The NBA season is officially ready for tipoff! First game night of the real season (not preseason action…there’s been a bit of that on TV), is next Tuesday, October 22nd. And while the Association is gearing up for a big start, the NFL football season is fully engaged…about one-third of the way into the regular schedule.
One team that’s playing .500, but catching absolute hell from their fans and critics alike is the Dallas Cowboys. With a 3-3 record, they’re not in the basement by any stretch, but they are – to put it mildly – performing nowhere near where fans think they should be.
Just this past week – as of this posting date – the Cowboys suffered one of their worst losses ever at the hands of the Detroit Lions, going down by a score of 47-9 right there at home in Arlington. It wasn’t pretty, and tongues are wagging about what to do to – perhaps – salvage a season already heading for disaster.
Well, in a bit of a surprise, our man Shaq thinks he may have an answer, or at least a suggestion for an improvement at one of the Cowboys “areas of concern.” If you follow “the Boys,” or watch football coverage and analysis at all, you know that one of the biggest issues the Cowboys have faced so far this season has been the run game, or a lack thereof.
The BIG Podcast with SHAQ
Led by running backs Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas ranks dead-last in the NFL on the ground, averaging 77.2 yards per game. Not pretty. Elliott has put up some good numbers in the past, but this year, Dowdle has been getting the majority of the work. His output has been – as they say – underwhelming.
On his latest “Big Podcast With Shaq,” the former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar said he’s got a potential solution in mind. On his most recent podcast episode, Shaq featured a conversation with former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and Super Bowl winner Leonard Fournette. Shaq said Fournette would be a welcome addition to the Cowboys backfield.
Did we mention that Fournette is an LSU alum, just like O’Neal? Yeah, there’s that. At one point during the podcast recording, which is also on video, Shaq turned right to the camera with a message for the Cowboys owner, saying, “Jerry Jones, it’s me, your boy Shaq. Look at [Fournette]. Looking good… He’s ready to go. All right, Jerry Jones. Stop messing around, Jerry Jones… My man is right here… The man is sitting right here, Mr. Jones. Stop playing around and sign my man up.”
Fournette has had plenty of good work in the NFL. He was originally signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the number four pick in the 2017 NFL draft. After three seasons, the Jags cut Fournette, but he didn’t stay on the market for long, and he didn’t have far to travel. He signed with the cross-state Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Across seven seasons in the NFL, Fournette recorded 1,144 carries for 4,518 yards and 34 touchdowns. He also added 2,219 yards and seven scores through the air.
Will Fournette end up with the Cowboys? Hard to say? Is team owner Jerry Jones (or anyone on his staff) even listening to Shaq’s podcast? Again, hard to say. The Cowboys have a bye this weekend, so they’ve got some time to regroup, and maybe make some moves with players.