Two days before the Cowboys closed out Texas Stadium in forgettable fashion, I wondered if the rest of the league had caught up with Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. After getting credit for leading the Cowboys to 13 wins a year ago, he's also the guy behind an offense that has been maddeningly inconsistent this season.
Sure, losing Tony Romo for a month had something to do with it, but Brad and Brooks had nothing to do with Garrett's decision to underutilize Marion Barber earlier in the season, or to find new ways to take Terrell Owens and Roy Williams out of the game plan, even if unwittingly (prior to Ed Werder Week, anyhow). And last night, Romo admitted that it took the offense three quarters to understand exactly what the Ravens defense was doing. That's on Garrett.
Interestingly, Garrett could've had the Baltimore job last spring, but he left his interview without signing a contract, and Jerry Jones promptly gave him a raise. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs had that in mind as he was slapping Romo silly.
"It was personal,'' Suggs said. "You know their coach, Jason Garrett, he turned the job down and said one of the reasons was we didn't have men of character. We fed off that... I wonder which team he wishes he was coaching now?''
Heated Coach-Player Feuds
Ravens star Terrell Suggs, left, took issue with Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett turning down Baltimore's head coaching job last spring, and used it as motivation to help his team beat the Cowboys on Saturday. "It was personal," Suggs said. "I wonder which team he wishes he was coaching now?" Click through for other memorable coach-player feuds.
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Redskins running back Clinton Portis unleashed a load of frustration toward Jim Zorn in a December radio interview and flippantly called his coach a "genius." The comments followed Portis' benching in the third quarter of a Week 14 loss to the Ravens.
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The feud between New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni, left, and Stephon Marbury reached a boiling point at the end of November. The Knicks suspended Marbury and docked him nearly $400,000 in salary after claiming he refused to play.
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Ex-Vikings wide receiver Troy Williamson, right, blasted Brad Childress on a conference call in November, telling reporters he would like to "duke it out" at the 50-yard line with his former head coach.
AP / Getty Images
The Royals' Jose Guillen, left, had to be separated from Kansas City pitching coach Bob McClure before a game in July. Guillen also had a sitdown with general manager Dayton Moore after confronting a heckling fan during a game against Texas.
Getty Images / AP
Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez apologized after a scuffle with traveling team secretary Jack McCormick, in which the slugger reportedly shoved him to the ground on June 28.
Greg Trott, Getty Images
Shawn Chacon, left, was placed on waivers by the Astros June 26 following a physical confrontation with GM Ed Wade. "I lost my cool and I grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground," Chacon said. The pitcher was upset by the decision to move him from the starting rotation to the bullpen.
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Outspoken wide receiver Chad Johnson has repeatedly feuded with Cincinnati Bengals management. Johnson blasted the team last year for implying he was "selfish and a cancer" and asked for a trade, prompting head coach Marvin Lewis to reply "he is a Cincinnati Bengal for quite a while."
Tony Tribble, AP
NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his step-mom, Teresa, feuded over Dale Jr.'s trademark No. 8 after his departure from DEI last year. The driver settled on using No. 88 in 2008.
Diane Bondareff, Nextel / AP
Manager John Gibbons, who was fired by the Blue Jays in June, routinely feuded with players during his time in Toronto. Gibbons reportedly challenged Shea Hillenbrand to a fight in July 2006 and had a shoving match with Ted Lilly after the pitcher refused to surrender the ball when he was removed from a game later that year.
Dave Sandford, Getty Images
The Dallas Morning News' David Moore points out that there is no record of Garrett making those comments, which is just more proof that Suggs has malice in his heart. Or maybe he just needed some extra motivation because there are only so many times you can hear Ray Lewis' pregame pep talk without your mind wandering.
Whatever, the Ravens are right in the thick of things and the Cowboys, just like every year since 1996, are in real danger of not winning a playoff game. The solution, obviously, is that Jones needs to spend more money this offseason.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)
12-21-2008 @ 11:23AM
ryan leaf said...
Suggs should be grateful that Garrett didnt take the Ravens job. He's clearly the most overrated offensive coordinater in the league. When you have Romo, TO, Witten , Roy Williams, Barber and even the surprisingly talented Choice your offense should be blowing out opponents. But they dont !! Every dumb yahoo is blaming Romo but how can you blame the QB when your offense is predictable and you gotta run for your life on almost every play. Ray Lewis knew where every play was going for godssakes and most fans probably did too.
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12-22-2008 @ 7:41PM
adam said...
amen.
12-21-2008 @ 9:20PM
David said...
Let's face it,the best thing,Jerry Jones could do right now,is give a call to the best retired coach out there.
Coach Bill Cower offer him the job and General Maneger of the Dallas Cowboy's,with him as coach,Dallas will be the team they deserve to be with all that talent.
12-22-2008 @ 4:07AM
Chief said...
I wish I had a way to contact the Cowboys. You are 100% correct. I am an amatuer and in the second quarter through out the rest of the game I accurately called out the general play coming next by the predictable Cowboy Offense. It became funny if not sad. PS I did the same in the last two games.
12-21-2008 @ 12:08PM
Cliff said...
Kudos and much praise has to go to Derrik Mason for the brilliant plays he has made all year for the Ravens. Against the Cowboys on one drive he ended up scoring a touchdown, one of 3 plays he made on the drive to sustain the drive.....and practically doing it with just one arm.
Todd Heap needs to follow his example and start coming up with some more plays....especially catching the ball more often...to take some of the load off of Mason.
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12-21-2008 @ 3:55PM
Susan said...
Terrell Suggs is an over-paid thug who needs to shut his stupid mouth. That being said, Ryan Leaf..you are right on it. The problem with the Cowboys starts with the coaching staff and anyone who blames Romo is a dumbass.
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12-21-2008 @ 5:00PM
Jimbo1 said...
Overpaid thug? 3 Pro Bowls says it all. Thug? Dallas has Adam "handgun and a beer" Jones. "America's Team" is an embarrasment to the NFL, have fun watching the playoofs without the Cowgirls being involved
12-21-2008 @ 6:53PM
CC said...
Bite Me, Jimbo!
12-21-2008 @ 7:31PM
Susan said...
Hey Jimbo...the name RAY LEWIS ring a bell? A thug who should be in prison. While Dallas may have their "undesirables, so do alot of other teams in the NFL...ESPECIALLY BALTIMORE.
12-23-2008 @ 9:58AM
John said...
waaaaaah, waaaaaah:(
12-22-2008 @ 12:58AM
marc said...
Little sensitive aren't you cowgirl?Romo seems to choke in the late season games doesn't he??
12-22-2008 @ 1:20AM
Boogie-Man said...
Hey Sue, Baltimore has overcome more bad calls then ANY team in the NFL. (Including the ray Lewis thing).
I guess the steelers didn't have enough money to pay-off the reffs this week or the Titans wouldn't have won .
Can you substatiate your comment about Suggs or are you just mad he won't call you back?
12-22-2008 @ 7:45AM
JEFF said...
Hey susan, your loser cowboys are about as stupid as your comments. Looks like they back into the playoffs only to get knocked out in the first round.
12-22-2008 @ 12:53PM
D-Boy 78 said...
Susan should watch what she says about one of the best linebackers in the game today and the past. I am a Chicago Bears fan and would take the Ravens Linebacking Core over anyones anytime. The Cowboys are as far as they are going to go with Romo. I have played and coached Football for over 20 yrs and He is if anything a slightly above average Quarterback with a Aging Offensive Line. All the top receivers in the world would not help if you do not get any time to throw.
12-28-2008 @ 10:50PM
dumb''ass said...
ROMO''is a joke, wake up an smell the coffee, hes an undrafted, nobody, from eastern illinois, an the cover has been pulled off romo, He's.not even as good as old kurt warner, of Jeff Garcia, with ''TAMPA''not a young Matt Ryan, with ATLANTA.An he couldnt hold a candle to Drew Breeze.Guranteed, one more year, from stupid Jerry Jones, an even he will smell the coffee, an will dumb ROMO'' after th 2009 season,
12-21-2008 @ 4:54PM
DENNIS I. said...
Dallas has a pro football team?
When did THAT happen?
And who is this quarterback Wrongmo?
Is he the one dating that blonde who was standing besides John McCain?
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12-21-2008 @ 11:02PM
Martha said...
Jealousy is an ugly thing.
12-21-2008 @ 5:05PM
IL Cowboys Fan said...
December to the Cowboys is like June to the Cubs --- time to begin losing.
MLB has the June Swoon = NFL has the Cold Fold
Who is the bigger liar?
IL Governor Rod Blagojevich: I didn't do anything wrong.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo: I'm from Wisconsin so I like the cold weather.
It's still possible that the Lions will win more games than the Cowboys this December.
WR Roy Williams wanted to go back to Detroit? Now you know why.
If the automakers spent money on rejects like Jerry Jones does, ....oh wait - they do.
Maybe a Congressional (or a Presidential bailout IS the only solution for the Cowboys.
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12-21-2008 @ 5:18PM
LarryG said...
Who cares what some NFL slug has to day about coaches? Frankly, Garrett was right on. The Ravens have character all right. It's right out of Sing Sing. Just a bunch of thugs and illiterates. Pathetic.
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12-21-2008 @ 5:19PM
kay said...
HEY ! RAVENS COME FROM THE SAME STATE AS THE PATRIOTS, MAYBE THEY HAVE THE SAME CHEAT SHEET ! THEY SURE READ US LIKE A BOOK, PLAYBOOK THAT IS ! I WISHED JASON HAD TAKEN THAT POSITION WITH THE RAVENS !
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