The 1990 Cowboys: Water and Earth

So our series on the elemental compatibility of the great dynasties has now reached the 1990s and that means the Dallas Cowboys. For me, this was a good one. I enjoyed these Cowboys. They were comprised of a number of 1966 babies, like myself, and they oppressed the 49ers something fierce.

Don't let anybody con you. The Cowboys got the better of that rivalry, and it wasn't all that close. That is why they were the team of the decade and the 49ers were not.

I enjoyed the 1990s Cowboys for a lot of reasons. Probably the most important was the black-eye they dealt to the West Coach offense. The Cowboys brought back the 4-3 defense after an era when the 3-4 was completely dominant. Their fast 4-3 defense was more than able to control the 49ers very, very powerful WCO.

Further, the Cowboys played a pretty conventional I-Formation Erhardt-Perkins offense. They ran on 1st & 2nd down most of the time, and they passed on 3rd down. The plays and the play calling were simple. They were just so talented nobody could stop them. They beat the hell out of their opponents in their one-to-one match ups. Even though the offense was basic and simple, it seemed like a flying circus because it often resulted in explosive plays.

I found these guys easy to like. That is probably because they were primarily Water and Earth guys, perfectly compatible with a Virgo guy like me. If you are a Virgo, you can't help but be proud that the Water and Earth alliance whupped the Air boys of San Francisco. No wonder these teams didn't like each other.

I find it interesting that Troy Aikman is a Scorpio and Michael Irvin is a Pisces, and these two are still best buddies to this day. Scorpio and Pisces is one of the greatest match ups on the synastry board. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were a Scorpio Pisces combo. So to were John Gotti and Sammy the Bull Gravano.

I find it more interesting that Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith (Taurus) are 180 degree opposites. As you know, opposites attract. Taurus and Scorpio just might have the most powerful oppositional attraction of them all. These are both very fixed and stubborn signs, so if they agree in the beginning, they will always agree with each other.

It was my impression that there was never even the slightest crack in the unity of Aikman and Smith. These two were teammates and battle buddies for life, period. The end of the story. You couldn't divide them. There was no need to mention it. It was just understood that these two were on the same sheet of music.

It's also very interesting that Alvin Harper is a Cancer and Jay Novacek is a Scorpio. Troy had excellent timing and chemistry with both of them. So we have one each of the three water signs in the reciever corp: Michael Irvin (Pisces), Alvin Harper (Cancer) and Jay Novacek (Scoprio). That's a perfect trio.

I also find it interesting that this chemistry this receiver corp began to break down when Alvin Harper left and Aquarius Kevin Williams showed up.

The one big exception is Moose Johnston. Of course, the Moose is an Aquarius. Nevertheless, he was an instrumental part of this offense, and a highly regarded teammate. This must have been a case of special affinity.

This entire unit was under the command of an Taurus offensive coordinator by the name of Norv Turner. Scorpio Troy Aikman has so much regard for this particular Taurus that he asked Norv to introduce him at his Hall of Fame induction. This was at a time when Norv's rep was at a fairly low ebb. That's oppositional attraction folks. This is also the stubborn loyalty of the fixed signs.

So I have an error correction and retraction to print, dear readers. As it turns out, the Jimmy Johnson who coached the Cowboys is a Leo, not a Cancer as I originally thought. As it happens, there are a lot of Jimmy Johnsons in world of sports and football, and one of them is a Cancer. I find it interesting that Terry Bradshaw's best buddy is a Leo.

Obviously there is a lot of affinity between us Virgos and 'dem Leos; a lot more than I originally suspected. I've been learning a lot about this lately.

The fact that Jimmy Johnson is a fiery fire sign guy sheds much light on why Troy Aikman was so hesitant to play for this guy, why he never fully trusted Jimmy, and why that relationship never really blossomed.

The composition of the offensive line is interesting. It's a mixture of Fire and Earth. Fire and Earth do mix with some difficulty. This is what is known as a ceramic mixture. It does work better if you get side-by-sides like Leo and Virgo, or Sagittarius and Capricorn.

This was a fantastic offensive line. This composition underscores the fact that the Offensive Line is a separate unit from the skill positions, and some mixture is permissible here.

So Sam Bradford reminds you of Troy Aikman, aye?

Did I have something to do with that?

I seem to recall doing a comprehensive blade-job on the very notion of drafting a QB #1. I wrote a piece called "The Only Time it Every Worked Out" prior to the 2010 draft and I sited Troy Aikman and the Cowboys as the one and only time taking a QB #1 resulted in an all-out, smash-bang hit for the team that selected him.

The object was to spell out in absolutely clear terms what ungodly low-percentages you face when selecting a QB #1 in the draft.

At the end of that piece, I compared the 4 QBs at the top of the heap in 2010 to Troy Aikman. I found all of them wanting in one respect or another. I stated that the only dude who even kinda sorta reminded me of Troy was my bambino: Tim Tebow.

Shortly after that I began reading so-called leaks from the Rams organization that stated Sam was the most accurate passer since Troy Aikman. I raised one eyebrow like Spock, and wondered how Peyton Manning felt about that statement. I felt the statement was self-refuting and left it at that.

Then all of a sudden, I hear famous scouts declaring Sam had the best private workout since Troy Aikman. Interesting... I thought they said the same thing about JaMarcus Russell.

Then suddenly, after Devaney drafts Sam, he decides that Sam is going to wear #8 rather than #14. Of course, it is a violation of sports taboos to renumber a QB between college and the pros. We superstitious dudes believe that this often leads to busts. What was the reason for this violation of superstitious taboos? Keenan Burton, a WR who did not make the squad (on one of the most depleted WR rosters around) had already been allocated #14. Surely there must be a better excuse for that?

Devaney and Bradford felt it was a nice tribute to fellow Oklahoma QB and #1 pick Troy Aikman. Incidentally, he graduated from my alma mater UCLA, not Oklahoma as the conference falsely stated.

Now, Michael Irvin is singing this song. He says Sam is a good professional young quarterback, much like Troy. Of course, we know that the NFL Network is the official mouthpiece of the 32 teams of the league. They are asked to single certain promotional songs to stir-up the echoes of official promo statements made by the 32 teams.

While it does my heart some good to think this just might work out after all, I have considerable reservations about these comparisons. Are these comparisons warranted? Let us count the similarities:

1. They are both quarterbacks
2. They are both from Oklahoma
3. They are both right handed
4. They are both around 6-4
5. They were both #1 picks
6. They are both extremely accurate.
7. They were both highly professional young QBs (at least once upon a time)
8. They are both Scorpios

There is a bit of data-noise in each of those statements, but I will set that aside. Suffice it to say, I think the comparison is strained. I watched both of them play through their entire college and Pro careers thus far, and I think there are systematic, health, mechanical and stylistic differences that make them plenty distinct.

Don't you think so?

Of course, my draft campaign failed utterly, however, I did raise some hullabaloo inside Ram-circles. I wonder if I mounted a unsuccessful pressure campaign that raised enough ruckus to draw some direct counter-measures? What do you think?

The only time it ever worked out, Dallas and Troy Aikman

Each and every year, a team fresh off a disastrous season selects #1 overall in the NFL Draft. This fine year of 2010, that team is is my Rams. Many times, this team fresh off of disaster elects a quarterback with that first overall pick in the draft. When they do so, they are full of hopes and dreams that this guy will turn the ship around, raise the fortunes of the team, lead them to many Super Bowl victories, and make a dynasty out of a poor team. The young man is anointed as the savior of the franchise.

How often does it work out? I can find only one clear-cut case in NFL history where it did work out. That fellow was Troy Aikman of UCLA, selected #1 overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1989 NFL Draft.

It wasn't Terry Bradshaw. He was considered a bust for a bunch of seasons before the 1978 rules changes, changed his fortunes as a passer. He still threw about 27 TDs and 24 Ints per season after that.

We also have problems with Peyton Manning here, but the Colts cannot truly be considered a dynasty at this point. They have a bunch of good seasons, but only 1 Super Bowl victory. Peyton could still lock down a couple more rings before he is done. If so, we will be able to say that there were two clear cut cases, but at this moment there is only one.

What about John Elway? Did that really work out for the Colts who drafted him? No.

What about Jim Plunkett? Did that really work out for the Patriots who drafted him? Hummmm... Nah, not really. It worked okay for the Raiders... eventually.

What about Eli Manning? Did that work out for the Chargers who took him? No.

What about Michael Vick? Aaaahhhh... How do you think the Falcons view that pick now?

How about JaMarcus Russell?

No folks, there is only one clear cut case where drafting a QB at the top of the first round ever produced a savior, a Hall Of Famer, multi-championship dynasty, and everything the organization ever wanted when they took the guy. That was Troy Aikman.

This is the reason why Aikman is still the Golden Boy of the NFL. This is why he is revered as a god-like QB by all those who watched his career. This is why people keep wondering if he is going to run for president someday. They expect him to win, too.

Aikman shouldered the pressure of being the Dallas Cowboy QB and savior with little signs of stress. He took one hell of beating in his first year as a pro with few signs of injury. He survived with his confidence and his health intact. He was accepted by Cowboy greats like Roger Staubach immediately as another Cowboy great. He was at his best in the NFC Championship games and Super Bowls. He led the Cowboys on a tear through the 1990s. They won 3 Super Bowls in just 4 years. They would have had more, but the salary cap and poor head coaches killed them. Aikman was not the limiting factor in the equation at any time. He survived a nasty concussion administered by Dennis Brown. He never had a personal scandal during his entire life. He went into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He was one hell of player, and a better man.

As my Rams get ready to draft in this fine year of 2010, we need to ask ourselves a couple of very important questions:

1. Is Sam Bradford Troy Aikman?
2. Is Jimmy Clausen Troy Aikman?
3. Is Sam Bradford Peyton Manning?
4. Is Jimmy Clausen Peyton Manning?

I think the answers to 1 & 3 are clear and decisive "NO!" I rolled around on the floor laughing my ass off a few seconds ago when I wrote questions #2 and #4. Clausen is in no danger of being mistaken for Troy Aikman or Peyton Manning. Why don't you stand Clausen next to Aikman right now and see whether you notice some difference between these two men?

Some extremely foolish Ram fans may protest that I cannot downgrade these two candidates by comparing them to the most extreme cases of QB success in NFL history. Oh yeah? Why the hell not? You are talking about spending the #1 pick overall in the entire draft. We have only 1 and maybe 2 models of success for that pick. We need to use those two guys as the benchmark comparison for our candidates. If we don't have candidates that look like Aikman and Manning, we need to pass on them with that #1 pick.

One final thing. If you ask me which quarterback in this draft most resembles Aikman in terms of tangibles and intangibles, only one name comes to mind: Tim Tebow.