Tumbling Tumbleweed: Rolling with Nate
Posted: May 16, 2005 @ 7:50 pm
NFL news is like a ghost town. The trails are so dusty that even the big news agencies are spitting mud, thirsting for that watering hole, that wellspring of activity called June 1st cuts. Until then, if you’re looking for football topics, barring any stupid-human pet tricks, you’re probably going to have to bed down with some minor player maneuverings, team analysis ad nauseam, how it’s not about T.O. being greedy or self-centered, how Jevon Walker’s not bothered by Brett Favre’s criticism, or How-to: The Art of Speed-bike Triple Gainers.
For the Dallas-delirious, it’s worse. This is the price for having all but one veteran player under contract, the price for staffing players of character and the price for exhausting the canteen with talk of all the draft picks and all the possibilities; all good problems to have if not for unquenchable thirsts.
The word on the Cowboys today amounts to this: Parcells wants Marcus Spears to lose ten pounds before camp, while the former 88’s, Drew Pearson & Michael Irvin, both think Dallas can contend for the Super Bowl this season with their new additions (in Mike’s case, only if Philly does not avoid collapse). And, because it’s become increasingly difficult to bash the ‘boys and their faithful with new controversy, any such attempts surrounding Chris Canty quickly dried up, the media must rely on an old piece of bait in the form of one Nate Newton and his details on how football excellence translates into trucking excellence. Nate, Nate, Nate. We were this close to getting past all of that.
The story, an act of seeming desperation, derives from one interviewer’s one question: Why? (Although it’s the definitive one to ask aside from breaching the code-of-silence surrounding the dropping of the soapâ€â€I once asked an ex-con acquaintance about this, let’s just say there were no admissions nor any summary denials on his part), and when Nate’s answer hit the wire, it ran like a three-legged horse around the news circuit. It leaves me asking: Are people still riding this pony?
Are the trails so dry, the town so abandoned? Is this newsworthy? (The wind howls and stirs up devils in the dust, tumbleweed tumbles by). Perhaps I’m not objective enough but this story reeks of old politics from the media, “Yes, Dallas you’ve come a long way, but least not forget from whence you came. HOF Committee, take note.†File Nate’s exploits under Hollywood Henderson, Michael Irvin, and Mark Tuinei & Bullet Bob Hayes (R.I.P.) and let’s mosey on. In the immortal words of Chris Cornell: “Follow me into the desert, as thirsty as you are…â€
Happy trails.
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As a journalist, I concur that the well is pretty dry right now… not much news to be had until June 1st in the NFL, and after that we have to wait awhile until the next wave of news comes to us… as far as I see it, here’s the timeline:
January - Mid February: Season reviews, free agency previews etc…
Mid-Feb - April: Plenty of news from free agency… scenarios with new players reviewed etc…
Late April - Early May: Draft previews, reviews and the like…
May - Late July: Slim pickins
Even after the cuts, it’s still up to the individual author to come up with stories… we have entered a ‘dry phase’ as you put it in NFL journalism so we just have to wait it out ’till the next big story comes out… like Parcells sky-diving
And by the way, Burden in my Hand is GREAT song… I love Soundgarden
give big nate credit……..he was still working out big time………lifting all that grass into the van………..
I heard in Rolling Stone magazine that Nate could bench 300 lbs. of Mexican Gold………
Cannibis Weekly has Nate listed as a “high” draft pick….
“got plenty o coke an ho’s at my crib” LOL!
Hmm… Now I know why they called him “The Kitchen.” Seriously, I hope Big Nate gets his act together. I don’t like to see our Cowboy greats in the news like this. I prefer them to ride off into the sunset on a big white horse, having successful post-football lives.
I’d like it better if they rode off into the sunset and into the Hall a little bit more. :-)
I think Too Tall should be there. There’s not been a player like him since and I think that his unique playmaking ability deserves recognition.
Kevin
Kevin,
I couldn’t agree more. There are a lot of former Cowboys players that should be in the HOF, including Too Tall, who is one of my all-time favorites.
How about Rayfield Wright, Bob Hayes, Cliff Harris, Drew Pearson, Charles Haley, Michael Irvin……..
I got to meet Nate during the ‘94 season - spent about 15 minutes with him while buying CD’s. He’s a really good guy. He made a mistake, paid his dues, and that’s that - he’s square with the house. I wish him the best of luck.
I forgot about Everson Walls, who should also be in the HOF. He has 57 career interceptions, led the NFL 3 times in Interceptions, All Pro from ‘82 to ‘85, and a 4 time Pro-bowler, and won the Superbowl with the Giants in ‘89.
Yep can you say stupid. Nate made a mistake and paid his dues. That story that ran was typical Cowboy bashing. If you compared a list of players already inducted into the HOF fame with any list of proposed Cowboy inductees, there wouldn’t be a contest. I have wonder through the years why Cowboy players didn’t get the votes for the HOF. I like to see a track record of votes. Would be interesting.
onepaniolo -
Did you say you want them to ride off on the white horse. isn’t that exactly what we don’t want to see?
I just hope that Nate Newton, like Michael Irvin will recognize the error of his ways and have a transformation.
Nate was one of those guys you just loved, how many Turkey legs did Madden award big Nate on Thanksgiving………..that was a tradition that I always enjoyed watching while gobbling down some turkey and cranberry myself.
onepaniolo,
Everson Walls won a Superbowl with the Giants??
Never knew that. Did we trade him? How did he end up in New York?
rich
Anyone have any information about Rookie LB kevin burnett having hip surgery? He is on crutches and will miss the next camp.
he just reported to a rookie camp today how is he on crutches????
does anyone know all the wide recievers 40 times
i just read that none of the cowboys allocated players in nfl europe are lighting it up. Which is a shame because i had high hopes for dantzler. Nate Newton will not be in the hof because of his exploits after retirement, same goes for Tuinei who overdosed on crystal meth when he retired. It is not fair, but that is how closed minded these voters are. Look at Irvin, he was never convicted of anything just accussed by some crackhead who wanted attention, yet he is still remembered by none cowboys fans as the coke head rapist. Closed minds are killers
let me clear up what i meant about nate and tuinei, i believe they are more than deserving to be in the hall.
Maddrich,
Everson was cut by Jimmy J. when he went on youth purge.Giants got him
as a free agent.The giants also picked up Steve Deossie from dallas that year a big contributor on spec. teams. That coaching job by Bill P. and Bill Bel.
in 1991 was nothing short of a miracle….look at that roster for N.Y. if you
get a chance…
why are so many people here so interested in 40 times of players, WHO CARES!!!!!
We had randall williams on this team who was the fastest reciever on this team who was clocked at 4.04 in the 40. but where did that get him, oh thats right a one way ticket out of here. I’ll take a reciever that can get off the line of scrimage and can make the tough catch over the middle on third down or a guy who wants the ball thrown to him even if he is double covered. Heres a name that comes to mind, Micheal Irvin. He certainly didn’t have the most blazing speed, and if I’m not mistaken clocked in the 4.5’s in his workouts.40 times dont mean anything, I mean how many times does a reciever run straight line routs,NONE.
Casual 1031,
I happened to have saw it on the official dallascowboys.com site under “playertracker” on the right. I don’t know anymore than whats there. I was hoping someone else might know something.
becker,
thanks for the info. interesting stuff.
of all the wrong that the cowboys has done. not one reporter has mentioned the ray lewis was involved in a shooting. i am not saying that he did it or anything, but he was there. if that was a cowboy; they would have hung him. and what about the jamal lewis. the jury is still out on him. and the running back from minnesota. i remember when barry switzer got caught with a hand gun at an airport. that wasn’t only on espn, but that made national headlines. it just seems like when a cowboy does something. it is magnified 10 times over. maybe it is just me.
the media………while mostly stupid…….is in the habbit of trying to make a profit……..whether it is Disney, Viacom, GE, or Fox from News Corp……
They know America’s Team is the Dallas Cowboys. It is not so much a bias against the Cowboys…….as they know they will get a reaction from it. This can be good and bad. Roger Staubach and Troy Aiman……..Emmit Smith and many many others……get good media attention………and are involved in Charities as well as off the field successful businesses.
Any tidbit of Cowboy info, is going to make the ESPN reel due to the fact that it helps RATINGS. Now, while Ray Lewis certainly tainted his own image……….he is nor will he ever be a Dallas Cowboy………hech even the king of media……..Prime Time himself seems lame over in Baltimore compared with when he played for Dallas………
The media loves the Dallas Cowboys………and anytime they can print anything about em good or bad……..you can bet it is going to press.
On a positive note, Drew Pearson was featured this week in a slow newsweek with a book release. He made statements that chimed in well with a blog posted by Eric about the HOF. I cannot remember ever seeing Art Monk on TV after he left football. But a former Dallas Cowboy can still get media access……….
That is simply the way it is in Dallas. Success breeds it………but it is there on both sides. Often ESPN will flash Parcells or a Cowboy highlight…….just to let you know they are going to talk about em…….then they wait until the end of the program……….and it is something ridiculous that you heard about two days ago anyway……….but that is them trying to sell their network……..on the backs of the ever popular Dallas Cowboys.
talking about when they talk about cowboys news; that it is usually old news. that is because the true cowboy fan keeps up with their team on there on. and what ever we hear on espn or something like that. most of us has already read about it on one of the many great site that we have, and have told some of the other fans on this site. there aren’t to many site on other teams that have a site like the theboy.com web site. this is the best site even if i say so myself. i love this site.
During the Ranch Report with Mickey Spags on dallascowboys.com, Mick reports that Kevin Burnett had arthroscopic surgery on his hip “to clean out some stuff†evidently without going through proper team channels, making his arrival on crutches a complete surprise. Mick said the staff were “probably not real happy†and that they should have been apprised of the necessity but knew nothing about it. The procedure was something Burnett did on his own (with the advice of his agent) and there was no mention of it being in violation of any contractual agreement between he and the Cowboys. Burnett was on the show last week openly discussing the procedure saying “it was no big deal†and he’d be ready for training camp. To listen to the report, go to the Cowboys front page and link or use this:
http://play.rbn.com/?url=nfl/nfl/open/cowboys/demand/spagnola_051705.rm&proto=rtsp&rbnkey=1
mickey has an AWESOME new story on dallas’ home site. its about the CB’s we passed last year and why it was a good decision.
by the way, if ray was right about PETE HUNTER wantin to play FS…..where is the truth? or the real news??? im still waitin on that one
you guys should read peter king’s story on SI.com about HOF voters being bias on DALLAS players
Here’s how the HOF by team works out:
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/teams.jsp
Don’t say Oiler Troll never cared…
Becker,
Thanks for answering Maddrich’s question. Good Point on the Giants roster in 1990, which wasn’t as loaded with talent as their 1986 team.
Maddrich,
My apologies for not replying to you sooner. I said that Everson Walls was on the Giants’ 1989 Super Bowl team, but it was actually in 1991, as Becker states, after the 1990 season. The 49ers won the 1989 and 1990 Super Bowls, Joe Montana’s last. I was happy for Everson Walls, because he finally got his ring after many frustrating years in Dallas, even if it was with the Giants.
I firmly believe that Walls’ numbers and his contributions to the Giants( 6 picks, 1TD) during their Super Bowl winning season warrants HOF consideration. However, he and many Cowboy greats get snubbed year after year. It’s a shame, but all the ‘Boys can do is keep on winning Super Bowls, because that may be all the recognition they get. To hell with those writers!
Don S.,
You got me there, on my riding off on a “White Horse” comment! That was a good one.
i am proud to see some former player getting their ring even though it may have been with other teams. however, i think the time has come to where player are going to be coming to dallas and play for bp to get their ring(s). i think we are looking at the beginning of a great future.
I’m going to shake things up a little bit.
I’ve been listening to ESPN Radio about the bias against the Cowboys. Other people chimed in and had the same feelings about their teams - Broncos (1 player in the HOF), Buffalo, Redskins, and others.
I am kind of in agreement with those fans. They do have players that are deserving to be there as well. Perhaps, it is not so much a bias against the Boys’ but too few opportunities for great players to get in.
I also think that sometimes the HOF voters compare past accomplishments with today’s accomplishments, thus minimizing what the player did during the time that he played. If you compare Bob Hayes to Randy Moss, people might think “well, he was an average receiver who was fast.” But if you compare Hayes to his comtemporaries then you see just how special he was.
There may be a bias against the Cowboys - Michael Irvin’s situation makes it feel that way. Perhaps there ought to be a new system for electing HOFers that is not limited by numbers but is dependent on the amount of support behind that person.
For the moment, let’s pretend that the NFL asked people for suggestions about how to vote players in. Any thoughts on new schemes that you would like to adopt?
Kevin
Irvin could have got the First Ballot Snub………as a punishment for his off the field antics while playing. If he is excluded from the Hall permanently than we need to rethink the whole HOF all together. Didn’t the Hall give Lawrence Taylor a first ballot snub? I mean I remember watching Lawrence Taylor, I have never seen a more Dominant Player on the Defensive Side of the Ball. He just singlehandedly took over some games………if that is not a first ballot guy who is. I have not personally checked on how Pearson’s stats match up to other Recievers of that era. I certainly remember him as one of the best. He was also seriously injured in a car accident that led to his early retirement(or so i thought)………..I figure Emmit, Troy and Irvin and Jimmy Johnson all get in. When Jerry Jones finally hands over full reigns to his family, he probably gets in too. Despite the media bashing Jones, and his poor handling of Tom Landry. His business approach to football, has made the NFL the premiere Sport in the country. Prior to Jerry taking football as all or nothing, NFL teams were merely hobbies of the Rich and Famous, now they are the product producing the rich and famous………..for better or for worse Jerry will also join his team in the HOF. *Plus he gets an asterik for firing Jimmy Johnson and costing his team 4 in a row.
Kevin makes a good point, about other great players on some teams. Certainly the Hall likes Super Bowl Champions……..but then how do you explain Roger Craig, Charles Haley with 5 rings on his hand as in Super Bowl Rings, Dwight Clark (who we all know all too well), the Redskins Great Offensive Line is notably absent, despite appearing in several Super Bowls with Joe Gibbs. It seems hard to say the bias is limited to the Dallas Cowboys.
How does the HOF evaluate the older players. I mean their are guys voting for folks who were dead and gone when they were born, and who have little or no film on certain players.
I saw an interview with Jimmie Johnson where he said himself that he was burned out on football and was already on his way out, that nobody including Jerry Jones pushed him. It was already in his head to possibly quit, he even went as far as to talk to Troy about it before their final super bowl run and Troy talked him into staying for one more year. No matter how people concieve Jerry Jones he changed the game forever and he did not force out Jimmie Johnson, this coming from Jimmie’s mouth.
The bottom line is that the Cowboys were the most wining team from 1967 through 1983 and to only have 5 players in the HOF is ridicules. Obviously, no one could deny the Cowboy players that did gain entry into the HOF just they were a slam dunk, but only 5 players is a crime.
I understand the Steelers were the team of the 70s and they had a lot of great players, but come on…Swann and Stallworth are not better than a tandem of Irvin on one side and either Hayes or Pearson on the other. LC Greenwood was nominated this year yet no love for Harvey Martin or Ed Jones….Martin had over 110 sacks to Greenwood’s 70 or 80.
The following players should be in the HOF:
Bob Hayes
Drew Pearson
Rayfield Wright
Harvey Martin
Ed “Too Tall” Jones
Cliff Harris
Those games weren’t won all by themselves…someone had to be making plays out there.
I blame too many Toddys for a couple of rednecks from Arkansas to handle………
what is wrong with the people from arkansas.
nothing except when they have had too many toddys and then badmouth the two time super bowl coach………and run him off……..
seems that ray was lying about pete goin to FS
OT L.J. Shelton, the subject of trade attempts for Travis Henry, was released by AZ today. Does anyone know what side he played or any info regarding his potential signing with the Cowboys? He’s entering his seventh season, he’s 6-6, 335. On the surface, he looks viable but I wonder about price tag, health status, etc…
Speed-bike triple gainers kill your season.
is there a rumor of shelton playing for dallas. i read that jj was content on his options that he had signed already.
Thanks Ryan for the vote……Right or Wrong this info came from Pete Hunter himself…Of course to you guys I cant prove it. But time will tell us if I counted my chickens before they hatched………Like Jon said earlier if this thing happens what a defense we will have….but if not at least it was something to really get the juices flowing thinking he will go…I will always stand by my word….My partner is just as big of a fan than I am…He wont lie to me about the Boys we take them way to serious….Anytime you call someone in Atlanta from NJ to just talk 3 hours about the Cowboys everytime we talk thats taking it way above normal standards……..Once again if Im right start truly thinking of us going to the Big Dance…..If i’m wrong the saga continues
Darrell M
According to the article on dallascowboys.com, “Jones also said he didn’t anticipate making any moves at right tackle, either, unless something unexpected occurred after June 1.”
Considering that Shelton was trade bait and that he was cut prior to June 1, I’m curious if his release today constitutes the “unexpected”. I doubt it. There was some chatter on another thread about Kyle Turley, my bringing Shelton up is just more speculation, no rumor to speak of. And, I’m not trying to start one. I just want to know what’s up with the guy. Is he worth exploring? Does he have the goods to be a one-year stopgap? Maybe they’ll bring him in for a workout or maybe they wont.
I know that Shelton was a former first-round pick (#21) and had 12 appearances, 9 starts at right tackle battling Oliver Ross (who had a cup of coffee with Dallas in 1998) for the position in 2004 before going in IR with a knee. He is apparently a cap cut. On one hand I get why the Bills wouldn’t swap Henry outright, but I wonder why the Cards even tried that? Were they simply trying to get more than L.J. is worth or is L.J. worth the even swap?
Ray
Your word is good with me. You made appropriate disclaimers. I personally choose to believe Pete spoke with your friend and said the things you reported. Whether or not Pete actually controls the part he plays remains to be seen. Was this bar talk between Pete and your bud?