BeerIsGood!
10-02-2007, 12:14 PM
A Game Ball For Jerry Jones (http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?editorialAuthor=1&id=5DEF07BC-DAE3-6D2B-36DC86DB358C0EA1&page=3&endPoints=4348%2C8696%2C10446)
Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
October 1, 2007 6:26 PM
IRVING, Texas - With 13:16 left in the third quarter, Greg Ellis triumphantly bounded toward the Cowboys' sideline, where head coach Wade Phillips gave him a big hug.
Then defensive coordinator Brian Stewart gave him a big hug.
As he proceeded back toward the bench, here comes the inactive Keith Davis, jumping up and down, popping Ellis' helmet with an open palm, all congratulating the team's 10th-year veteran for celebrating his return to the football field with a sack of St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger.
Nice.
But the truth of the matter is, they all should have gone streaming up into the end zone suite Jerry Jones takes game-day refuge in, along with sons Stephen and Jerry Jr., and given the Cowboys owner one of those handshakes that turns into a chest bump.
For if he were a lesser owner, a lesser general manager - hey, a lesser businessman - that sack would never have taken place. Neither would the half-a-sack Ellis would record roughly seven minutes later on a first-and-goal at the Cowboys 7.
In fact, had Jerry Jones been me or you, Greg Ellis might not be playing football today for the Dallas Cowboys or, for that matter, football period. For how he hid his dissatisfaction with his contract, the one he signed and gladly accepted that $4.2 million signing bonus back in 2003, behind the guise of a repaired Achilles' tendon he insisted still was not healthy enough to play football would have caused me to explode.
Maybe literally.
How could he?
You all know the story too well. Cleared to practice the start of training camp, Ellis, trying to leverage the Cowboys for a new or reworked contract, that stuff about wanting a "commitment" no one interpreted any differently than wanting more "money", pulled himself out of the first drill. Said he felt pain in his Achilles. Intense pain.
Who knows, maybe he did. But Jones did not embarrass him. He remained patient, and made sure the head coach and the trainers and the doctors remained patient with an important piece to the team's defensive puzzle. So it was said Ellis had developed a case of bursitis in the same repaired heel, and I have no doubts that wasn't the case. There was some fluid in there, accent on the some.
Neither did Wade Phillips embarrass him, continually referring to him as "day-to-day," and when day-to-day turned into weeks and weeks, and to the point of being abused by the media for acting as if he just didn't know, Phillips simply grinned and played dumb, as if he didn't know. But he knew. Believe me, he knew.
But what could the man do?
And if you remember, Jones went out of his way to point out Ellis' reputation and character were impeccable, that he would never fake an injury in an attempt to leverage the Cowboys for the money he's been asking for the past two off-seasons. Throw me in that crowd, too, for believing Ellis would never, ever do that.
But maybe we all just didn't listen well enough, because the truth wasn't all that deep below the surface.
Do you remember like a week or so before the season began when Phillips was asked about how much practice Ellis would need before he would dress him for the season opener? Phillips reponse was, "Well, we have a walk-through on Saturday," basically saying if Ellis told him the day before that Giants season opener he was ready to go he would have suited him up, no questions asked.
Phillips knew.
So did the trainers, but they were not at liberty to say. While they work for the team, they always have the players' best interest at heart. Jim Maurer and Britt Brown are men of integrity. They would not risk all their diligent rehab work in the off-season and reputations to rush a guy onto the field when he wasn't ready. They would stubbornly stand up to Bill Parcells when he became heavy-handed, so why with the more understanding Phillips would suddenly they turn into the bad guys?
Look, I've trusted my sprained knees and broken bones and swollen fingers and ridiculous feet to these guys. They should not have taken such a credibility hit.
Well, as the story goes, Ellis missed the opener, but because the Cowboys kept him on the roster his $2.5 million base salary for 2007 was basically guaranteed had he been released later on and chosen to take the NFL's one-time termination pay. Nor did the Cowboys throw up their hands in frustration and place him on injured reserve, which would have cost them the same thing but at least opened up a spot on the roster for a guy who wanted to play.
Then before Game 2, after losing Jason Ferguson in the opener, Phillips said, "Maybe we'll get two guys back after losing one" in reference to Ellis and Terence Newman. No way the head coach says that if he didn't think that was possible. Newman was close. At least he worked out before the Miami game. Ellis, who still hadn't practiced since Nov. 10 of last year, didn't.
Or maybe we didn't listen when Ellis, the week before the opener, visited Dr. James Andrews, the Birmingham, Ala., orthopedic specialist, who basically confirmed the team doctor findings of a little bursitis. Second opinion same as the first.
Or maybe Ellis was having a problem keeping a straight face before that opener, saying when asked if he would play, "I don't rule it in and I don't rule it out."
And for sure we didn't listen well enough last week when Phillips began the week by saying Ellis had an "outside chance" of playing Sunday against St. Louis. Come on, the guy just wouldn't make that stuff up.
So it was Wednesday, after practice, when Phillips said of Ellis, "He did quite a bit more, we'll see how he is tomorrow," and also this: "He seems to be better and is more confident now. We'll see how he feels and see how he does tomorrow. He went harder today. He took on blocks and was a blocker some."
But then the next day, before the Cowboys even practiced again, Ellis countered with, "It's still painful. That's pretty much it. I was able to do more since I've had the injury. I went against some guys in live drills. Still, I know it's not there right now."
Well, being the good reporters we are here in Dallas-Fort Worth, a couple of hours later that day when Phillips had his daily press conference he was told how skeptical Ellis was about possibly playing Sunday against the Rams, and Phillips, knowing more than the rest of us, sort of tersely responded, "I think you need to talk to him again, because he practiced more (on Thursday). He practiced in team. He practiced in some of our dime stuff - not a whole lot, but some. I did talk to him after practice today."
You also needed to see the look on Phillips' face. For some reason that look made an impression on me. Wade doesn't seem to verbalize his anger. But he does have this look, and that was one of those looks.
And then lo and behold, just less than two hours before Sunday's game, without even warming up or like working out for the trainers or assistant coaches to see if he's ready to go, there Ellis appeared on the field at Texas Stadium - in his game pants - ready to go, going through some bungie-cord rehab exercises with Brown.
What gave?
Well, Jones took it upon himself on Saturday to meet with Ellis and his most upstanding agent Butch Williams, who should not be painted in a bad light on this one. Jones decided business was business, and was ready to do what it would take to put one of his assets to use; to somewhat appease Ellis.
OK, you want a "commitment," then here is a little - and from what I hear, little means little - extra base in your 2007 salary. Drop in the bucket. And the Cowboys supposedly put a little something in the final year, but only if Ellis works out as he's supposed to and doesn't pull any more of these shenanigans.
Suddenly, less than 24 hours later, there is Ellis, on third-and-6 of the Rams' first possession, trotting out to take his spot at left defensive end on the nickel's four-man line.
Afterward, after getting in 15 plays, including voluntarily running onto the field when the Cowboys were one lineman short on a punt rush, Ellis said, among other things, "Again, thank God for letting me get out there because it was real close to not making it."
No, sorry, and this is not meant to be sacrilegious, but go thank Jerry Jones. Give him a little fist bump. He remained patient, and really with most things, Jerry is not a real patient guy.
When he wants something done, that means like yesterday.
But he rode out this storm for the good of the team - for the good of his product. He didn't let his ego get in the way where most of us, and I guess I'm speaking for myself here, would have thrown up our hands in utter disgust.
So maybe it wasn't just happenstance on Monday afternoon when Phillips, trying to spread the credit for the Cowboys' 4-0 start, got all the way around to handing Jones some love, too, first saying, "Speaking of Jerry, he put together a pretty good wealth of talent."
He went on to point out how he signed Leonard Davis in the off-season, then brought in safety Ken Hamlin and went all the way back to last year when he pointed out the financial chance he took on signing Terrell Owens. He might has well have pointed out taking the most recent chance on Terry Johnson.
And while he said he didn't have anything to do with Saturday's pow-wow with Ellis to get him back on the field, Phillips did say, "Again, Jerry wants this team to win and he's going to do whatever it takes to get players. That's where I've been impressed with him. It's the great thing about him being the general manager and the owner, because general manager-wise, he wants to get the best players. And he goes to the owner, which is himself, and tries to help do that. He instigated all of it, and got it done.
"I think you have to give Jerry the credit overall."
Me, too. That's why Ellis should do with the game ball he received after the game as Patrick Crayton did with his, handing it to his receivers coach Ray Sherman.
Ellis should have walked into Jones' office Monday morning, ball in hand.
Mickey Spagnola - Email
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
October 1, 2007 6:26 PM
IRVING, Texas - With 13:16 left in the third quarter, Greg Ellis triumphantly bounded toward the Cowboys' sideline, where head coach Wade Phillips gave him a big hug.
Then defensive coordinator Brian Stewart gave him a big hug.
As he proceeded back toward the bench, here comes the inactive Keith Davis, jumping up and down, popping Ellis' helmet with an open palm, all congratulating the team's 10th-year veteran for celebrating his return to the football field with a sack of St. Louis quarterback Marc Bulger.
Nice.
But the truth of the matter is, they all should have gone streaming up into the end zone suite Jerry Jones takes game-day refuge in, along with sons Stephen and Jerry Jr., and given the Cowboys owner one of those handshakes that turns into a chest bump.
For if he were a lesser owner, a lesser general manager - hey, a lesser businessman - that sack would never have taken place. Neither would the half-a-sack Ellis would record roughly seven minutes later on a first-and-goal at the Cowboys 7.
In fact, had Jerry Jones been me or you, Greg Ellis might not be playing football today for the Dallas Cowboys or, for that matter, football period. For how he hid his dissatisfaction with his contract, the one he signed and gladly accepted that $4.2 million signing bonus back in 2003, behind the guise of a repaired Achilles' tendon he insisted still was not healthy enough to play football would have caused me to explode.
Maybe literally.
How could he?
You all know the story too well. Cleared to practice the start of training camp, Ellis, trying to leverage the Cowboys for a new or reworked contract, that stuff about wanting a "commitment" no one interpreted any differently than wanting more "money", pulled himself out of the first drill. Said he felt pain in his Achilles. Intense pain.
Who knows, maybe he did. But Jones did not embarrass him. He remained patient, and made sure the head coach and the trainers and the doctors remained patient with an important piece to the team's defensive puzzle. So it was said Ellis had developed a case of bursitis in the same repaired heel, and I have no doubts that wasn't the case. There was some fluid in there, accent on the some.
Neither did Wade Phillips embarrass him, continually referring to him as "day-to-day," and when day-to-day turned into weeks and weeks, and to the point of being abused by the media for acting as if he just didn't know, Phillips simply grinned and played dumb, as if he didn't know. But he knew. Believe me, he knew.
But what could the man do?
And if you remember, Jones went out of his way to point out Ellis' reputation and character were impeccable, that he would never fake an injury in an attempt to leverage the Cowboys for the money he's been asking for the past two off-seasons. Throw me in that crowd, too, for believing Ellis would never, ever do that.
But maybe we all just didn't listen well enough, because the truth wasn't all that deep below the surface.
Do you remember like a week or so before the season began when Phillips was asked about how much practice Ellis would need before he would dress him for the season opener? Phillips reponse was, "Well, we have a walk-through on Saturday," basically saying if Ellis told him the day before that Giants season opener he was ready to go he would have suited him up, no questions asked.
Phillips knew.
So did the trainers, but they were not at liberty to say. While they work for the team, they always have the players' best interest at heart. Jim Maurer and Britt Brown are men of integrity. They would not risk all their diligent rehab work in the off-season and reputations to rush a guy onto the field when he wasn't ready. They would stubbornly stand up to Bill Parcells when he became heavy-handed, so why with the more understanding Phillips would suddenly they turn into the bad guys?
Look, I've trusted my sprained knees and broken bones and swollen fingers and ridiculous feet to these guys. They should not have taken such a credibility hit.
Well, as the story goes, Ellis missed the opener, but because the Cowboys kept him on the roster his $2.5 million base salary for 2007 was basically guaranteed had he been released later on and chosen to take the NFL's one-time termination pay. Nor did the Cowboys throw up their hands in frustration and place him on injured reserve, which would have cost them the same thing but at least opened up a spot on the roster for a guy who wanted to play.
Then before Game 2, after losing Jason Ferguson in the opener, Phillips said, "Maybe we'll get two guys back after losing one" in reference to Ellis and Terence Newman. No way the head coach says that if he didn't think that was possible. Newman was close. At least he worked out before the Miami game. Ellis, who still hadn't practiced since Nov. 10 of last year, didn't.
Or maybe we didn't listen when Ellis, the week before the opener, visited Dr. James Andrews, the Birmingham, Ala., orthopedic specialist, who basically confirmed the team doctor findings of a little bursitis. Second opinion same as the first.
Or maybe Ellis was having a problem keeping a straight face before that opener, saying when asked if he would play, "I don't rule it in and I don't rule it out."
And for sure we didn't listen well enough last week when Phillips began the week by saying Ellis had an "outside chance" of playing Sunday against St. Louis. Come on, the guy just wouldn't make that stuff up.
So it was Wednesday, after practice, when Phillips said of Ellis, "He did quite a bit more, we'll see how he is tomorrow," and also this: "He seems to be better and is more confident now. We'll see how he feels and see how he does tomorrow. He went harder today. He took on blocks and was a blocker some."
But then the next day, before the Cowboys even practiced again, Ellis countered with, "It's still painful. That's pretty much it. I was able to do more since I've had the injury. I went against some guys in live drills. Still, I know it's not there right now."
Well, being the good reporters we are here in Dallas-Fort Worth, a couple of hours later that day when Phillips had his daily press conference he was told how skeptical Ellis was about possibly playing Sunday against the Rams, and Phillips, knowing more than the rest of us, sort of tersely responded, "I think you need to talk to him again, because he practiced more (on Thursday). He practiced in team. He practiced in some of our dime stuff - not a whole lot, but some. I did talk to him after practice today."
You also needed to see the look on Phillips' face. For some reason that look made an impression on me. Wade doesn't seem to verbalize his anger. But he does have this look, and that was one of those looks.
And then lo and behold, just less than two hours before Sunday's game, without even warming up or like working out for the trainers or assistant coaches to see if he's ready to go, there Ellis appeared on the field at Texas Stadium - in his game pants - ready to go, going through some bungie-cord rehab exercises with Brown.
What gave?
Well, Jones took it upon himself on Saturday to meet with Ellis and his most upstanding agent Butch Williams, who should not be painted in a bad light on this one. Jones decided business was business, and was ready to do what it would take to put one of his assets to use; to somewhat appease Ellis.
OK, you want a "commitment," then here is a little - and from what I hear, little means little - extra base in your 2007 salary. Drop in the bucket. And the Cowboys supposedly put a little something in the final year, but only if Ellis works out as he's supposed to and doesn't pull any more of these shenanigans.
Suddenly, less than 24 hours later, there is Ellis, on third-and-6 of the Rams' first possession, trotting out to take his spot at left defensive end on the nickel's four-man line.
Afterward, after getting in 15 plays, including voluntarily running onto the field when the Cowboys were one lineman short on a punt rush, Ellis said, among other things, "Again, thank God for letting me get out there because it was real close to not making it."
No, sorry, and this is not meant to be sacrilegious, but go thank Jerry Jones. Give him a little fist bump. He remained patient, and really with most things, Jerry is not a real patient guy.
When he wants something done, that means like yesterday.
But he rode out this storm for the good of the team - for the good of his product. He didn't let his ego get in the way where most of us, and I guess I'm speaking for myself here, would have thrown up our hands in utter disgust.
So maybe it wasn't just happenstance on Monday afternoon when Phillips, trying to spread the credit for the Cowboys' 4-0 start, got all the way around to handing Jones some love, too, first saying, "Speaking of Jerry, he put together a pretty good wealth of talent."
He went on to point out how he signed Leonard Davis in the off-season, then brought in safety Ken Hamlin and went all the way back to last year when he pointed out the financial chance he took on signing Terrell Owens. He might has well have pointed out taking the most recent chance on Terry Johnson.
And while he said he didn't have anything to do with Saturday's pow-wow with Ellis to get him back on the field, Phillips did say, "Again, Jerry wants this team to win and he's going to do whatever it takes to get players. That's where I've been impressed with him. It's the great thing about him being the general manager and the owner, because general manager-wise, he wants to get the best players. And he goes to the owner, which is himself, and tries to help do that. He instigated all of it, and got it done.
"I think you have to give Jerry the credit overall."
Me, too. That's why Ellis should do with the game ball he received after the game as Patrick Crayton did with his, handing it to his receivers coach Ray Sherman.
Ellis should have walked into Jones' office Monday morning, ball in hand.