Bill Parcells once coached the Dallas Cowboys. Around here it was a pretty fun time. I enjoyed the coach’s press conferences. Here in Dallas talk about the Cowboys is a year-round sport.
During Bill Parcells’ time here there was much discussion about the commandments that Parcells’ created for the quarterback position. Tony Romo struggled with many of these commandments for most of Bill’s tenure here. Tony seems (at least to me) to have rounded the corner, but now he’s got injury problems. They’ve lost their last 2 games and now Cowboy fans are seeing the prospect of another 8-8 season.
Parcells has a new book out and that got me thinking about his commandments. He talked openly about them when he was here in Dallas. I was looking at these commandments recently and wondering how applicable they are to other areas of life. You decide if any of them have value in your pursuits. I think you can apply them without much effort really.
Here’s the list:
1. Ignore other opinions – Press or TV, agents or advisors, family or wives, friends or relatives, fans or hangers on – ignore them on matters of football, they don’t know what’s happening here.
2. Clowns can’t run a huddle – don’t forget to have fun but don’t be the class clown. Clowns and leaders don’t mix. Clowns can’t run a huddle.
3. Fat QBs can’t avoid the rush – A quarterback throws with his legs more than his arm. Squat and run.
4. Know your job cold – this is not a game without errors. Keep yours to a minimum. Study.
5. Know your own players – Who’s fast? Who can catch? Who needs encouragement? Be precise. Know your opponent.
6. Be the same guy every day – in condition. Preparing to lead. Studying your plan. A coach can’t prepare you for every eventuality. Prepare yourself and remember, impulse decisions usually equal mistakes.
7. Throwing the ball away is a good play – sacks, interceptions and fumbles are bad plays. Protect against those.
8. Learn to manage the game – personnel, play call, motions, ball handling, proper reads, accurate throws, play fakes. Clock. Clock. Clock. Don’t you ever lose track of the clock.
9. Get your team in the end zone – passing stats and TD passes are not how you’re going to be judged. Your job is to get your team in the end zone and that is how you will be judged.
10. Don’t panic – when all around you is in chaos, you must be the hand that steers the ship. If you have a panic button so will everyone else. Our ship can’t have a panic button.
11. Don’t be a celebrity QB – we don’t need any of those. We need battlefield commanders that are willing to fight it out, every day, every week and every season and lead their team to win after win after win.
Have fun quarterbacking your own life.
