Cowboys' stock high and still rising
Return of Henry, Johnson, Glenn makes strong team even stronger
IRVING – Things are good for the Cowboys right now.
As they enter their bye week, they have the NFC's best record at 6-1.
Tony Romo is second in the NFL with 16 touchdown passes. Marion Barber's six touchdowns are tied for sixth in the NFL. Jason Witten's 42 catches are tied for second-most in the league for a tight end. The defense is ranked seventh in the league and its 10 interceptions are tied for most in the NFL. The Cowboys' 18 sacks rank eighth in the league.
And there are reasons to believe the Cowboys could improve.
Those reasons are Anthony Henry, Tank Johnson and Terry Glenn, though Glenn's return is not guaranteed.
The NFL trade deadline came and went last week, and the Cowboys chose to stick with what they had.
In some ways, the return of Henry (ankle) and possibly Glenn (knee) from injuries, and Johnson from a suspension, can be looked at as midseason acquisitions.
"We've got to improve in areas and we are going to work in those areas," coach Wade Phillips said. "Having personnel back that can help us will help us to scheme better and also be able to play better."
After losing nose tackle Jason Ferguson for the season with a torn biceps in the opener, the Cowboys' new-look first-team defense has been together for only 14 plays against St. Louis on Sept. 30 before Henry suffered a high right ankle sprain, and even then it wasn't at full strength.
Linebacker Greg Ellis made his debut as a pass rusher against the Rams, and cornerback Terence Newman was slowed by tendinitis and a partially torn plantar fascia in his foot.
The defense Henry left in the first quarter of the win against the Rams will look a lot different if he can return Nov. 4 at Philadelphia. Ellis is a starter again and Newman is healthier.
With Henry on the field, Newman can move back to left cornerback, and Jacques Reeves can play the No. 3 corner role he was expected to man when the season started. Despite missing three games, Henry has four interceptions, tied for second-most in the NFL.
"I think we can step it up even more, in my opinion," said Ellis, who has 4 ½ sacks in four games.
Johnson can make his debut Nov. 11 against the New York Giants. Jay Ratliff has filled in for Ferguson at nose tackle, but Phillips is worried about him wearing down. Johnson would help take some of the pressure off Ratliff, but he has not played since Super Bowl XLI and has practiced only one day since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell granted him permission to work out with his new teammates.
With nine career sacks, Johnson, however, can bring a pass rush up the middle as well as providing needed size to help against the run.
"The more good football players you have," defensive end Chris Canty said, "the better the chances you'll be successful."
Glenn remains the biggest mystery. He had two operations on his right knee in a month, but he has not practiced since the opening week of the season. He chose to have arthroscopic surgery instead of a season-ending microfracture operation, but the Cowboys have not put a timetable on his return.
If – and it is a big if – Glenn can come back, the offense would benefit from his speed.
"You look at Greg coming back and what he's done for the defense," tight end Jason Witten said. "Terry at 75, 80 percent or whatever he would be, we'd definitely welcome that. He's a talented, talented guy."
- Tom Hicks splurges once again for everything but top-flight free agent talent. Bastard.
Stars and Rangers travel in style
New plane should make for more comfortable journey
01:31 AM CDT on Wednesday, October 24, 2007
By BILL NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News
brnichols@dallasnews.com
FRISCO – Owner Tom Hicks unveiled a new Boeing 757 charter jet for the Stars and Rangers on Tuesday. The Stars, along with their wives and girlfriends, then took off on the first road trip to Los Angeles.
The new plane is bigger than the 727 the teams were using and includes 71 first class seats (up from 54), including 24 fully-reclining sleeper seats for players.
Rangers pitcher Kevin Millwood was impressed after touring the plane. "It's got nice big seats and lots of room," he said. "Having this plane helps you relax between cities. We'll have some fun."
For Stars coach Dave Tippett, the new plane presents a dramatic contrast to the glory days of flying commercially. When he was with the Houston Aeroes, Tippett said a team official would arrive at the airport early and use souvenir pucks as bargaining chips at the ticket counter to get upgrades for coaches and pre-boarding for players and their equipment.
The Stars' closest Pacific Division rival is Phoenix, which is almost 900 miles away. The longest trip among Atlantic Division rivals is 350 miles. Flying home on a charter after night games makes a big difference, especially when you have a bed in the plane.
"When you have ownership that is supportive and they're willing to do whatever it takes to make your team succeed, that speaks a lot about where we are," Tippett said. "Just look at our travel and the teams in the East. You try and take that advantage out. There are some perks living in Dallas, but traveling in the Pacific Division isn't one of them. Mr. Hicks has always been at the forefront of making sure the players have whatever they need to make the travel easier."
One negative: Since they park their cars just outside the hanger and go through private security screening, players have few opportunities to kill time in crowded gates with the dollar-on-a-string trick.
"The biggest difference from the old days is not having to go through airports," Tippett said. "At 7 a.m., you've got a tired grumpy bunch of hockey players waiting at a gate to get on a plane. There was some fun, but I think we were making the best of a bad situation."
Juggling act: For their maiden voyage, the Stars packed 15 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies. Everybody had a seat.
But determining the seating chart on Dallas' bench is up in the air. The roster is tilted with one extra forward and one fewer defensemen.
"It's a delicate juggling act," Tippett said. "It can be hard, and it can be frustrating. I've been in that position as a player."
This isn't quite juggling chainsaws, but manipulating the minutes of hockey players is no small feat. For each game, 18 players exclusive of goalkeepers are permitted. With three pairs of defensemen and four lines, that leaves three forwards to be scratched. The opponent's playing style and personnel also figure into the equation.
"It's about continuity and getting everybody involved," Tippett said. "Our players have done a great job of putting the team first.
Even Mike Modano has seen his minutes drop with his point production. He is averaging 17 minutes, 36 seconds, third in ice time among forwards, behind Brenden Morrow (19:03) and Jere Lehtinen (17:51) . Niklas Hagman (16:54), with a team-high five goals, is playing more, including on special teams.
Ice time is based on a player's performance, "or the result of how somebody else is playing," Tippett said. "If somebody is playing better, they're going to get more."
- 2007 World Series
- Although I absolutely hate everything Boston, they win it in 6. Reasons why Colorado's dream season comes to a close.
1) Boston's hot and Colorado's been sitting - Plain and simple. In baseball, maybe more than any other sport, things are pretty even between teams in the playoffs. Every team has a few top-tier starters, a few great bats, a good bullpen, etc. What it comes down to, who has that lightning in the bottle? Who has the mojo working? Who has the breaks working? Who's bats are hottest and who's sluggers are uncharacteristically slumping?
Boston has won 3 in a row, their offense has exploded, Beckett is rested and pitching as good as any postseason pitcher ever, and their bullpen is better than Colorado's.
Colorado has won 22 of 23, but they've taken their first break in 6 weeks. The layoff is going to hurt them. Their momentum is nil now.
2) The AL is just simply more dominant - St. Louis in 2006 aside, the AL just simply dominates the NL. In interleague, and in the World Series.
3) Colorado is too green - They've been riding high and winning, yes. But look at where they've been doing it and the quality of teams they've been beating. Arizona, San Diego, Philadelphia. Towns that get into their baseball, but don't present pressure packed atmospheres. Also teams that are playoff teams only because they play in the NL.
Welcome to Fenway Park and the overbearing Red Sox fan. I hate Boston and their fans, but they have a way of melting the opposition into a 1 foot tall scared little girl. Watch for this, young Colorado melting in that red-hot media circus and environment.
4) Josh Beckett can start 3 games in a series. Jonathan Papelbon can pitch 2 innings for saves. You know how much that shortens a game?
5) It's Colorado, they can't win a World Series can they?
Pick - Boston in 6.
- Nebraska News/Notes
- The Colonel checks in.
One more game and one more blow-out loss. I remember when we all thought that parity in college football was a bad thing. At this point it would be great to achieve parity with any of our remaining opponents. At least this week the players showed effort, particularly in the first half. And again the fans didn’t boo and many stayed until the end of the game. Obviously at this point it is difficult to see us being competitive in any the remaining games. Hopefully the team can rally and put together a great effort and manage to pull one out.
Everyone understands this deterioration can’t be allowed to continue. So what should happen at this point? Tom has said he will not make any changes until the end of the season. Bill has said he won’t resign, so in the midst of a disastrous season nothing will change. Bill looks like a guy who wants to be put out of his misery. The picture in the Sunday W-H was worth a thousand words. I would like to see what Watson could do with the team in an interim role to finish the season. As I mentioned with Meyers' resigning, Watson calling plays on Saturday is very significant.
For the sake of the players, I wish something would happen with the coaches that at least gives a chance the rest of the season. A coaching change at the end of the season seems inevitable at this point. But first we must go through what looks like a rough end of the season. All we can do as fans is root for the team and hope for the best.
Keep the faith (Better days are coming). GBR.
- The players say the over-bearing Nebraska fan is just too much. You signed up for it pal. You know this is their pro team. You know these people think of nothing else and have nothing else to follow. You made the decision to play for this ridiculous fan base.
Husker players being subjected to more ridicule
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU
LINCOLN — Nebraska football captain Zack Bowman showered, wandered outside Memorial Stadium on Saturday and thought he couldn't feel any worse about the Huskers' loss to Texas A&M.
He was wrong.
"People will come up and be like, 'You suck!'" said Bowman, a senior cornerback. "To me, to the team, they say it to anybody. Anybody associated with the football program. It's bad.
"You see them at the games. They'll come up behind the bench and just be like, 'Y'all suck,' or, 'How can y'all wake up in the morning?' I'm dead serious, man."
So much for the warm, fuzzy feeling after Tom Osborne replaced Steve Pederson as athletic director last week.
At least two other players mentioned that they could hear an assortment of catcalls from fans while sitting on the bench during games. The more vitriolic comments seem on the increase after embarrassing back-to-back home losses to Oklahoma State (45-14) and Texas A&M (36-14).
Bowman and senior receiver Maurice Purify said Tuesday that, at least in their experience, the simple booing of a month ago has given way to more bitter and pointed remarks — and traveling to Texas on Saturday might not be a bad thing for an embattled team.
"I'm just kind of angry at the fans who come here," Purify said. "They put on their Nebraska shirts, sweaters, their hats . . . and then when we're down by seven or 14, they come down to the sidelines and say, 'You guys suck. You guys take your N's off your helmets.'
"If you're going to support us when we win, why can't you support us when we're losing?"
Purify, careful to point out that he was speaking for himself and not for the team, added: "Why are you going to waste your money and come here just to boo us and tell us that we suck? Save your money."
Senior linebackers Steve Octavien and Corey McKeon already have made comments this season that stirred replies by NU followers. That was when the team was 3-1 or 4-1 and the complaint was with the level of play and was mostly confined to the stadium.
As NU has stumbled to 4-4, Bowman said, the criticism has drifted into other settings and has become more disturbing.
"Now it's almost to the point where, like, I know some of the guys want to fight these people," Bowman said. "We do a lot. We come in here almost every day and go through film, go through practice and do the extra things to get better. When you've got people out there just talking bad about you, it makes you mad.
"It's got to where people are just like, 'The program's going to hell. This may be the worst team in Nebraska history.' It's tough on the players."
Senior cornerback Cortney Grixby said he hopes most Huskers understand that the nasty fans are a small minority. Some of the negativity, he said, actually has gotten other fans to respond, show more support and "really have our back."
"We love the support, and we want to win for them," Grixby said. "We want to win just as bad as they want us to win."
When the minority is heard over the majority, Bowman said, his message to younger players is to go about their business and don't worry about such stuff. Still, it sometimes gets through.
"They're like, 'Put someone else in . . . you guys need to resign,'" said freshman I-back Quentin Castille.
To catch a break from the negativity, junior defensive end Zach Potter said he took advantage of some off time Monday and returned to Omaha. In trips to a mall and a movie, Potter said, he only once was recognized, by a store clerk who said: "I appreciate you coming in, and best of luck the rest of the year."
Potter said the drive gave him time to just listen to music and clear his head.
"It's just nice to get away from everything," he said. "I don't mean getting away from your teammates, but just being on your own is kind of nice."
Bowman said the Huskers realize they can change public opinion by winning at 16th- and 17th-ranked Texas or by putting together some sort of successful finish. That's what the team can control — and let the rest take care of itself.
"It's almost a little like Frankenstein, how everybody sees, like, the evil villain and everybody in the village wants to go kill him," Bowman said. "That's what it kind of feels like around here. They look at certain people and coaches and stuff as that Frankenstein, and everybody wants to kill them or get them fired."
- A little overboard, but this once again paints the picture as to how ridiculous Nebraska fans are. These people are idiots. So glad I don't live up there, or else I truly think I would hate Nebraska.
- The face this guy makes is priceless.
- Give. It. Up. This is pathetic. He might as well be sitting on a recliner and trying to sing with laringitis.
1 comment:
Well said.
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