Cowboys ‘Punish’ McCarthy: Truth of No Contract Extension...

Cowboys ‘Punish’ McCarthy: Truth of No Contract Extension from Jerry

FRISCO: In a “new report” on the job security of Mike McCarthy, ESPN both regurgitates old news and puts a weirdly positive spin on

a Dallas Cowboys decision that by any measure is a “jury-is-out” issue. Following one of the most unexpected and depressing season

finales in the Cowboys’ illustrious 64-year history, Jerry Jones, the team’s owner, decided on Wednesday night to keep McCarthy as

head coach. “Jones basically is making McCarthy… coach the Cowboys as a lame duck by choosing to keep his head coach and force

him to work next season with no job security and on the final year of his contract,” we wrote that evening.

We were told that. We told you that. But four days later, we’ve got Adam Schefter of ESPN telling you he’s got “sources” saying it. We

will say this: Four days late, Schefter’s “sources” are correct. Related content Meanwhile, we quoted directly Jones explaining his

decision: “I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with

Mike McCarthy as our head coach. There is great benefit to continuing the team’s progress under Mike’s leadership as our head coach.

… I am 100-percent supportive of him as our head coach and ability to reach our goals.”

That’s it. Because we know that Jones’ plan before the devastating loss to Green Bay was to give McCarthy a contract extension, and

because we know the loss dried up that scheduled offer, this amounts to “punishment” for the coach.

ESPN is attempting to spin it in a different direction, according to Schefter, who notes that Jones believes that “the final year of a

contract can often bring out the best in people.” It is accurate. McCarthy, though, isn’t a helpless victim since it works in his favor. An

extension would be a prize that he did not deserve, thus he is not receiving one.