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Keith Brooking: “Well I believe my teammates are winners, I am a damn winner”

The Dallas Cowboys are 8-4, they are tied for the lead in the NFC East, and are more than likely playoff bound, so why is there drama in Dallas? Well the reason for that is December is normally when Dallas poops the bed and can’t win a game to save their playoff lives. Early in the week during Wade Phillips media session he was called out and it wasn’t pretty. Dallas-area television reporter Steve Dennis had a testy exchange with Phillips during Monday’s session. Dennis asked how Phillips can refer to the Cowboys as “a bunch of winners” when the majority of players had never won a playoff game. In fairness, it’s a true statement. Look at the core guys, Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Wade Phillips, Jason Witten, all guys being on the team during this horrible stretch. Dating back to 2006, they’re 5-11 from Dec. 1 on, including 0-2 in the playoffs. The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996, with Phillips 0-4 in the postseason over his career.  That’s not something to brag about.

When Phillips was called out about his team being winners or losers unfortunately all that matters is December and playoff wins and the Cowboys don’t have any in awhile.  So is it fair to call the team “losers”, at this point you might have to. Cowboys’ players are rallying behind Phillips trying to help save his job and holding the first rally towel is Keith Brooking. Brooking played for Phillips for two years in Atlanta, so you know there is a relationship there. But in all honesty, if the Cowboys don’t win a playoff game this year and worse, don’t make it to the playoffs somehow, this will be the scene;  Wade Phillips riding out of Dallas into the sunset, well maybe being pushed out by Jerry Jones.

Keith Brooking joined Galloway and Company on ESPN 103.3 in Dallas talking about the incident with Phillips on Monday, what he thinks about the team, the playoffs and how he feels about Wade Phillips.

Asked if thought Wade got what he deserved in the press conference on Monday:

“I don’t feel like the past Decembers matter. Obviously our first game in December this year we didn’t go into New York and perform that well. If you want to talk about that, that’s fine. This is a totally different team than last year. For obvious reason, you guys can figure that out. I think just the December questions can kind of weigh on you a little bit when it comes to, you want to bring up the previous years. This year’s team has nothing to do with the previous Decembers, absolutely zero.”

Asked how this came up in a team meeting Monday afternoon:

“I am not going to talk about anything that goes on in team meetings. The way our coach addresses us, I just don’t think that’s appropriate. That’s disrespectful to our team, so I would never talk about that.”

Asked whether he believed there could even be an answer to the winners or losers question with 4 games left to go:

“Well I believe my teammates are winners, I am a damn winner. I think you are right by saying that there is a lot to be determined. We are 8-4; we have four crucial games coming up. This is a big game for us. I think that’s obvious; there is a lot to be determined. This next game we are going to find out what we are about. It’s crunch time. I have been in this thing a little bit and this is what you play for. As a player this is what you dream of. We have worked our tails off since March to get into this position. We control our destiny right now; we don’t have to worry about anyone else. We don’t need help from anyone we have set ourselves up today to get to where we want to go. Man, that’s awesome. That’s something I am excited about and I can’t wait to get onto that field on Sunday and play with my teammates and lay it on the line for them. And lay it on the line for our fans and everybody out there and let it fall where it’s going to fall. That’s what you dream of as a player.”

Listen to Keith Brooking with Galloway and Company on ESPN 103.3 in Dallas

Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Jason Witten, Keith Brooking, Marion Barber, New York Giants, NFC, NFC East, Tony Romo, Wade Phillips