Former Cowboys beat writer Mike Fisher reviews Jeff Pearlman’s new book:
NOT LOOKING GOOD
JERRY JONES – In addition to re-telling details about Jones’ womanizing already printed in a book written by former Jones pilot Todd Cawthorn, Pearlman asserts that in terms of football know-how, Jerry is a “dolt.’’
CHARLES HALEY – Haley is (I think) accurately portrayed the way I’ve portrayed him for years, as a chemically-imbalanced bully. And a really good football player.
EMMITT SMITH — Emmitt’s late-career selfishness is noted, though it is a disappointment that Pearlman relied on “unnamed sources’’ to tell that truth. A simple call to one of Emmitt’s best friends, Irvin, would’ve earned Pearlman on-the-record truth.
MIKE FLYNN – The Vikings exec who oversaw the wrong end of the Herschel Walker trade is characterized as a lifelong boob and a non-football man. Oops. Lynn – despite getting hoodwinked by the Cowboys that once – is actually one of the most accomplished men in the history of the sport. He played QB and defensive back for the Steelers, he coached at the highest levels, he built the Super Bowl Vikings of the ‘70s, he built the eventual champion Bears of the mid-80’s, he led the Saints to their first successes, and but for a political battle lost, he would’ve been named commissioner instead of Paul Tagliabue. Oh, and Lynn is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
SKIP BAYLESS – “Evil. Pure evil.’’
DALE HANSEN – Based solely on Pearlman’s assessment of Hansen’s feud with Barry Switzer, the author simply destroys the Channel 8 sports anchor. I’d love to see a Hansen-Pearlman debate right about now.
LOOKING GOOD
TROY AIKMAN – Pearlman engages in some near-hero-worship stuff here. The inference here is that all the black players were chasing booty while Troy and the white guys were just playin’ football and singin’ country songs. The inference would be inaccurate. Troy was, in fact, as much a practicing heterosexual as the next handsome young millionaire.
JIMMY JOHNSON – Jeff falls into the “obsessed with his job’’ trap on Jimmy, insisting that he didn’t like vacations and spewing the old cliché about Jimmy divorcing his wife in order to be married to the Cowboys. (In fact, Jimmy divorced his wife while at the same time using Jerry’s money to buy a house for Jimmy’s hairstylist girlfriend, a house just down the block from Jimmy’s.)
CLAYTON HOLMES – Pearlman obviously took a liking to the kid; in the Times Q&A, he even mentions Clayton Holmes as one of Jimmy’s “successful’’ draft stories. Perplexing.
JIM DENT – The accomplished Dallas-based writer is referred to as “legendary.’’ Twice!
