Jerry hints at more interviews; Rivera didn’t help his chances

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Jerry Jones, the media whore...

By Kirk Bohls | Monday, February 5, 2007, 09:46 AM
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/bohls/entries/2007/02/05/jerry_hints_at.html

MIAMI — Jerry Jones indicated here at the announcement that Michael Irvin had been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame that the Dallas Cowboys owner might interview one or two more candidates before hiring Bill Parcell’s successor.

But Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera did little to distinguish himself or raise his chances of landing the job when the Indianapolis Colts drubbed Chicago in last night’s Super Bowl.

Colts quarterback coach Jim Caldwell might stand a better chance and could receive an interview. He got the blessing of quarterback Peyton Manning, who said Monday, “There’s no question he’s ready to be a head coach in the NFL or at the collegiate level. He’s taken my game to the next level.”

However, the smart money is still on former Cowboys assistant Norv Turner, who was at Irvin’s party on Saturday along with new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Expect Turner to be named either Tuesday or Thursday. A Dallas source said Jones would not name a coach on Wednesday because he wants a big splash and doesn’t want to compete with national signing day for high school football players.

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Seems like some of our friends in pukesville are getting tired of the drama, too...

End the non-suspense Jerry, and just hire Norv
JENNIFER FLOYD ENGEL
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/16626986.htm

Owner Jones is about as subtle at times as Britney Spears' undergarments.

Like now, in the Cowboys' coaching search.

He admits to be "leaning" toward a certain candidate. He also admitted that the ability to develop QB Tony Romo was what he wants most from his coach.

Hmmmm, who could he possibly be talking about?

Oh yeah, Norv Turner, the guy everybody knew Owner Jones wanted from the beginning.

Into this strange dynamic this morning come Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Colts QB coach Jim Caldwell. Both will interview to be the Cowboys' next coach.

Unless Rivera is auditioning to be the defensive coordinator. (He is.)

The truth is, the only thing standing between Owner Jones and his biggest mistake since signing T.Faux is Caldwell.

Everybody who is not sold on Norv (all eight of us) must hope that something happens in those interviews to convince Owner Jones that walks down memory lane rarely produce results.

Do I like Norv better with Rivera as his defensive coordinator?

Hell, yes.

Are all of my reservations about Norv 3.0 gone? Hardly.

The fact is, Norv has been Owner Jones' guy since this process started, and he is going to be his guy when it ends. Likely Tuesday.

This is certainly not the dumbest thing Jones has done, nor is it likely to be the most disastrous. It may even work.

What is becoming frustrating is, all of the guys he is just kind of interviewing. It is obvious he could sit down with Bill Belichick and walk away saying, "Yeah, but Norv is better for Romo."

So go ahead and just hire Norv. The suspense is not killing me.

And while I try to figure out why anybody thought the Bears would win the Super Bowl, let's dive into this week's edition of The Hate Index.

Nobody asked me but ...

1. Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin was gracious Saturday. Me? Not so much.

A few voters had been very vocal in the weeks leading to Saturday's Hall of Fame selection about why Irvin had been denied in two previous votes.

They did not like his ESPN persona.

They did not like his off-the-field problems.

They did not like him. Period.

In talking to reporters after he heard his name among the Class of 2007, Irvin was downright humble. He admitted to learning his lesson.

"If me not getting in on the first ballot was to make me understand that I didn't give this league all that it deserved off the field, if that was the case, it was a lesson learned," he said.

My problem is not with what Irvin said but rather that he had to say it at all. It seems to me there is a certain Hall-of-Fame quarterback who had a couple of brushes with the law for laying a smackdown on his woman.

I do not remember voters ripping into Warren Moon's personal life. I guess we despise the cocaine user but are down with a little spousal abuse from our Hall-of-Famers.

2. Watching Colts coach Tony Dungy win a championship warmed my heart.

We often hear the expression, "It could not have happened to a nicer guy." In this case, it really could not have.

He has been through so much -- being fired in Tampa only to see the Bucs win a championship without him, early playoff exits, frustrations against New England, his son taking his own life, doubters and haters, the burden of representing every African-American coach who did not get a chance.

And he handled all of it with grace and class.

Congrats, Tony. You deserved this.

3. Not to sound like my dad or yours, but ... back when I was a kid, Super Bowl commercials were actually funny and worth saving fridge runs for during the actual game.

Not so much lately.

I mean, the Coke commercial about Black History Month was touching, and Oprah and Letterman produced a chuckle, and the NFL Network commercial was kind of cool but ...

Everything is measured by the very tough "I Want To Be Forced Into Early Retirement" standards and only the www.careerbuilder.com ad (click on "third quarter" and then "fourth quarter") came close to delivering Sunday.

Watching the guys battle, mosh-pit style, for the promotion was pretty funny.

4. Prince is one of the 10 best rock musicians of all time.

Super Bowl halftime extravaganzas tend to fall into two categories: Overhyped Junk or Wish-I-Were-There Sing-alongs.

Prince's performance in Miami definitely qualified as the latter.

He played Let's Go Crazy and Purple Rain. I wish he had played a little more of his vintage stuff like When Doves Cry or Little Red Corvette or Cream.

Not that I am complaining. I witnessed "really bad" in person in Houston a couple of years ago.

In fact, I remember screeching, "I just saw Janet Jackson's ...," to my disbelieving colleagues.

And, while many were offended by that flash, I was more offended by what I heard from Jackson and Justin Timberlake.

Timberlake's latest album is, fortunately, 100 times better.

4a. Is it bad that I like Marlee Matlin's version of the Star-Spangled Banner better than Billy Joel's?

5. What idiots voted for Super Bowl MVP?

Whoever they are, they screwed it up.

Peyton Manning had a pretty good game. His story is definitely of a feel-good variety. But he was not the most valuable player on the field Sunday.

Give me the Colts' maligned defense.

Not possible? OK. How about Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes in a split vote?

The Colts were supposed to struggle with Edgerrin James gone to Arizona.

They certainly were not expected to win with a yard-chewing running game. Yet that is exactly what happened in Miami.

Addai and Rhodes are why Manning has his first championship.

6. Speaking of MVPs: Dirk Nowitzki has to be a lock for the NBA version.

How do I know this?

Dirk plays for the best team in the league with the best record in the league and yet he is the only All-Star on his team.

Apparently, he is carrying the Mavs all by himself.

Sounds like an MVP material to me.

7. Dear Coach Tippett. Can you please save your stinkers against sorry teams for days when I am not writing flattering columns about you?

Thanks in advance.

Your slightly annoyed, usually friendly hockey columnist, Jen Engel.

8. T.Faux and Donovan McNabb had a man-hug moment during Super Bowl week.

Might a return to Philly be in T.Faux's future? Please. Pretty please.

Full disclosure: I was not in Miami.

My only actual proof of this long embrace at a Shaq party is from a snarky report on www.thebiglead.com.

9. Good for Solomon Wilcots and a few random loose thoughts from Super Bowl Sunday.

Wilcots deserves props for his very subtle shot at Patriots coach Bill Belichick during his postgame interview with Bears coach Lovie Smith.

He has drawn this unenviable duty -- of interviewing the losing coach -- in back-to-back games and this led to a very tense, uncomfortable moment caused by Little Bill after the AFC Championship.

So Wilcots ended his interview with Lovie by thanking him for being classy.

9b. Paying $5,000 to sit in a driving rainstorm has to qualify as an unmitigated disaster.

9c. Uhm, did the Colts not look at film of Devin Hester?

9d. It is official: Rex Grossman is the worst QB ever to play in the Super Bowl. Oh. My. Awful.

9e. The most impressive part of the Colts playoff run has to be their defense. They were awful down the stretch, worse than awful against the run. And somehow, in the playoffs, they got their act together and were good enough to get Indy a championship.

10. Your turn: Does anybody feel better remembering that the Cowboys defeated the Colts?

[RedskinzOwnU]

Rivera didn't help his chances?? The colts run 70+ plays because the bear's offense can't get a first down, and the colts offense only scores 22 points...and...Rivera didn't help his chances?? What a 1-dimensional analysis. The bears D was really good, especially given the fact that they were on the field the entire game.

[Tom [Giants fan]]

The question now is, will he have a coach by the time free agency comes around? :doh:

[riggins44]

Rivera is being interviewed at DC, not the Head Coach. If Rivera signs as DC, then Norv will be Head Coach.

Don't forget that the future HC is already in place and is being groomed.

Heard Rivera will do a lateral move, because in Chicago the defense is
Lovie's. He is DC in title only.

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']The question now is, will he have a coach by the time free agency comes around? :doh:

Jerry is coach, GM, head cook and chief bottle washer.

Jerry is the Cowboys!

:laugh: :laugh:

[bubba9497]

Addai and Rhodes are why Manning has his first championship.


it never ends :laugh:


unlike other "star" player Peyton was the first to acknowledge it was a team win, and that one of several player should have been named MVP instead of him... and unlike some QBs who always say the "right thing" only in front of a camera... I think he was sincere.