First of all, I appreciate all the wellness checks on ye old commish last evening after yet another dumpster was lit in Dallas. I’m okay, thanks. Actually, better than okay.
It’s been a beautiful weather week. I even put on a windbreaker one morning this week. Football season is ramping up, with the Eastside Spartans opening up a can last night on Wise Central to kick off their season. A monster college game tomorrow (at noon???!!! Why???!!!. That screams for at least 3:30pm, if not 7-8pm) between future Cowboy QB, Arch Manning and his Texas Longhorns against the defending national champs, Ohio State Buckeyes. Wow. When that calendar flips over to September next week, my whole outlook on life usually improves. Bring on the cooler weather, the hoodies, the casual stroll into spooky season, football games 5 nights a week, the Ryder Cup, Wednesday Season 2, Part Two incoming … and the SPFL.
Now, one might ask, why am I excited about the SPFL season this year? Draft analysis experts gave ye old Commish a D grade on his picks and project him to only win 2 games out of 14 this season to finish DFL. On the other hand, the Bright 1s, are expected to go 14-0 and rampage through the regular season like a freight train. We’ll see … I feel pretty good about my roster TBH, except for being stuck (for the second year in a row!) placing my QB hopes on young Caleb Williams. Everything had fell into place, I’d gotten many of my pre-draft targets and had Justin Fields queued up to draft in round 9, with only one pick to go before me. Said drafter ahead of me already had Lamar Jackson. Oh, and also Joe Burrow. So, I was primed and ready — Fields, with no viable backup in NY, only one good WR, ready to restore some glory in Mayberry by piling up some fantasy points for the Mighty Moops…
Wait. Whut? Said drafter before me, picked Justin Fields. To ride the pine? Behind Lamar? Oh, and also Burrow? (Side note: said drafter also failed to select a team defense before the end of the draft. Just sayin’.) Is ye old Commish bitter about his decision to eliminate all roster restrictions? No. After all, it’s pumpkin spice season.
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Someone asked me what I thought the steal of the draft was. I have two quick answers. I think Demario Douglas as a keeper in round 16 is pretty sweet, TBH. Drake Maye in year two is going to appreciate his little PPR nugget. I also like JJ McCarthy, picked in round 11. Not that I’m a great McCarthy fan, but I am a fan of his coach in Minnesota, who made Kirk Cousins look like a fantasy stat machine for years and made Sam Freakin’ Darnold look like a capable NFL quarterback most of last year. And it doesn’t hurt to have Justin Jefferson to throw to. Should be a good pick. Probably a lot better than a panic induced selection of Caleb Williams in round 9.
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This time next week, the NFL season will have started and the Cowboys will officially be 0-1. Can’t wait. Thanks to all of you who’ve paid your SPFL dues already, but we still lack 3 owners being marked as paid. I won’t call them out yet, although you could find their names on our league site if you were so inclined. The waiver wire is officially opened, as you might have seen the Auto Picks, nay, Team 12, nay, Higgins and The Lad(d)s, have already made a roster move. Cool name, BTW, I wonder how many of the other owners even know what it comes from without the help of Google? … (eyebrows aggressively raising)
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How about some NFL predictions? In the AFC, I’ve got division winners: Ravens, Texans, Bills, and Chiefs, wild cards: Broncos, Jags, and Bengals. Bills vs. Ravens in the AFC Championship with Lamar and King Henry heading to the Big Game. In the NFC, I’ve got division winners: Eagles, Lions, Bucs, and Seahawks, wild cards: Falcons, Packers, and Commanders. Lions vs. Eagles in the NFC Championship with the Eagles pushing their tush back to the Big Game. In the Super Bowl, I see the Ravens over the Eagles in a great game.
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Finally, and likely no one cares, but I think it would do me some good to get my thoughts on the whole Micah Parsons situation out to the world. Or the 4 of you that typically read this. Unlike most Cowboys fans last night and today… I’m actually kinda okay with it. Most are completely melting down. I’m not. Let me explain.
I used to be a Jerry Jones apologist. I’ve changed the last 2-3 years. I no longer am under his spell. I treasured and appreciated the 1990s Cowboys and the Triplets. They won 3 Lombardi’s, but I’ve come to accept that was in spite of Jerry. It should have been more. I was a fan before Jerry Jones was on the NFL radar (think Danny White, Tom Landry, and Tony Dorsett). And I’ve remained a fan for the 30 years (!) since the Glory Days of the Triplets. But figuring out Jerry and losing faith in Jerry doesn’t mean I don’t love the Cowboys anymore. Anyone who has seen my little twuck in town will know it. A true fan can’t just abandon their team. It doesn’t work like that. I’m in it, unfortunately, for good. So, with that being said, I was looking forward to the season, but I had no expectations for it. I knew that Dallas would be a mediocre team, likely just outside the Wild Card race, probably winning 7-8 games, with a healthy pass game, no run game, and a so-so defense. That was my expectation — and that was with Micah Parsons wearing a star and making $41-47m/year. Now, without Parsons, and saving $41-47m/year, I’m expecting … kind of the same.
Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s a great player. An elite player. He’s exciting and a difference maker on the field. But …
I’m as plugged in as a Cowboys fan in Wise County, Virginia, can be. I have a paid subscription to the Dallas Morning News year round. I follow all the insiders and beat reporters on Twitter and Substack. And, my gut feeling is that Parsons was a respected player on the team, but not beloved. He seems very moody with poor body language, even in the best of times. Easily distracted and not very focused. He just didn’t seem to be a leader that the team flows through, like you expect your elite players to be. Say what you will, but Dak is a leader. Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders were leaders.
And Parsons never seemed to be a factor in the few big games the Cowboys had during his tenure. It was like he ran out of gas every year. His 100mph motor is conducive to injury and wearing down. So, I’m okay with us not paying him $47m/year and being so top heavy with Parsons, Prescott, and Lamb’s contracts.
Now, we have the second most cap space in the NFL! (Re-Sign Brandon Aubrey, Jerry, please! He’s going to kick a 70 yard field goal this year! They don’t call him Butter for nothing). We have three draft picks in the first two rounds of each of the next two drafts. Six total. That’s either a lot of good players or a package to move up and get a difference maker at QB.
I’m not trying to apologize for Jerry. I don’t for a minute believe he was strategic or took the long view of things. I think his ego got bruised and he barked at someone who was willing to bark back. And it cost us as fans, a disruptive sacking machine. But … what does it matter? We couldn’t win with him, might as well not win without him and hope for the best in the next couple of years. Arch Manning, 2027.
Have a great Labor Day weekend everyone and … let the games begin!
The Commish