Dallas Cowboys News

Former Cowboy Charles Haley has no regrets about Hall results
"Former Cowboys defensive end-outside linebacker Charles Haley said he had no complaints about not getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Haley, a finalist for the first time, was eliminated in the cut from 15 to 10 during Saturday's voting. The history of the voting process strongly suggests Haley will be among the final 15 against next year. "It is a process," Haley said by e-mail. "I am honored to be included each year. ... All of them are so very deserving. Also, it was exciting to see two of my former teammates go in.""
Ex-Cowboys coach Bill Parcells congratulates former pupil Sean Payton
"Ten minutes before walking into his morning-after Super Bowl news conference, Saints coach Sean Payton took a congratulatory call from one of his greatest mentors. It was Dolphins football czar Bill Parcells, who hired Payton to his Dallas staff and employed him from 2003-05. "He was just proud," a bleary-eyed Payton said, refusing to divulge any details of the conversation. "Proud and, uh, proud." What about the successful onside kick Payton called to open the second half in Sunday's 31-17 upset of the Colts? What about the fourth-and-goal attempt late in the first half? What did Parcells think of his pupil taking a classic page from his mentor's big-game handbook? "He liked it," Payton ..."
Emmitt Smith flips out at Super Bowl
"The NFL flew in the Hall of Fame Class of 2010 for the ceremonial coin toss at the Super Bowl. And former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith became the ceremonial captain of his class when referee Scott Green asked him to flip the coin. The Saints called heads and won Emmitt's toss, which went a little awry. CBS play-by-play man Jim Nantz gave a tongue-in-cheek critique of Smith's pregame coin flip: "Well, almost a wayward toss.""
We're on the clock: How Dallas will prep for Super Bowl
"The Super Bowl is over for the football teams and their South Florida hosts. For North Texas officials, that end marked their beginning Sunday night as time expired in Sun Life Stadium. "As soon as this game is over, we're on the clock," said Bill Lively, North Texas host committee president and CEO. "Every tick will sound like an explosion." North Texas officials in town last week were generally impressed with South Florida, but except for beaches, they said they didn't see much they couldn't match or even improve upon. Their goal is to prove that their region has just as much right to the nation's biggest sporting event as other areas – including South Florida and New Orleans – that have ..."
Emmitt Smith wins easy election to Pro Football Hall; Haley denied
"It took Emmitt Smith 4,409 carries, 18,355 yards, 175 total touchdowns and 8 seconds to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Smith wasn't known for his speed -- it's the reason he wasn't drafted until 17th overall in 1990 -- but after a record-setting career, his numbers speak for themselves. That's the reason his presentation Saturday was only two sentences.The former Cowboys running back was one of seven players elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He and Jerry Rice required no debate. The elections of John Randle, Floyd Little, Rickey Jackson, Russ Grimm and Dick LeBeau to the Class of 2010 took longer as the selectors' meeting lasted nearly 7 hours."I had some speed," said ..."
Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith head Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010
"Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith shared a lot of experiences during their dominant careers. Rice, the league's all-time leading receiver, and Smith, the all-time leading rusher, each won three Super Bowls. Saturday, they were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame together. And when the inevitable moment arrived, they shared tears when recalling how each was inspired by his father. "My father was a great running back out of Pensacola," Smith said, choking back tears. "We're sitting backstage, and my father said, 'Son, I'm so proud of you.' He said, 'I had dreamed of doing what you're doing. But your mother got sick, and I never did go to college. You're living my dream.' "And all I could ..."
Emmitt: 'I truly lived a dream'
"Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith is up on the stage for the NFL Network's Hall of Fame show. "Sixteen guys went before me and one organization believed in me and gave me the opportunity," Smith said. "I truly lived a dream because I played for the team I always wanted to play for.""
Haley misses out on Hall call, but he's making progress
"Charles Haley took an important first step in the Hall of Fame process Saturday. He was discussed. Haley became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2005 and advanced to the semifinals for four consecutive years. But that list of 25 semifinalists is pared each fall to 15 finalists - and for three consecutive years, Haley failed to make that cut. You are not a candidate for the Hall of Fame until you become a finalist. That puts you up for discussion by the full 44-member selection panel on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. If there's no discussion, there's no candidacy. Haley finally made the cut in 2010, but his first trip to the finals was a short one. He was one of the five men ..."
Father to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith: 'You're living my dream'
"A few, quiet words between father and son gave the day an emotional weight Emmitt Smith never imagined. For someone who lives in the moment to soak up every feeling and sensation he can, it proved to be overwhelming. A journey that began in obscurity on the fields and playgrounds of Pensacola, Fla., culminated with a tearful acceptance of the greatest honor the National Football League can bestow. Saturday's announcement that Smith has been welcomed into the Hall of Fame allows him to join his fellow Dallas "Triplets," Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin, and further erodes the argument that some sort of Cowboys bias exists when it comes to enshrinement. There will now be 12 Cowboys with their ..."
Cowboys' Jerry Jones glad to see Triplets reunited in Hall
"Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones took a few minutes to answer some questions about Emmitt Smith's selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Jones was particularly pleased to see the Triplets - Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin - together again. "Emmitt was so goal driven and had this picture in his mind, I'm sure from the time he walked into the NFL," Jones said."
Irvin quiet about civil suit, being fired by ESPN
"Two days after it was revealed he was being sued for an alleged rape in 2007 and a day after he was fired from ESPN 103.3 radio, former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin declined to talk about either situation. "This isn't about me today," Irvin said after the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2010 was announced."
Voters pass over Charles Haley, Woodrow Wilson's Tim Brown
"As the Cowboys offense of the 1990s received another honor, the defense was snubbed. Charles Haley, a hybrid outside linebacker-rush end on the Cowboys' Super Bowl-winning teams of 1992-93 and '95, did not survive the cut from 15 to 10 in the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting on Saturday. Wide receiver Tim Brown, a Woodrow Wilson product, also went out in that round. Running back Emmitt Smith became the third Cowboys' offensive player from the '90s to join the Hall. No defensive player from that era with the Cowboys has made the cut. That likely will change next season, when cornerback Deion Sanders appears on the ballot. He was with the Super Bowl- winning team from the 1995 season. ..."
Cowboys now in same conversation with Super Bowl teams
"Just asking around this week. Super Bowl week is always a good time to ask around. When it comes to the NFL, Super Bowl week draws the biggest names of the game, past and present.So a lot of "star power" is hanging around, and for the most part, rather chatty when it comes to media-types asking for opinions.Which brings me to my asking-around question for this Super Bowl:How close are the Dallas Cowboys in all areas to Sunday's two participants?Up front, allow me to stress that, based on that question, Jerry Jones needs to know his football club has certainly gained in respect.How do I know this?Because no one laughed at the question. About eight people were asked over the last three days. ..."
Will Charles Haley become Hall of Fame choice?
"Charles Haley's five Super Bowl rings are in a safe. Though he rarely wears them, the rings are what separate him. No other player in history has five."It's not like he was just on those teams with his hand out, either," said San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner, the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator when Haley arrived in 1992. "He was a major force on those five Super Bowl teams. He earned those rings."Haley's last championship came 14 years ago. He played his final game 10 years ago. Now, for the first time in six years of eligibility, the former outside linebacker and defensive end is a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.The Class of 2010 will be announced today, and Haley hopes to ..."
Accusation casts shadow on Irvin's sincerity
"Michael Irvin may have hustled me Thursday afternoon. But I really don't know. I don't think he did. I hope he didn't. About six hours before news broke that a woman filed a civil suit accusing Irvin, a former Dallas Cowboys great, of rape, he wowed me with a provocative, intelligent, mature 40-minute conversation inside the Super Bowl media center. I wrote a column about our conversation. Thankfully, my editors canned the column late Thursday night when the Miami Herald released its story about the 3-year-old rape allegation at the center of the civil suit filed Friday. The decision to pull the column is not an opinion about Irvin's guilt or innocence. It's a reflection of my mental ..."
Best of Emmitt: The need for greed
"Emmitt Smith was never a leader in Dallas, and he wasn't much of an ex-teammate, either. After his last season with the Cowboys, he said he felt like "a diamond surrounded by trash." He could be a mercenary, too. When the Texas Sports Hall of Fame called, one of his reps said Smith would need a $25,000 appearance fee. But that was part of the package. Smith was an obsessed individual in a team sport. He cared about what He did, and how He did it, and he cared about His goals. There's not good in this. There's greatness. This is why a Dallas media representative will nominate Smith for the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, and he won't have to argue his candidacy. Smith is a lock, and his ..."
All-time NFL rushing leader Emmitt Smith built confidence by trusting in his talents
"The day he goes into the Hall of Fame, the moment he stands in front of everyone to deliver what he hopes will be one of the most powerful speeches ever heard at Canton, is when the nerves will strike. Not today. Emmitt Smith doesn't feel the need to stay busy to keep his mind off the announcement that is sure to come this afternoon. He plans to relax, maybe grab a nice lunch and hang with his wife and parents until he receives the call that confirms he will be enshrined in the class of 2010.Smith knows what he will wear to the news conference. It won't be the polka-dotted suit he donned in Dallas two decades earlier for his introduction to Cowboys fans. "If I could have found that crazy ..."
Jones wants long-term deal for Miles Austin
"On March 5, Miles Austin will be a restricted free agent for the second straight season provided the NFL and the players association do not reach an accord on a new collective bargaining agreement. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he wants to sign Austin, who played in his first Pro Bowl last week, to a long-term deal. Austin's agent, David Dunn, would like one, too. The Cowboys could put the highest tender on Austin, worth $3.1 million that would require a team to give up first- and third-round picks as compensation. They made a similar move with Marion Barber before signing him to a long-term deal in 2008."
Hall arrivals-to-be Emmitt Smith, Rice were in it for long haul
"By their nature, Hall of Fame announcements are celebrations of the past. Rarely, if ever, do they honor a history so unmatched in record-setting achievements. While a dozen great players from the likes of pass rusher Charles Haley to pass catcher Tim Brown will be sweating it out to see if their names are called today, Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice have no such worries. The game's all-time leading rusher and all-time leading receiver going into Canton together makes perfect sense. They represent the best of the NFL's last great rivalry, one we may not see again for another generation or more."
Irvin fighting for his name after woman's civil suit
"As a radio host and TV commentator, all Michael Irvin has is his name. It's good to see him fight for it. A South Florida woman filed a civil suit against Irvin on Thursday, alleging he raped her in 2007. Irvin countersued the woman for $100 million Friday. We should all have the presumption of innocence, but we all know Irvin's name was damaged considerably by the suit's allegations. And it played some role, however small, in his dismissal from his radio show on ESPN-FM 103.3, despite the station's official stance. If the allegations are true, then Irvin deserves to be punished severely. If they're false, then the woman deserves a severe punishment. Until the issue is resolved, ..."
ESPN fires Michael Irvin, but not over rape allegations
"Michael Irvin, in South Florida for Sunday's Super Bowl, was fired by ESPN-FM (103.3) on Friday morning, three days ahead of schedule. Pete Dits, the station's general manager, said he planned to deliver the word in person when Irvin returned to the station on Monday, but news that Irvin was being sued for an alleged rape sped up the process. "He would not have been able to do his show today anyway," Dits said. "It would have been a media circus." Irvin's final show, as it has all week, was to have originated from the Super Bowl media center's crowded "radio row." A South Florida woman sued Irvin on Thursday for allegedly raping her in July 2007 in a local hotel room. No criminal charges ..."
Irvin fired from ESPN show in wake of rape allegation
"Michael Irvin has been fired from his ESPN (103.3) radio gig in the wake of a story that broke here today that a Florida woman has filed a civil suit against the former Cowboys star for an alleged July 2007 rape. Irvin's contract would have expired at the end of this week after two years on the air with Kevin Kiley in the DFW market, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. There were no plans to renew Irvin's contract anyway, according to a network official in Bristol, Conn. [Irvin's] contract was up and the show has not performed, said ESPN spokesperson Josh Krulewitz. We had previously decided to cancel the show and determined this morning to make it effective today. The permanent replacement ..."
Michael Irvin loses ESPN Radio show in Dallas
"Michael Irvin has done his last radio show for ESPN-FM 103.3 in Dallas. "The show was not performing and we had previously determined to end the show," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz told me. Krulewitz said news of a lawsuit filed in Fort Lauderdale alleging a rape in 2007 simply expedited the situation. Irvin's also had was falling ratings."
Without flash or fuss, Emmitt Smith's workman-like career to end in Hall of Fame
"Before that sequined run as champion of "Dancing With the Stars," there was an Emmitt Smith so workmanlike that he simply laid the ball down after every touchdown he scored for the Escambia High School Gators and hustled back out of the end zone, as if running from the glory. Those were the orders of his humble father, Emmitt Jr., who still drives a public bus in his hometown of Pensacola. As a matter of fact, about the only time that Emmitt ever caused a fuss in high school, where 45 of his 49 games were 100-yard efforts, was the day he officially announced his college of choice. Dressed all in red and coming from a recent visit with Tom Osborne, Emmitt deliberately led people at a ..."
Lawyer: Rape allegations levied against Michael Irvin are 'totally untrue'
"The lawyer for Hall of Famer Michael Irvin said rape charges leveled against his client in a civil lawsuit on Thursday are bogus. Larry Friedman, Irvin's lawyer, told the Miami Herald that the allegations are "totally untrue." An unidentified woman filed the suit in Florida's Broward Circuit Court alleging that Irvin and an unidentified man raped her on the evening of July 4, 2007, at Seminole Hard Rock Casino. "Beyond, perhaps, meeting her, there was nothing," Friedman told the Herald of Irvin's relationship to the accuser. The Herald reported that prosecutors are expected to decide on whether to press charges next week. Irvin is a native of South Florida, where the Super Bowl is to be ..."
Football legend Michael Irvin accused of rape at Seminole Hard Rock
"A woman who says she was raped by football star Michael Irvin at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino filed a civil lawsuit against him Thursday in Broward Circuit Court. Although no criminal charges have been filed, the Broward State Attorney's Office has been looking into the case and is expected to reach a conclusion next week, said spokesman Ron Ishoy. The woman said the attack happened in 2007, in the late hours of July 4 or early July 5. The suit doesn't name the woman, referring to her as Jane Doe. Irvin's lawyer, Larry Friedman, called the accusations ``totally untrue.'' When asked to describe her contact with Irvin, Friedman said, ``Beyond, perhaps, meeting her, there was ..."
North Texas' first Super Bowl will soon be on clock
"No offense to South Florida, but the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee is eager for Monday to arrive. "When this game is over Sunday, the clock is going to sound like the atomic bomb out there. It's going to be going fast, but that's good," committee president Bill Lively said. "We've worked a year to build a platform, and now we start to execute it. It's going to be great for the whole state." Lively's comments came at Thursday's unveiling of the Super Bowl XLV logo at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. The NFL announced that the Vince Lombardi Trophy will now be a permanent part of Super Bowl logos. The logo for next year's game in Arlington will sport ..."
Emmitt stands up for Haley's Hall of Fame credentials
"Emmitt Smith knows he's a lock to be selected Saturday for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He wishes the same were true of his former Dallas Cowboys teammate Charles Haley. "If he doesn't get in, it would be a crying shame," Smith said. Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher, and Haley, one of the most fearsome pass rushers in league history, are among 17 finalists for the Class of 2010. The 44 voters can select only five modern-era candidates. NFL career-receiving leader Jerry Rice is also a first-ballot lock, so that leaves only three available slots. This is the first time Haley has been a finalist. In a 12-season career split between San Francisco and Dallas, he amassed ..."
Cowboys faced with a tender situation
"The Cowboys have 13 restricted free agents entering 2010, and if they want to tender all of them they will have to fork over more than $1 million to each player. At the top of the list is wide receiver Miles Austin, who made $1.545 million in 2009 with the second-round tender. To tender Austin at that level again, it would cost the Cowboys $1.759 million in 2010. The Cowboys want to sign Austin, who had 81 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns, to a long-term contract. But in order to secure him, they would probably have to put the $3.168 million first- and third-round tender on him. The Cowboys made a similar move on Marion Barber in 2008 before signing him to an extension."
Everything will be bigger in North Texas when Super Bowl arrives
"Ain't no party like a Super Bowl party. Believe that – no matter what Mark Cuban tries to sell you. The NBA All-Star weekend? It's cool, no doubt. But, let's not get it twisted. Comparing the two events is like comparing Burger King and McDonald's. Mark, I hate to tell you but there's no way All-Star Game weekend – as much fun as it's going to be – will make the Super Bowl seem like a bar mitzvah. No chance. The Super Bowl is a week-long extravaganza the likes of which North Texas has never ever seen. Everything else pales in comparison to the NFL's pomp and circumstance. What the Super Bowl will do is showcase North Texas in its entirety – not just Dallas. This is good. Part of it has ..."
Ex-Cowboy Charles Haley's odds of making Hall of Fame don't look bad
"Five is a key number for Charles Haley in the selection process this weekend for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2010. And it's not the obvious five – those Super Bowl rings he collected with the 49ers and Cowboys. It's the presence of only five defensive players on the ballot. The numbers have long been out of whack in Canton. There have been 214 men enshrined in the Hall of Fame in the game's modern era. More than half (50.9 percent) of them played on offense – but only 30.4 percent on defense and 18.2 percent coaches and contributors. The NFL axiom is that defense wins championships, but it obviously doesn't get you inducted into Canton. There are 109 offensive players ..."
Canton-bound Emmitt Smith continues to make Pensacola proud
"The Smith family vacation last year included a swing by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The tour stopped when the family came to a display honoring running backs. From right to left, the exhibit started with a larger-than-life mural of Jim Brown next to a larger-than-life mural of Walter Payton. A sheet of Plexiglas ran perpendicular to each mural, with an outline in the middle as if another back had stormed through. The family matriarch gasped. "My baby," said Mary Smith, pointing to the final mural. "That's my baby up there." Her baby, Emmitt James "Scooey" Smith III, placed with Brown and Payton in honor of his standing as the NFL's all-time leading rusher. By Saturday evening, Smith ..."
Why ex-Cowboy Emmitt Smith is a rare Hall of Famer
"Former Chicago Tribune sports editor Cooper Rollow made the most famous presentation in the history of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee. When it came time to discuss the NFL's all-time leading rusher in 1993, Rollow rose from his chair and uttered two words – "Walter Payton" – then sat down. It was that simple. Payton was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A true first-ballot Hall of Famer. Nothing more needed to be said. The same with Joe Montana. Ira Miller of the San Francisco Chronicle used a few more words in his presentation of the four-time Super Bowl champion San Francisco quarterback – but not many more. There are 63 first-ballot Hall of Famers in Canton. In my ..."
NFL players preparing for 2011 lockout
"As collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL owners continue to drag, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said he expects the owners to lock out the players before the 2011 season. Chad Ochocinco, representing OCNN, asked the first question of a press conference this afternoon in which the NFLPA laid out their message. He asked Smith how worried he is about a lockout next season. "On a scale of 1 to 10," Smith said, "it's a 14." Smith said he and NFLPA president Kevin Mawae have informed players to save 25 percent of their paychecks in order to prepare for a lockout. Mawae said negotiations for a CBA have been "frustrating" and moved ..."
Woman accuses former Dallas Cowboys wide out Michael Irvin of rape at Florida hotel Woman accuses former Dallas Cowboys wide out Michael Irvin of rape at Florida hotel
"A woman who claimed she was raped 2-1/2 years ago by Cowboys Hall of Famer and NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin filed a civil suit against him Thursday, according to the Miami Herald. According to Broward (Fla.) State Attorney spokesman Ron Ishoy, the office has looked into the case and is expected to reach a conclusion next week. No criminal charges have been filed. According to the suit, the woman (referred to as Jane Doe), says the attack happened in the late hours of July 4 or early July 5 in 2007 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel"
Florida woman's lawsuit alleges ex-Cowboy Irvin raped her
"A Florida woman has sued former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, alleging that he raped her more than two years ago after meeting her at a Fort Lauderdale hotel bar. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Broward County, Fla. The woman, listed as Jane Doe, alleges that she met Irvin and an unidentified man at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on July 4, 2007, and that Irving bought her drinks. Irvin and the other man then raped her in Irvin's hotel room, according to the lawsuit. Irvin's lawyer, Larry Friedman, said the woman used the threat of the lawsuit to try to extort $1 million from Irvin."
Dallas FB Anderson charged with deadly conduct
"Dallas Cowboys fullback Deon Anderson was charged with misdemeanor deadly conduct Wednesday after he allegedly threatened a restaurant employee with a gun during a dispute early Tuesday morning. According to an Addison, Texas, police report, off-duty police officers working at the BlackFinn restaurant in Addison were alerted that a man was in the parking lot with a gun. The arrest affidavit stated the restaurant's parking valet, who filed a criminal complaint, said Anderson retrieved a handgun from the car and threatened him with it. Police who were called to the scene retrieved a gun from the shrubs and discovered it was loaded, with a round chambered. It was one of two weapons ..."
Colts kicker Matt Stover still a Cowboy at heart
"Matt Stover grew up in Lake Highlands dreaming of being a kicker for the Dallas Cowboys.Stover has kicked for 20 seasons, with the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens and now the Indianapolis Colts, but he still is waiting for his chance to play in his hometown.Stover, 42, is a free agent after this season, the Colts will have Adam Vinatieri back, and the Cowboys need a kicker. Could Stover's dream finally come true?"I haven't thought about it," Stover said, laughing. "One of my dreams has always been to be a Dallas Cowboy. I was a Punt, Pass"
Cowboys fullback Deon Anderson freed after arrest on outstanding traffic warrants
"Addison police arrested Dallas Cowboys fullback Deon Anderson and his brother early Tuesday after a confrontation outside a restaurant, police said. Officers were called on a report of an aggravated assault at BlackFinn restaurant in the 4400 block of Belt Line Road near Midway Road. Police at the scene were told there was a confrontation between several men and a restaurant valet in the parking lot. Anderson, 27, was arrested on outstanding Irving traffic warrants, police said. His brother, Devon Anderson, 25, was arrested on a charge of public intoxication, police said."
Ex-Cowboy Charles Haley's odds of making Hall of Fame don't look bad
"Five is a key number for Charles Haley in the selection process this weekend for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2010. And it's not the obvious five – those Super Bowl rings he collected with the 49ers and Cowboys. It's the presence of only five defensive players on the ballot. The numbers have long been out of whack in Canton. There have been 214 men enshrined in the Hall of Fame in the game's modern era. More than half (50.9 percent) of them played on offense – but only 30.4 percent on defense and 18.2 percent coaches and contributors. The NFL axiom is that defense wins championships, but it obviously doesn't get you inducted into Canton. There are 109 offensive players ..."
DeCamillis the best of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys assistants
"A few weeks before the playoffs began, Joe DeCamillis took a moment to reflect on his first season with the Dallas Cowboys. "A building falls on me, and I miss a game because of an appendectomy,'' DeCamillis said. "I can't wait until 2010.'' DeCamillis fractured four vertebrae in his lower cervical and upper thoracic spine after the Cowboys' indoor practice facility collapsed in May. He was back on the practice field 15 days later. Late in the season, he was affected by an angry appendix and hernia. DeCamillis did more than persevere. He transformed a group that had been a drag on the team's success into a unit that helped the Cowboys win games."
Worst decision 2009 Cowboys made: Dumping Nick Folk
"Yes, placekicker Nick Folk was in a deep slump, with seven misses in his last 11 field-goal tries. Yes, Folk's troubles were causing a crisis within the offense. Yes, the Dallas Cowboys were correct in making an in-season change at kicker. All of that said, releasing Folk made no sense and is a move that could come back to haunt this team. He has been a good kicker before, making 46-of-53 attempts in 2007-08, and will be a good kicker again."
Competition heats up after Cowboys sign kicker
"Six weeks after he worked out for the Cowboys, kicker Connor Hughes has signed. Hughes was one of a handful the Cowboys had in for a tryout after deciding to part ways with Nick Folk. Because they wanted a kicker with NFL experience, Shaun Suisham was signed. Hughes had a record-setting career at Virginia (332 points, 66-of-79 on field goal attempts) and spent time with New Orleans in 2006 and Pittsburgh a year later. He kicked for Philadelphia of the Arena Football League in 2008. Suisham, who made four of seven attempts for the Cowboys, including the playoffs, is scheduled to be a restricted free agent and there's a chance he won't be tendered a contract. David Buehler, who had 29 ..."
Wife of ex-Cowboys player Jay Novacek found dead after apparent suicide
"LeAnne Novacek, the wife of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek, was found dead at her mother's home in Burleson on Monday in an apparent suicide, authorities said. The cause of death appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Burleson police Commander Doug Sandifer said. Novacek's mother called police to her home in the 7700 block of FM1902 just after 8:35 a.m., Sandifer said. Novacek, 45, lived in nearby Joshua. The Tarrant County medical examiner's office said Novacek's body was found in a bedroom at the home. She was pronounced dead just after 9 a.m. Police are awaiting an autopsy to determine an official cause and manner of death. "It appeared no foul play, so we're ..."
Dallas Cowboys VP expects team to feel little effect from new salary cap rules
"With the salary cap not expected to be in place for 2010, much could change about the NFL's landscape, but executive vice president Stephen Jones does not believe it will affect the Cowboys much. While an uncapped year might sound like a chance to spend as much money as possible, the Cowboys will be limited because they finished in the league's final eight. As a result of losing in the divisional round, the Cowboys will be able to sign one unrestricted free agent for $5.5 million or more in 2010, or as many players as they want for less than $3.7 million. "Anytime you've got something new, it's a little different, but we're prepared," Jones said. "We know the rules and we understand them. ..."
Best decision 2009 Cowboys made: Dumping T.O.
"If you can't believe we're about to invoke his name again, read no further. If you persist in the belief that he unfairly came to symbolize all that was wrong with the Dallas Cowboys, you're not going to like our conclusion. But the best decision the Cowboys made for the 2009 season was to cut ties with Terrell Owens. There, we said it. Unlike Bill Parcells, we even uttered his name. We could have taken the easy way out and focused on a personnel move that added a talented player to the team. We could have cited Wade Phillips' decision to serve as defensive coordinator in addition to head coach. But those decisions, while significant, didn't have the same impact on this team going ..."
Tony Romo almost gets to play hero, but NFC loses
"Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo seems to have found a new favorite receiver. Five of Romo's 13 completions Sunday went to Atlanta's Roddy White. But Miles Austin isn't jealous."I'm just happy to be here on the team," the Cowboys receiver said.It was a star-studded night at the Pro Bowl as eight Cowboys played for the NFC, which was coached by Wade Phillips and his staff. Romo nearly played the part of hero despite coming in as the third quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Donovan McNabb.After Romo engineered two scoring drives, the NFC trailed 41-34. Romo marched his team to the AFC 31 before Pittsburgh's James Harrison intercepted a pass intended for DeSean Jackson with 2:07 ..."
Super Bowls in Miami have not been kind to Dallas Cowboys
"When the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints take the field Sunday at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, it will mark the 10th Super Bowl played in the city. A look back at some of the super moments in Miami:Best game: Super Bowl XIII had it all: two iconic coaches, two legendary quarterbacks and two defenses worthy of their nicknames. In the rematch of Super Bowl X, the Steelers and Cowboys were playing to become the first NFL team to win three Super Bowls. In a rare occurrence for the Super Bowl, the game exceeded the hype. Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach combined for seven touchdown passes in what was at the time the highest-scoring Super Bowl ever -- a 35-31 victory for the ..."