Dan Reeves: You can't win with distractions, different agendas
by Tim MacMahon
Dan Reeves hasn't officially been hired as a Cowboys consultant, but his thoughts about what went wrong at Valley Ranch are already on the record.
Reeves did an interview with East Texas radio legend David Smoak earlier this month (thanks to DC Fanatic for digging it out of the archives). When asked about the Cowboys' problems this season, he mentioned injuries and a loss of confidence before getting to the heart of the matter.
"They had an awful lot of distractions - things that you don't need to have with a football team, the T.O.s, the Pacman Jones instances," Reeves said. "You say, well, that doesn't really bother us. But it really does, because that's the focus.
Everybody has to answer those questions, and it takes away from the time that you could spend doing something that's productive."
Smoak actually asked Reeves whether he could work for Jerry Jones. Reeves left no doubt that he could, but hinted that some things would have to change for that to happen.
"Oh, gosh, I could work for anybody," Reeves said. "I think you can work with anybody if you get people to work together. That's the thing. You've got to be able to work together. If you've got people going in different directions, then you've got no chance. "
Reeves gave a lengthy answer when Smoak brought up the subject of team chemistry.
"I think you've got to have people with great character first, people who are unselfish, people who can fit into an environment of a football team. If you've got players that all they're thinking about is themselves - how many catches they have or how many pass can they throw or how many runs they're going to have - they're not worried about the bottom line, which is winning football games.
"People with great character, I think, do that. As much as you look for the physical things, they're easy to find. The key is trying to look inside and see what makes a young man tick. Is he a team player? Can you build chemistry around people?
"Yeah, they won't be a problem when you're winning, but as soon as things turn south, you've got a problem on your hands. You want people to be there through the thick and the thin and not be frontrunners."
It certainly doesn't seem like Reeves' hire would be a good sign for folks who want T.O. to return to Valley Ranch next season.
Dan Reeves hasn't officially been hired as a Cowboys consultant, but his thoughts about what went wrong at Valley Ranch are already on the record.
Reeves did an interview with East Texas radio legend David Smoak earlier this month (thanks to DC Fanatic for digging it out of the archives). When asked about the Cowboys' problems this season, he mentioned injuries and a loss of confidence before getting to the heart of the matter.
"They had an awful lot of distractions - things that you don't need to have with a football team, the T.O.s, the Pacman Jones instances," Reeves said. "You say, well, that doesn't really bother us. But it really does, because that's the focus.
Everybody has to answer those questions, and it takes away from the time that you could spend doing something that's productive."
Smoak actually asked Reeves whether he could work for Jerry Jones. Reeves left no doubt that he could, but hinted that some things would have to change for that to happen.
"Oh, gosh, I could work for anybody," Reeves said. "I think you can work with anybody if you get people to work together. That's the thing. You've got to be able to work together. If you've got people going in different directions, then you've got no chance. "
Reeves gave a lengthy answer when Smoak brought up the subject of team chemistry.
"I think you've got to have people with great character first, people who are unselfish, people who can fit into an environment of a football team. If you've got players that all they're thinking about is themselves - how many catches they have or how many pass can they throw or how many runs they're going to have - they're not worried about the bottom line, which is winning football games.
"People with great character, I think, do that. As much as you look for the physical things, they're easy to find. The key is trying to look inside and see what makes a young man tick. Is he a team player? Can you build chemistry around people?
"Yeah, they won't be a problem when you're winning, but as soon as things turn south, you've got a problem on your hands. You want people to be there through the thick and the thin and not be frontrunners."
It certainly doesn't seem like Reeves' hire would be a good sign for folks who want T.O. to return to Valley Ranch next season.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:49 PM
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