Let's do this, Cowboys
Everyone loves to hate the Dallas Cowboys, but how can the team get back inAmerica’s good graces?
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It's been a while since the Cowboys were hated for being good. -
As pure as snow, Tim Tebow would be a great image addition to the Cowboys.Jockey -
Somehow, our money's on Mark Cuban getting the last laugh in a bet with JerryJones.Usatoday.com -
There's so much that's loveable about Jason Witten, including his risky play.Dallas Cowboys Facebook
Another day, another poll telling us what we already know: The Dallas Cowboys are simultaneously the most loved and the most hated team in the NFL.
It’s been said that you’re nobody until somebody hates you, and the Cowboys certainly fit the aphorism.
At one time, the Boys were hated for being too good. Now, America finds the team’s inability to win insufferable.
But there’s a thin line between being notable and notorious, and with the Cowboys high level of visibility, the tide could easily turn in the team’s favor. Here’s how:
1. Trade for Tim Tebow. Seriously, how is this guy not on the Cowboys roster yet? Dallas is a bastion of evangelical fervor. Tebow could be the Cowboys savior.
Dallas is a bastion of evangelical fervor. Tebow could be the Cowboys savior.
Yes, he would also bring increased scrutiny. But, at this point, what does Jerry Jones have to lose?
Jones has already shown he likes to pay top dollar for backup QBs. For my money, I’d rather see Tebow warm the bench than Kyle Orton.
2. Quit the blame game. If Jason Garrett talks about the Cowboys facing “adversity” one more time, I might just lose it. Nobody likes a complainer, much less one on a team full of Pro Bowl and Hall of Fame candidates.
Injuries, dumb plays and bad calls aren’t “adversity.” They’re part of the game. Exception: If a tornado hits Cowboys Stadium, Garrett can play the adversity card.
3. Take risks. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the Cowboys are really good at being boring. There is nothing more maddening than watching a team play it safe, and the Cowboys might as well have training wheels on.
You pay these muscle-bound men millions of dollars to entertain fans and win games, so quit punting on every fourth-and-short. It’s hard to hate players that make the highlight reel.
4. Invoke the power of Mark Cuban. We know we’ll have to pry the Cowboys from Jerry Jones’ cold, dead fingers. But there could be a way to loosen his death grip on the team by playing into his ego.
If Jones is so convinced he’s the best man to run the Cowboys, then he wouldn’t mind putting a little wager behind it. Mark Cuban has his haters, but the man got the Mavericks a World Championship.
Surely Jones wouldn’t back down from a bet with Cuban about the Cowboys making the Super Bowl in, say, 2014. If he wins, Cuban sells him the Mavs. If Jones loses, he forfeits his precious Cowboys.
