Average Guy Sports

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The first half of the season has been riddled with disappointment.  Players were signed to large contracts and have failed to perform up to those large paychecks.  It is my opinoin that the teams managment has been too hands off.  No player or coach appeared to be nervious about losing their job.  Ozzie being Ozzie has worked in the past but their are times when change is good. 

I have gone to a couple of games and noticed some bad trends with the hitters.  The top of the list would be lack of aggresiveness.  A high second on the list would be their weak bullpen and lack of ability to close a game out.  Their may be a chancecof a trade but I don’t  see that happening.

So, I will continue to suffer through this painful season.

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Here we find ourselves in early March and quite honestly my favorite time of the year as a sports fan. Spring training is going in baseball and the hockey playoff picture is coming into focus. Every couple of years I also pay attention to March Madness.

So, I will be listening to Chicago White Sox baseball while at work and watching when I can find the time. Hockey will be on the big screen given the Chicago Blackhawks are back in the mix. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they continue to play well and get a good playoff seating.

Last year I took the plunge and purchased both the MLB.TV and Hockeycentral.com. I could not have been happier. So, this year I picked-up both again. Living out of the Chicago market it used to be tough to enjoy live games. Now, it is just a couple of mouse clicks away.

So, back to all that is Spring sports.

Hope you enjoy all that is going on as much as I am.

Well, the dust has appeared to settle on Ticketgate at Super Bowl 45. I could go on and on about the weather and how ill prepared the DFW area was however, it was a weather anomaly. When this happens we just wait it out as the snow or ice usually melt in a day or two.

What I really want to sound off about is how Jerry Jones business sense appeared to take a hit. Here is a man who has been a successful in business for numerous years and some would say has enjoyed success as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. I think that he and his organization really identified that there have been numerous mistakes made and in order to deal with them have gone silent when dealing with the media. Which is quite a change of pace as we all know that Jerry loves being in front of the camera.

I would like to know if a risk assessment was done by any of the various parties involved with bringing the Super Bowl to North Texas. If so, what was covered in these assessments? Did all parties involved become so focused on the people and the players that they forgot to factor in the temperamental weather of North Texas?

With the Cowboys out of playoff contention and one major event prior to the Super Bowl one has to wonder what kind of schedule was put to get the regarding getting the additional seating installed and approved. If I understand correctly they had a thirty day window from the previous event. If this is the case why would you not begin work the next day on the additional seats with your primary contractor. Yes, I said primary contractor. One would think that a project of this size and viability you would put a secondary contractor in place. This would not only reduce the risk of not completing but would also serve as a motivational factor for the primary contractor to complete on time. This would give the fire department plenty of time to approve the seats.

Suffice it to say that the discipline of project management was not used to it’s full potential. Hopefully there were some lessons learned form this experience. Not only internal to the Jerry Jones organization but also the various other companies that were involved in the Super Bowl. So, just remember if you take the time to plan your next project it will pay off in the end.

** Update **

With all the other distractions in the news in appears that both the NFL and Jerry Jones are accetping the blame for Ticketgate. Nice, way to have to fly under the radar.

Well the college football bowl season is upon us and many people are enjoying watching their team play in the final game of the year. As a Texas Longhorn fan I am just watching the soap opera of the open coaching slots. Many names have been put of there to fill both the offensive and defensive coordinators positions. However, was there really a problem with the play callers themselves? I would say that the coaches should only shoulder the minority of the blame. The players need to take the majority of the blame. Poor play execution on the offensive side and extremely poor tackling on the defensive side.

So, as I have recently read the head coaching position of the Texas Longhorn Football program is the most prestigious in the nation. It could be in the eyes of certain individuals. Without question it is under the biggest microscope in college football. Not only by the fans but also the media.

Well, it finally happened. Jerry Jones finally cut the strings of his latest puppet head coach. So, Wade Phillips has lost his puppet master is once again able to think for himself. Yes, Wade has proven himself as a capable defensive coordinator however he has always lacked success as a head coach. You can see this with the time he spent in Buffalo and most recently Dallas. Buffalo did not come with all the extra baggage that coach in Dallas comes with. However, I do think that this solidifies that in the quest of the modern head coach to gain power and control of an organization they stretch themselves too thin.

But coaching in Dallas is a different animal all together and coaching the Cowboys puts one under an microscope. Not only is the media critical but also the Cowboys large fan base. Of course, you always have the element of the owner and general manager being father and son. One cannot deny that Jerry Jones is established in real estate and the marketing of the Cowboys. This cannot be said about the current collection of people in the front office of the team. It has been apparent foe some time that the Jones’ appear to have a lack of football knowledge. Poor draft picks and numerous free agent signings top my list of red flags. Of course, just look at how the team is run. The inmates run the asylum.

The actions of the players and poor player personnel choices would have never happened if the late great Tom Landry were still with us today. I am not a Dallas Cowboys fan nor will I ever be but they are in my backyard and I get to see all the stupidity for myself with a front row seat.

So, the boss is still the same just a new puppet calling the plays. Good luck Jason Garrett, you will need it. After this season is over may I make a suggestion? Take your talents to another team. They will only be wasted in Dallas.