jj cries about his time in dallas.

not literally though. read it if you want, but it's not that interesting, and i'm about to sum it up for you anyway.

i'm gonna go ahead and preface my commentary by guessing that jj, roy, and greg ellis hung out with each other and often liked to consult with each on how to cry the best.

mental notes i made while reading this less than compelling story:

1. "the man who had started 39 consecutive regular-season games for the Cowboys." rofl.
2. "chip on my shoulder" is an overused phrase and overestimated motivational factor (at least when referring to someone doing you wrong). it's kind of superficial. real superstars never get comfortable, no matter the situation. that's why they're the best. they don't need to prove to anyone but their harshest critic (themselves) that they are the best.
3. "[The Barbarian] averaged about three more carries per game than Jones, gaining an additional 1.2 yards per carry (4.8 to 3.6)." 1.2 more yards per carry? that's huge. rarely do playoff teams average less than 4 yards per carry. in a so-called "game of inches," even 0.4 more yards is a big difference. in that respect, jj was less than adequate.
4. Two quotes from jj: 1) "The way I feel about being a running back is, everybody in the NFL can run the ball. There are a select few that will stick their nose in there and be willing to stand up to a Julian Peterson or a Lofa Tatupu. I think that separates the men from the boys." 2) "Some guys are this, some guys are that and some guys are just football players. I'm a football player." call me a negative nancy, but let me interpret these statements for you: jj is just making comments to veil his deficiencies, namely his main job, running the ball. don't get me wrong, he was a pretty decent blocker. but you know what really separates the men from the boys? production.
5. "I've been playing for a while and I've proven myself. When given the opportunity, I make things happen. I just want an opportunity. That's all I want." First, proven what? i hope he meant in HS and college, cause he was not at all what the cowboys had hoped he would become. his flashes of brilliance encouraged the cowboys to hold on a little longer, but his injuries and the emergence of the Beast were enough for us to say bye to half of our rb duo and then immediately replace him (i'm super excited about felix). we gave you the opportunity dude, and you didn't really make things happen.
6. "All I know is what Julius can do," [JJ] said, "and he can do a lot. He is a big-time back." HAHAHA laughable. of course, the comment itself is ridiculous, but what cracked me up is him referring to himself in the third person. referring to yourself in the third person is reserved for only the best athletes, or at the very least, the crazies. he is not the first option, so maybe he's the second.
7. caught this user comment on the article: "Man he said this same stuff when Parcells left. Then he got out on the field did the same thing he was doing when Parcells was there. If Barber taking your position carry by carry did not inspire you then moving to Washington is not going to do it." this is very true. what could be more motivating than holding the fakest "starting" title in sports (only rivaled by whoever fills in for ginobili in the starting line-up)? that's a diss. i wish him all the best, and he certainly has had his flashes of brilliance, but he certainly could not be a featured back, much less a workhorse. he just doesn't have it.
8. i really miss football. a lot. i cannot wait for this coming cowboys season.