I’ve always been a big fan of Jim Dent. Personally and professionally. He’s a friend, and a helluva writer.
But his latest take on the supposed actions inside the Cowboys’ draft night “war room” are absurd, along the lines of Moby Dick, Superman and the team winning a Super Bowl in 2014. In other words: Intriguing, but not at all plausible.
In Dent’s new book Manziel Mania, he writes that Cowboys’ vice president Stephen Jones “snatched the draft card straight out of his dad’s hands,” preventing Jerry from selecting Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
This is wildly inaccurate for a number of reasons.
Mostly, because the Cowboys’ draft “card” was in New York in the hands of long-time video coordinator Robert Blackwell, who annually, physically hands the pick to NFL representatives. The Cowboys relay the info of their pick to Blackwell over the phone, not some ridiculous “card” that is faxed – or perhaps teleported – to him. Therefore, there would be no “card” for Stephen and Jerry to play tug-of-war with.
Secondly, thanks to the “war room” cameras installed at Valley Ranch, there are no secrets.
So perhaps figuratively Stephen persuaded Jerry from leaning toward taking a quarterback over offensive lineman Zack Martin. But a physical altercation as the Cowboys prepared to make the 16th pick? C’mon.
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“That didn't happen,” Jerry said Tuesday morning on KRLD-FM radio. “We're well aware that there are a lot of people looking at us in that room. You'd think we could act a little more organized than that.”
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
