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Parcells Guys Editorial

"Thugs" Need Not Apply

Coach Parcells should get the award for Man of the Year. Parcells stated to the media in his rookie mini camp press conference last Friday that he does not want any “Thugs” on his team. Bravo! You have to love this way of thinking if you’re any kind of decent person living in America today.

What is a "Thug" to Coach Parcells? Let’s answer that question on different levels. A “Thug” is the guy who feels he is so talented he needs no coaching. A “Thug” is the guy who thinks I am in the NFL so therefore I am above the law. A “Thug” is the guy who can’t wait to get out of practice because his new rims just came in for his $90,000 drop top. A “Thug” is the guy on the team that everyone knows is coming out with a rap album soon. A “Thug” is Derek Ross and Antonio Bryant rolled into one.

Bring me stand up young men who appreciate the game of football. Don’t bring me super athletes who want to skip practice in the morning because they were out at the club all night. Bring me the scrappy kid will bust his ass out there on the field for the team. Don’t bring me super athletes who want to play full speed some of the time when the mood hits him. Bring me football players who lead by example and make the rest of the team better. Don’t bring me super athletes who run their mouth all day, then get in the huddle and don’t know the play the QB just called. Bring me the guy who says “we” whether the team wins or loses. Don’t bring me the guy who says “I” when the team wins, and “them” when the team loses. Bring me Demarcus Ware, Marcus Spears and Kevin Burnett. Don’t bring me Terrell Owens.

Maybe I am showing my age, 33 for the record, but I have seen the recent trend of NFL players becoming media whores over the last fifteen years. These guys always self- promoting and trying to get everyone in the world to recognize them. Me, me, me has been accepted on some teams in the NFL, but these teams lose more than they win. When you have 11 guys on the field acting as one unit the chances for success are good. When you have 11 guys on the field and one guy wants to be the center of attention the chances for success are not very good. Think of it like a car with three wheels going left and the fourth wheel wants to make a right turn. Uh oh, better get Maaco!

Coach Parcells made an interesting comment the other day. He praised the Patriots for the type of players they have on their team. He said “hey, I see what type of players have been winning championships the past few years”. I know, I know. I hate the Patriots too folks, but we all have to admit he has a point. Teams win championships in the NFL, not individual players. “Thugs” don’t play team football, they play me, me, me football. Funny how the Eagles picked up the loudest “Thug” in the game last season and lost in the Super Bowl. Plus he’s whining his way into a holdout and calling out his quarterback on his Super Bowl performance heading into the 2005 season.

Bill Parcells is too old for “Thugs”, Jerry Jones is too old for “Thugs” and us Cowboy fans are too old for “Thugs”. The media outlets in this country should listen to this philosophy and stop giving all these knuckleheads the front-page headlines. Wouldn’t it be nice to see this headline someday “Thugless Cowboys win Super Bowl XL”. Go Cowboys!