From the New York Times online:
If you had to pick one indispensable Cowboy from that era, who would it be?
Easily, Michael Irvin. Yes, his off-field problems have been well discussed. But Irvin was the hardest worker on that team—hands down. He was the first there, the last to leave, and so many others fed off of that. It’s one thing if your scrappy-yet-underwhelming fourth receiver works his tail off. But when a star like Irvin does so, it has a profound impact. In the first chapter of the book, I talk about Scott Sepmtimphelter, a free agent quarterback in camp with Dallas in 1995. Sepmtimphelter recalls throwing extra routes to Irvin after a particularly hot practice, and having Irvin vomit midway through the workout. “Most guys would put their hands on their knees, say screw this, and call it a day. Not Michael. He got back to the spot, ran another route, and caught the ball.”
If you had to pick the one indispensable JJ (Johnson or Jones), who would it be? And who was in the right in their bitter breakup?
Oh, Jimmy, without question. There are a lot of rich men with deep pockets who can buy football teams. But Johnson was a personnel genius. The Herschel Walker trade that turned around the franchise in ‘89—all Jimmy. The Steve Walsh trade a year later that netted a slew of more picks—Jimmy, too. He wasn’t the greatest Xs and Os coach we’ll ever see, but the man knew talent. Put it this way: Under Jimmy, the Cowboys drafted guys like Erik Williams and Leon Lett and Kenny Gant and Clayton Holmes—small-school guys many other personnel guys hadn’t even heard of. When Jerry fired Jimmy and took over the draft, his first first-round pick was Shante Carver from Arizona State. “If you had drafted Shante Carver in the fourth, fifth, sixth rounds people would have said, ‘Hey, that’s not a terrible pick,’” Nate Newton told me. “But you can’t take a guy like that in the first round. When you draft guys in the first round you’re saying, ‘In a year this guy is going to be something.’ When did anybody say that with Shante?” In fact, from 1994 through 96, I’d argue the Cowboys put together the three worst drafts in league history. That said, Jones has really seemed to pick things up recently. He’s learned.
Dave Smith, the former Dallas Morning News sports editor, said of Skip Bayless: “His gay take on Aikman was the most unfair thing in my forty-five years of journalism.” Can you explain your feelings about Bayless?
Well, as a pure writer I think Bayless is an amazing talent; one of the best of this generation, skill-wise. But what he did with Aikman was truly wrong, and I think Smith’s characterization is right on the money. First off, he couldn’t have been sure Aikman was gay, because everything he was dealing with was speculation and gossip. Second, even if he knew, for a 100% fact, that Aikman was gay, you only write it if the man wants his sexuality out there. We do a lot of questionable things in this business—make tough choices every day of what to go with, what not to go with. But outing someone? And he’s not even gay? Evil. Absolute evil.
Also, to me Skip Bayless symbolizes what’s plaguing sports writing right now. Too many screamers and yellers yearning to be celebrities. I see him on TV and think, ‘Why are you doing this to yourself? Is it that important to be famous?’ I understand making guest appearances; having a civil debate; etc. But yelling and screaming and making points you probably don’t even believe in? Crap.
