The Sky isn't Really Falling

okay..so i am not really back yet.
but so much has happened ..so quickly.. that i feel the need to calm the masses.
sure we released Larry Allen...okay look at my blog from Jan 9th, not unexpected here.
and yes Dan Campbell is now a Detroit Lion...but to be honest he wasn't the same
blocking force last year that he had been and pass catching was never his strong suit.
Keyshawn is a Panther...and that bugs me more than a little, he did so many things
and he did them all well. We will have to find a guy that will catch balls across
the middle and blocks downfield .
On the plus side we now have "the idiot kicker, who got liquored up and ran his mouth" . Who cares what he says if he makes the kicks !!!!
NOW...on to the thing we are all worrying about..obsessing about and just plain
mortified about. T.O. Terrell Owens The guy who danced on the STAR George Teagues
tackling dummy....
What can I say...I was out of touch when they signed him...didn't read all the
reasons, the logic, how it came to be.
But hey... we do have Parcells. Surely ol Bill has a plan, an idea, some way that
he feels will work with TO. Time for the "jock whisperer" to show his magic.
IF....a big IF..it works won't the Cowboys look smart ??
besides last time i looked we were 9-7 last year, not in the playoffs...so maybe
drastic measures were needed.
i loved the guys from last year, I will love the guys we have this year.
i tend to root for the Laundry..whoever is wearing it is okay with me. its not like
any of them come over for dinner and hang out with me.
so lets keep our eyes on the prize ( SUPER BOWL ONLY ) and hope its a great year.
now the battery on the borrowed laptop is low and like i said...i am not really back yet. enjoy spring training and get ready for opening day. and the draft.
later...Poke

Spring has Sprung

new grass is growing, i got my garden started, the yard fertilized
and the roses have been cut back. all we need now is rain and sunshine
in just the right amounts and then a little patience.
free agency is just around the corner for the Boys.
please let us get an offensive lineman somewhere.
Baseball is getting oh so close, especially the World Baseball Classic.
March Madness is upon us ( even if it is the only time i watch college basketball).

and i am going to take 3 weeks off from blogging.
going to check into a 12 step program to cure my addiction to the Cowboys.
the one step program didnt work at all when Meredith retired .
the three step program failed miserably after Staubach left.
the six step program never had a chance when Father Tom was relieved of his duties.
the nine step program should have worked when the Triplets left but then Parcells
showed up and actually got us into the playoffs his first year.
so i am going to trot out a 12 step chance and see if 3 weeks of not worrying
about the Cowboys will cure me of this lifelong affliction.
I BET IT DOESN'T WORK.
anyway i wont be around here till after March 25...so any rude comments
will go undefended.
and hey its only a few months till training camp and soon i will have baseball
to occupy my mind so its okay. the Astros and Rangers and yes the Yankees need me.
later Poke

I can't seem to stop

okay its still february.
no football.
the olympics have been boring to watch because i don't like tape delays.
baseball is off to its leisurely stroll through spring.
the rumbling in Cowboy Land has started about who to draft, which free agents
to sign....( why are they called "free" agents when everybody knows they are
very expensive to sign ??? )and other assorted worries .
this should be the time of year to relax, stay inside and think of things
not related to the Boys.
cant do it.
i have no "news" to report. i have no earth shattering opinions to share right now.
i am drawn here like a june bug to a porch light.
i scour the internet daily in hopes of seeing something that might..just might
say something about the Cowboys. the little tidbit of information that might
give me great insight into whats going on at Valley Ranch.
not much out there.
sure there are columns in the newspaper, local writers pontificating about who
the Boys might draft.( too bad none of them will be right)
luckily there are message boards where i can read other fanatics ( no sense using
the nicer sounding "fans"...call us what we are ) concerns and worries. none of us
know anything but its nice to know you aren't the only person who actually knows
when free agency starts, when the draft is, when mini camp is, which players
are in NFL Europe, when training camp is and the cap room the Cowboys have for the
upcoming season.
so..i crawl back here. posting rambling thoughts in the same manner that got me
such 'great' grades in school. heck if i had known there was going to be this thing
called the "internet" and "blogs" i might have payed more attention to writing skills in school. I would have definitely actually learned to type in typing class
instead of just using the two finger method so popular amongst the atheletes in that
class.
anyway..i guess i will mosey on out of here..just had to stop in and let ya'll know
i am still around. later Poke

ps. yeah brother the curling is cool. our hockey team isnt. our mens downhill skiers
didn't show anything.
speedskating is good to watch...the short track stuff is WILD...and i never
thought i would say it...but i am ready for the figure skating !!

turn out the lights ...the partys over

thanks brother for giving me the title to todays blog.
the pro bowl has come and gone and the NFL is through for this year.
i was hoping the winter olympics would give me something to get into
but its just not much fun watching a race or competition when you
already know who the winner is.
march madness isnt here yet.
pitchers and catchers report this week...but its still too soon
for much baseball news. even with the world baseball classic .
february is not a good sports month.
NFL Europe may be my only hope.
The NFL draft will liven things up a bit, for 2 days. I dont much care
for all the pre draft speculation about who is gonna go where.
truth is...nobody except the people picking know. and maybe not all of them know
yet either.
i went back and looked at all the "experts". out of 6 sites of supposed experts
last year, only one predicted correctly who the Cowboys would choose first.
only one !!!! and they only got the first choice correct, after that there
were 6 different answers and none of them were right. i need to set up a web
site and go into that business. 1 out of 6 is just about my usual average.
so this year i am not going to help ole Bill make his picks. i am just going
to sit back, watch some NFL Europe, some early baseball, do a little yard work
and let him and Jerry do it all without me.
soooo....let me clean this place up...empty the trash on the ol blog, turn down
the thermostat here, cover the furniture and lock the door on the way out cause
its time to take a month or so off. i will be back if/when something
happens for or to the Cowboys....but till then ya'll are on your own.
later.......poke

ps. i wish they would have had snowboards when i was a kid, that sure looks like
fun...oh never mind we never had any snow.

SUPER BOWL PART 4....The final words

Okay its over. The 2006 season is in the books.
congratulations to the steelers who once again got every break, got every call
in their favor and even had a home field advantage in Detroit. they even sold the
stupid "terrible towel " at Ford Field. gimme a break.
offensive pass interference on that seahawk touchdown ?? You gotta be kidding me.
holding on that pass to the 1 yard line ?
a penalty on Hasselback for the tackle he made after his interception ?
and on and on and on.
yet they won. their best QB was a wide receiver. Big Ben had a qb rating of 22.
Bettis had 43 yards...43 and yet you would have thought he rewrote the record
books with all the face time he had on TV.uhh ohhh I feel a rant coming on..I just
hope my 2 finger typing can keep up with my brain.
what the heck was that national anthem deal ??
and I am old enough to have liked the Stones, then not liked them, then liked
them again, then got tired of them again and then started liking them again
just because they were still around. Is that the best the Super Bowl can do ??
Their performance did inspire the absolute best line of the day though.
it came from my 21 year old son.
after the halftime show and all the old guy jokes and the downright cruel
comments of some about the way Keith Richards looked I decided it was time
to bring up the Janet Jackson performance and all the hoopla it created.
so I innocently asked...." what do you guys consider more obscene, a little slip
of clothing that exposed her...or watching the old worn out, burnt out , anti-establishment band from the 60's ?? "
the question was asked simply to inspire great and insightful thoughts from the folks
at my house and to create an open minded debate. It didn't last that long though.
my son immediately piped in with ..................
"its better to watch an old dude, than an old boob.." !!!!!
end of debate..he won..by a landslide. Way to go son. I feel the torch of glib,
cutting, on-the-edge smart aleck remarks passing from my hands to yours.

so the game wasn't a classic, but watching it with 18 or so friends and family was.
I had a great time, lots of good food..Everything from the nachos and the hot sauce
to the wonderful and delicious chocolate covered strawberries and bananas and marshmallows and anything else we could dip under the " chocolate fountain "
many thanks to ChefHale for bringing that over !!!!!!
http://www.diningbydesign.biz/Starter.html
I just had to put that link to the Chefs website on here...I was very impressed with
that fountain.

oh yeah..The commercials. I thought the Ameriquest ones...Don't judge too quickly..
were funny. The cavemen fedex, the Budweiser one using the beer to keep the bear off of you then your friend racing in to grab it...crime deterrent cellphones
all were good enough to back up the DVR and watch again. The "awwww" from all the ladies when the little Clydesdale pulled the BUD-wagon was cool to hear.
all in all a SUPER SUNDAY ........in spite of the actual football game.
oh yeah..like I told everybody at church...I guaranteed the Cowboys would not
lose today..and I was right.
now its official, this season is over...time to get the Boys back to the Bowl
cause its just not the same without them. Just wait till next year !!!!!!
later poke

SUPER BOWL PART 3

okay so this really isnt about the super bowl at all.
i just liked the "part" deal in the title and wanted to stick with it.
after sunday i promise to come up with something new and creative.

BREAKING NEWS.......AIKMAN AND WRIGHT IN HALL OF FAME !!!!!!!!!!!!!

thats just good news for any Cowboys fan. its nice to see players
from your team get recognized as being the best.

i felt like Aikman was a definite but you never know. i am glad for him
and his family.
that said.......i am really glad for rayfield wright. what a player.
for those of you who didnt see him play, he was as steady as they come.
not flashy, just the guy you knew was going to be there, do what he was
supposed to do and line up to do it again on the next play.
you also have to know he was drafted as a tight end. Father Landry
decided he would fit better as a tackle and the rest is now history.
he is the first offensive lineman from the Cowboys to make the HOF.
lets hope he is not the last.

Super Bowl News..there isnt any, its the seahawks and the steelers...what did
you expect ?? yeah a little trash talk here and there, a sprained ankle for Troy P.
(the guy with all the hair). but all in all a pretty un-exciting week.
i kind of like it...just play the game. now if i can just figure out a way to turn
this blog effort into a press pass for next years game i will be looking for
big news stories, but until then i'm happy with the "no news is good news approach."

anyway the whole purpose of todays blog is to congratulate Troy and Rayfield.
and point out that i didnt even once bring up the fact that the "playmaker"
once again was not voted into the HOF. i want Irvin in there. but i gotta tell
you...his off field antics (during and after his career) have hurt his chances.
its not right. but it is the way things are. peoples perceptions of you do matter
for some things and being voted into something is one of those things. ya know
when our parents told us that our reputations were important they were right.
now Irvin has to wait and stay out of trouble and hope he can change the minds
of those that vote. i hope he does.
now we gotta figure out a way to get cliff harris in the HOF. a blog writers work
is never done.
later..........poke

SUPER BOWL PART 2

Okay..its getting closer. The last big day of this years season.
Seahawks versus Steelers.
Time to get serious.
I am really looking forward to seeing the new SUPER BOWL COMMERCIALS !!!!!!!
I can't wait to see what Budweiser comes up with this year and I dont
even drink beer.
As a matter of fact i hate Pepsi stuff but I also look forward to their
commercials every year.
And there is always the unheard of company who springs a hilarious 30-second
spot on Super Bowl Sunday. Are You Ready for some Commercials ?????
Oh yeah..thru diligent research ( a pop-up came up on my screen ) I found out
that Jessica Simpson is going to be doing her Daisy Duke deal for some pizza place.
For some reason i missed seeing exactly which place it is.
Anyway...it just shows you that its been entirely too long since the Boys have been
in the Bowl if all I can look forward to are the commercials.
Who knows though, maybe this year one of the Cowboys nominees will make it
into the Hall of Fame. At least we could brag about that. later poke

SUPER BOWL PART 1

Okay I don't really feel like writing about the Super Bowl but I will.
to be honest if the Cowboys aren't in it I don't even feel like watching it.
I will watch it of course, but only because its the last game of the year
that actually counts for something.
I am already dreading watching the stealers play in it this year.
I may not be able to remember where I put my cellphone last night or
where my wallet is but for some reason I cant forget Pittsburgh beating
the beloved Boys in those super bowls of the 70's.
even beating them in super bowl xxx will never erase the memories of the stealers
getting all the breaks when the two teams played back then.
and to be honest I am already dreading watching and listening to all the mediots
tell us who is going to win , who is going to lose, who is going home to play
his last game as a steeler , and why it should matter to me.
I am really dreading having to see bill cowher and his jaw all afternoon.
and troy paluwhatever's hair bouncing around. And hearing the name "big ben ".
so what does a person do who is dreading the long drawn out affair known
as super bowl sunday ?? That's easy.....lets have a Super Bowl Party.
hey misery loves company right ? And if the Boys aren't playing in it....I am miserable . later....poke

i dont need no stinking title

where to start ? so many things to think/write about .
first things first. 2 coaches are gone. Sean Payton the Boys
former assistant head coach/ passing game coordinator
is now the Head Coach at New Orleans and Gary Gibbs , formerly
the linebacker coach went with him to be defensive coordinator.
i'm good with that. i won't miss either of them. i never thought
much about gibbs but i wasnt overly impressed with our linebackers
play lately so a change there may be just what we need. its possible
that he will be replaced with Paul Pasqualoni the former Syracuse Head Coach
who has been coaching the tight ends at Dallas. He was a LB coach before
being named head coach at Syracuse.
As for Payton leaving...all i can say is dont let the door hit you in the butt
on the way out. i never did like his offensive style, mainly because i never
could see that he had one ! i had serious doubts about him when he came to
Dallas. remember he is the guy who had the playcalling taken away from him
by the NY Giants when he was there. there is no telling who parcells will get
to replace him but i dont see it being a big deal. everybody knows who really
runs the show in big D anyway. and i am okay with that, as a matter of fact
i think it might help the Boys create the identity they lack if parcells will
just tell everybody he is calling the plays . you may not be a fan of parcells style
football but at least he has one and it has been sucessful for him in the past.
Drew Henson is going to NFL Europe and i say its about time. Let him play some football. It may not be the real deal but at least he will get some game time.
Besides nobody likes to just practice all the time, you want to "play" the game.
I still think he will be the quarterback of the future for us.
Free Agent signings will start happening soon and i am hoping the Cowboys
are players in this years market. Offensive lineman would be what i would be
shopping for. and a linebacker, and a free safety, maybe a kicker.
oh wait...thats the list from last year. well they are all still needs so
just smooth out the wrinkles from where i wadded it up and use it again.
thats what aggrivated me so much about this years team. me and 789 other people
who dont know anything about football knew where our weaknesses were but nothing
was done to change any of them. i have read that one of the defintions of insanity
is "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Well i say its time to STOP THE INSANITY !
I dont care if it wrong.......just do something !!!!
anyway dont worry about the coaches leaving or drew going to europe or who we sign
or draft, thats Bills job. focus all your energy on rooting for the seahawks to
beat the stealers in the super bowl. after that we can worry about next year.
later.....poke

you are what you are.......it is what it is

the title of course is stolen from mr. parcells himself.
the Boys are/were a 9-7 team this year. and a disappoining 9-7 at that.
how is what i want to know.
this team was 7-3 at one point.
that means this team went 2-4 over the last 6 weeks.
to me this years team just never seemed to have an identity. none. at all.
we weren't a "high octane " offense ( think Indy ), we weren't a "smothering "
defense ( think Chicago..in the regular season). we weren't a "ball control",
"vertical", "west-coast", "east-coast", or any other type offense. we just never
seemed to develop a consistent style of play. on either side of the ball.
i never felt comfortable with the defense either. how could you ? after watching
the redskins sneak back into it and beat us with 2 late touchdowns early in the year
i never felt like we had the game in hand except against Philly in the game at Texas Stadium.
so i decided to look at the stats on nfl.com
i was going to make sense of this one way or the other.
i looked at the league provided stats so if i am wrong ...its not my fault.
i looked at total team offense..we ranked 13th.
i looked at total team defense..we ranked 10th.
not the greatest but by far not the worst.
then i looked at individual stats. passing yards, rushing yards, interceptions,
tackles, scoring, total td's, field goals ( oh how that hurt), passer ratings,
touchdown passes, receiving yards, sacks, kick-0ff returns, punt returns, punting,
fumbles recovered, receptions, receiving td's, and rushing td's. i looked at all
of them.
the only catagories where there was a Cowboy in the top 10 were:
total yards passing.......# 8 drew bledsoe
passing td's..............# 8 drew bledsoe
kick-off return average...# 10 tyson thompson
how depressing is that ?? where are all our playmakers ?
jason witten was ranked 6th at the tight end position for receptions with 66 catches.
so we didnt have an identity as team, and we didnt have any stand-out superstars.
we did have 3 different kickers. a couple of different long snappers.
we had some injuries but so did every other team.
basically we had us a 9-7 team. ........later Poke
thank goodness spring training is coming, and the olympics, and maybe even some
NFL Europe and arena football. i refuse to let the wasted month of february get me down.