Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:05:59 GMT -5
Note: I started this thread on another site I post on regularly with other Cowboys fans - including one or two who have Landry on a pedestal and still hate Jerry for everything. Thought it also needed a home here too.
"I'll step down when I feel like I'm ready, when I can't do the job I want to do..."
- Tom Landry in November 1988
I remember when he said that... and I remember what I felt when he said that... and I remember four months later when he was left with no choice. It was one of the most stunning events in my nearly 50 years of being an honest-to-God Dallas Cowboys fan when he, Gil Brandt and shortly thereafter Tex Schramm were collectively shown the door after 29 years. I remember specifically what I thought the night of February 25, 1989;
It's about time.
I'm going to spend a little time in this thread dealing with what happened at the end. It will require several posts. I may or may not respond as I go through my points. Once I finish, I will be happy to discuss. I do not expect agreement. I expect rational debate. But I have very strong opinions of that era as it coincided with me being in my 30's... and having experienced all that occurred in the late 60's and the 70's when the Cowboys were only stood behind the Steelers in terms of success, popularity and rings (all due respect to the Dolphins, Raiders, Redskins, Packers and Vikings of that era). But make no mistake - I was pretty happy when the old era ended. Not specifically because of Coach Landry's exit... but because the entire organization had damn near hit the bottom of the barrel (which they accomplished like a boss the following year as we all know).
Let's begin.
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:35:16 GMT -5
It's a young man's game...The draft is the lifeblood of a NFL team... - Rick GosselinThe next 8 posts are the Cowboys draft classes of the 80's. Read 'em and weep... 1980 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 3 | Bill Roe | Linebacker | Colorado | | 3 | James Jones | Running Back | Mississippi State | | 4 | Kurt Petersen | Defensive End | Missouri | | 5 | Gary Hogeboom | Quarterback | Central Michigan | | 6 | Timmy Newsome | Running Back | Winston-Salem State | | 7 | Lester Brown | Running Back | Clemson | | 8 | Larry Savage | Linebacker | Michigan State | | 9 | Jackie Flowers | Wide Receiver | Florida State | | 10 | Matthew Teague | Defensive End | Prairie View A&M | | 11 | Gary Padjen | Linebacker | Arizona State | | 12 | Norm Wells | Defensive End | Northwestern |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:38:35 GMT -5
1981 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Howard Richards | Offensive Tackle | Missouri | | 2 | Doug Donley | Wide Receiver | Ohio State | | 3 | Glen Titensor | Guard | Brigham Young | | 4 | Scott Pelluer | Linebacker | Washington State | | 4 | Derrie Nelson | Linebacker | Nebraska | | 5 | Danny Spradlin | Linebacker | Tennessee | | 6 | Vince Skillings | Defensive Back | Ohio State | | 7 | Ron Fellows | Cornerback | Missouri | | 7 | Ken Miller | Defensive Back | Eastern Michigan | | 8 | Paul Piurowski | Linebacker | Florida State | | 9 | Mike Wilson | Wide Receiver | Washington State | | 10 | Pat Graham | Defensive Tackle | California | | 11 | Tim Morrison | Guard | Georgia | | 12 | Nate Lundy | Wide Receiver | Indiana |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:39:18 GMT -5
1982 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Rod Hill | Cornerback | Kentucky State | | 2 | Jeff Rohrer | Linebacker | Yale | | 3 | Jim Eliopulos | Linebacker | Wyoming | | 4 | Brian Carpenter | Cornerback | Michigan | | 4 | Monty Hunter | Safety | Salem | | 5 | Phil Pozderac | Offensive Tackle | Notre Dame | | 6 | Ken Hammond | Guard | Vanderbilt | | 6 | Charles Daum | Defensive Tackle | Cal Poly | | 7 | Bill Purifoy | Defensive End | Tulsa | | 8 | George Peoples | Running Back | Auburn | | 8 | Dwight Sullivan | Running Back | North Carolina State | | 9 | Joe Gary | Defensive Tackle | UCLA | | 10 | Todd Eckerson | Offensive Tackle | North Carolina State | | 11 | George Thompson | Wide Receiver | Albany State | | 11 | Michael Whitig | Running Back | Florida State | | 12 | Rich Burtness | Guard | Montana |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:39:49 GMT -5
1983 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Jim Jeffcoat | Defensive End | Arizona State | | 2 | Michael Walter | Linebacker | Oregon | | 3 | Bryan Caldwell | Defensive End | Arizona State | | 4 | Chris Faulkner | Tight End | Florida | | 5 | Chuck McSwain | Running Back | Clemson | | 6 | Reggie Collier | Quarterback | Southern Mississippi | | 7 | Chris Schultz | Offensive Tackle | Arizona | | 8 | Lawrence Ricks | Running Back | Michigan | | 9 | Al Gross | Defensive Back | Arizona | | 10 | Eric Moran | Offensive Tackle | Washington | | 11 | Dan Taylor | Offensive Tackle | Idaho State | | 12 | Lorenzo Bouier | Running Back | Maine |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:43:36 GMT -5
1984 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Billy Cannon, Jr. | Linebacker | Texas A&M | | 2 | Victor Scott | Defensive Back | Colorado | | 3 | Fred Cornwell | Tight End | USC | | 4 | Steve DeOssie | Linebacker | Boston College | | 5 | Steve Pelluer | Quarterback | Washington | | 5 | Norm Granger | Running Back | Iowa | | 6 | Eugene Lockhart | Linebacker | Houston | | 6 | Joe Levelis | Guard | Iowa | | 7 | Ed Martin | Linebacker | Indiana State | | 8 | Mike Revell | Running Back | Bethune-Cookman | | 9 | John Hunt | Guard | Florida | | 9 | Neil Maune | Guard | Notre Dame | | 10 | Brian Salonen | Tight End | Montana | | 11 | Dowe Aughtman | Defensive Tackle | Auburn | | 12 | Carl Lewis | Wide Receiver | Houston |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:43:59 GMT -5
1985 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Kevin Brooks | Defensive End | Michigan | | 2 | Jesse Penn | Linebacker | Virginia Tech | | 3 | Crawford Ker | Guard | Florida | | 4 | Robert Lavette | Running Back | Georgia Tech | | 5 | Herschel Walker | Running Back | Georgia | | 5 | Matt Darwin | Center | Texas A&M | | 6 | Kurt Ploeger | Defensive End | Gustavus Adolphus | | 6 | Matt Moran | Guard | Stanford | | 7 | Karl Powe | Wide Receiver | Alabama State | | 7 | Jim Herrmann | Defensive End | Brigham Young | | 8 | Leon Gonzales | Wide Receiver | Bethune-Cookman | | 9 | Scott Stasburger | Linebacker | Nebraska | | 10 | Joe Jones | Tight End | Virginia Tech | | 11 | Neal Dellocono | Linebacker | UCLA | | 12 | Karl Jordan | Linebacker | Vanderbilt |
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:44:19 GMT -5
1986 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Mike Sherrard | Wide Receiver | UCLA | | 2 | Darryl Clack | Running Back | Arizona State | | 3 | Mark Walen | Defensive Tackle | UCLA | | 4 | Max Zendejas | Kicker | Arizona | | 6 | Thornton Chandler | Tight End | Alabama | | 6 | Stan Gelbaugh | Quarterback | Maryland | | 6 | Lloyd Yancey | Guard | Temple | | 7 | Johnny Holloway | Wide Receiver | Kansas | | 8 | Topper Clemons | Running Back | Wake Forest | | 9 | John Ionata | Guard | Florida State | | 10 | Bryan Chester | Guard | Texas | | 11 | Garth Jax | Linebacker | Florida State | | 12 | Chris Duliban | Linebacker | Texas | | 12 | Tony Flack | Defensive Back | Georgia |
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Otis B. Driftwood
VIP Member
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:44:39 GMT -5
1987 | ROUND | PLAYER | POSITION | SCHOOL | | 1 | Danny Noonan | Defensive Tackle | Nebraska | | 2 | Ron Francis | Cornerback | Baylor | | 3 | Jeff Zimmerman | Guard | Florida | | 4 | Kelvin Martin | Wide Receiver | Boston College | | 5 | Everett Gay | Wide Receiver | Texas | | 6 | Joe Onosai | Center | Hawaii | | 7 | Kevin Sweeney | Quarterback | Fresno State | | 8 | Kevin Gogan | Guard | Washington | | 9 | Alvin Blount | Running Back | Maryland | | 10 | Dale Jones | Linebacker | Tennessee | | 11 | Jeff Ward | Kicker | Texas | | 12 | Scott Armstrong | Linebacker | Florida |
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Otis B. Driftwood
VIP Member
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 18:45:31 GMT -5
No need to post the 1988 draft. The damage was done.
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 15, 2016 19:13:47 GMT -5
The NFL is a Quarterback-driven league...
- Rick Gosselin
It's easy to dis Danny White. It happens all the time. When a guy of his caliber follows an absolute legend, only a Super Bowl win validates him in the eyes of fans and even then, he's going to fall short. Steve Young knows this. Hell - according to most fans Troy Aikman falls short of the great Roger Staubach although he has more rings and even Roger says Troy is the better QB. The "next guy" doesn't stand a chance.
And yet - Danny White held most of the Cowboys passing records until Aikman and Romo cleaned them out... and there is that little matter of three consecutive NFC Championship games, the great comeback against the Falcons, some classic matchups against some of the top teams in the league... and for those who say Roger would have won those games, go back and watch the 1976 and 1979 games against the Rams. He didn't win them all, kids.
It was only after Billy Joe Dupree retired in 1983, Drew Pearson retired in 1984, Tony Hill started going downhill and Landry started playing musical QB's between he and Gary Hogeboom that White's production started to slip. And even with that - they made the playoffs in 1985 and were leading the NFC East with a 6-2 record after Schramm brought in Paul Hackett to install the West Coast offense and the Cowboys were clicking...
Then Danny White broke his wrist against the Giants.
He was never the same and neither were the Cowboys. From that point through the end of the 1988 season (not counting that abortion called replacement games), the Cowboys went 9-27. We witnessed more Steve Pelluer, Reggie Collier, friggin' Kevin Sweeney... It was a bad football team with bad football players.
Sidenote - when you include those first two seasons of the Jimmy Johnson era and take it to the Rams game in 1991 (where Jimmy has said for years that he truly felt the thing had turned around although I personally think the Redskins game the following Thursday where they came back from a 17-3 deficit to win was the magic moment), the Cowboys went 13-49.
13-49
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Otis B. Driftwood
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I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 16, 2016 11:28:08 GMT -5
"All the time Bum Bright was the owner, he was adamant about firing Tom. I said, 'If you want him fired, you fire him. I'm not going to do it.' I defended him all the time against Bum Bright."
- Tex Schramm
It was no secret around here that Bum Bright didn't like Tom Landry. From the day Bright purchased the Cowboys from Clint Murchison in 1984 to the day he sold the team to Jerry Jones, he wanted Landry gone. Even in an interview he did a year to the day after selling the Dallas Cowboys, Bright said his one lingering regret is that he didn't fire Tom Landry himself. "If I had known there would have been this much heat over Tom, I'd have taken it myself," Bright told The Dallas Morning News. "I know that Jerry doesn't deserve all this stuff. It wouldn't have been as hard for me as it has been for Jerry, because he was the one continuing. I just didn't realize. Jones has gotten a bad rap over Landry's release," Bright said, adding that "he tried to talk General Manager Tex Schramm into firing Landry in 1987, but Schramm refused, saying he didn't have a replacement ready."
What isn't very well known is that Bright almost got his wish. In an excerpt of an interview with Schramm;
Schramm said Landry came to him in 1985 and said, "I could retire soon. I think you ought to have somebody ready for a smooth transition. You ought to start now."
Starting in 1986, Schramm began making contingency plans, hiring Paul Hackett to help with the offense.
Schramm also interviewed Marty Schottenheimer, who had made a good mark in Cleveland.
"Marty and I even looked at houses in North Dallas," Schramm said. "Our plan was he would become defensive coach then would become head coach".
Then - Landry changed his mind.
"I recall Tom saying at a press conference, 'I'm going to coach as long as Tex Schramm wants me,'" Schramm said. "Getting rid of Tom was something I didn't want to do. I was loaded with letters about getting a new coach".
The rest (as we all know) - history. Of course, everyone chooses to ignore the fact that in spite of Bright suggesting Jones to send only Schramm to Austin, "Jerry would absolutely have none of it. He kept telling me, `I have to face him. I can't do this until I face him personally.' He was going to Austin, and nobody was stopping him."
It's why I have no problem with Jerry firing Landry. At least he had the balls to do it face to face. Bum Bright sure as hell didn't.
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Post by Swamp Dragon on Sept 16, 2016 12:58:00 GMT -5
Note: I started this thread on another site I post on regularly with other Cowboys fans - including one or two who have Landry on a pedestal and still hate Jerry for everything. Thought it also needed a home here too. "I'll step down when I feel like I'm ready, when I can't do the job I want to do..." - Tom Landry in November 1988I remember when he said that... and I remember what I felt when he said that... and I remember four months later when he was left with no choice. It was one of the most stunning events in my nearly 50 years of being an honest-to-God Dallas Cowboys fan when he, Gil Brandt and shortly thereafter Tex Schramm were collectively shown the door after 29 years. I remember specifically what I thought the night of February 25, 1989; It's about time. I'm going to spend a little time in this thread dealing with what happened at the end. It will require several posts. I may or may not respond as I go through my points. Once I finish, I will be happy to discuss. I do not expect agreement. I expect rational debate. But I have very strong opinions of that era as it coincided with me being in my 30's... and having experienced all that occurred in the late 60's and the 70's when the Cowboys were only stood behind the Steelers in terms of success, popularity and rings (all due respect to the Dolphins, Raiders, Redskins, Packers and Vikings of that era). But make no mistake - I was pretty happy when the old era ended. Not specifically because of Coach Landry's exit... but because the entire organization had damn near hit the bottom of the barrel (which they accomplished like a boss the following year as we all know). Let's begin. This seems eerily like the Seahawks Holmgren to Carroll transition, the draft part especially |
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Post by Canuck eh? on Sept 24, 2016 9:29:13 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this Otis. I did not know some of the older facts.
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Otis B. Driftwood
VIP Member
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Sept 26, 2016 9:31:45 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this Otis. I did not know some of the older facts. Every time I hear someone refer to Gil Brandt as "legendary Scout" I want to puke. I've held him responsible for the demise of the 80's Cowboys for a long, long time. Once the rest of the league caught up with him and started scouting small colleges, he ended up exposed for his lack of deep scouting ability. I never forgave him for Rod Hill. The best part of when Jerry took over was how Brandt was let go. They just locked him out of his office. He showed up to Valley Ranch and couldn't get into his office. Then Security escorted him off of the property. Even Schramm didn't talk to him. He's made a nice living off of his 60's and 70's success with the Cowboys on NFL.com and various fantasy football enterprises. But - my $0.02 is this... He's a fraud. Those 80's drafts confirm it as far as I'm concerned. |
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Post by Swamp Dragon on Oct 4, 2016 12:56:02 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this Otis. I did not know some of the older facts. Every time I hear someone refer to Gil Brandt as "legendary Scout" I want to puke. I've held him responsible for the demise of the 80's Cowboys for a long, long time. Once the rest of the league caught up with him and started scouting small colleges, he ended up exposed for his lack of deep scouting ability. I never forgave him for Rod Hill. The best part of when Jerry took over was how Brandt was let go. They just locked him out of his office. He showed up to Valley Ranch and couldn't get into his office. Then Security escorted him off of the property. Even Schramm didn't talk to him. He's made a nice living off of his 60's and 70's success with the Cowboys on NFL.com and various fantasy football enterprises. But - my $0.02 is this... He's a fraud. Those 80's drafts confirm it as far as I'm concerned. He was great in Winnipeg |
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Post by WinTwins!!! on Oct 5, 2016 16:53:38 GMT -5
Those drafts are a relative Who's Who of Who?
I've heard of Herschel Walker!
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Otis B. Driftwood
VIP Member
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Oct 5, 2016 17:55:19 GMT -5
Every time I hear someone refer to Gil Brandt as "legendary Scout" I want to puke. I've held him responsible for the demise of the 80's Cowboys for a long, long time. Once the rest of the league caught up with him and started scouting small colleges, he ended up exposed for his lack of deep scouting ability. I never forgave him for Rod Hill. The best part of when Jerry took over was how Brandt was let go. They just locked him out of his office. He showed up to Valley Ranch and couldn't get into his office. Then Security escorted him off of the property. Even Schramm didn't talk to him. He's made a nice living off of his 60's and 70's success with the Cowboys on NFL.com and various fantasy football enterprises. But - my $0.02 is this... He's a fraud. Those 80's drafts confirm it as far as I'm concerned. He was great in Winnipeg Low bar. Only highlight of that fool is him being the first guy to meet Dorsett in the end zone after TD went 99 yards. He was fast. He just wasn't good. |
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Otis B. Driftwood
VIP Member
I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it.
Posts: 7,943
Likes: 2,184
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Post by Otis B. Driftwood on Oct 5, 2016 17:55:55 GMT -5
Those drafts are a relative Who's Who of Who? I've heard of Herschel Walker! Heard of Mike Lynn too haven't you... |
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Post by Swamp Dragon on Oct 5, 2016 23:31:24 GMT -5
Those drafts are a relative Who's Who of Who? I've heard of Herschel Walker! Heard of Mike Lynn too haven't you... Got rich off the Metrodome |
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