Sixers, and Charles Barkley back to the Spurs. Both teams had already agreed to the trade, but Red McCombs vetoed it at the last minute because he didn't want to pay Chuck. After the Spurs passed on that trade, Terry Cummings blew out his knee playing a pickup game in Chicago, and the Sixers traded Chuck to the Suns, where he went on to be the league MVP the following season and lead the Suns to the NBA Finals. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be happier with the way things worked out for the Spurs to get Tim Duncan, but think about it for a second: The Spurs would have had a Big 3 of David Robinson, Charles Barkley, and Sean Elliott.........IN THEIR PRIMES!! If you have a chance to get a player like Charles Barkley without having to give up one of your best players, YOU HAVE TO DO IT. You just can't pass on that kind of opportunity to improve your team. Chances to get an MVP-caliber player for next to nothing don't come around too often. 

When you have a franchise player like David Robinson, who had teams with a higher profile pursuing him, the way to show your appreciation for his loyalty is to build the best team possible around him to maximize your chances to win championships. That was too much to ask out of Red McCombs, because he was so cheap. It's hard to have anything more than mixed feelings about him. Not only did he fail David Robinson by not putting better players around him, he also feuded with Rod Strickland publicly, and let him leave in free agency. To add insult to injury, Red got tired of paying The Admiral all of the money he was paying him and started shopping him. There was even talk about a cost-cutting trade that would have sent The Admiral to the Knicks for Patrick Ewing. Fortunately, none of those trades ever came close to happening. If I were David Robinson, I would have felt insulted. How could you even think about trading the man that had that big of an impact on your franchise in such a short time, not to mention staying loyal to the team that drafted him? If you didn't want to pay him, why did you go through so much trouble to get him to play for you? I'll give Red McCombs credit for keeping the Spurs in San Antonio, but other than that he was a TERRIBLE owner. It's disappointing that somebody with his resources wasn't more aggressive in improving the team. 

For just about David Robinson's entire prime, when the Spurs made the playoffs his supporting cast was usually weaker than the opponent's, making it easier to focus on him. And since he didn't have a post game, his offense was driving to the basket and dunking, but the driving lanes close in the playoffs and teams force you to beat them inside. That was the biggest killer for the Spurs because they didn't have anybody who could consistently make open shots to open up the lane. That allowed teams to double and triple team The Admiral and dare the other Spurs to beat them. It wasn't until his 9th season, when Tim Duncan became a Spur, that The Admiral was able to just concentrate on anchoring the defense. Once the Twin Towers got their chemistry together, it noticed that The Admiral seemed more comfortable in his new role. His last 6 seasons actually seemed to be his more meaningful seasons, and he was actually more valuable to the Spurs as a complimentary player than as a scoring champion and MVP. I also see some similarities in The Admiral with Wilt Chamberlain: They both were freakish athletes with huge bodies that put up ridiculous statistics for their respective eras. They both scored points in bunches. Both players were also a lot more well-rounded than people think. They both also came up short in the playoffs much too often for players with their abilities, usually against a rival at the same position. Eventually, both players were able to get redemption later in their careers when their roles changed and they gave up some of the scoring load. A great player is only as good as the teammates that compliment him and the role he is asked to play.

4.) Many Interests Outside Of Basketball

A lot of people interpreted David Robinson having many other talents and interests outside of basketball as proof that he didn't play hard. That wasn't the case at all. He always played hard and gave the Spurs everything he had, but at the end of the day, he knew that there was much more to life than basketball. The Admiral has said that he was always curious and wanting to learn a little bit about a lot of things. It was said all throughout his career until he retired that the same sense of duty that made him a noble man kept him from being an ever greater player. The knock on him was that he never developed a ruthless, cutthroat, and cold-blooded edge to him that was required to be a champion, and that he lacked the prerequisite leadership skills to carry his team. I have to slightly disagree with that last part......the man was an officer in the United States Armed Forces!! With me being ex-military myself, I know that there are not too many better places out there to develop strong leadership. What the media also fails to realize, is that leading troops in combat is not the same as leading a basketball team on the court. It takes different skill sets to do those 2 things. To me, that's a lot like being in a leadership position on your job and trying to use those management skills at home to raise your children. 

David Robinson has admitted that it took him a lot longer than expected to become the player that the Spurs organization expected him to be. Another knock on him was that at certain points of certain games he didn't get involved. He said it was because of immaturity and mental lapses. He has also admitted that it took him a while to learn the game and what his coaches wanted from him. A big part of it was that his love for the game didn't match his talent level, and it took him a while before he understood what it was all about. It's true that he struggled early in his career to handle the pressure of the NBA playoffs, but at the same time, not having a 2nd All-Star did hurt his chances to compete with the best teams in the West. But no matter how hard The Admiral played and dominated, it was never enough until the Spurs got Tim Duncan. Before The Dream won those back-to-back championships, The Admiral was regarded as the best center in the NBA. The failings of his teammates lessened the perceptions of his contributions, and the media is notorious for ignoring the strength of teammates when they evaluate an individual player's standing in history. 

One other misconception about David Robinson that I want to address is the "soft" label that was put on him. He was different than most athletes because he wasn't defined by basketball.....he had a strong identity, unflappable pride, and an unmatched soul before he even became a basketball player. The Admiral knew that at the end of the day, basketball was just a game, and that was how he approached it. Because he didn't eat, sleep, and breathe basketball, people took that as him treating it like a hobby. Then, there was the the criticism that he played a soft style of basketball (see point #1 above), and that's not necessarily true. It's just that the NBA wasn't used to a man The Admiral's size with his athleticism shooting 15-foot jumpers. There were constant questions about why he never camped out in the paint like most centers. That doesn't make him the least bit soft. Anybody that has closely followed the Spurs for at least the past 15 years knows that The Admiral had no problems playing physical basketball against somebody like Shaq, and hold him to numbers well below his averages up until the very end of his career. The fact the he won DPOY, rebounding and shot-blocking titles should prove that he was dominant around the basket. Soft players don't become stars on defense, especially if they are stationed in the paint.

The problem with how David Robinson was perceived stems from people taking "nice" and "soft" to mean the same thing. It's all because of how our culture views sports. We have a tendency to want players to be responsible and stay out of trouble, but also play their sport mean and angry. A "sports slang" was even developed based on violent and military terms. For example, when a team blows another team out, we say they "killed" or "murdered" them. We describe a good shooter or accurate quarterback as a "marksman". We say a quarterback with a strong arm has a "gun" or a "cannon". We describe a 3-point shot or a deep pass in football as a "bomb". Bottom line, we take a GAME, make a life or death event out of it, and expect the players to play that way. David Robinson didn't see it that way, which is why he went and served his first 2 years of the Navy on active duty before he joined the Spurs. Once again, he understood that there were bigger things in the world than basketball. One example I can give for that, is that he once said in an interview that he got himself ready to play by thinking about the troops that gave their life in war so his family could prosper in a free America. The Admiral also didn't look for vengeance because foul play was beneath him. The Admiral is most definitely a winner, he just didn't respond to controversy the same way most athletes do, and his reactions didn't meet expectations that had been set by other great athletes. With that being said, David Robinson can't be called soft. He had his faults like every other player, but he didn't take plays off or shy away from physical contact.

I personally think David Robinson is TOUGH AS NAILS.......a true warrior!! For starters, he could have went to any college he wanted to, but instead he picked a military school, and it takes a certain level of toughness to graduate from an institution like that. Also, it's awfully hard to call a man soft that has credentials in Taekwondo and boxing, along with other defense skills and tactics that he learned in the Navy. I definitely wouldn't want to mess with him. David Robinson played basketball through a lot more pain than people realized, and gave everything he had to the Spurs organization. Here is a list of the biggest ailments that I know of that he played through:

-sprained wrist

-sliced pinkie

-torn thumb ligament

-pinched nerves in his shoulder

-shoulder contusions

-hernia

-hip pointer

-cervical spasms

-chipped disc

-nerve damage in his back, legs, and foot (from the chipped disc)

-floating particle in his back

-synovitis in left knee

-chondromalacia in right knee

By David Robinson's last year, his back bothered him so bad, it hurt him just to sit. He was so used to playing with pain that he blocked it out, and even forgot sometimes to tell his team when he was hurting. His last 2 seasons were the most painful for him, mostly from all of the back problems. The Admiral's troubles all started when he first suffered his hernia close to the end of the '95-'96 season. Then, the hernia flared up again in the middle of one of the games in the Olympics......and he PUSHED IT BACK IN AND KEPT PLAYING!!! HE COULD HAVE DIED FROM THAT!!! Even after his days in the Navy he was still putting his life on the line for his country. The Admiral went on to lead Dream Team II to a gold medal in the 1996 Olympics, as their top scorer. He put off having surgery on the hernia until after the Olympics, allowing his stomach and back muscles to deteriorate, increasing the vulnerability of a back injury, which happened in the Olympics. After the hernia surgery, The Admiral wasn't able to work out while he was recovering, causing his back to deteriorate even more. The back problem had gotten so bad, that when the 1996 training camp started, he couldn't even run. The Admiral made an appearance in a preseason game and ended up straining his back, causing him to miss the first 18 games of the season. He made his comeback on December 10 against the Suns, only to play 6 games before he broke his left foot in a game against the Heat. I believe that the broken foot came as a result of him trying to compensate for the bad back. Another contributor might be the had poor jumping mechanics that The Admiral had developed, using his lower back for lift instead of using his legs more. 

With The Admiral on the shelf, the Spurs went 20-62 for the season, and of course winning the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery for the right to draft Tim Duncan. The rest is history. When The Admiral came back the next season from the back and foot injuries, he might have been 80% at best, which was still better than a lot of other players at 100%. The Admiral at 100% along with The Big Fundamental would have been NASTY.......I'm talking about total dominance!!! He was still pretty good for having numbness and pain from a chip floating around in his spinal column. In 2002, it was suggested that The Admiral have surgery to remove the floater in his back. He felt like the risk wasn't worth it. He didn't want the surgery for 2 reasons:

1.) Back surgery guarantees nothing. 

2.) It could have forced him to miss the next season, in effect ending his career.

Another thing David Robinson should get props for is his loyalty. Loyal athletes are a dead breed, and have been for over 20 years now. Just to show you how much things have changed, I want to point out that the 1975 Dallas Cowboys only had 1 player (Preston Pearson) who had been with another team. Today, less than 2% of players who go into pro sports stay with the team that drafted them. There is no sense of loyalty with athletes with anything other than money. As soon as free agency was started, athletes have had less motivation to stay with the same team for their whole career. Sometimes you might have a player that might want to stay with his team, but then he'll have an agent in his ear telling him that he can get a better deal somewhere else. If The Admiral had played for another team, it wouldn't have been his first choice, and it even came close to happening late in his career.

Here are the 3 "close-calls" we had with the possibility of David Robinson leaving the Spurs:

1.) As mentioned above in detail, at one point, Red McCombs got tired of paying The Admiral the money he was paying him and started shopping him.

2.) In 1999, the Spurs struggled to a 6-8 record to start the season, and there were fans wanting Gregg Popovich fired and The Admiral traded. The rumored trade at that time was The Admiral to the Seattle SuperSonics for a package with Vin Baker as the centerpiece, which a lot of Spurs fan supported.

3.) In 2001 when Chris Webber was a free agent, the Spurs reached out to him to gauge his interest, making a lowball offer to David Robinson at the same time while they waited on C-Webb to get back to them. Coach Pop was an assistant coach for the Warriors during C-Webb's rookie season, and that might have been part of the reason for the intrigue besides finding a long term replacement for The Admiral. Anyway, C-Webb never called the Spurs back when they reached out to him. He ended up re-signing with the Kings, and later admitted that he was tempted to sign with the Spurs. The day after that went down, a lot of angry callers blew up the Spurs' phones demanding that they re-sign The Admiral, which they did for a 2-year $20 million contract to end his career.

Even in 2002, there were letters to the San Antonio Express News from fans demanding that the Spurs get rid of David Robinson and his "fat contract". Most of them said that he was either on the injured list or on the court screwing up. I couldn't believe what I was reading. I felt like The Admiral deserved every penny he got and earned the right to finish his career with the Spurs on his terms. I don't even want to know what things would have been like if he did leave. I just know that Coach Pop would have felt the kind of heat he had never felt, and I believe that San Antonio would have been one angry city. I wouldn't have been surprised to hear about a riot breaking out. If the Spurs would have let David Robinson leave in any of those situations I just mentioned above, it would have been disrespectful to the man that saved the team from relocation, helped the team win enough games to make them financially viable, and gave the city a recognizable face of dignity.......a man that represents what pro sports is truly all about. Did I mention how much time and money he donated to the city? The Spurs did the right thing and let him retire in his own city with full appreciation for what he did for them, which is something that James Silas and George Gervin didn't get to do.

To sum it all up, here is David Robinson's impact on the Spurs in a nutshell:

-Saved the Spurs from relocation with his commitment to the team

-A 35-game turnaround during his rookie season (then NBA record)

-Altered his game to accommodate Tim Duncan's game

-Cut his vacation short to go back and talk Tim Duncan out of leaving, saving the Spurs a 2nd time

-2 championships

-A new arena

-Announced his retirement plans a year ahead of time to allow the Spurs to prepare for Summer 2003

Taking all of this into account, I personally believe that David Robinson is underrated historically. Bill Simmons has him ranked at #28 in The Book Of Basketball, but I feel like he should be somewhere inside the top 20. I think his impact on the Spurs organization alone should be enough for him to be ranker higher. Once again, without his signature in 1987, there is no pro basketball in San Antonio. Without him taking a lesser role to Tim Duncan, there is no championship. Without a championship, there is no approval for the AT&T Center. Writing this blog has made me appreciate and respect The Admiral even more than I already did. 

Cowboys 2013 Season Full Of Possibilities

8/15/13


Cowboys 2013 Season Full Of Possibilities

I am extremely looking forward to the upcoming season and seeing how it plays out for the Cowboys. It's been a little hard to root for the team for the past few years, but I'm still a die-hard fan no matter what. Because of those feelings, I'm going into this season with cautious optimism. However this season turns out, I won't be surprised either way. If the Cowboys don't make the playoffs this year, or do make it and are one-and-done, I won't be surprised because that's been the expected result for more than a decade now. If they go on and have a big season, I won't be surprised because I know they have the talent to do it. I think this is easily the most talent the team has had since 2007, and probably since the last Super Bowl. The Cowboys could/should have 8 players ranked within the top 6 at their position, which is 36% of the starters on both sides of the ball. I believe all of these things can happen IF (a big if) the team can stay healthy. This is my "glass half-full" outlook on the upcoming season for the Cowboys.

Here are my reasons that I believe the Cowboys can have a big season:

1.) Tony Romo

I want to start off by saying that perception IS NOT reality with Tony Romo. He is nowhere near as bad a QB as the media and Cowboy-haters make him out to be. He's too good of a QB not to win a Super Bowl. We all know the different labels he has on him, and that the Dallas Cowboys quarterback is held to a different standard than the quarterback for any other team, and I believe Tony is unfairly judged, but that's another blog for another day. I feel like Tony is underrated. I believe he's an excellent QB and would have won more if he had stayed healthy and been on a team with a better offensive line and defense. I also think he does a lot more for the Cowboys than he gets credit for. The only QBs I can see ranked ahead of him without too much of an argument from me are Aaron Rogers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees (the last 2 not by a lot). There are at least 20 teams in the NFL that would GLADLY take Tony over the QB that they already have.  For any Cowboys fans that don't appreciate Tony, all you have to do is look at the QBs we have had to endure since Troy Aikman retired and Tony took over..........WE HAVE HAD SOME BAD ONES!!

The biggest reason I feel like Tony Romo is underrated, is because he's had to do so much......way too much at times. There's a reason that quarterback is the toughest position to play in sports. Not only is the quarterback just responsible for knowing how to do his job, but he has to know the responsibilities of EVERY player on the field with him.......everything from blocking assignments for his offensive linemen and running backs, option routes and hot reads from the tight ends and receivers, and defensive keys and tendencies. He also has to be mentally sharp and intensely committed to the mental part of the game, because he has too many responsibilities on the field for his mental acuity to be lacking. Quarterbacks also have to be able to hold their teammates accountable, because they are an extension of the head coach out on the field. The only way they can do that is if they are in sync with what the other 10 players are supposed to be doing. I currently play wide receiver at the semi-pro level, and have played college and high school ball, so to a certain extent, I know what QBs are up against. At every level of football that I have played, especially right now at the semi-pro level, I made it a priority to bond with my QB before any other teammate. Other than the head coach, that's the most important relationship for a receiver to have.

Another way that I feel Tony Romo is underrated is with his on-field production. The man is in the top 5 every year in every passing category, and undrafted free agents don't just come in and rewrite franchise record books.....those types of things are the longest of longshots. The only 2 undrafted QBs that can match the kind of productivity that he's had in his career are Warren Moon and Kurt Warner. In his last 3 seasons, Tony's completion percentages have been higher than 65%. In his last 2 seasons he's thrown for over 9,000 yards, has an average QB rating of 97, and has a TD/INT ratio of 60-29. Let me also point out that Tony Romo has the 4th highest 4th quarter passer rating of any active quarterback in the NFL, and his lifetime 4th quarter rating hovers around 100. He also finished last season tied for 3rd in the NFL with 4 game-winning drives, and the Cowboys finished 2nd in the league with 8 come-from-behind victories. These numbers prove that he belongs with the top half of the league's QBs. If that's not impressive enough, check out these career numbers and put them in perspective:

-averaged 280 passing yards per game in his career (#1 in the NFL)

-a 177-91 TD/INT ratio

-a career 7.9 YPA (higher than Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Drew Brees)

-NEVER had a QB rating under 90 in his career (Only Aaron Rodgers can claim that as a starting QB.)

-a 95.6 career passer rating (5th highest in NFL history)

Another quality of Tony Romo's that I feel is highly underrated is his toughness. People forget how tough this man really is, instead choosing to focus on his shortcomings. He broke his collarbone in the 6th game of the 2010 season and missed the last 10 games. He bounced back from that only to play the whole 2011 season, except the first game, with broken ribs and a punctured lung (which is life-threatening). Tony also played with a back strain for the 2nd half of last season as a result of the beating he took in the first half. He was sacked a career-high 40 times last year, and 36 the year before last. In addition to the 76 sacks Tony has taken over the last 2 seasons, he was also knocked down 153 times. Do you realize it meant he took an average of over 7 hits a game when you add up the sacks and knockdowns over the past 2 years and divide the number of games he played in? If Tony wasn't so mobile, that number would easily be doubled. Now, you tell me how a QB can be blamed for 76 sacks and even more disruptive hits in the pocket. When your quarterback spends half the game running for his life and the other half on his back picking grass from out of his facemask, bad things always happen. 

You can count on one hand how many QBs were under as much pressure as Tony last season. Even league analysts who don't like him have acknowledged that no other QB has better pocket mobility or his tougher to sack (except maybe Ben Roethlisberger). The number of sacks and additional hits that a QB takes is a reflection of the offensive line. The cleaner your QB's uniform is, the better it is for your team. Bottom line, a large chunk of his struggles have been a result of a bad offensive line, the defense being in shambles for the majority of his tenure as the starting QB, and injuries. Watching Tony take all those hits has led me to question whether or not he was appreciated enough for him to be properly protected. I was shocked to see him sign an extension with the Cowboys, and I wouldn't have blamed one bit if he decided to leave for a team who would give him that protection and put him in position to win. It's mind-blowing how he continues to be the scapegoat for the team's shortcomings and the GM's inability to put the right players around him.

It's time to stop blaming Tony Romo for the Cowboys' struggles, judging him by the star he wears on his helmet, and look at the whole picture.  Any fair-minded person or anybody that watches the Cowboys closely would know that things are not always what they seem to be. Don't get me wrong, he has had his share of off days and bad moments, but what QB hasn't? He has even been bad in several high-stakes situations, but even Peyton Manning had that reputation for a long time. Tony gets underestimated because he's famous for people belittling him and nitpicking his every mistake, always in the news when the team struggles, and everybody pays closer attention to his struggles because the media overhypes them and assumes that it tells the whole story about the Cowboys, and that's not true at all. Yes, he throws some terrible interceptions at times, but you can't throw well with defenders constantly in your face and flushing you out of the pocket at a high rate. Let's also not forget that he's had to tell his receivers where to line up, what routes to run, and tell his offensive linemen who to block. Tony has carried the Cowboys on his back for the last 2 seasons. Because of the supply-and-demand for a high-quality QB and his production and value to the team, I believe he is worth every penny of his 6-year, $108 million contract extension. Seeing him take that beating and go through all that he has, and still decide to stick with the Cowboys has made me an even bigger fan of Tony Romo and respect him so much more. 

2.) Improved Offensive Line

I also believe the offensive line will be better this year, probably the best it's been since 2009. I won't say we'll have 5 Pro Bowlers, but at the same time, I don't see a repeat of the last 2 years with them being overpowered and run over by defenses. They weren't just getting beat, they were being pushed backwards into the backfield in front of Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray every other play. I know we are bringing back 3/5 or 60% of the linemen that struggled last year, but check this out: 

RT - Doug Free has looked the best he's looked since he took over for Marc Colombo in 2009 as the starting right tackle. He looks nothing like the player I nicknamed "The Human Turnstile" a couple years ago. He looks like he got his confidence back, he looks more mobile, he looks stronger, and his technique even looks better. The line would be so much better if he can keep this up the whole season.

RG - Mackenzy Bernadeau has looked good since he rejoined the team after having shoulder surgery. He even looked good in the game against the Raiders last Friday. I believe that he'll improve as the season progresses. Just on what I have seen from him since he came back, I think the Cowboys can win with him.

C - When the Cowboys drafted Travis Fredrick, I wasn't too happy with the pick. I wasn't upset with us picking him, I just thought he could have been pick later than he was. Nevertheless, I'm glad he's a Cowboy, and I'm especially glad they were able to get a Wisconsin lineman. Wisconsin is an offensive lineman factory. Every single year they produce huge linemen with brute country strength that will absolutely maul you. Their effect is cumulative too. For example, trying to beat a 320-pound guard's run block in the 1st quarter is hard enough, but trying to beat his run block for the 50th time by the end of the game is flat out exhausting. Anyway, Travis Fredrick looks like a significant upgrade at center, and he seems to get better and better with each practice and preseason game. He has intelligence in spades and he's bull-strong, and to me he already looks like the Cowboys' best center since Andre Gurode was still a Pro Bowler. To add to the excitement, not only does Tony Romo trust Travis Fredrick, he also endorses him. The Cowboys not only count on him to be an upgrade at center, they also expect his presence to make the guards better. Those are awfully high expectations to have for a rookie. Because of how bad the interior of the line was last year, the Cowboys ranked 31st in the league with their running game, which happened to be the worst in franchise history. The Cowboys believe that Travis Fredrick can elevate the line and help fix the running game.

LG - I also like what I see out of Ron Leary at left guard. Hopefully he can have a quick recovery from that knee injury he suffered last week and not miss a beat when he returns. He has a lot of power, as well as a nasty streak in his game. The Cowboys are so convinced that Ron Leary is the man for the job, that they ended their pursuit of Brian Waters and are not trying to talk Brandon Moore out of retirement. Neither one of them seem to have the drive to play football anymore. For that reason, sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. I'm also penciling in Ron Leary as the starter because there's no telling when Nate Livings will be back. He recently had his knee scoped to remove loose meniscus, and it was his 2nd surgery on the knee in 6 months.

LT -  I believe that the biggest improvement on the line will come from Tyron Smith, our best lineman, who's still only 22 years old. I believe he can make the Pro Bowl this year and become an elite left tackle. That alone will make the offensive line better. With Tyron Smith still being so young, he's still not even close to reaching his prime yet, so he'll keep on improving and become an All-Pro before too long. Hudson Houck, who is an o-line coaching legend, thinks the world of him and was his biggest advocate in the 2011 NFL Draft, the first time the Cowboys took a lineman in the first round since they drafted Howard Richards in 1981. Hudson Houck believes that Tyron Smith will have a Larry Allen-like career, and with his track record I believe him. In over 40 years of coaching offensive linemen, he has coach some of the best of the best.......Anthony Munoz, Bruce Matthews, Jackie Slater, Larry Allen, and Erik Williams. A case can be made for 4 of them as the G.O.A.T. offensive lineman.

Tyron Smith didn't get the credit he deserved for his rookie season. It was a good year for him considering the fact that he was only 20 years old (youngest player in the NFL), and because of the lockout he didn't have any mini camps or offseason workouts to help his development. Last year was his first year at left tackle after playing right tackle in college and his rookie year. He was OK, not bad, but you could tell he didn't look comfortable on the left side. It is encouraging that he got better throughout the season. Since he's still learning a new position, I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt. Please understand that left tackle is an ENTIRELY DIFFERENT position than right tackle. They ARE NOT the same position, just on opposite sides of the line. The transition from one to the other is never a smooth one. The only thing the 2 positions have in common is that they end in the word "tackle". 

Let me explain:

The first thing you need to know about the difference between LT and RT, is that with the majority of quarterbacks being right-handed, the left side is their blind side. With that being the case, the left side of the offensive line is the "pass protection" side of the line, and the right side of the line is the "run-blocking" side. That means the left tackle is the quarterback's blind side protector. The hand placement and footwork are also different for both sides of the line. You basically have to do the exact opposite with each foot and hand from one side to the other. On the left you kick with your right foot, and on the right you kick with your left foot. The same thing goes for your outside punch hand....it's the opposite of whatever side you are on. Left tackles are usually your more athletic, in some cases less physical linemen (maybe a former basketball player). Most of them are good all-around athletes. Right tackles usually are less athletic, but more physical. A tackle that is both athletic and has some physicality and can play on both sides is called a swing tackle. They are very much needed for depth and get paid very well.

Let's go a little deeper: Tackles are chosen to have very long, strong arms so they can reach out and stop defenders, as well as hit them in pass protection before they hit you. They have to have fast feet so they can quickly slide left, right, or backwards as necessary to protect the QB. If the QB calls a running play, the tackles will have to run forward a couple of steps and grab a smaller, lighter, faster guy and keep him away from the ball carrier. A standout offensive tackle is a rare gem, and are among the highest paid players on a football team. Here are the responsibilities of both tackles:

Left Tackle - His main responsibility is to  protect the blind side of the QB. Since most QBs are right-handed, they tend to look toward their right a lot and away from their left. The QB is counting on his LT to protect him from pass rushers. The defense usually puts their fastest and best pass rusher up against the LT, so he has to be extra fast and extremely dependable. If the LT misses his block, the QB will get his block knocked off by a 260-pound speed rusher coming from behind him, and very likely drop the football. The LT often "plays in space", meaning the edge rusher will start from a bit outside and to the tackle's left, and then try to run around either side of him. The LT most of the time will have to drop back away from the guard and then be prepared to block the pass rusher from running around either side of him. That's why the LT has to have quick feet....for him to be able to slide from side to side a couple feet in almost no time.

Right Tackle - He usually has the tight end next to him. Because of the extra blocker, this is called the strong side of the line. The defense will usually put their largest and best run stopping end against the RT, so he has to be the stronger of the two tackles. The RT also has to specialize and excel in being a mauling run-blocker. Sometimes the RT will go up against a top-flight pass rusher, but it's not the same consistency in terms of quality of opponent as there is for the LT. The RT is also more likely to get help from a running back in the form of a "chip." Also, the likelihood that the RT's mistake will cause a game-altering turnover is somewhat lessened since the rusher is usually in the QB's line of sight.

3.) Improved Running Game

The Cowboys' running game finished 31st in the NFL last season with only 79.1 yards per game and 3.6 yards per rush. Their 1,265 rushing yards totaled 144 less than the previous Cowboys low in a 16-game season and represents a drop-off of 542 yards from the 2011 season. Also, the Cowboys only scored 8 rushing touchdowns all of last season. It's hard to imagine the Dallas Cowboys, with the rich history they have at running back, struggling to run the ball. To me, it's unbelievable that they have only had ONE 1,000-yard rusher (Julius Jones in 2006) in the last 12 years. Keep in mind that this is the same team that had Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith, both in the Hall Of Fame, as star running backs......and Emmitt is the NFL's all-time leading rusher. Except for the 2-year gap in 1988 and 1989, one of them was in the Cowboys backfield every year from 1977 through 2002. The Cowboys are also one of only 3 teams with 2 10,000-yard rushers in their history, with the Steelers (Franco Harris & Jerome Bettis) and Bills (O.J. Simpson & Thurman Thomas) being the other 2 teams. 

A solid running game is a quarterback's best friend. The better the running game is, the less of a load the QB has to carry, and the easier his job becomes. If the Cowboys can't run the ball efficiently, especially on 3rd and short, once again, it will be a strain on the offense. Too many times last year the Cowboys would abandon the running game and become strictly dependent on Tony Romo and the receivers, making them one-dimensional and easy for defenses to predict. For the offense to click on all cylinders and play to its full potential, they need for a healthy DeMarco Murray to be their workhorse. His health is vital to the Cowboys' offense because the 3 RBs behind him on the depth chart only have a combined 43 career NFL carries, so he'll have to find a way to cut back on the punishment he takes. It was also important for the Cowboys to find dependable backups because last year they were too dependent on DeMarco Murray's health.

I truly believe that with the proper blocking and staying healthy, that DeMarco Murray is rushing champion material. I would love to see him get back to running like he was during his rookie season before he broke his foot. With Bill Callahan taking over the offense and building the running game around his skill set (vision, quickness, patience) I believe it can happen. The Cowboys will be using a zone blocking scheme, which is based on the RB's ability to recognize where the hole is and make a cut to get up the field. This blocking scheme stretches the defense by moving the line, forcing the defensive linemen to move sideways, making them easier to block. The defenders also get tied up because they have to react, and that's where the RB can take advantage of the stretch. Zone blocking is not about blowing your man off the line, it's about staying in contact with him and letting the RB make the adjustment. This scheme also allows DeMarco Murray more freedom in the running game. He likes to run patiently along the line of scrimmage, pick his hole, and explode through it.

It's amazing how opportunities for the passing game and defense to click present themselves when the running game is working. I can't imagine the Cowboys running the ball that poorly again, especially with a new blocking scheme designed to take full advantage of their star RB's skills. If DeMarco Murray can stay healthy, I can see him putting up around 1,300 yards, giving the Cowboys their first 1,000-yard rusher in 7 years and Tony Romo's first since he's been the starting QB for a full season. I also like Lance Dunbar as the backup RB, and Joseph Randle will have his chances to contribute as well. Once again, the real key for the running game to come together is the offensive line. If you look at the running backs the Cowboys have had the last few years......Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and now DeMarco Murray, the RBs have changed, but not the success. The common denominator has been the offensive line. The push up front and the holes the line has to open up are my main concern in the running game.

4.) Stacked At Receiver

I just love.....I mean LOVE our receivers!! This is probably the position I'm most excited about this year. I still remember us struggling to find another No. 1 receiver to replace Michael Irvin when he retired, and now we have 2 receivers that are No. 1 material, and one of them has already been a lead receiver. To make a long story short, we got double for our trouble after losing The Playmaker. I even believe our heist of a trade with the Lions (1st, 3rd, and 6th round picks) for Roy Williams was a blessing in disguise. It's looked at all throughout Cowboy Nation as the worst trade in the team's history, but I see a silver lining. Roy Williams was brought in to be a Pro Bowl-caliber compliment to Terrell Owens, and even though his production (94 catches for 1,324 yards and 13 touchdowns in 40 games) was nowhere close to expectations, he indirectly upgraded the Cowboys receiver corps all by himself. Let me explain: In 2009, Roy Williams suffered a rib injury on a vicious hit going across the middle for a pass, then the next week Miles Austin took over for him and exploded on the way to his first Pro Bowl. Then in the following NFL Draft, the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant after he fell in their laps. I think it's safe to say that if Roy Williams' production matched what the team gave up for him, as well as that $54 million contract, the Cowboys would have never drafted Dez. It's all good, because I couldn't be happier with the way things turned out. The Cowboys are set at receiver for years to come.

With that being said, this is probably the best group of receivers the Cowboys have had since 2006, with the potential to be the best in the team's history. It doesn't get much better than having 2 Pro-Bowl caliber receivers and a Hall Of Fame tight end. Here are my thoughts on our main receiving threats:

Dez Bryant - First of all, this is my favorite current Cowboy. It's scary to think that he's only 24 years old and just starting to scratch the surface of his abilities. I believe he'll be a transcendent superstar before it's all said and done. With all of his physical gifts combined with his passion for the game, he'll break a lot of records if he can stay healthy. I not only think he'll make the jump to top 2 receiver, but I see him being a top 5 player in the NFL this year. I definitely saw an improvement in the 2nd half of last year in his ability to make plays after the catch. I also can't remember in my lifetime a receiver that's been harder to tackle than Dez. Other than Calvin Johnson, I can't think of another receiver in the league that might be more dangerous with the ball in his hands. His gifts can't be taught or duplicated. A cornerback can have perfect coverage on him, and Dez will either outjump him or just physically dominate him. The sky is the limit for him this year if he stays healthy.

Miles Austin - Miles is as good as they get for a No. 2 receiver. If he can stay healthy, I can see him playing more like 2009 Miles Austin. If he can reach that level again, he'll be the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL. Even struggling with bad hamstrings last year, Miles still caught 66 passes for 943 yards and 6 touchdowns. Those numbers were actually better than 16 No. 1 receivers on other teams. Even in the NFC East, Miles still had the 4th most catches and touchdowns, and was 3rd in yards.......in an offense where Dez Bryant exploded for 92 catches for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, and Jason Witten setting a single season NFL record for most receptions by a tight end. Miles is so versatile, that he can play anywhere, including the slot, and he produces more like a No. 1 receiver.

Jason Witten - Plain and simple: Jason Witten is a WARRIOR!! This man has always been tough as nails.....last season just cemented that reputation for him. He played last season with a lacerated spleen, which could have ruptured at any time and become life-threatening, and set the NFL single season record for most receptions by a tight end. That alone should get him in the Hall Of Fame. It also helps that he's an 8-time Pro Bowler, has had 90+ receptions in 4 out of the last 6 seasons, and is ranked 3rd all-time in receptions and yards for a TE. Jason Witten is the ultimate security blanket in the league........he's always open (he can get open in traffic), he he's an excellent blocker, he can run upfield, he has a high football IQ, he's durable, and he has soft hands. It's rare to find a TE like him who can block AND catch. With the emergence of Dez Bryant and the expected improvement in the running game, I'm expecting Jason Witten's workload to be reduced this year.

I'm also intrigued to see who will emerge as the No. 3 receiver this year. Because of his experience, Dwayne Harris has the advantage, and I also like what he brings to the table as a kick returner.....he's a dual threat. Terrance Williams so far looks like he might be a nice addition. Not only does he seem to have a lot of potential, but he gives the Cowboys some options. He gives the team another big target, and with Miles Austin being so versatile he could go back in the slot in 3-receiver sets, which is also a strong preference. Whoever the last receiver is could end up being a weapon for Tony Romo, especially if defenses pay most of their attention to the other receivers.

5.) Improved Defense

I wasn't happy when Rob Ryan was let go because I felt like he did a good job with the defense last year, given what he had to work with because of all the injuries. I was especially on the fence about making the switch to the 4-3, but I like what I'm seeing so far from the defense. I even questioned the hiring of Monte Kiffin, but I see he and Rod Marinelli have already made a significant impact. I like how aggressive the defense has been already, and hopefully they can keep it up all season. For starters, they are getting more pressure so far, and that's been a weakness of the Cowboys' defense for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing how the 1-8-7 tandem of DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer (their jersey numbers equal 187 when you add them up) operates in this new scheme. So far, DeMarcus Ware has looked as good as he ever has, and it's been said that he has been the best player in camp on both sides of the ball. From what I have seen of him, he has been able to do whatever he wants to do.....just flat out abusing Tyron Smith. D-Ware doesn't need a great scheme to be an All-Pro, but it looks like he is one, which will only make him even more dangerous. Anthony Spencer is a tough matchup for offensive linemen because his technique is so good. That's been the biggest improvement in his game over the years. He could be even better in this new scheme because of all the attention D-Ware will have on his side. My biggest concern is the interior of the front-four, especially since the Cowboys didn't draft a single defensive lineman this year. Losing Tyrone Crawford for the season definitely hurts our depth. If Jay Ratliff can get healthy, he and Jason Hatcher will make a nice tandem, and this front-four could be NASTY!! Then if you add Kyle Wilber, Ben Bass, George Selvie, and Sean Lissemore to the mix, it's a solid group from top to bottom. It also has the potential to be better because of the new scheme. 

Another thing I like about this defense is the ability of the linebackers to generate a pass rush. If the Bruce Lee tandem (Bruce Carter & Sean Lee) stays healthy, I would take our linebackers over anybody else's. Bruce Carter is the fastest linebacker in the NFL, which is part of what makes him excellent in coverage. If you need a reminder of how fast he is, just go back and watch the clip from the Falcons of him running Julio Jones down......don't forget that Julio Jones runs a 4.39. I'll even go out on a limb and say that Bruce Carter is the most athletic linebacker the Cowboys have had since Hollywood Henderson. He has a nose for the football, is able to read plays correctly, a sure tackler, and he uses his elite speed for sideline to sideline pursuit. All of those abilities make Bruce Carter the prototypical weakside linebacker in Monte Kiffin's 4-3 scheme, which requires outside linebackers to excel at reading QBs and taking away the short passing game for offenses. The other half of the Bruce Lee tandem is Sean Lee, who happens to be the Cowboys defensive captain. What sets him apart is his ability to do everything well. Sean Lee is thought of around the NFL as a "360-degree player".....he diagnoses and closes in on running plays relentlessly with precision, is excellent in pass coverage, and his elite closing speed also makes him an excellent blitzer. As a matter of fact, if the Cowboys ever put at an "endbacker" position, he has the short-area speed to get double-digit sacks. I believe Sean Lee is on his way to becoming the best middle linebacker in the NFL. The starting strongside linebacker is Justin Durant, who is a very dependable, quality linebacker. He's a sure tackler and has good instincts for finding the ball in the running game. Justin Durant gets overlooked because of the other 2 more heralded LBs. He also brings some experience to the team, as well as a firm grasp on the 4-3 defense.

Last but not least, I'm eager to see how the Cowboys' secondary holds up this year. Brandon Carr is a big, strong physical cornerback who is excellent in press coverage and has playmaking ability. If he continues his development, he has the potential to be a multiple time Pro Bowl CB in the league. In my opinion, Morris Claiborne is a ball hawk - a wide receiver playing cornerback. Coming into the draft, the Cowboys scouts gave him the highest grade a CB has had since Deion Sanders in 1989. In the new scheme, Morris Claiborne should find himself in more favorable situations that allow him to stay locked in on the football instead of the receiver. If he plays the way he's capable of for the whole season, I can see Morris Claiborne being in the running for the Most Improved Player award. As for the safeties, I like the addition of Will Allen. He brings some hard hitting, along with some experience to a younger secondary. It also helps that he has some experience in Monte Kiffin's defense, playing for the Buccaneers from 2004-2009. I feel like Barry Church did a pretty good job last year before he got injured. Hopefully he can pick up where he left off. All in all, if this defense plays up to its capabilities, they will generate a lot of pressure and cause a bunch of turnovers, and the simplicity of this new scheme should also cut down on confusion and players being out of position, along with substitutions being made on the sidelines. Cutting down on all of these things should also lead to fewer penalties.

If everything happens the way I described above, or even remotely close, the Cowboys should have a good season. I would be ecstatic if it did turn out that way, because it's about time the Cowboys got back to playing winning football. I like the way this team is put together, and if everybody stays healthy I think the Cowboys are capable of having a deep playoff run. I can't wait to see how it all plays out, and whether or not it works out this way remains to be seen.