SAN ANTONIO -- In his first two seasons with the Cowboys, head coach Wade Phillips was far more likely to slap a player on the rear in celebration than admonish him for making a mistake.
In the aftermath of the Bill Parcells monarchy, this was a welcome change to players who'd been beaten down by the mighty Tuna's cold stares and acerbic barbs. When I arrived at the Alamodome for the '07 training camp -- Phillips' first -- I was shocked by all of the sideshows. After all, Parcells had once banished the team's horrifying mascot, Rowdy, from the poorly lit dome when he decided to lead cheers during a 7-on-7 drill. I recall saying that Rowdy had some "time management issues."
