Cowboys Nostalgia Thread

I was always a big fan of Downs. I just remember thinking he was so smooth.
Him, Walls, and Fellows were quite the group for those early 80's years.

In I think it was '85 I remembered reading one of those season preview mags where they said "Thurman's Thieves had devolved into Thurman's Leaks".
 
Yeah, remember how he insisted on more "balance" and forced in Ernie Mills and all that?

I remember that being a big discussion point in the papers.

Kind of crazy though that until Mike, Gailey was the only coach post-Jimmy that Jerry hired who went on to coach another team. And he was a young, well-regarded coordinator with no prior ties like a Switzer or Campo.
 
Yeah, remember how he insisted on more "balance" and forced in Ernie Mills and all that?

I remember that being a big discussion point in the papers.

Kind of crazy though that until Mike, Gailey was the only coach post-Jimmy that Jerry hired who went on to coach another team. And he was a young, well-regarded coordinator with no prior ties like a Switzer or Campo.
I always thought Ernie Mills was one of the better moves Gailey made, but he wasn't ready to be a head coach.

For Chan, it was always about what gimmick bullshit he could pull on offense. No systematic interaction between run and pass. No defensive philosophy. No sense of discipline and preparation in all three phases, and utterly no idea about how to prepare a team for the playoffs.

I mean there were entire stretches where we wouldn't pass the football because he didn't have confidence the team had grasped his lame-assed system.

It got to a point where Boomer Esiason is on national television saying, "Here's a thought, THROW the ball, you've got Troy Aikman!"

Emmitt was still in his prime, and Chris Warren and Rocket Ismail were more great additions, but he completely dipshitted out regarding Michael Irvin.

Look in the mirror. If you can't figure out how to get a fucking Hall of Fame player involved in your offense, there's a good chance the guy staring back at you is a complete IDIOT.

Jerry thought he had made a good hire because after the Jimmy breakup and Barry fiascos he wanted there to be no confusion about who was coaching the team, and because of that that coach needed to be calling plays.

It was stupid, set us back, and wasted Troy Aikman's final good years-- maybe even started a chain of events that prematurely ended Aikman's career.
 
Yep, Gailey was one of those Xs and Os wizards who didn't understand that players are what win, not what you can draw up on the chalkboard. Plus he was kind of introverted and not a good people person.

On the positive side, Fake Chan Gailey is my favorite Ticket character of all time.
 
I have to push back on the Chan slander a little.

The only 2 years we made the playoffs between 97 and 2002 were the two years with Gailey as HC.

He was doing something right.
 
I have to push back on the Chan slander a little.

The only 2 years we made the playoffs between 97 and 2002 were the two years with Gailey as HC.

He was doing something right.

Cowboys made the playoffs with Garrett 3 times.

They made it despite Gailey and Garrett.
 
I have to push back on the Chan slander a little.

The only 2 years we made the playoffs between 97 and 2002 were the two years with Gailey as HC.

He was doing something right.
He did have the benefit of Jimmy-assembled talent before it mostly got old, though.
 
Cowboys made the playoffs with Garrett 3 times.

They made it despite Gailey and Garrett.


They made the playoffs 3 out of 10 years with Garrett. A 30 percent playoff rate is a broken clock being right twice a day.

They made it twice in 2 years with Gailey, at a time when the HCs immediately before and after him didn't make it.
 
They made the playoffs 3 out of 10 years with Garrett. A 30 percent playoff rate is a broken clock being right twice a day.

They made it twice in 2 years with Gailey, at a time when the HCs immediately before and after him didn't make it.
They still had several of Jimmy's players, Deion and Larry Allen added from 1994-1995, plus added McIver, Stepnoski (stint 2), Mills, Greg Ellis, Ismail, Warren, and (groan) Alonzo Spellman, not to mention drafting Flozell Adams.

Despite the abysmal 1995-1997 drafts (outside of Randal Goddfrey) There was talent, and the division was vulnerable.

The team had a couple of decent years, but had no real preparation, especially heading into the playoffs. The Cardinals had no business coming into Dallas and whipping the Cowboys in their own stadium in the playoffs.

That was a team we scored 35 on during the regular season, and they blanked our offense until Deion had a sick punt return on a just-recovered broken toe that set up an easy touchdown.

The Vikings totally had our number while Gailey was here in spite of Emmitt running for a lot of yards against them. Yeah I know Moss, etc. but they beat us three times during Gailey's time, and each win was decisive. No answer vs the most dangerous teams. Dude was out of his depth.
 
So did Switzer in 97.

And, Gailey lost Irvin forever only a few games into 99 yet still salvaged the season.
I don't think he was a terrible coach or anything. And like I said before, At least Jerry went through a decent process, and Gailey did go on to coach other places. He probably learned and improved from his time here.
 
I have to push back on the Chan slander a little.

The only 2 years we made the playoffs between 97 and 2002 were the two years with Gailey as HC.

He was doing something right.
Gailey deserves all the slander. He ruined my pro team and then for good measure went to the college ranks and did the same fucking thing.
 
They made the playoffs 3 out of 10 years with Garrett. A 30 percent playoff rate is a broken clock being right twice a day.

They made it twice in 2 years with Gailey, at a time when the HCs immediately before and after him didn't make it.
That was purely residual talent. It got diluted from Switzer and then to Gailey. Then it was watered down piss when the Poodle took over.

I will tell you this, don’t get me started on Gailey. He and his butt buddy Painter talked Jones out of Moss. That alone is unforgivable.
 
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