FRISCO – From the beginning, it was evident that Dallas Cowboys standout Micah Parsons’ peculiar recent comments about the “time and work” coach Mike McCarthy puts in were not intended to harm the coach. Parsons has now clarified that himself. Yet, he still isn’t taking responsibility for his words, labeling the way his remarks were perceived as “outrageous.”
After Sunday’s 34-6 defeat to the Eagles, which dropped Dallas to a 3-6 record, Parsons was questioned about McCarthy’s future in Dallas. He could have chosen a conventional answer like, “We’re all in this together” or something similar.
Instead, Parsons delivered an odd, unneeded monologue, expressing sympathy for veteran teammates on a struggling team, and adding …
“That’s above my pay grade, if Mike coaches again next year… Mike can leave and go wherever he wants… You want to win games and achieve great things with those kinds of (player) legends who put in more time and effort than Mike McCarthy ever did.”
Parsons spent Monday addressing the fallout, first taking to social media to argue with critics while accusing them of misquoting and misinterpreting him (a fair point), then meeting with McCarthy (“like men do,” said the coach), and finally appearing on his podcast to clarify.
“I never once threw, or even intended to throw Mike McCarthy under the bus… The question was about the future of the Cowboys and McCarthy. I said, ‘That’s above my pay grade,'” Parsons said on “The Edge.”
He’s correct. His intent was not to “throw McCarthy under the bus,” yet the coach ended up there figuratively. Notably, Parsons’ podcast explanation did not include an admission of fault for his unfortunate choice of words about work ethic.
It is assumed Parsons apologized during their face-to-face meeting at The Star.
“Micah and I had a conversation this morning, and we handled it as men should,” said Cowboys’ head coach on Monday. “That wasn’t his intent (to disrespect McCarthy)…”
What was Parsons’ intent? Partly, to show empathy for teammates like Zack Martin, who are nearing the end of their time in Dallas and facing the disappointment of a losing season. While commendable, it was peculiar for Parsons to make this point by contrasting Martin’s dedication with McCarthy’s.
What else was his intent? Partly, to be entertaining, dramatic, and memorable.
McCarthy’s challenge is to guide this marketing-driven Cowboys team in a way that “keeps it about football.”
“We have much more to concentrate on, and that’s what we discussed throughout the day,” he said. “We need to keep our focus on football, hone in on areas needing improvement, and build on what we did well. These are issues you must address within your culture, and conversations lead to solutions. This is one such example.”