Same ol’ owner for 25 years? Yes.
Same ol’ results since 1997? Uh-huh.
Same ol’ team? Hardly.
I know the Cowboys have been steered by Jerry Jones since ’89 and they’ve finished 8-8 the last three seasons with eerily similar do-or-die deaths in Week 17, but one of my pet peeves is the lazy opinion fans spout along the lines of “Same ol’ Cowboys.”
Take a closer look at the players, the roster, the make-up of the team. There’s nothing “same” or “old” about Dallas. The nucleus of Tony Romo, Jason Witten and DeMarcus Ware remain, but around them Jones has done some impatient tinkering in an attempt to shake his organization out of its malingering mediocrity.
The only remaining starter on the offensive line of ’11 is Doug Free. Since then they’ve also acquired and inserted two new starting receivers in Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams.
On defense, Jones has invested in younger cornerbacks in Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. From their ’11 starting defense only Sean Lee is guaranteed a spot in the ’14 season opener. Jason Hatcher will be allowed to leave in free agency this spring. Same with Anthony Spencer.
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Point is – other than Romo – the Cowboys aren’t merely ramming their stubborn helmets into the same brick wall. The results haven’t changed. But the players have.
Of course, this is the point in the debate where the critics point to the common denominator – Jones himself.
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 writes a sports/guy stuff blog at DFWSportatorium.com and lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
