Sports Then and Now

Great drama has always marked the Dallas Cowboys over the decades. In this, the franchise’s 61^st season, the Cowboys have always stood out for better or for worse. The franchise has always made major headlines whether it be during the season or in the offseason. In the early 1970’s, legendary head coach Tom Landry went back and forth between Roger Staubach and Craig Morton as his starting quarterback – going as far as alternating them on each play during one game – before naming Staubach the starter. The volatile tendencies of linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson surfaced later in the decade over drugs, alcohol, his flamboyant play, and high visibility lifestyle. Dallas also played in five Super Bowls and won two in the 1970’s when the team became known as “America’s Team” and took on the persona of the team people love or love to hate which still exists today. The 1980’s saw good teams unable to get over the hump with three straight losses in NFC Championship games. There was also another quarterback controversy, this one between Danny White and Gary Hogeboom between 1983 and 1984. Pressure had mounted on White after losses in three straight NFC Championship games. While Landry appointed Hogeboom as the starter during part of the 1984 season, neither he nor White could lead Dallas to the playoffs that season. The decade ended with new ownership as Arkansas oilman Jerry Jones bought the franchise and hired Jimmy Johnson – his old college teammate at Arkansas – as head coach. That proved fruitful as the Cowboys became the first franchise in NFL history to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span during the 1990’s when they were the team of the decade.

Yet change also came about for the franchise in the 1990’s with the shocking and well-documented breakup of Jones and Johnson due to egotistical control issues. During the 2000’s, Dallas made only four playoff trips and won just one playoff game. While the Cowboys rebuilt in the early 2010’s, they were stuck largely in mediocrity with four 8-8 finishes in head coach Jason Garrett’s nine full seasons on the job sparking a yearly discussion about his job security. In more recent years, Dallas came under the microscope with legal issues off the field as star running back Ezekiel Elliott eventually served a six-game suspension during the 2017 season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy based on allegations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend dating back to 2016. Drama has always seemed to follow the Cowboys whether it has been good or bad.

The NFL lost a pioneering innovator this week with the passing of Hall of Fame defensive back Larry Wilson at the age of 82.

Though only 6-foot-0, 180 pounds, Wilson developed into one of the most feared defenders of his era as the first safety to regularly rush the quarterback in a play that became known as the safety blitz.

A two-way starter at the University of Utah, Wilson was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the seventh round of the 1960 draft (which was conducted in November 1959). The team moved to St. Louis prior to the 1960 season and Wilson soon became a defensive pioneer.

It is the start of another new era in Big D for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 and the biggest change is at the head coaching spot. Former Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy replaces Jason Garrett who is now the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator. McCarthy, the ninth head coach in Cowboys’ history, brings a wealth of NFL coaching experience including a 13-year term as the Packer’s head coach from 2006-18. McCarthy lead Green Bay to victory in Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season at AT&T Stadium, Dallas’ home facility in Arlington, TX.

McCarthy, who was released by the Packers following a 4-7-1 record 12 games into the 2018 season, inherits a team that is in win now mode under the management of team owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones. Now in his 32^nd year with the Cowboys, Jones has grown the franchise into a multi-billion dollar enterprise on his shrewd and aggressive business style. That showed this offseason in making a head-coaching change.

In recognition of the start of football season, we have selected a two-time All-American from the University of Maryland who went on to earn a spot in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames as our Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month.

Randy White actually came to the University of Maryland as a fullback, but as a sophomore new head coach Jerry Claiborne recognized that he had the skills to be a great defensive lineman and quickly moved him to defense.

Betting on the NFL is quite as easy as watching the game itself. Yet, many people still find the whole idea quite intimidating.

Luckily for you, we take it upon ourselves to help neophyte bettors overcome this fear. We decided the best way to go about it is to craft a detailed NFL betting guide that touches on almost every you need to know about betting for one of the most watched sports in the world, football.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s dive straight in.

Single-game NFL Bets

When you open any NFL betting site in the link, one of the things you’ll notices is the following wagers displayed on each game: moneyline bets, point spread bets, and total bets.

These three types of wagers are always grouped together for each game. 

• Betting the Moneyline

This is the easiest bet to understand, though less popular compared to the other two types of bets.

It’s simple: by betting the moneyline, you’re simply choosing the teams you suspect will win. The odds attached are the implied probability of the game swinging either way. These odds determine your actual payout.

They’re the simplest bet to make. The problem is that they have the lowest returns on investment.

2020 has been a year combining all the things we never expected to mix together. It is doubtful anyone had a global pandemic and intense social justice movement on their betting square.  Nonetheless, coaches and players alike have become vocal in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement.  

Coaches across the NCAA have begun showing their support for their players on a variety of platforms. Head coaches from universities across the country like Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Colorado Mesa attended protests with their players, relaxing Covid-19 restrictions to allow the teams to participate.  

Other coaches are using social media platforms to show and share their support for the movement and their players. Some are making statements, participating in Blackout Tuesday, and using the hashtag #BLM. Others are delivering speeches and using their station and status to remind donors and fans alike that all lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter too.

Building Leaders on and Off the Field

Support of coaching staff has empowered students to actively participate and even take on leadership roles in peaceful protests across the country.  

• Athletes at the University of Texas have petitioned the school to rename specific campus buildings and choose a new school song to remove ties to racism.
• Clemson football players led a peaceful protest at Bowman Field, while other players joined in petitioning the university to rename buildings to remove racist ties.  
• Players at Florida State called out their coach via social media, exposing the lack of truth in his media statement on having individual conversations with players.  The concentrated effort paid off and the coach apologized in a team meeting as well as making a second, more truthful media release.  
• Missouri football players led a peaceful protest, marching from campus to the courthouse to register to vote. The team was celebrated in the community for their efforts and leadership. But only five years ago players petitioning to dismiss the university president over his casual stance on racial injustice on campus received death threats.