John Harbaugh: Cowboys Are Everything That's Wrong With the NFL

On the eve of a Sunday night NFC East showdown in Philadelphia, the Cowboys have gotten some bulletin board material via a comparison of their franchise and the Eagles. Strangely enough, the inflammatory statements weren't made by anyone with current ties to the Eagles, but by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.

Harbaugh, a former Eagles assistant, was asked for a new book what made the Eagles more successful than the Cowboys over the last 10 years. Matt Mosley of ESPN.com shares the answer.

"Why is that? Because what Andy Reid and his program stand for is the opposite of what the Cowboys stand for. The Cowboys are a star system. It's all about building around individuals first and collecting talent, collecting great players. Andy has always been about building a team. And over the long haul, it's a team sport, and one of the greatest examples of that is what's happened with the Eagles and the Cowboys over the last 10 years. The Cowboys stand for everything that's wrong with the NFL."

Yee-owch. No one can accuse Harbaugh of pulling his punches, but is he right?

He's certainly right about the Eagles having a better decade than the Cowboys. It's not even particularly close. They've been to five NFC title games and a Super Bowl while the Cowboys are looking for their first playoff win since 1996. Even the most diehard Cowboys partisan would have a hard time accepting that part of the argument at face value.

Parsing further, however, doesn't do much for Harbaugh's thesis. Building a team is about collecting talent. That doesn't mean buying great players as if you're buying trading cards, but finding the line between the two is awfully difficult. Presumably one of the players that fits Harbaugh's star system dig is Terrell Owens, but he was Reid's before he was Jerry Jones's. Why does one side get credit for the move while the other gets slapped in the face for it? And where, exactly would Michael Vick fit into the reckoning?

Furthermore, the ultimate prize has eluded both the Cowboys and the Eagles. All of those trips to the playoffs have resulted in the same number of Super Bowl wins that the Cowboys have picked up in the last 10 years. Whatever missteps Jones has made in the last decade, and there are many to choose from, he's got three Lombardi Trophies to look at when another season ends in a bitter defeat.

Stockpiling talent, be it through the draft or with veteran acquisitions like Charles Haley, and developing stars certainly worked out for them in those days. The Eagles have had a very good run and Harbaugh may well be right about the reasons why, but that doesn't make the Cowboys everything that's wrong with the NFL.

The Cowboys are relatively successful on the field and fabulously successful at the box office. That doesn't superficially look like everything that's wrong with the NFL, and deeper digging doesn't do much to support the point. Does Harbaugh really think the Lions, Raiders or Redskins, to name three examples, have exemplified what's right about the NFL more than the Cowboys?

I'd guess not, because Harbaugh's a smart guy who probably went a bit too far in trying to pay Reid a compliment.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

11-06-2009 @ 5:46PM

john bodmer said...

everbody knows the cowboys suck anyway

11-07-2009 @ 8:58AM

deitrade said...

.....enlighten us BODMER, why do they suck? They have been to more playoffs, more Championship games, more Superbowls, more consecutive winning seasons. They have been the top selling merchandise market for years. The most loved by States that DO NOT have an NFL Franchise ( Oklahoma,Arkansas,New Mexico,Montana,Wyoming,Dakotas,Kentucky and even by some Who Do like Arizona,Louisiana and Tennessee). All you people can throw out right now is that we have not won a playoff in 12 years. At least we been to 6 playoffs! A lot of NFL teams can't even say that much!!

11-06-2009 @ 5:53PM

boomerst3 said...

Harbaugh is a baby and always complaining. His team is what is wrong in the NFL. They are dirty...downright durty...and it has cost them some games this year. He should shut up and coach..and I hate the Cowboys, by the way

11-06-2009 @ 6:20PM

gac1017691 said...

I'm sure Harbaugh can spell "DIRTY" boomerst-1. The Ravens are the hardest playing team in the NFL. Most teams play againt 11, the Ravens have to play againt the refs as well. I think you should shut up and go back to school, or in your case "skule".

11-06-2009 @ 6:53PM

Richard said...

Go Cowboy's ! John Hairball is just jealous and too busy looking over his shoulder! Cowboy's Baby! All the haters suck!

11-06-2009 @ 8:26PM

Grant the Great said...

The cowboys are nothing but the new york yankees, payrolls mean nothing. Go buy the best money can buy and then tell everyone how great you are.

But I would think that the spot of america's team has passed the Cowgirls over and they need to get a little more 40 million dollar players so jones can talk like stinebreener.

The cowgirls and dallas stink and it will be a couple of years before they can do anything to win or even b in a playoff.

11-07-2009 @ 1:53AM

bluerange308 said...

Um, you do realize that there's a salary cap in the NFL right???? Shut up and go read about what you want to say before you say, ignorant ass.

11-07-2009 @ 7:02AM

Bluerange here are the facts, not something that you beleive is a fact. and dont forget the freebee's that jones gives his star's free housing at his ranch, car's, perk's.

NFL Oakland Raiders Team Salaries $ 152,389,371
NFL Dallas Cowboys Team Salaries $ 146,401,600
NFL Minnesota Vikings Team Salaries $ 133,354,045
NFL Cleveland Browns Team Salaries $ 131,916,300
NFL New Orleans Saints Team Salaries $ 131,531,820
NFL Pittsburgh Steelers Team Salaries $ 128,815,061
NFL Tennessee Titans Team Salaries $ 126,017,443
NFL Arizona Cardinals Team Salaries $ 122,110,110
NFL Jacksonville Jaguars Team Salaries $ 122,109,207
NFL Chicago Bears Team Salaries $ 120,065,819
NFL San Francisco 49ers Team Salaries $ 118,766,239
NFL New York Jets Team Salaries $ 116,910,097
NFL St. Louis Rams Team Salaries $ 116,677,660
NFL New York Giants Team Salaries $ 115,816,180

11-07-2009 @ 8:59AM

claytor said...

Well, i think Harbaugh was spot on, and no, im not bashing the Cowboys.

Economically, they have been very idiotic with their spending. Romo had all of one solid season under his belt, not even a spectacular one, and Jones handed him a near 70 million dollar contract. All to make a statement. Nevermind this guy goes down in flames like a Silver and Blue Hindenburg come December, or playoff time even. He signed Terrell Owens, even though Owens really didnt fit very well, and most observant fans were aware of this before he came to Dallas.

Even though Philly signed T.O. it was only after they traded for him, and they had suffered FAR worse on the receiver front than Dallas had over the decade, given that Dallas again overpaid for Keyshawn and Joey Galloway. Owens fit a "team" need, timebomb or not. Vick as well. He signed for bare bones money, and the club needed qb depth, plus he adds dimension to the occasional wildcat package. This is team strategy, not "lets sign the biggest noisebox/attention magnet for monopoly money and make waves."

Honestly speaking the only two team that have managed to outdo Jones's idiocy on the spending front are Al Davis and his Raidas, and Danny Boy on D.C. Ironically, blowing your wad annually on the biggest toys on the market doesnt translate into Super Bowl success. While Andy hasnt won the big one, the Eagles have had far more success with their blueprint than Jerry has.

If you want a shining example of the "team" model, look no further than the Colts who have the best record of the 00's. They run it thrifty, spending the big money on the correct franchise players, while building a supporting cast through the draft, and they avg 13-3 seasons because of it. Even a Super Bowl to boot.

That being said, i believe Jones gave correct money to Demarcus Ware, since he is the cornerstone of their defense, and if he were to follow that logic, the Cowboys would eventually learn who to prune, and who to sign/draft a bit more fundamentally. If he were smart, hed package Romo for a high draft pick, and try to land McCoy in the draft next season. I hear the Browns need a qb...

11-07-2009 @ 9:24AM

Another Tony Romo basher ( CLAYTOR). If you followed Payton Mannings career you would have known he too was called a loser for not being able to win a playoff for his first 6 seasons before he became the Payton of today. This is what Tony's 3rd full season? I believe the Cowboys are one Micheal Irvin and one Darren Woodson team leader away from being Super and those type players are NOT eay to find!

11-07-2009 @ 6:10PM

Well, for starters, its Peyton, not Payton. Secondly, the Colts DRAFTED Peyton with a very high pick with the intention that he would be their franchise. Romo was undrafted and carried a clipboard for three season before Bledsoe gave way.

He had a mixed bag half season, then went a full season where he put up steady numbers, but nothing to warrant a 70 million dollar contract. And since were comparing the two, yes, Peyton suffered playoff losses, but Romo has trouble with December, much less the playoffs, he personally fades in the regular season. If this is what you wish to pay almost 100 million for? Fine. But dont expect people to sit there and say its a smart business decision. Players are cut all the time in this league, its a boom or bust sport.

Oh, and i see someone says Jerry Jones has three Super Bowl titles to his resume, but he was hardly the architect, he had as much input on the creation of those Super Bowl squads as the third base ballboy did of the Yankees winning the title this year, which is to say little or none. The team Switzer won with was already running itself. Jones has proven his lack of football knowledge since by not allowing football minds to make the decisions, and that is what this article is about.

Peyton/Romo is apples and oranges, friend. This was about franchise and team decisions, and yes, the Colts do have the best record of this decade and function on a quality level each year, regardless of personnel changes. Just like the Eagles.

11-07-2009 @ 10:17AM

brendafortheboyz said...

Well, there is one thing true about the 'Boys, either you love them or you hate them lol I, obviously LOVE them and I live in Falcons, Titans territory, not Texas y'all ;) The only reason I can imagine there are so many haters is the past success "America's Team" has had!!! And, they will return to that dominance!!!!!!
My bet is JJ voted against something in a NFL owner's meeting that ticked off the Eagles at some point in time lol There are far too many other teams that could be "what is wrong with the NFL" to call out the Cowboys. Maybe he knows the Eagles-Cowboys game is this weekend and the winner takes control of the NFC east, so he decided to get under the Cowboys "craw" ;) Whatever the reason, seems he would be more concerned with his own "dirty" team and quit making derogatory comments about another. Or, just maybe, he is jealous of the new stadium ;) ;)
Have a great day all,
Brenda for the 'Boys through the good & bad!!!!

11-07-2009 @ 1:56PM

bg locc said...

The opposition can say what they want about the Cowboys and Jerry Jones but at the end of the day or season like the author said, he still has three titles on his resume! Period! I will admit there are a lot of things wrong with the organization like not having a real GM. But to say that they are everything wrong with the NFL is pure hatred and jealousy. And to hear this from someone who is coaching someone once accused of a double murder. Wow he should just shut up and worry about his own team. I also find the timing on the release of this book odd. He made sure the Cowboys were not going to be on his schedule for three years likely.

11-07-2009 @ 7:45PM

robert said...

Well, their quarterback is average, at best, roy williams is WAY overpaid and the owner doesnt know how to build a team through the draft so he just gets other players castaways! The SIX time superbowl champion steelers have had THREE coachs in a row win a superbowl ( noll , cowher, tomlin )! Thats how you run a football franchise right there. The cowboys were a power house under jimmy johnson and could have won at least one more super bowl had he stayed, but jimmy was getting all the glory and jerry jones didnt like that. Just another example of how stupid jerry jones is! Jerry jones , al davis and daniel snyder is what is really wrong with the NFL. By the way, can anyone else think of another team that had three consecutive head coachs win a super bowl?

11-07-2009 @ 11:10PM

ROBERT as long as you STEELER fans are going to continue bragging about six rings and making sarcastic remarks about others, I will continue mentioning that it's well documented that the Steelers of the 70s were heavy users of steroids...at a time when steriods were NOT illegal....HOWEVER the Steelers of the 70s have lost 18 players of that era and most were linked to steriod use...such a high price for Glory and "bragging rights." BEFORE YOU scream other teams used steriods, no other Team has paid that steep of price.
Claytor, Peyton-Payton, who cares? You knew right away who I was referring too. If I recall, Archie MANNING never won a playoff game and he is a household name in the NFL. If you do not wish to give Tony Romo the 6 seasons in took the Manning brothers to develope, then compare Romo's stats to papa Archie's career and you will see he is a lot better that the older Manning. Ohhhhhh by the way, I happen to like all the Mannings and I happen to believe in Tony Romo!

11-09-2009 @ 5:23PM

drathbun said...

Cowboys had three consecutive head coaches win Super Bowl titles: Landry, Johnson, Switzer.

11-08-2009 @ 12:28AM

Shearangel said...

All I want to know is who the hell named them "America's team"? I sure didnt get a vote!

11-08-2009 @ 8:45AM

WE have already had this discussions in detail but it's worth repeating. Steve Sabol, of NFL Film called them "America's Team" mainly because it was noticed that so many STATES in the 70s that did NOT HAVE an NFL FRANCHISE chose to follow the Dallas Cowboys. States like Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas,Wyoming,Montana,Dakotas,Kentucky,Mississippi,and even Arizona,Tennessee and Louisiana plus foreign countries. Tex Schram then used that as a marketing tool to make the Cowboys the highest selling market for years and still is one of the top....we don't need your vote LOLLLLLLLL If you notice a lot of the States I listed have something to do with Cowboys and horses....maybe that was a a selling point, maybe the fact that they have been to more Superbowls is another....who knows??

11-08-2009 @ 10:13AM

Very well said deitrade ! Got it Shearangel? : )

11-08-2009 @ 11:28AM

jimenholm said...

"The Cowboys stand for everything that is wrong with the NFL"
Is there something wrong with the NFL? Other than the fact that we pay men millions of dollars to play a kids game and then argue about who is "America's team"
By the way.... I can't wait to watch the Cowboys kick the Eagles asses tonite.