Pearlman Investigates Dallas Cowboys Dynasty
Boys Wll Be Boys Recounts Disturbing Stories Of America's Team
May 23, 2009 Michael Irvin Arrington
Jeff Pearlman is at it again, and that should be bad news for professional athletes of questionable character. Nearly a decade ago, as a writer for Sports Illustrated, he informed the world of the racism, homophobia, and overall ignorance of Atlanta Braves pitcher John "off his" Rocker. A few years later, Pearlman exposed the 1986 World Series champion New York Mets in his book, The Bad Guys Won!
His most recent target is "America's Team," the Dallas Cowboys. More specifically, Pearlman investigates the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990s, he team that won three Super Bowls under the ownership of Jerry Jones, the coaching of Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer, and the on-field performances of a talented but mischievous squad of players.
Dallas Cowboys History
This time, Pearlman's research has yielded a book that will have the most ardent Dallas defender paraphrasing an old country song, admonishing their children, "Mamas, for the love of all that is good in this world, please oh please oh please don't let your babies grow up to be Cowboys."
The story begins with a brief history that provides a useful context for the emergence of the team. Pearlman describes the purchase of the team by Jerry Jones and the new owner's decision to fire Tom Landry, the former coach and franchise cornerstone. From there, Jones brought in Jimmy Johnson, an old college friend and former coach at the University of Miami, to coach the team.
Jimmy Johnson
Johnson was initially overwhelmed by the NFL experience. He brought in lots of players he had previously coached at Miami and allowed his loyalty to his former college players to blind him to their athletic shortcomings. This contributed to the Cowboys' early struggles under Johnson.
Over time, however, Johnson saw the error of his ways and selected more talented players - even though many of them possessed moral shortcomings that could only be overlooked by the radiance of multiple Super Bowl rings. (If Michael Irvin and Charles Haley did not help the team win games, they likely would have ended up in jail for some of their actions.)
Pearlman's research uncovered numerous anecdotes of morally questionable behavior, from sex to drugs to every imaginable form of debauchery in between. He also details the insubordination and jealousy -- between Jones and his coaches -- that ultimately led to the team's demise.
Because Pearlman explains how the Cowboys succeeded in spite of the flaws among the players and management, Cowboy fans will find something of value in Boys Will Be Boys. At the same time, many Cowboy haters will revel in the tales that expose the tarnish on the iconic silver star that has come to symbolize the organization. Pearlman's writing is solid but not spectacular, but the wealth of content n the book makes it an informative guilty-pleasure read for football fans -- and a worthy recipient of a B.
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