Mick's Mail

Columnist Mickey Spagnola answers Maximum Sports Connection's fans' questions every Monday and Thursday. Answers will be posted on this page.

Ask Mickey Spagnola a question.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Brian Joiner, Dallas: After listening to Norm this morning on The Ticket, he seems to state we're not in as bad a "cap hell" as most people think. Yes we have $28 million in dead money against the cap for 2012, but since we were like $17 million under the cap this year in 2011, that allows you to reduce next year’s cap by the amount you were under this year. So, $28 million minus $17 million means we only have $11 million going to dead contracts, not $28 million. Not that that is good, but its 60 percent better than you think. My question then is this. Is the cap going to increase in 2012 over last year?

Mickey: You definitely have a good sense of what will take place with the salary cap this coming off-season. Not sure exactly what the percentage is that you can absorb, or even push into the 2013 season, but you’re right, there are some mechanisms in place to lessen the impact of the deal money created in 2011 going forward. And from what I saw, the cap is going to be pretty static, going up some, but not as much as he had been over the previous decade on a yearly basis. All I know from talking to Cowboys director of player personnel Stephen Jones this week is the Cowboys should have enough money to spend as they choose, meaning facilitate a draft and sign the free agents they desire, within reason.

Neil Barford, Whitesboro, TX: Does Jerry Jones sign your paycheck? I have listened to you for years and never have I been more disappointed in your journalism. Yes, Mr. Jones owns the Cowboys, but they are rebuilding every time he let a real football guy go, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Parcells. Making excuses for Mr. Jones feeds right into his pompous attitude. Mr. Hansen is the one true journalist who gets it. He got the hell off that payroll. You’re better than that.

Mickey: Well, thanks for the feedback and seemingly knowing what my points of view are. First of all, while I’m a contract worker covering the Cowboys, I haven’t ever seen Jerry’s signature on my check, and for the 12 seasons I’ve done all this and covered the team for DallasCowboys.com and worked on the radio and TV networks, I have never once had Jerry or anyone else warn me or tell me what to say or what not to say. Just because my opinion, based on insight very few other people in the media have privy to, does not agree with yours does not mean I’m wrong or I’m being biased. Never in my 36-year career as a sports writer have I ever lied to or purposely misled my readers or listeners, and I’d like to think that’s why I’m still doing what I do. Don’t equate negativity with objectivity. Ever think they just might be wrong? Furthermore, and I wouldn’t expect you to know this, but Jerry Jones didn’t let Jimmy Johnson or Bill Parcells go. Both wanted out. Bill quit, and Jimmy was trying to find a loophole to get out, get paid for doing so and then move to the Florida Keys and possibly become the Dolphins head coach when Don Shula retired because he burned himself out here. Took him nearly 15 years to admit that, but he finally did so. There are ways to disagree with someone without being insulting, I would think.

Hampton: Did Philadelphia’s Jason Babin receive a fine for leading with the crown of his helmet, into Tony’s face when Tony injured his hand? And thanks for answering my question about lining up over the center. Also the shot I saw of the block looked like La Pierre went hard to his left, into the center, and then to his right to make the block. I am sure you had more replay angles to watch than did most of us.

Mickey: You know, I did not see that he was fined come to think of it. I do think Romo hurt his hand more so from following through and hitting Babin’s helmet than from Babin hitting him high and driving him into the ground. You know, on the blocked field goal, Jason Pierre-Paul (by the way, cute French reference there) slid of the block of Montrae Holland into the crease between Holland and deep snapper L.P Ladouceur, and that’s legal. You just can’t line up directly over the center. In fact, he didn’t even start off in the gap. Ladouceur’s problem was standing up instead of staying low. Had he stayed low, he would not have been knocked off balance, creating the gap.

Archived Questions: