Tony Dorsett

[rexbo 104]

Tony

Former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett calls Cam Newton frenzy a 'modern-day lynching'

BY Eric Barrow

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Saturday, November 13th 2010, 3:58 PM

It's lunch time Friday in Dallas and Tony Dorsett is fuming. The former Cowboys star running back and Hall of Famer is talking about Cam Newton, the Auburn quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate who has been at the center of allegations that he, along with his father Cecil, solicited cash for his services from Mississippi State and other schools, and that he turned in fraudulent school work while at the University of Florida.

Dorsett, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1976 while at Pittsburgh, hates what he's hearing, and thinks there is a calculated attack underway of Newton and the Auburn University.

"I think it's a witch hunt. It's a modern-day lynching of an athlete," says Dorsett. "I mean come on. If there was something going on they would have had to know about it way in advance. Why all of a sudden the school gets some success and he's successful, he's one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy, then all of a sudden all this comes to the forefront?"

None of these allegations will change Dorsett's Heisman vote, which, if asked for it today, he would cast for Newton.

"I just think it's ridiculous what they're doing to the young man," says Dorsett. "Nothing has been proven just yet to my knowledge… He's a hell of an athlete and it's just a bad situation right now and it's unfortunate the timing of this. This is a young man. This is a life we're talking about."

Dorsett is semi-retired after a brilliant career in Dallas, and a short-lived stint in Denver. He left the game as the NFL's second-leading rusher behind only Walter Payton with 12,739 yards (he currently ranks 8th), 90 total touchdowns and one Super Bowl title.

Dorsett is 56 now, and still lives in the Dallas area with his wife, Janet, and three daughters (his son Anthony played 8 seasons in the NFL with the Titans and Raiders). Dorsett says his main job these days is being a husband and a father, but he also works for a company promoting a new disinfectant called IV-7.

But what does Dorsett think about the 1-7 Cowboys who have a new head coach in Jason Garrett - after the firing of Wade Phillips last week - and visit the Giants today at New Meadowlands Stadium?

"I think it was time for a change… It's almost like the inmates were running the asylum," says Dorsett.

"The Cowboys weren't living up to everybody's expectations. During the season, I didn't think it was going to happen like that, but I think change is good right now.

"I don't think players were being held accountable," continues Dorsett. "I've seen coach making excuses for why guys weren't doing their jobs instead of holding them accountable… this was just a bad situation that had to be corrected."

Dorsett also blames the Cowboys coaches for not practicing in pads since the end of training camp, something Garrett corrected immediately. "You practice like you play," says Dorsett. "Little things make big things happen. You've got to practice with some kind of contact at full speed."

And when asked how would Dorsett's coach, the legendary Tom Landry would have handled this group of 'Boys, Dorsett bursts into laughter.

"Coach Landry wouldn't have it let it get that far," says Dorsett.

"Guys would have known what their roles were and what was expected of them and if they weren't doing it, they can expect to be somewhere else. Football players need that fear hanging over their heads as that makes them go out and play better."

[aucanucktiger 1,807]

this article and SEC commissioner slive's recent comments urging fairness make the sports media look like what they have been in this matter, opportunists w/ zero professionalism and even less sense of humanity.

not keen about the race card being played by TD though. Auburn's been the victim of that sometimes intellectually lazy & unfair tactic many times just b/c Auburn is in the South. (e.g. like 100 other colleges, AU didn't interview sylvester croom but ESPN was specifically and repeatedly all over Auburn for being a racist program b/c of that. The croom hire worked out well for Miss St didn't it).

Ironic

[Tigerguy 1]

I don't think he played the "race card". Witch hunt and lynching apply to a wide range of events which have nothing to do with race. I happen to agree with his comments. This is a lynching and an all out frontal assault on Cam and Auburn.

[jw 4 au 526]

I don't think he played the "race card". Witch hunt and lynching apply to a wide range of events which have nothing to do with race. I happen to agree with his comments. This is a lynching and an all out frontal assault on Cam and Auburn.

Agreed. No "race card" was played. Just a figure of speech.