These are tense times in Dallas. Monday included a players-only meeting. Coach Wade Phillips showed rare emotion, saying he didn’t appreciate a reporter’s line of questioning about a lack of discipline.
The coach also had to answer to cornerback Terence Newman’s claims that Dallas’ problems start in practice. Phillips says the practices are fine. Well, except last Friday.
“Do I think it could be better? Sure,” Phillips said. “Do I think we had a bad practice Friday? Yes, we told them that in the meeting. We went back over it and said, ‘Hey, we didn’t practice well enough.’”
The practice was held at JerryWorld in front of a bunch of touring fans, many of whom were wearing Bears jerseys. The Cowboys blew a number of simple assignments, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
The disorganized practice in front of random fans is a small thing, but it’s a window into an organization that seems to value marketing so highly.
“Do I think practice in the stadium inhibited us in that game? I don’t,” Phillips said. “I think it’s us getting ready and preparing the team as coaches.”
McMahon disagrees, and says the entire preseason’s three-city adventure is another sign that selling the team often comes first. Safety Gerald Sensabaugh says there’s too much hype around a winless team.
“There seems like there’s brain farts everywhere,” Sensabaugh said. “Everywhere. Everybody. Last week, this week, what are we doing? What is this? We look like a circus, like a bunch of clowns out there.”