Mike McCarthy caused quite the stir with his recent comments ahead of the Dallas Cowboys division battle against the Washington Football Team. It appears as though McCarthy may have gotten caught up in the moment and what he intended to say came out a little differently in his spoken words. Here is the full quote, within the context of the entire statement:
“We know what people think of us. We love that. We’re comfortable with who we are, where we are; But I’m excited about what’s in front of us. We’re going to win this game. I’m confident in that. And, just the prep that’s going into it. But more importantly we want to improve to along the way…”
Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy
That quickly prompted a question about providing the Washington Football team with bulletin board material ahead of Sunday’s game. At that point, there was no turning back for Mike McCarthy but he did sugar coat his response as best as he could:
“What am I supposed to say? I mean…yeah. I fully expect to win every game I’ve ever competed in. I mean, that’s what sports is all about….But we’re clearly planning on going to Washington to win the game. There’s no doubt about that.”
McCarthy’s proclamation, especially when given the entire scope of the statement, does not really constitute a guarantee. Yet, as it so often does in today’s day and age, information travelled fast and word spread rapidly concerning McCarthy’s comments. Media and social media outlets were jumping all over his statement and it reached the ears of Dak Prescott , who was told that his head coach guaranteed a victory in the middle of his press conference. Dak was completely caught off guard but responded as best as he could given the situation. “Sh** Yeah!” was his emphatic response and even more fuel to the fire was added.
Of course, it didn’t take long for word to reach the years of the opposition. Another man caught off guard in the middle of an interview with washingtonfootball.com’s Julie Donaldson, was Washington Head Coach Ron Rivera. Donaldson told Rivera “Mike McCarthy basically guaranteed a win, going out there saying Dallas will get this victory. What is your response when you hear a head coach saying that?” Ron Rivera’s response was calculated. This is what he said:
“I think it’s interesting. I don’t think it’s important. I think it’s a big mistake, because as far as I’m concerned, you do that for a couple of reasons. One is you want to get in our head…Secondly, he’s trying to convince his team. So again, I think that’s another mistake. Because now he’s made it about him and what he said, it’s not about his players anymore. So I think that’s a big mistake. That’s why to me, you don’t do those things.”
WFT Head Coach Ron Rivera
As far as Cowboys fans are concerned, there are mixed reactions about McCarthy’s statement. Some feel that it is always a bad idea to give the opposing team bulletin board material. Others feel that it is a great motivational tactic and a show of confidence. Many others feel that it has no bearing on the game whatsoever; that it is completely meaningless and that professional coaches and athletes will not be impacted by it in any way. I disagree with the latter. In my experiences as an amateur athlete, it absolutely matters when something like that is said. It matters not just for the team given bulletin board material, it matters for both teams. These players and coaches may be professionals but they are not robots. Motivation can be drawn from anywhere. Even the great Michael Jordan admitted to fabricating things opponents said to him in order to motivate himself to raise his game, often with spectacular results. McCarthy’s words may very well have a motivational impact on not just one but both teams. At the same time, they could have the opposite effect. As Ron Rivera pointed out in his statement, it could mess with a team’s mindset. Exactly how McCarthy’s “guarantee” will impact either team is unknown heading into the game but make no mistake, it will have an impact. Of course, it will not be the only thing that decides this game. There are a myriad of other variables. We will just have to see how it all plays out in the end. One thing cannot be denied. McCarthy’s words just made an already marquee divisional match-up, all the more interesting.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode
I didn’t see or hear a guarantee, just a coach expressing confidence in the team and a huge exaggeration by the media. Shouldn’t every coach have confidence in their team?