SPORTSDAY

Posted by Wayne @ 10:53 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Albert - you've been a welcome addition to this blog and have added a lot with your football knowledge. However, you might want to tone down the condescending attitude a notch or three. Just sayin'.

Posted by william @ 10:54 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I've never thought that the national media are prejudice against the Cowboys. I've always thought they were idiots.
I also have a feeling that Wade Phillips was Parcells choice for his replacement. In other words, the reason Parcells had to retire this year depended more on a limited window the Cowboys had to acquire the coaches Parcells and Jerry Jones desired to take the next step.

Posted by Ryan in DC @ 10:56 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I agree somewhat..............

However, how do you then explain the lack of Cowboys Hall of Famers? According to every NFL team statistic (and I know you're a numbers guy) the Dallas Cowboys have been the most successful franchise in NFL history (most Super Bowl appearances, most Super Bowl wins, Conference Championships, playoff appearances, playoff wins, division titles, etc.).

No other team can compete across the boards with these comprehensive stats, so by logic if you are the best team in history you probably would have the most players in the HOF. Not the case. Why is that then? I doubt it's because the local/state/regional media is ignoring the achievements of the team. That only leaves one other place to point...

Posted by Ryan in DC @ 10:58 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I agree somewhat..............

However, how do you then explain the lack of Cowboys Hall of Famers? According to every NFL team statistic (and I know you're a numbers guy) the Dallas Cowboys have been the most successful franchise in NFL history (most Super Bowl appearances, most Super Bowl wins, Conference Championships, playoff appearances, playoff wins, division titles, etc.).

No other team can compete across the boards with these comprehensive stats, so by logic if you are the best team in history you probably would have the most players in the HOF. Not the case. Why is that then? I doubt it's because the local/state/regional media is ignoring the achievements of the team. That only leaves one other place to point...

Posted by StB @ 11:00 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Agreed. Even worse must be the "national fan", the fan of an opposing team that sees a final score or maybe highlights of a game and makes judgement without having watched the entire game or understood what a team's game plan was for the game.

Posted by joe @ 11:05 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Albert once again you don't know what you are talking about. I'll just give you one example. Go to espn.com and watch any comment you ever see by Mike Wilbon on PTI!!! I used to love this show. I especially liked how unbiased an balanced Wilbons commentary was. Then the Cowboys got back in the headlines and all of the sudden Wilbons balance some how got off kilter!!!! This happens with tons of eastern press people. I'm telling you watch the clips!!! Albert don't tell us what bias is. The Cowboys are the greatest team in the modern era of the National Football League!!! How many Cowboys are not in the HOF because of the eastern yankee voters!!!!! Shut up Breer!!!

Posted by william @ 11:10 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

StB? Take the 14 games or so played on Sunday and multiply each game by about 2 hours that are left when deleting commercials and the half time shows (Actually 15 minutes times 4 equals 1 hour but figure a person needs to look at another 1 hour to get the peripheral essence of the game).
Okay, so you have 28 hours of viewing just on Sunday. What does this mean? It means the best anyone can be is a national fan. So, a lot of these national guys just pretend to know everything because the best they can do is pick up bits and bites of all the games.

Posted by Hook'em in Houston @ 11:20 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Breer, you really are a naive Bostonian bonehead if you think there isn't a northeastern bias in the sports media. Let's just see if your opinion changes the next time you submit a freelance piece to Sports Illustrated or ESPN the Mag about Texas football, Dirk Nowitzki, NASCAR, or any other topic the "National" media doesn't care about.

Posted by Amy @ 11:23 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

What about Skip Bayless?

And just who but the national media is keeping Harvey Martin, Drew Pearson, Cliff Harris, Charles Haley, Bob Hayes, etc. out of the Hall of Fame?

Posted by StB @ 11:29 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

william,
It doesn't take much time to Google the newspaper that covers an opposing team to get more facts on what happened.

I know Packer fans that spout off about the Lions game without understanding the defensive scheme involved or talking about how the Lions ran all over the Cowboys when it was really the first drive and the first half.

Posted by Denise J. @ 11:34 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I think you have to give TO some credit also for fulfilling that role as a leader. The Raiders gave Moss the same role last year (coaches made him a captain) and looked how that turned out.

That being said, I couldn't help but notice how TO reacted after that 3 catch performance. After Whitten scored that game winner (where TO was open also) he didn't come over and congratulate him. Also, when the game was over, the cameras showed him stoically walking off the field, when everyone else was jumping up and down, celebrating the win and division championship. In his interview he said the "right things" about it being a team game and all about the wins.

Something tells me he will be featured alot against the Eagles...

Posted by Jeff @ 11:38 AM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

The fact is that the New York market controls the sports media. The Washington DC market helps. If the Redskins or Jets or Giants are not in a position to win a championship, they go nuts on whoever is better. It has happened since 1980 or so and it keeps getting worse. Not just for Dallas, but for all teams that aren't in the NE turf. It aint gonna change, either. Even if the Cows win a Super Bowl this year, it will come with a Northeastern asterisk, as they lost to New England during the regular season. Either Al is an idiot or one of them. I don't think he is an idiot. So....

Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 12:02 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I can't really comment on the "National Media" cause I don't check out SI or Sporting News or whatever all that often. But I damn sure know that there is an East Coast Bias out there. And to make things even worse for the Cowboys is that there is no media power on the 3rd Coast area. Just look at the Heisman voters. They almost always come from the East or West coast. I can only think of Ricky Williams, Barry Sanders, and Earl Campbell winning it in the 5 state area.

Then there's the NFL HOF arguement that has been brought up. I think that they need to add about 8 more Cowboys or else change the name to the Landry Trophy. I mean how else can you explain the Cowboys doing things that no other team in NFL history has done? Either they have been robbed of some HOF players or else Landry is the greatest coach in all of professional sports.

Posted by Joe @ 12:14 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Don't tell me the herd doesn't have it's biases. Have you ever heard so much doubt and negativity about a hugely successful rookie quarterback like Romo? Every time he made mistakes his quarterbacking was being called into question, even when he won or at least got the team into position to win. I don't seem to recall that kind of hope for failure with Farve or Manning or McNabb, even though Romo's start overwhelmed theirs.

Posted by Deebs @ 12:15 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Mr. Breer, you said, "One thing that's always bothered me with fans -- and seems to be prevalent in every team's rooting base -- is perception of the 'National Media.'"

Can I just say, "Thank you!"

Why is it that EVERY fan thinks his or her team is somehow being discriminated against?

I sometimes get a kick out of reading message boards for various NFL teams' fans, and two things seem to be constant through all of them. (1) These fans think they the refs are ALWAYS biased and/or are being paid off by the other team, and (b) that the national media hates them. Read a Patriots message board, and all you'll hear is whining about the withchunt that the media does every week on the Pats in regards to Spygate, the running-up-the-score controversy, etc. Now read a Jets message board, and all you'll see are fans complaining about how the media wants "golden boy" Tom Brady to win another title, how the refs never call penalties on the Pats, etc etc etc.

As a diehard Cowboys fan, I understand sports fanaticism. But I don't see why that fanaticism nearly always includes a loss of objectivity. I don't think the media hates the Cowboys (we're overexposed, if anything). I don't think the league has it in for us. And I definitely do NOT think there is any sort of ridiculous Hall of Fame "bias," against us that so many fans seem to think exists.

Fans just love to have that "Us against the World" mentality. And usually, the world couldn't care less.

Posted by Carrie w. @ 12:16 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Exampe: Sunday the announcer kept saying TO had to impact on the game. That is ridiculous when TO drew 2 & 3 men each time he went out for his routes. I would say that has an impact on the game. I was very disappointed that Troy, being a former QB did not points this out to his announce sidekick.

Posted by craigw @ 12:18 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

On the one hand, most prognosticators have the cowboys as the 2nd ranked team, as they should be (3rd is tolerable considering Indy's strong play of late).

On the other, I think that HOF argument holds weight. The cowboys will always have 10 times the number of detractors than your average team will. The lobbying it took to get Irvin in was ridiculous. I don't know the old football teams, but it does make sense that if you're winning championships you probably have some great players.

Posted by question @ 12:39 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

What about Norv? Was he not given a good team???

Posted by craigw @ 12:46 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

For anyone that wants to insert some facts in this debate:

www.profootballhof.com/hof/teams.html

Mind you, some of those teams have been around a lot longer than the boys, but still. Notably, NE hasn't gotten any love, but I bet that will change in a hurry after Brady and Co. retire.

Posted by Brandon B @ 12:50 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

As a full-fledged member of the East Coast bias club, Albert shouldn't be passing judgment. After a few years in Dallas, he will figure out there really is something to the whole media bias.

Take this year for example. The Cowboys started the season ranked in the 9 or 10 range (which is probably correct). After 3 or 4 weeks, the Cowboys moved up to #3 or #4 in most polls (which again is correct). Around the time the Cowboys played the Giants, most of the national media was talking about the Giants being the "hottest" team in the NFC and how the Cowboys were likely to get beat. Next came the Eagles game and all we heard was how the NFC East championship ran through Philly and that the Cowboys would have a hard time winning there. Then came the GB game and the national media trumpeting the most overrated corners in the game. The Cowboys weren't going to be able to handle the GB passing attack.

After each of these wins, the Cowboys' victory was discounted for one reason or another by much of the national media. That Skip-Bayless-wannabe Wilbon even said he was convinced that GB is a better team than the Cowboys only 11 days removed from the Cowboys beating the Packers. What a tool.

Compare all of this with the way Pittsburgh has been viewed by the national media. For much of the season, the Steelers were ranked above the Cowboys even though the Steelers had 1 more loss. The Steelers have lost to some bad teams, needed almost a miracle to beat Cleveland at home, barely beat a no-loss team, yet most in the national media still have them ranked around #5.

Good thing the NFL doesn't employ the BCS...

Posted by Tod @ 1:19 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

I think it's mainly selective hearing that causes fans to complain about the media bias. For all the examples here of analysts who have been down on the Cowboys, there are many others who backed the team. Mike Wilbon (who i generally like) has been anti-Cowboys this year. But guess what? His partner in Kornheiser has been the opposite. And I think the famed East Coast media bias is really more of a media focus - due in a large part because of the teams' passionate fan bases. There are plenty of people who complain about a pro-Cowboys bias as well - but it's for the same reason. Lots of fans = attention, both good and bad.

Oh and Skip Bayless is a complete idiot who should just be ignored.

Posted by JDA @ 2:14 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

The "Stillers" have had their butts kissed by the media for how many years now? No matter what their record is, nobody in the national media dare put them in a corner with any comments.

I live here in Western PA, the heart of "Stillers" football. It's bad enough listening to the fans around here and the way the local media sucks up to them no matter how crappy a game they had or how lousy a season they're having.

The local media is STILL saying what a great game they played against the Patriots on Sunday. You wouldn't believe the high marks the Pittsburgh Post Gazette gave them on Monday morning. I guess they didn't see the same game I did.

I hate the "Stillers" and the media that puckers up to kiss their asses every season. So you have the opposite end of the spectrum there as compared to the Cowboys getting bias from the national media despite being 12-1!!

Posted by Pokes @ 2:37 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Ill tune into the ECBN (east coast bias network) whenever I need a good laugh.

Posted by Tony @ 6:35 PM Wed, Dec 12, 2007

Condescending... Omnipotent... Irrelevent topic... I think you belong on the Bold types blog in the Metro section, Breer.

Posted by Gar y @ 4:38 AM Thu, Dec 13, 2007

I can only imagine the saying is "TOW the line". If he TOE's the line, it would smell like his foot.