Cowboys linebacker Bradie James had a quick talk with FOX's Jen Engel on Sunday night, and if you can get past Engel comparing the Cowboys to Jennifer Aniston (someone wants a job at Grantland), there's some rather interesting stuff in here, specifically this quote from James:
“I think the entitlement kills us,” James said. “Our alumni, our former greats have made us America’s Team and we reap benefits that we haven’t earned — all the way around, as individuals, as a team. Those guys earned it. We just think we deserve it.”
What's hilarious about that quote is that it is itself entitled, with James assuming that the Cowboys somehow exist in a exalted air different from players on opposing teams. He's criticizing the hype and buying into it all at once, which is a neat trick.
But in the end, he's right. Thanks to the efforts of the Double J, the Cowboys have spent the past two decades aggressively trying to shine the spotlight on themselves, and James believes too many players buy into the celebrity aspect of the job and not the football aspect. Now, James didn't name names here (ROMO!), but he's clearly trying to represent a sea change in how this organization goes about its business: very low-key, very professional (It's worth noting here that the Cowboys spent a lot of last preseason drawing attention to the fact that they weren't drawing attention to themselves, and it didn't work).
Supposedly, this is a more firm and businesslike Cowboys outfit with Jason Garrett at the helm. But the fact is that it's still Jerry running the joint, and Engel noted that, on Sunday night, Jones "storm(ed) into the locker room muttering about first-half yardage allowed". You can bet having that game in prime time was part of Jerry's dissatisfaction. Even when he's claiming to lay low, he really isn't. Engel thinks the Cowboys still live off their own hype, and James seems to agree with her. We're gonna find out soon if the team really plans on doing something about it.
