“Mike Can Leave & Go Wherever He Wants”: Shannon Sharpe Agrees That Dallas Cowboys’ “Me Culture” Problem Starts With Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones’ Disrespect of Head Coach Mike McCarthy
The disaster in Dallas continues to roll along. The entire “me” culture in the Dallas Cowboys locker room used to be promoted and even respected when they were competing for playoff berths and division titles with visions of Dak Prescott leading them to the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the ’90s.
After another embarrassing loss on Sunday — a 34-6 thrashing at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles — “the ship be sinking.” The 3-7 Cowboys have also lost quarterback Dak Prescott to injury, and the natives are getting restless.
ESPN’s First Take crew say the Dallas Cowboys are suffering from a “Me” culture and owner that has driven them to the bottom of the NFC East standings. Micah Parsons’ comments about head coach Mike McCarthy is another example. (Getty Images)
Mike McCarthy On Boiling Hot Seat: He Lost Locker Room
Head coach Mike McCarthy lost the team almost two seasons ago and has been on a constant hot seat since February when against the wishes of many within and outside the organization Jerry Jones decided to keep his lame-duck coach for one final contractual season.
McCarthy’s contract situation was the subject of a media question posed to Parsons in the postgame AT&T Stadium locker room.
Parsons basically explained that he doesn’t feel a shred of sympathy for McCarthy because he’ll be free to take another coaching job wherever and whenever he wants, as opposed to an aging veteran like 33-year-old Zack Martin, who’s on the clock.
“Mike can leave and go wherever he wants,” Parsons said of his head coach. “The guys I kind of feel bad for (are) guys who might be on their last year or on their way out. That’s who I want to hold the trophy for.“
“You want to win games…with those type of legends who put in more time and work (with Dallas Cowboys organization) than Mike McCarthy ever did,” Parsons added. “Those are the kind of guys I have so much sympathy and hurt for.”
Dallas Is 3-7 and Jerry Jones Has No Answers
The current situation in Dallas is a mess and you can rip all of the players you want, but the culture begins with Jerry Jones, who insists on doing things his way; from prolonging contract negotiations with star players to questionable personnel moves to rifts with those players through the media.
It’s a town of delusion and entitlement, the things that money and unearned praise and blind worship will get you.
Parsons has never had a problem talking his mind, especially when he’s one of the Cowboys stars who is actually putting in work and still wants to be paid megabucks. After a two-sack performance on Sunday, Parsons didn’t hold his tongue, and his latest rant was a direct and unnecessary shot at head coach McCarthy. Basically, kicking a man when he’s down.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky Says Parsons’ Comments The Product Of A “Me” Culture In Dallas: Shannon Sharpe Says Blame Jerry Jones
The ESPN “First Take” crew described it as the last straw.
“They got to tear it down,” said football analyst Dan Orlovsky. ”They got a culture problem in Dallas. We’ve talked about how the roster is depleted and something should have been done after the blowout to the Packers (in the playoffs). Now it’s turning into finger pointing. We all know what’s going on with the football team, that it’s not a great roster and injuries. …but to say this?”
Orlovsky says Parsons could have easily expressed his desire to win for a future Hall of Famer like Martin, who has served the franchise so well for years. Instead, he decided to go high school and start taking public shots at the head coach, showing his frustration, his lack of leadership and the dead end that has become the Cowboys franchise.
“There’s clearly a culture problem that has been deteriorating ever since the playoff loss to the 49ers, where the defense played well and the offense fell short,” Orlovsky added. The Cowboys culture right now is a culture of me and not a culture of we.”
Sharpe agreed that the culture is shot, but he’s not shocked.
“Who’s surprised by this?” Sharpe asked, putting the blame squarely on the owner ,who makes no bones about it that any move that occurs within the team goes through him.
Sharpe continued: “He’s done an awful job of assembling talent. If you couldn’t stop the run the previous years and do nothing but change the coordinator … people run the ball down your throat.”
Mike McCarthy’s Power Weakened By Jerry Jones’ Presence: Dak Escapes Blame
“Everybody in that locker room knows Mike McCarthy has no say in anything that goes on and that’s why they talk about him like they do,” Shannon concluded.
Maybe Dak getting hurt was the best thing that could happen to him and the Cowboys. Now he is exonerated from any further blame for this disastrous season and also enables Dallas to tank for some more talent, while Jerry and the boys try to figure out this mess during the offseason. As far as McCarthy goes, it would be shocking to see him survive a losing season after all of the expectations that were placed on this team and their high-priced QB and wide receiver this offseason.
