AT&T
COWBOYS CONNECTIONS: TWITTER | TOOLBAR | SET AS HOME PAGE | |
  SEARCH | NeoSpire Managed Hosting
   RICH BEHM FAMILY TRUST FUND: YOUR HELPING HAND TO THE BEHM FAMILY.
Mailbag: What's Up With The Video Board?

DallasCowboys.com Report
August 24, 2009 12:39 PM
Change Font Size A A A A


 OTHER RECENT NEWS

Off-Season Program Begins Tuesday For Injured Rookies  2/8
Rob Phillips: Saints' Rise Should Lend Some Perspective  2/8
Mailbag: Monday, February 8, 2010
As Expected, Smith Gets First-Ballot Hall of Fame Call  2/7
Spagnola: Payton's Aggressive Nature Has Super Results  2/7
A Look Back At Emmitt's Hall of Fame Career  2/7
Notes: Committee Denies Haley For HOF Once Again  2/6
What Great RBs - Past & Present Are Saying About Smith  2/6
Haley Has Strong Canton Credentials  2/5
Barry Sanders On Emmitt's Legacy, Records & Felix  2/5
 

(Editor's Note: Each day we will take the 2 best questions for our staff writers to answer from the Mailbag. "Click here" to email questions now.)

DEAN MARTELLI - AUSTIN, TX: I sent this mailbag question a year ago. Isn't the video board going to be hit by punts? Embarrassing, and now this is all people are going to talk about instead of the grandness of the stadium. How could this happen and what should be done?

Nick: For starters, the NFL should probably change its own regulation that video boards must hang 85 feet. Since this one is 90 feet and one punter hit it in a preseason game, then maybe that's the first thing that needs to be done. As for this stadium, they're going to see what happens for now. The Cowboys are convinced you won't hit the board unless you just go for it. And it's not in the punting team's best interest to try and kick two or three in a row like that. That's when you'll give up a huge return. I say for now, see what happens. But if there was anyone at the game who came away from the night talking about the punt hitting the board, I feel sorry for them.

Josh: For 20 minutes we watched Mat McBriar and Sam Paulescu trying to hit the board at the Alamodome in 2007, trying to kick it as high as they could so the club could measure how high the thing needed to be hoisted. They settled on 90 feet, five higher than the NFL rule. Though there's talk it could be raised, I think Jerry likes it at that level, so unless the NFL makes him change it by changing its own rule (which I doubt it would in the middle of the season like we are now) it may stay this way for a while. It's really just not that big a deal.

Rob: Can't imagine raising the board is a simple, inexpensive process. All I know is the league approved the height of the board, so it meets NFL standards at this point. Can punters hit it if they're trying for major hang time? Sure, most of them probably can. A.J. Trapasso has a very strong leg. Not sure what will change, if anything, but this shouldn't take away from a special opening night.

JOSH FRANKEL - WINSTON SALEM, NC: Mike Jenkins struggled a bit against Tennessee. He let Justin Gage go too early on his second quarter touchdown catch for the Titans, and twice in the third quarter he let receivers get behind him. Only an underthrown ball and a miscommunication saved him from giving up big plays. Over the past two games, Orlando Scandrick has given up nothing. I'm afraid that since they want Jenkins to win the job he will even if he's not the best player. Does this change anything in the "battle" for the right cornerback spot?

Nick: Unless the Cowboys make it a real competition, then it's not even worth discussing. If they continue to run Jenkins out with the first-team defense and never let Scandrick get a turn, then it won't matter. With this next preseason game, maybe they should try to give Scandrick a look. That way we all could get a better evaluation of how he fits with the first-team and against opposing starters. Until then, Jenkins is the guy. But please don't say the guy "almost gave up big plays." All cornerbacks almost do something. That's a bad argument.

Josh: Well, you're right. I don't think they've ever given Scandrick a fair shot. It's not like Jenkins had a bad game, and I would throw out those two deep balls because neither were complete and he broke one up. But basically he had one error, if it even was his and not Ken Hamlin's, and the rest of the game he played well. But Scandrick deserves a chance and maybe he'll get to go with the ones Saturday against San Francisco.

Rob: Jenkins' ankle might be bothering him some. He said after the game he didn't so much sprain it in training camp as aggravate a bone spur in there. It's something he'll have to play with all year, but he said it's not affecting him much. Jenkins had a very solid camp, particularly before the injury. Scandrick has been terrific overall. I don't buy the theory that Jenkins is all but being handed the job. If Scandrick has been the best player through preseason, he should start. The truth is it's been a very close competition, aside from Jenkins' injury.
Home | Email | Print | Register for New Alerts | RSS

Privacy Policy    |    Employment    |    Contact Us    |    Technical Support    |    FAQ    |    Advertise Here
Get Your Official Merchandise & Apparel:    Jerseys    |    Hats / Caps    |    T-Shirts    |    Men's    |    Women's    |    Children's
©2009 Dallas Cowboys. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate in any form without permission of the Dallas Cowboys.