Jason Garrett Outlaws Rookie Hazing Because Jason Garrett’s Better Than That

It seems like just yesterday that Dez Bryant was refusing to carry shoulder pads at Cowboys training camp, then made up for it by spending $55,000 on dinner with his teammates. For that matter, remember when Michael Irvin almost murdered an offensive lineman?

Those were the good ole days.

There’s a new sheriff down in Texas and he went to Princeton and he loves bubble screens and he’s not going to condone any of that classless tomfoolery.

New Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett tells reporters that traditional rites of rookiedom won’t be tolerated under his regime. From Tim McMahon at ESPN Dallas:

“The young guys are part of our football team. They certainly need to get themselves acclimated in a lot of different ways, and our veteran players are in charge of welcoming them to the NFL in a real positive way. Also, there are some other things that go with that, but there’s not going to be anything that’s demeaning in any way that a rookie has to do. We just don’t believe in that.”

It’s a lot less fun than say, Rob Ryan publicly calling out the Philadelphia Eagles, but he’s got a point. Outlawing ritualized harassment is probably for the best. But this sorta seems like just another way for the squeakiest squeaky clean coach to preen.

It’s one thing to privately tell players, “Don’t force a rookie to spend 60 grand at dinner this year.” Or maybe, “Don’t stab any offensive lineman in the neck like Michael Irvin once did.” But then he has to make a point of telling everyone that, “We just don’t believe in that.”

How enlightened of him! It’s almost as pretentious as two weeks ago, when he us to call his team the “Dallas Football Cowboys” and then made a point of telling the media that rookies wouldn’t be allowed to wear stars on their helmets until they “earn” them.

“Wait, Isn’t that kinda like hazing”, you ask? A condescending mind-game from the guy who said “there’s not going to be anything demeaning”? Well, yeah, pretty much. And I guess what I’m saying is, the new sheriff down in Texas seems like kind of a douchebag.