Birds of a Feather

When the word came down that Bill Parcells was retiring and getting the heck outta Dodge, no one was more openly celebratory than local sports anchor/radio personality/community icon Dale Hansen. On channel 8 that night, Dale exulted, "Ding Dong, the witch is dead!"

Crazy thing is they could be brothers...or at least alter egos. Ego, of course, is the key word: there was never enough room in any room Bill was in for more than one. And that had to rub Dale the wrong way. After all, wasn't he accustomed to being the crowned prince of local sports media types? Shouldn't he get exclusive one-on-one interviews? Shouldn't he be "in the loop?" He's Dale, by God, by God!

But ol' Bill didn't care about any of that. If Dale wanted to ask a question or, better still, make a statement and end it with a question mark so it almost passes for a question, he'd just have to do like the rest of the locals and show up for the Big Bill Show, held regularly at Valley Ranch.
But would Dale ever sit there with the rest of the rabble and clamor for the spotlight? Never! He's Dale.

Both Bill and Dale act as if the Cowboys were nothing before they got here. They act as if the storied franchise is nothing more than a platform upon which they can park their royal butts. Bill talks and acts as if he invented football and coaching. Dale acts as if he is the story, as if anybody would give a hoot what he had to say if he wasn't talking about things and people the masses care about.

I, for one, am glad the Cowboys never won a playoff game under the man Mike Riner accurately pegged as "The New Jersey Conman." One has the distinct impression that if he had won a Super Bowl here, the story would have been how the Cowboys became a part of his legacy, rather than he a part of theirs. Give me a break!

The guy knows football and football talent and X's and O's. No one is arguing that. He has a proven formula. Give him that, too. But his false humility is just arrogance at its worst. His combative, belittling exchanges with reporters who were by and large just doing their jobs and asking, for the most part, legitimate questions were another way of getting his sound bytes on ESPN. Which is where he is now. Which he should have never left. Which is good enough for him.
I am glad he's gone. The only thing that would have made his departure better is if he had carried Dale Hansen under one arm and Randy Galloway under the other when he left.
Galloway? That's another story.

The Witch may be dead. But what about the Ding Dong?

Galloway is Right? The End Must Be Near

In a recent column, Galloway pointed out just how inept Dallas' so-called city leadership has been when it comes to dealing with just about everything sports-related. We could just say everything, period.

Galloway points out:

"The politicians over there (in Dallas) spent two years haggling with Jerry
about a stadium deal that never got off the table.
Arlington city leaders
got it done in two weeks."

Galloway admitted to having made a living by blaming everything Cowboys on Jerry Jones, but he lays the blame for the Cowboys slipping through Dallas' fingers on the right doorstep. He also accurately points out that it isn't the first time Dallas has lost the battle to keep the 'Boys. They lost them to Irving the first time. Says Randy,

In Dallas, they blame Jones for their failure. Lord knows, I understand the
sentiment. I've made a decent living over the years by blaming Jones for all
things Cowboy.
But four decades ago, different city leaders in Dallas and a
different owner of the Cowboys also disagreed over a new stadium issue. The late
Clint Murchison heard laughs when he said he'd move the team out of the city.
There was no laughing in 1971. That's when Texas Stadium opened in Irving.
But now it's a CYB mentality in Dallas. Cover Your Butt. Blame Jones. And
blame Arlington city leaders for caving in to Jones. Right, Laura Miller.

So, Randy got it right. I guess if you throw enough crap against the wall, something has to stick, right? Check out his full article here.