EMMITT, DORSETT CAUTION BARBER
by Mike Florio
Former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who supposedly is a neutral observer (eye roll) in his capacity as an analyst with ESPN, thinks that current Dallas tailback Marion Barber needs to adjust his bruising style.
“I think he spends a lot of energy that may not be necessary,” Smith said earlier this year. “For a starting back, I’m all about putting your heart into it, but you’re doing a lot of kicking, running up, bucking and you’re exerting a lot of energy.
“We need you for four quarters. And I’m going to say ‘we’ because I’m a Cowboy, too. We need you for four quarters.”
Another former Cowboys tailback agrees. Tony Dorsett, who still looks like he could suit up and play right now, worries that Barber’s refusal to avoid contact could hurt him.
“He can make a run that can get the crowd involved here at Texas Stadium and get his teammates revved up as well,” Dorsett said. “I like this guy. I like him a whole lot. My only concern is that this is a very physical league.
“When you take a lot of hits over a period of time, it takes its toll on you. I just hope he becomes a little wiser and smarter about some of the hits he takes.”
From the sound of it, however, current coach Wade Phillips prefers that Emmitt and Tony zip their lips on the topic.
“I think that’s where you get in trouble, when you start telling a guy to do things he doesn’t naturally do,” Phillips said.
Um, Wade? Isn’t that the whole point of coaching? To get a guy to not do that which he otherwise would do “naturally”?
But, hey, if you want the guy to come apart at the seams in a couple of years, it’s your prerogative. Then again, maybe that’s the point. Phillips knows his window of opportunity to win it all in Dallas is as wide as it ever will get. So why should he care about whether Barber is still in less than five pieces when coach-in-waiting Jason Garrett is running the show?
Without Barber continuing to run like a silver-and-blue bull on Red Bull, that day would likely come a lot sooner.
Former Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who supposedly is a neutral observer (eye roll) in his capacity as an analyst with ESPN, thinks that current Dallas tailback Marion Barber needs to adjust his bruising style.
“I think he spends a lot of energy that may not be necessary,” Smith said earlier this year. “For a starting back, I’m all about putting your heart into it, but you’re doing a lot of kicking, running up, bucking and you’re exerting a lot of energy.
“We need you for four quarters. And I’m going to say ‘we’ because I’m a Cowboy, too. We need you for four quarters.”
Another former Cowboys tailback agrees. Tony Dorsett, who still looks like he could suit up and play right now, worries that Barber’s refusal to avoid contact could hurt him.
“He can make a run that can get the crowd involved here at Texas Stadium and get his teammates revved up as well,” Dorsett said. “I like this guy. I like him a whole lot. My only concern is that this is a very physical league.
“When you take a lot of hits over a period of time, it takes its toll on you. I just hope he becomes a little wiser and smarter about some of the hits he takes.”
From the sound of it, however, current coach Wade Phillips prefers that Emmitt and Tony zip their lips on the topic.
“I think that’s where you get in trouble, when you start telling a guy to do things he doesn’t naturally do,” Phillips said.
Um, Wade? Isn’t that the whole point of coaching? To get a guy to not do that which he otherwise would do “naturally”?
But, hey, if you want the guy to come apart at the seams in a couple of years, it’s your prerogative. Then again, maybe that’s the point. Phillips knows his window of opportunity to win it all in Dallas is as wide as it ever will get. So why should he care about whether Barber is still in less than five pieces when coach-in-waiting Jason Garrett is running the show?
Without Barber continuing to run like a silver-and-blue bull on Red Bull, that day would likely come a lot sooner.
posted by The Gryphon at 5:55 PM
<< Home