Gabe Little

UWRT 1103
October 22, 2014
Assignment Two, Complete for Peer Review
The Dallas Cowboys line up to play the New York Giants for the NFC East
championship. Its one of the most important games of the year. Their hearts are pumping, the
fans are screaming, and all the coaches are planning their schemes that they believe will be most
effective to defeat the opposing teams. The commentators are getting ready for the game,
announcing all of the injuries and news from precious games and its just about time to get it
started. The officials step out onto the field with each teams captains and start the walk out to
the center. The crowd slowly hushes to hear the result of the coin flip. The head official flips the
coin and the Cowboys speaking captain calls heads while it is in the air. The coin hits the
ground and, as everyone waits, it rolls and flips and lands on heads. The Cowboys win the toss
and elect to receive the kick. The captains shake hands and return to their respective sidelines
and strap on their helmets. Each teams kickoff and kickoff return take the field and the game
begins with the boom of the kickers foot.
Football is a very traditional sport. It is very methodical and there are many rules and
regulations that go into the game. The Dallas Cowboys are especially traditional because they are
an older organization. They were founded in 1960, before they even had a Super Bowl. The
organization has always done certain things certain ways and they take everything seriously
because in the past, they have had very successful teams. They, as an organization, have five
Super Bowl wins. For years, they had the record for Super Bowl wins. They have always had
decent coaches and a number of exceptionally talented players. Things have changed in todays

society though. In the past ten years, professional football has become a big money maker. Each
player, coach, and owner makes millions of dollars, and its beginning to become the focus of the
organization. Everybody wants more and more money. The play for fame and wealth. Some
players have started reality television shows in order to make more money and it shows a lot of
selfishness in the players and even coaches and owners. For example, the owners make a little
more money than players do because they run the organizations. As a result, many players
protested and stated that they wanted more money. They both make millions and they just want
more. This should not be the focus of the game, and ten to fifteen years ago, it wasnt. It was
about the game. How can I better myself for the team so we can win championships? The key
word is we. That is the biggest difference between the big time hall of famers and the current
players. It is about where your heart is when you are playing this game. These players hearts
and passions are not in the right place.
I played football for seven years before I came to college. It became a passion of mine
and I loved every second of every practice, film session, pre-game meal, and game. I always
liked hitting people. I remember when I came home from my first football practice ever and I
told my mom that I got to hit someone that day. She said I had the biggest smile on my face.
Then it all started. The whole first year, I played line. I started on offensive line and quickly
moved over to defensive line because I could hit and I liked to hit. I never was much of a
blocker. They kept me on defensive line so that I could learn more about the game because it is a
more central position and is less complicated than others on defense. The next year, in seventh
grade, I moved to linebacker and that is where I stayed through my junior year in high school.
My senior year, my coaches asked me to play offensive line because we were short on linemen
that year. I was not fond of the idea because I was at least 50 pounds underweight for this

position and I only lost weight in summer workouts. I tried it though because my team needed
me there more than anywhere else. Looking back, I made some of my fondest memories during
my senior year season. On and off the field, I just loved being around teammates and in the
locker room or on the bus. During my time on the offensive line, our whole line was seniors. We
all grew closer because we spent the majority of our time together and only we knew what it took
to be a lineman. No one else can understand that. It could almost be compared to the military, but
on a much smaller, less serious, less intense scale. I do not compare them lightly, but I am only
referring to the brotherhood aspect of the game and this particular position. Now that I am in
college and no longer play, I have been able to follow the NFL more closely. I have been a
Cowboys fan for years. My uncle got me into it because he has always been a big time Cowboys
fan. I have also met the Dallas Cowboys tight end, Jason Witten, a couple of times. I have grown
to like his character and playing style. Over the past ten years, the Dallas Cowboys have started
to do things differently, or though it seems. They have had several seasons back to back with
only 50% wins or less. They have gone downhill as a team, and they are due for a climb back to
the top.
Over the past ten years, the Dallas Cowboys football team has changed in a less than
impressive way. They play a different way, they coach a different way, and they strategize a 6
different way. The changes theyve made have negatively affected their reputation and their
record from season to season. They are constantly having to change personnel and have been
through a few coaches over the past years. As a result, many people have a negative opinion of
the Cowboys and do not believe they can do well. They need to really turn this around and get
this straight. They need to get back in and start winning games again.

Tony Romo is a key component of the Cowboys game. He plays quarterback and often
does well, but he seems to make costly mistakes in the most important situations. In the past five
years, he has fumbled snaps and thrown almost as many interceptions as he has touchdowns. If
he plays well, he plays really well and throws very accurately. When he is not playing well, he
really pulls the team down and becomes a big contribution to the losses. Prior to Romo, Troy
Aikman was the quarterback. He led the team to 3 Super Bowls and he was very well known for
this. He was a great quarterback and some people compare Romo to Aikman and that is part of
why he gets such a bad rap.
The Cowboys have also made some big changes in the coaching staff. About 10 years
ago, Bill Parcels was the head coach. He was very well known and coached many teams in the
NFL. He was a good coach for the Cowboys from 2003-2006. The next coach was Wade
Phillips. He coached there from 2007-2010. He was not a good coach at all. He was the coach
that started the slump. He had a few 500 seasons and just did not make good coaching decisions.
The current coach is Jason Garret. He has done well. He has worked hard to pull the team back
up and out of the slump. The team has still had a couple 500 seasons but they are playing better
each year. In fact, this year, the Cowboys have started their season 5-1, with a 5 game win streak.
They are playing very well and are minimizing their mistakes and winning games. The program
is starting to turn back around and is headed back in the right direction.
I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for several years. When I first became a fan, they were just
beginning the slump. They had just lost Bill Parcels and it was a few years after their most recent
Super Bowl victory. Since then I have been able to follow the Cowboys and see that they are
trying to figure things out. They are trying to make all the right changes to get back into winning
ball games. I have been able to follow more closely since I got into college because I do not play

football anymore. Because of this, I still want to have football in my life in some way so I watch
football and watch players and stats so that I can keep up with the NFL. My passion is still in
football, but its different because I am not playing anymore.
Every team hits a slump at some point in time. No team can ever be good every year. The
Cowboys are experiencing this. They have not been doing well in a few years but they are
between peaks. This is how football works and this is what keeps the game exciting and even
somewhat unpredictable. It keeps the game alive. If the same teams were good every year,
football would get old and boring and never bring in any money after so long. It is constantly
changing and constantly becoming more popular and more exciting. The only way the Cowboys
can improve this part of their game is to continue to find people who are not just out there for a
large pay check. They will have to use younger players that are skilled and eager to play because
veterans will continue to complain that they do not make enough money.
The Dallas Cowboys have steadily declined over the past few years. They have won
fewer games each year and have steadied at about a 500 record each season (this means they had
as many losses as they had wins). (See sources page).
Tony Romo make a lot of mistakes. He seems to have an ability to make game deciding
mistakes in the biggest, most important games. Often times, they are simple mistakes that most
people would consider an easy fix. These range from countless interceptions to fumbling snaps
to getting sacked because he held onto the ball too long. He has a reputation for choking under
pressure and this video shows that in a concise manner. (See sources page).
Marion Barber was a very good running back. He was quick, shifty, and explosive. He
read blocks very well and always made the best possible plays he could, given each situation. As

years passed, he became less effective. He did not do as well and wasnt making plays as much
as he had before.
Demarco Murray is a very talented running back and he is fast and always knows how to
read the blocks. He is not as explosive as Marion Barber was but he is still a great running back.
The past few years, he has had a hard staying healthy. He is injured a lot of the time and doesnt
stay out long enough so when he goes back, he is hurt again fairly soon was a similar injury as
before. Overall, when Murray is healthy he is very effective on the field. (See sources page).
Jason Witten has been one of the best receivers the Cowboys have had in years and has
become known as one of the best tight ends in the league in his time. He is very reliable and
hardly drops a pass. He holds the team record for most career receptions even over all the wide
receivers. This is uncommon because tight ends block on the line half the time and dont run
routes, so it is much more difficult for them to get a large number of receptions. (See sources
page).
Troy Aikman played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the early 90s. He was one of
their best quarterbacks in team history. He led the team to several Super Bowls and many
successful seasons. He is a very well-known player in all of the NFL and the history of the game.
He has made an impact on the game and will always be remembered as the quarterback that led
the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. (See sources page).
Miles Austin is a receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. He has had spurts of good playing, but
has not been very consistent overall. He is fast, and explosive, and confident and always knows
his routes. He never drops a good pass, but similar to Demarco Murray, he stays injured. He
always ends up getting hurt, rolling his ankle or getting hit in the ribs or any given accident. This

becomes frustrating as a coach so he started getting less playing and now, he doesnt even start.
(See sources page).
Assignment one is a summary of three observations of mine of Dallas Cowboys games
and analysis of the way they have played. I introduce players and coaches and officials and
commentators to show the different parts played in each game. In doing this, the reader will
better understand how my figured world works. (See sources page).
The Dallas Cowboys are going through what every team goes though at some point.
Every year, players and coaches are shuffled around and no one knows how things are going to
end up before the season gets going. If the seasons were predictable, no one would care to watch.
It would lose a lot of popularity and a whole lot of money. Football would lose the entertainment
factor. In addition, if the same teams were always good and the same teams were always not as
good, it would not be any fun for the players and the league may even lose players and coaches
and officials in addition to the fans. Football has to stay unpredictable to be interesting. Because
of this, the Cowboys are one of those teams that is in the midst of a struggling time. They are
rebuilding the team from top to bottom. In fact, in this 2014 season, they drafted and are starting
several rookies on the offensive line. This is unheard of as most teams starters are veterans, but,
as stated earlier, they are revamping the program from top to bottom and will continue to do so
until they reach the desired level of play.

Sources:
"Dallas Cowboys: An Evolution." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
"Tony Romo Top 5 Costly Interceptions." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
"Marion Barber The Beast." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
"Espn First Take - Dallas Cowboys Struggles W/ DeMarco Murray." YouTube. Accessed
October 3, 2014.
"Jason Witten Highlights." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
"TroyAikman Highlight Vid HD." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
"Miles Austin 2009-2010 Season Highlights." YouTube. Accessed October 3, 2014.
Gabe Little, Assignment One (University Writing, UNC Charlotte, 2014)