FOX: Has America's Team become the NFL's nightmare?

[bubba9497]

LINKY

Has America's Team become the NFL's nightmare?

By Michael Rosenberg

Excuse me for asking, but I haven't checked the newswires lately. Have the Dallas Cowboys signed Cedric Benson? Are they bringing back Michael Irvin? Did they sign Michael Vick, then declare that Vick needs a "family support system," so they will sign his brother Marcus, too?

The Cowboys have been America's Team for three decades. Now it seems like they're building America's Most Wanted's team.

It wasn't enough for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to bring in Terrell Owens when Owens was considered the most selfish player in the NFL. He had to bring in serial gun nut Tank Johnson. Then this spring, he acquired cornerback Adam (nee Pacman) Jones, who has been arrested six times. Clearly, Jones is a man who believes in seventh chances.

The Cowboys are not the only team to employ players with questionable backgrounds. Every team does it. And I'm not saying the Cowboys have more designated Problem Guys on the roster than the average NFL team. What makes the Cowboys different is that these are all high-profile players — their question marks are in big, bold type.

And it makes you wonder: If the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, will commissioner Roger Goodell wince when he hands Jerry Jones the trophy?

Goodell has presented himself as the Law-And-Order Commish. He is the guy who gave Pacman and Tank lengthy suspensions; former commissioner Paul Tagliabue never would have done that.

A few years ago, Ray Lewis went from murder suspect to Super Bowl MVP in a 12-month span. But that was different. Lewis was only technically a murder suspect; it was a legal tactic to get him to say what he knew. And Tagliabue never made Lewis a public example.

You just know that Goodell would rather say his favorite sporting event is the World Series than congratulate Adam Jones on winning the Super Bowl. America is a land of redemption, but it is also a place where image is everything. And that would be a tough image for Goodell to swallow.

If the Cowboys think they can win with some questionable characters, maybe that's because they have done it before. Their 1990s dynasty was well known for having a raucous, and sometimes illegal, time off the field. For that matter, Al Davis' Raiders always took pride in being on the wrong side of prison bars.

Anyway, the most interesting part of the Cowboys' experiment is not that they don't care about off-field issues. We're used to that. The most interesting part is that they don't care about if you think they don't care about off-field issues.

They don't care about the image. And maybe that's where they differ most from Goodell, because the commissioner is clearly worried about his league's image.

The Cowboys realize that if they win, all will be forgiven. That is generally true in sports, especially true in professional sports, and really, really true in pro football.

If an NBA contender signed the equivalent of Tank Johnson and Adam Jones, that team would be ridiculed around the country. But when the Cowboys do it, the team's reputation stays mostly intact. Sure, people wonder if it will work. But the heat is focused on the player, not the team.

Can this work? Can Wade Phillips — who has never won a playoff game in six seasons coaching three franchises — guide this team all the way to the Super Bowl?

Stranger things have happened. But I know this much: From the moment training camp opens, the Cowboys will be one of the most compelling stories in recent NFL history.

T.O. was right: Getcha popcorn ready.

[TheBarbarian]

1. TO doesnt seem to selfish right now, does he?

2. Serial Gun Nut? WTF is that? He didnt do anything violent, and he had some unregistered guns. Served his time, and hasnt done anything since. Its not like he did something moronic like pulling a gun on someone.

3. Adam Jones gets arrested 6 times. And how many times has he been convicted? Did he actually do anything bad? He did stupid things. He hung around bad people. He hasnt seemed to learn his lesson in the past, but the commish has given him one mroe chance, so the cowboys took a chance on him. Its not like we traded our whole draft for him, and the cowboys have safeguards incase he doesnt get reinstated.

The Cowboys have many solid respected players. Most of their team has great character. Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, D. Ware.

Chris Canty. Jason Witten. Zach Thomas. The list goes on and on. It is just that the media pays attention to the negative aspects much more. Which is 3 players, who havnt had that many problems. 3 players out of a 53man roster. I think its pretty good as is.

[bubba9497]

1. TO doesnt seem to selfish right now, does he?

2. Serial Gun Nut? WTF is that?

3. Adam Jones gets arrested 6 times. And how many times has he been convicted? Did he actually do anything bad?

1. TO was a model citizen in Philly and San Fran as well before he went off, and he has hardly been a non distraction his time in lil' D....

2. The guy had a few guns??? he had an arsenal in his home where a small children was residing, even after he got in trouble for the guns before.... you don't go to jail for just owning some guns

3. Pac has been convicted, and his actions has endangered others, including a man being parallelized after the the ruckus he cause with his "making it rain"

hardly salts of the earth, and have a repeated history of causing trouble off the field

[FlyinO]

****** (the team that won't be mentioned by name anymore) does have some major P.R. issues. If they win, those issues will go away. If they lose, those issues will get worse. Here's to ****** sucking it up.

:point2sky

[tr1]

1. TO doesnt seem to selfish right now, does he?

2. Serial Gun Nut? WTF is that? He didnt do anything violent, and he had some unregistered guns. Served his time, and hasnt done anything since. Its not like he did something moronic like pulling a gun on someone.

3. Adam Jones gets arrested 6 times. And how many times has he been convicted? Did he actually do anything bad? He did stupid things. He hung around bad people. He hasnt seemed to learn his lesson in the past, but the commish has given him one mroe chance, so the cowboys took a chance on him. Its not like we traded our whole draft for him, and the cowboys have safeguards incase he doesnt get reinstated.

The Cowboys have many solid respected players. Most of their team has great character. Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, D. Ware.

Chris Canty. Jason Witten. Zach Thomas. The list goes on and on. It is just that the media pays attention to the negative aspects much more. Which is 3 players, who havnt had that many problems. 3 players out of a 53man roster. I think its pretty good as is.

First post defends the pukes....hmmm.....

[WVUforREDSKINS]

I hope T.O. starts complaining about Romo sits to pee publically. Mabye even questions his sexuality.

Pac and Tank get into more legal trouble. That lame tubby coach doesn't know how to control his team and gets drilled by the media.

Ehh...I just hope they implode in every way possible this year.

[CowboysSaintsFan]

I hope T.O. starts complaining about Romo sits to pee publically. Mabye even questions his sexuality.

Pac and Tank get into more legal trouble. That lame tubby coach doesn't know how to control his team and gets drilled by the media.

Ehh...I just hope they implode in every way possible this year.

TO's health could be a bigger concern. Dunno if it's age, wear and tear, etc-but he's had more injury problems in recent years(the finger in '06, the high ankle sprain last year, etc).

Pt being that if he goes down, the offense will look very ordinary.:2cents:

[TennCowboy]

How many Cowboys have been arrested recently? Try zero.

Meanwhile, the Pats, Eagles, Broncos and several other teams have a laundry list of arrests. But let's pretend like the Cowboys are the troubled team. :laugh:

[CowboysSaintsFan]

How many Cowboys have been arrested recently? Try zero.

Meanwhile, the Pats, Eagles, Broncos and several other teams have a laundry list of arrests. But let's pretend like the Cowboys are the troubled team. :laugh:

And not to mention too neither the Pats nor Eagles get any flack from the national media for it.:doh:

[allskins]

I hope T.O. starts complaining about Romo sits to pee publically. Mabye even questions his sexuality.

Pac and Tank get into more legal trouble. That lame tubby coach doesn't know how to control his team and gets drilled by the media.

Ehh...I just hope they implode in every way possible this year.

That's the most horrible signiture I have ever seen on this board! IMO

[Califan007 The Constipated]

And not to mention too neither the Pats nor Eagles get any flack from the national media for it.:doh:

My guess would be that it's because the Pats and Eagles didn't purposefully go after players who had already been suspended from the league for their legal transgressions. First Jerruh tried showing that coaching doesn't matter (Switzer, Gailey, Campo) and now he's trying to show that character doesn't matter (T.O., Tank, Pac Man).

[Califan007 The Constipated]

2. Serial Gun Nut? WTF is that? He didnt do anything violent, and he had some unregistered guns. Served his time, and hasnt done anything since. Its not like he did something moronic like pulling a gun on someone.

Tank just had "some unregistered guns", and that's it, eh?

First Tank was arrested for illegally having a gun in his SUV. He got 18 months probation for that.

Then he verbally threatened a policeman who was ticketing his limo when he left a night club. He is reported to have said "You ain't the only one with a Glock. If it wasn't for your gun and your badge, I'd kick your ass." Wonderful. His threats and actions lead the police to start to arrest him, and he ended up resisting arrest to the point that he had to be maced.

Then, Tank has his "best friend"/bodyguard William Posey move into his house with him...seemed like a somewhat drastic move, especially considering he had his two yound daughters living with him. Unfortunately for Tank, his friend had warranted the attention of the police, who were staking out Tank's house in order to investigate not him, but his new roommate (they had leads from sources about guns and drugs). When they raided Tank's house, they found 6 unregistered guns including a couple of assault rifles (while Tank was still on probation), 550 rounds of ammo and some marijuana.

Then, two days after the latest arrest, Posey is murdered outside a nightclub that he and Tank were at. Two days. Usually murders like that are not random, but are planned. There's nothing to show that Tank had anything to do with his bodyguard's murder, but considering he had assault rifles in his home and had his bodyguard move in with him, it does make sense to wonder and question Tank's decisions and character.

And not all character issues have to be illegal. Tanks own family said Tank lies about his family, childhood and upbringing, and particularly about his father spending time in jail:

"Chris Johnson, Tank's aunt, was infuriated by a line in a column in the Post-Tribune of Northwest Indiana this week that said that Johnson Sr. had been "in and out of prison."

Chris Johnson is Terry Johnson Sr.'s older sister.

"You can't fabricate things and you can't go around making up accusations and building up stories based on your family," said Chris, who lives in Gary.

Said Terry Sr.: "I've never been in prison."

Several times during interviews, Tank Johnson said Terry Sr. had spent time in prison in Texas. He also has said his father and mother, Natalie Mobley, were drug addicts.

Chris Johnson said the drug allegations are, "serious accusations. They aren't true. My brother has never been a drug addict. We need to clear my brother and my parents' name."

Howard Johnson, Terry's father, said he might have been in a "little trouble in Texas but he never served time in prison."

A criminal background check on Terry Johnson Sr. showed a narcotics violation involving marijuana in 2004 and some minor traffic offenses. A person from Intelius, the company used for the background check, said generally they go back 10 years, though older major offenses can show up.

Terry said the narcotics offense was a misdemeanor and it involved marijuana "rolling papers."

"That was supposed to be expunged," he said. "I need to take care of that."

Howard Johnson said the idea that Terry spent time in prison has caused a great deal of pain for both him and his wife, Alice.

"All this publicity about the family is just ridiculous," he said. "Every time I look in the papers, it's just a bunch of bull (deleted)."

Said Alice about Terry's alleged drug use and prison time: "It's all a bunch of lies."

So claim all you want that Tank's legal trouble amount to little more than some paperwork error involving gun registration. The man's reputation is based on FAR more than that. It doesn't mean he can't turn things around, but you'd be a fool to think his issues are being overblown.

[tr1]

Puke fans can't admit that Jerruh is the younger version of Al Davis.

[barens2]

How many Cowboys have been arrested recently? Try zero.

Meanwhile, the Pats, Eagles, Broncos and several other teams have a laundry list of arrests. But let's pretend like the Cowboys are the troubled team. :laugh:

#1- He was clearly talking about high profile players

#2- Jerry Jones barely waited for the paint to dry before these guys got out of jail in a matter of speaking...does that make it any more right?

I'm all for giving a player a 2nd chance if it's deserved, but don't you think Jones went a tad overboard? If I were a Cowboy fan, I would't be in favor of the Adam Jones signing.

[TheBarbarian]

#1- He was clearly talking about high profile players

#2- Jerry Jones barely waited for the paint to dry before these guys got out of jail in a matter of speaking...does that make it any more right?

I'm all for giving a player a 2nd chance if it's deserved, but don't you think Jones went a tad overboard? If I were a Cowboy fan, I would't be in favor of the Adam Jones signing.

1. The media decides who a "high profile player" is.

2. ...I thought Tank was the only who went to jail. and if im not mistaken at that time the cowboys appeared to have 0 Nose tackles, after Fergunson got on IR and they had to move an undersided DE over. They just got lucky and Ratliff happend to excell at the position.

I know i would take a "chance" on a position i need with a problem player. Especially if i get to pay him the league minimum.

Every team takes chances on different things. I personally hated the WRs in this draft class, but the Skins decided to take a chance and draft multiple WRs from it. I think thats a bad decision, but i'm still gonna stand by my team. IMO drafting 2 unproven players from a weak draftclass is a MUCH bigger risk then Getting 2 proven free agents for dirt cheap.

[barens2]

1. The media decides who a "high profile player" is.

2. ...I thought Tank was the only who went to jail. and if im not mistaken at that time the cowboys appeared to have 0 Nose tackles, after Fergunson got on IR and they had to move an undersided DE over. They just got lucky and Ratliff happend to excell at the position.

I know i would take a "chance" on a position i need with a problem player. Especially if i get to pay him the league minimum.

Every team takes chances on different things. I personally hated the WRs in this draft class, but the Skins decided to take a chance and draft multiple WRs from it. I think thats a bad decision, but i'm still gonna stand by my team. IMO drafting 2 unproven players from a weak draftclass is a MUCH bigger risk then Getting 2 proven free agents for dirt cheap.

My #2 was exaggerated to get my point across; however, a player like Adam Jones, who's been arrested 7 times, and most recently involved in a shooting at a night club, was overkill even for the Cowboys.

Maybe a difference in opinion, but if he signed with the Giants, I'd be pissed off, and there's nothing that he could do on the field that would change that.

That being said, on the positive side, it makes me hate the Cowboys even more.

[TennCowboy]

#1- He was clearly talking about high profile players

#2- Jerry Jones barely waited for the paint to dry before these guys got out of jail in a matter of speaking...does that make it any more right?

I'm all for giving a player a 2nd chance if it's deserved, but don't you think Jones went a tad overboard? If I were a Cowboy fan, I would't be in favor of the Adam Jones signing.

1 - What does that have to do with anything?

2 - Pacman Jones just got out of jail? News to me.

I don't recall skins fans being so upset over Sean Taylor's problems. Maybe you were, I don't know.

[dwdj75]

You just know that Goodell would rather say his favorite sporting event is the World Series than congratulate Adam Jones on winning the Super Bowl. America is a land of redemption, but it is also a place where image is everything. And that would be a tough image for Goodell to swallow.

Then Goodell should not reinstate Pacman.

It's Goodell's decision and his alone. If he reinstates Pacman then why would he flinch at Pacman winning a Superbowl ?

[bubba9497]

I will say this, I believed of the 2, Tank and Pac-man, Tank in my opinion has the better chance of reforming, and being a model citizen....

but to deny his past as being just owning some guns is a bit naive to say the least, or more likely Poke fan mantra

[Califan007 The Constipated]

I will say this, I believed of the 2, Tank and Pac-man, Tank in my opinion has the better chance of reforming, and being a model citizen....

but to deny his past as being just owning some guns is a bit naive to say the least, or more likely Poke fan mantra

If I had to put money on one or the other, I'd pick Tank as well...he seems, I dunno, less arrogant than Pac Man, maybe?

[bubba9497]

If I had to put money on one or the other, I'd pick Tank as well...he seems, I dunno, less arrogant than Pac Man, maybe?

that, and he seems to have accepted his actions were his own fault

Pacman seems to act as he's the victim of circumstances, and refuses to accept responsibility for anything

[VCDefectors]

Pacman seems to act as he's the victim of circumstances, and refuses to accept responsibility for anything

Yeah, I can agree with that to some degree. He says the words, but I'm not convinced he truly means them. He comes off as sort of a follower when he speaks. At the same time, I do believe that he believes that this could be his last chance in the NFL. That, and I get the sense that the Cowboys organiztion will do things to help keep him out of trouble. We'll find out if that is going to be enough. Still, for the price, it's still a good risk, IMO.

[Mr. S]

The cowboys of the early 90s seem to be returning in full force. I like the Bangtoon where he shows Jerry Jones and Pac-Man together and Jerry is saying "we've won with criminals, we need some people like that again."

I mean, I think the Chargers or Bengals of 2005 still deserve more attention as the idiots of the decade, but the Cowboys are rising back up fast.

[pjfootballer]

I just want Dallass to lose, plain and simple. I want 0-16 for them every year. I could care less who is in jail or arrested. Just lose games. I want Dallass to suck more than the suckiest of teams.

[sideshow24]

The cowboys of the early 90s seem to be returning in full force. I like the Bangtoon where he shows Jerry Jones and Pac-Man together and Jerry is saying "we've won with criminals, we need some people like that again."

I mean, I think the Chargers or Bengals of 2005 still deserve more attention as the idiots of the decade, but the Cowboys are rising back up fast.

I was thinking of that cartoon as well! Its hilarious. Even Dallas fans have mentioned that its funny. If you haven't seen it, or if its been a while check it out! http://www.bangcartoon.com/2007/pacmandallas.htm Just click play.