Over the weekend - in addition to Jon Kitna - the Dallas Cowboys signed Linebacker Keith Brooking. Brooking is - by all accounts - a really good guy and a great teammate. During a recent interview, Brooking encapsulated his playing philosophy by stating:
"Take the blame and give all the credit. That's the key...That's the great thing about football. If it's not for the other 10 guys you're not going to have success."
My first thought: this guy simply will not fit in with the Cowboys organization. Think I'm wrong? Compare Brooking's comments to those made by Dallas players over the last twelve months:
Terrell Owens
"Everybody recognized that I wasn't really getting the ball in the first half," Owens said. "I'm pretty sure everybody watching the game recognized it, people in the stands recognized it. I think my team recognized it."
“There were opportunities throughout the whole game. You just can’t pinpoint that last drive. I ran my routes according to what was called and just came up short.”
"I'm doing what's asked of me - I'm running my routes - it's not like I'm not open."
"If Garrett is smart enough to know what types of plays made me successful in the past, he will go back to those plays and those types of formations."
"For me to have had the numbers that I have had - and not getting the ball - it is discouraging."
"I can't throw it and catch it."
"When you look at the film there were plays when the receivers were open and these were things that needed to be addressed amongst us on the offense."
“There needs to be some changes in regard to getting some guys involved, putting guys in position to win. It all starts with the guys calling the plays.”
Roy Williams (the Safety):
"I'm not playing the position I played in my first three years when Mike Zimmer was here and we ran a 4-3. OK?"
Roy Williams (Wide Receiver):
"If the coordinator wanted to get the ball to me, he could. And the same thing with the quarterback."
"As Ray Lewis said after he got done playing us, we had the easiest offense to figure out."
"But, like I said, I'm a coachable wide receiver. I'll run what I'm supposed to run. And I'll continue to have the cornerbacks ask me, 'Why do they got you running this same thing over and over again?'"
Tony Romo:
“They exposed something we do fundamentally offensively.”
“Scheme is a major part of it that the normal fan or writer doesn't understand...That's why I think some games, it's easy to say, ‘Well, he didn't play good.' A lot of it is scheme.”
Terrance Newman:
"When coaches make mistakes around here, there's nothing said about it. They just go and try to diffuse it, and try to put that blame on somebody else, rather than owning up to it."
Sorry Keith, but there are more "monogamous" Playboy girls than there are "accountable" Dallas Cowboys.
If you want to be part of the Cowboys organization, you need to learn the ground rules:
1. Nothing is ever your fault. Ever.
2. Blame the scheme - no one can prove you wrong (see both Roy Williams, T.O., Romo).
3. Try to "recruit" others to join you in your complaining.
4. "Team guys" don't create winning teams - winning teams create "team guys."
5. Do not EVER handle an issue in-house. Use the media.
6. If you aren't playing well, know that the coaches must be using you improperly.
7. Understand that talent, and talent alone, wins championships.
8. Any publicity is good publicity.
9. Make sure that everyone knows that you did "your job."
10. Take all the credit - give all the blame.
