By JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
jenfloyd@star-telegram.com
IRVING — I experienced JerryWorld as a consumer Monday. I way, way, way overpaid for U2 tickets and way underpaid for parking. That’s a long walk back to $5-land.
I tasted a $13 green chile Kobe burger and paid $8 for beers a couple of times and bought insanely priced concert T-shirts. And I would pay double, this morning, if I had the chance to see them again. The beers tasted great, the tickets reasonable because U2 was that good. They always are.
Can Cowboys fans say that lately, Jerry Jones? Can you?
Or do you have to at least listen as NBC’s Rodney Harrison, an ex-Patriot with no horse in this race, says: "They’re too inconsistent and not a well-coached team. I don’t believe in this team."
The obvious answer is to relieve the coach of his duties. Wade Phillips so obviously has failed to deliver on his promise of "more whatever," evidenced again in KC by 13 penalties, another "sloppy" game by Flo, an uninspired start and zero apparent consequences.
Give The Redheaded Genius the final 11 games to see if he’s got a little Mike Tomlin potential, or if big bags of cash need to be heaved at Mike Holmgren ASAP.
Not buying, Jerry? Then Coach Wade at least needs to tape this mantra onto his mirror next to his postcard from his ’Boys’ trip to Cabo: What would Bono do?
Because I almost guarantee he’d start by starting Tashard Choice and Miles Austin against Atlanta. And do so because that is what is going to produce results.
The Cowboys have so clearly lost sight of this very basic tenet of excellence. You play your best guys, and you put those guys in positions to make plays. Even if feelings get hurt.
Instead we have a band camp brewing at Valley Ranch, with trophies for everybody. Nobody will even say Austin is the starter despite the fact he is starting because of the implied putdown of Patrick Crayton.
And we care, why? He needs a little reality.
It is a little touchier with starting Choice ahead of Marion Barber, who is so obviously slowed by his strained quad. So why start him and give him way more touches than Choice in KC? Because he wants to is why. He is still smarting from being called out by Owner Jones a year ago for not playing hurt. So he wants to play and nobody is willing to tell him no, or yes but you will be used as a closer.
And this unwillingness to do or say the hard thing is hurting them.
Choice deserves more touches, as evidenced by 92 yards in very limited, eight-carry duty. And the guys holding the $8 beers deserve to see the best team the Cowboys can field. Period.
"They always say the best play, but we understand our roles, man," Choice said. "Those guys are going to be the main guys and my role is to help them. I can’t say, 'I want to be this, I want to be that.’ Until they tell me, 'This is what we want from you,’ I do my job."
Choice wants to start. Of course, he does.
What he does not do is complain, or whine, or even hint at either.
The only scary part? Guess who is Choice’s mentor in navigating this balance between wanting more touches and being a good soldier.
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