KPFA: Show Cancellation at Local Radio Station (Video)

The KPFA The Morning Show cancellation issue drew 200 people for a rally on Tuesday outside the KPFA studios in Berkeley. The show hosts - Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - managed to lock themselves in a third floor studio and broadcast their show. (Video courtesy of The Daily Cal.)

That went against the wishes of KPFA Executive Director Arlene Englehardt. She wanted to bring in a radio feed from the sister station in LA. But the LA producers managed to get sick. That paved the way for the guerrila show.

In the audience look for the number of people who aren't using camcorders. That's one problem with media today - it's in the hands of each of us, but we have to know to use it to make a difference.

KPFA and NPR

What is it about Liberal Media lately? Why does it seem like the one medium needed to make a difference is coming apart at the seams? NPR has the embarrassing Juan Williams issue, and KPFA has this matter, where both seem like they're being ran by Old Media thinkers.

More on this soon.

KPFA: Show Cancellation at Local Radio Station (Video)

The KPFA The Morning Show cancellation issue drew 200 people for a rally on Tuesday outside the KPFA studios in Berkeley. The show hosts - Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - managed to lock themselves in a third floor studio and broadcast their show. (Video courtesy of The Daily Cal.)

That went against the wishes of KPFA Executive Director Arlene Englehardt. She wanted to bring in a radio feed from the sister station in LA. But the LA producers managed to get sick. That paved the way for the guerrila show.

In the audience look for the number of people who aren't using camcorders. That's one problem with media today - it's in the hands of each of us, but we have to know to use it to make a difference.

KPFA and NPR

What is it about Liberal Media lately? Why does it seem like the one medium needed to make a difference is coming apart at the seams? NPR has the embarrassing Juan Williams issue, and KPFA has this matter, where both seem like they're being ran by Old Media thinkers.

More on this soon.

Steven Spader Sentenced To Life Without Parole

New Hampshire's Steven Spader celebrated his 19th birthday today and then he found out that he will be spending the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole following his conviction today on premeditated first degree murder.

The Union Leader reports that Judge Gillian L. Abramson sentenced Spader after finding no mitigating factors that could possibly lessen his punishment. She tells the Union Leader that during his sentencing he had threatening behavior toward witnesses in the courtroom, and that required the courts to admonish him through counsel on three occasions.

"I sentence you to the maximum, the rest of your pointless life," Abramson's exact words to Spader.

For those who are unfamiliar with Spader - he is also known as the "Machete Murderer." In October of 2009 he used a machete to hack Kimberly Cates, 42, to death, and maimed her daughter, Jaimie, who was 11 at the time, during a brutal home invasion.

The Boston Globe reports that Abramson also said:

"I could go on for days and days about the depths of your depravity. It's sufficient to say you belong in a cage."

The Boston Globe includes that the jury also convicted Spader of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with witnesses and informants, and conspiracy to commit burglary


For more in-depth or background information about this case please click the links to the articles within this post.

Pacifica's KPFA Morning Show Axed: Show Hosts Stage Locked-In Show

Berkeley, CA - The drama around the cancellation of The KPFA Morning Show has attracted so much media attention KPFA Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt should revive the show, if only to take advantage of the increased attention.

The question is does she care to save the show? Indeed, given Tuesday's actions by The KPFA Morning Show hosts and producers Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla - with an assist from producers in Berkeley and in Los Angeles who called in "sick" to make way for The Morning Show team - they were able to host a "guerilla" show.

If you're reading this, scratching your head, and asking "why," all of this has it's roots in a long-standing disconnect between KPFA show staff, and the local board and the Pacifica Network. It's confusing that KPFA, the station that gave birth to Pacifica, would be in this position against Pacifica, but nothing about this story meets the logic test. Some back story is needed; here it is.

According to Sasha Lilley, of KPFA's Against the Grain and a critic of the management and board of KPFA, the foundation for today's unrest started in 1999, when Pacifica attempted to sell KPFA, and locked out the staff for 23-days in an effort to clear the decks. The result was a 10,000 person "Save KPFA" march in Berkeley and an end to Pacifica's lockout efforts.

In order to theoretically make a KPFA that was more responsive to its listeners and end the staff / management rancor, the organization was altered to allow board members elected by KPFA listeners, which really is anyone the board candidate could get to cast a vote. Instead of less rancor, the new system only created more arguments and power struggles.

A big reason for this was that a person can be on the KPFA Board with just 300 votes out of a listenership of around 150,000 people.  So, what happens, according to Lilley, is that the board that's elected doesn't actually reflect what the listeners want, only what the individual KPFA board members want.  That's the foundation for the recent problems.

Adding to that foundation is the fact that KPFA is losing money because it can't attract listeners.  Arlene Engelhardt is on record as saying KPFA has lost over $1.5 million over the last two years.  Moreover, from the perspective of one who's been a guest on KPFA shows several times, the organization has not learned how to master New Media to help gain more listeners.

All of that, and this bloggers observation that Liberals - and I'm Liberal - all too often eat their own for reasons of ego.

The Email In The Printer

The current controversy started when an email written by one of the KPFA managers and calling for The Morning Show hosts to be fired along with other staffers was found in a printer.  According to Lilley, the misdirected email was a violation of the CWA 9415 Union contract with KPFA management.

The person targeted was Brian Edwards-Tiekert, who had the most seniority. But in order to "get him" reportedly, management had to sack the whole staff.

Brian Edwards-Tiekert A Save KPFA Enabler

According to a source via email, Brian Edwards-Tiekert's name was on a list of people to be fired that was created, reportedly, by three members of Pacifica's National Board.

The email states that Edwards-Tiekert was a "key player" in the "SaveKPFA slate" that is in power after October's KPFA Board elections.

Arlene Engelhardt Targeted As Problem

KPFA Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt was targeted by Save KPFA members as the person who made the decision to sack The Morning Show. Save KPFA reports that:

Engelhardt has rejected most of the alternative proposals put forward in a Sustainable KPFA Budget backed by workers, the local station board, and KPFA management, and refused to reveal her own salary and those of other high-level managers. While Pacifica’s plan would lay off a large portion of the union staff, the Sustainable Budget would reduce bureaucratic overhead and board expense rather than cut on-air programming.

Engelhardt planned to let go of the KPFA Morning Show staff and replace it with "piped-in" programming from Pacifica's KPFK station in Los Angeles.  Instead, what she got was an on-air argument with show producer Esther Manilla on Monday...



...And a Monday show broadcast featuring Aimee Allison, Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives featuring long-time Pacifica broadcaster Larry Bensky.



Sasha Lilley said today that some KPFA managers and board members wanted a volunteer staff. That, she said, would result in a dramatic loss of listenership, and already she's received calls from long time supporters who said they would stop contributing to KPFA if The Morning Show was axed.

Missile Mystery off the California Coast

There was an apparent missile mystery off the California Coast last night and nobody seems to know who launched the projectile.

The unmistakable contrail streaking into the California sunset was captured on video last night by a KCBS news helicopter flying over Los Angeles at around 5 p.m. Pacific time.

KFMB showed video of the apparent missile to former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Robert Ellsworth, who is also a former Deputy Secretary of Defense, to get his thoughts.

A Navy spokesperson told KFMB it wasn't their missile. He said there was no Navy activity reported in the area Monday evening.

On Friday night, Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, launched a Delta II rocket, carrying an Italian satellite into orbit, but a sergeant at the base told KFMB there had been no launches since then.

Ellsworth urged American to wait for definitive answers to come from the military.

When asked, however, what he thought it might be, the former ambassador said it could possibly have been a missile test timed as a demonstration of American military might as President Obama tours Asia.

"It could be a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine … to demonstrate, mainly to Asia, that we can do that," speculated Ellsworth.

Late this morning, MSNBC was reporting that the military now states this was just a plane taking off and not a missile as previously speculated.

Common man! Clearly that is an explanation about as credible as the “weather balloon” or “swamp gas” scenarios when responding to UFO sightings. A plane? Really? If you believe that then you’ll believe anything!

San Francisco Bans Happy Meals

CNN reports that under San Francisco Supervisor Eric Mar's proposal McDonalds and other restaurants would have until December 2011 to improve the nutrition of the meals offered if the restaurants want to continue offering toys tied to the latest films.

The proposal would enforce that the food and beverages contain less than 600 calories and less than 35 percent of total calories from fat. The meals will be required to contain 0.5 cups of fruit and 0.75 cups of vegetables and offer less than 640 mg of sodium and less than 0.5 mg of trans fat.

This is part of a "food justice movement" that addresses that over 50 of the restaurants in San Francisco use toys and other giveaways to sell fast food while the nutritional content of the meals is being challenged by the city.

Mar tells CNN that the ordinance would be a "tremendous victory" in fighting childhood obesity:

"I do believe that toys and other incentives attached to foods that are high in sugar, fat and calories are a major reason for the alarming rise for childhood obesity in this country. This is a very modest ordinance that is an incentive for the industry to take responsibility for healthier choices for children and parents."

Danya Proud is McDonald's spokeswoman; her response to the potential ban of happy meals is one of disappointment. She tells CNN:

"It's not what our customers want, nor is it something they asked for. Public opinion continues to be overwhelmingly against this misguided legislation. Parents tell us it's their right and responsibility -- not the government's - to make their own decisions and to choose what's right for their children. We are extremely proud of our Happy Meals which give our youngest guests wholesome food and toys of the highest quality. Getting a toy with a kid's meal is just one part of a fun, family experience at McDonald's."

McDonald's is expected to challenge this legally once the ordinance is approved.

Unemployment News: Outsourcing - What was Obama Thinking?

In unemployment news, outsourcing has been a huge factor in American joblessness.

So what was President Obama thinking when he played down the tremendously destructive outsourcing problem recently during his trip to India? Whatever the reason for the change in Obama’s rhetoric on this subject, the progressive radio hosts are not happy about this unexpected turn of events.

The outsourcing issue is a sore point in an otherwise deepening relationship between India and the United States, which see each other as vital partners in areas like counterterrorism, defense contracts and nuclear energy.

India's outsourcing industry was shaken last year when Obama said he wanted to change "a tax code that says you should pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York."

At a Mumbai summit of top Indian and American chief executives, Obama said that in the United States a caricature exists of India as a nation filled with call centers that were taking away American jobs.

In India, Obama said, many see the arrival of American companies as a threat to the livelihood of neighborhood shopkeepers. "These old stereotypes and old concerns ignore today's reality. Trade between our countries is not just a one-way street of American jobs and companies moving to India. It is a dynamic two-way relationship that is creating jobs, growth and higher standards in both our countries" the President said.

So has Obama changed his mind on protecting remaining American jobs from the scourge of outsourcing? Has the election so distressed our President that he is now touting Republican talking points to appease the GOP he will be forced to work with over the next two years?

Ed Schultz today devoted all three hours of his radio show and will likely address this same issue on his MSNBC TV show tonight. Callers on Ed’s radio show agreed that outsourcing jobs to India and other countries has been a substantial contributing component in America’s unemployment problems and most every caller expressed outrage over the issue and the President’s apparent change of heart on outsourcing.

This season NBC had the bad taste to air a comedy in their fall line up called “Outsourced” which centers around the cultural differences faced by one American who left Wisconsin to work in India. There are at least 3 Facebook pages, several other social networking sites as well as plenty of blogs condemning NBC for the concept of the show as insensitive to the plight of those (now jobless Americans) who fell victim to the reality of outsourcing.

The fact is, off-shoring American jobs to foreign lands only benefits the bottom lines of corporations, companies and the countries where those jobs are relocated. Decades worth of IRS tax breaks for those employers who ship our jobs overseas has gutted the availability of US jobs, lowered the average pay in America and continues to reward big business for this un-American activity.

Apparently, with the Republican takeover of the House, this problem will continue to plague America, as GOP politicians voted 11 times in the past 4 years to continue such corporate giveaways which only hurt our middle class citizens and cost the American people billions of dollars every year. Now that the President seems to have changed his mind on this subject, the American worker will continue to suffer the consequences.

Perhaps if the millions of American families whose lives have been devastated by the resulting reality of outsourcing jobs (and the prolonged unemployment that often follows) would contact the Whitehouse Comments Line 202-456-1111 Switchboard: 202-456-1414 FAX: 202-456-2461 and tell him we need job here in the USA and stop rewarding those who ship jobs out of the country - perhaps he will get the message the voters actually tried to deliver a week ago: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!

Conan On TBS Beats The Tonight Show With Jay Leno In Ratings

Jay Leno can't catch a break. First, he's battling David Letterman for late night talk show ratings, as well as others, and now, it's Conan O'Brien (photo at left). Conan on TBS reportedly beat The Tonight Show With Jay Leno in ratings for Monday night.

According to Zap2it.com, Nielsen Ratings from 56 "metered markets" report Conan On TBS at a 2.8 household rating share, while The Tonight Show With Jay Leno has a 2.7 ratings share.

The question is will that hold? It's logical to expect Conan to do better than The Tonight Show With Jay Leno because Monday was Conan's much hyped debut. But what happens later in the week? What about next week?

Conan Gets Good and Bad Reviews

The Tonight Show With Jay Leno's ratings aside, Conan's quirky humor returns to the screen with mostly good reviews for his first show. Still, it's great to see Conan, who was treated horribly by NBC when Jay Leno decided he wanted his Tonight Show gig back, return to late night television.

By the way, Leno's not invited on Conan on TBS.

Who is Bipolar? Learn the difference between mood swings and the disorder by Dr. Christina Villarreal

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, has become a commonly used term by the public, with many of us becoming familiar with it as a result of celebrities such as Bobby Brown, Ben Stiller, Britney Spears, and Jim Carey exhibiting symptoms or identifying themselves as having been diagnosed with this disorder. But what exactly IS Bipolar disorder, and how can you tell the difference between someone who meets the criteria for the disorder from someone who is just 'moody' or chooses to live an extreme lifestyle?

Bipolar is a brain disorder, or chemical imbalance that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. The symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe, and the criteria for receiving a diagnosis are quite specific. They are different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through from time to time, as well as more extreme mood shifts you might observe in others.


The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) classifies Bipolar Disorder by the occurrence of one or more manic or mixed episode (also known as agitated depression) often accompanied by depressive episodes. So even if you're depressed 99 percent of the time, experiencing just one manic episode qualifies you for a diagnosis of bipolar disorder according to this definition - but that still leaves most of us confused about who fits the criteria for a diagnosis, aside from the fact that the DSM-IV also differentiates between Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Hypomania, and Cyclothymia (all diagnoses that can be referred to as 'manic depressive'.)

This article aims to explain the differences amongst these disorders in the simplest terms. Bipolar disorder is an illness that impacts a person's thoughts, feelings, perceptions (both mental and physical), and behavior. It's likely caused by electrical and chemical elements in the brain that are not functioning properly, with research suggesting that people are genetically vulnerable to inheriting the disease when their families have a history of its occurrence.

Typically, a person with manic-depression experiences moods that shift from high to low and back again, with varying degrees of severity. To receive a diagnosis of bipolar, these symptoms CANNOT be a direct result of alcohol or drug use. The symptoms are severe enough to lead to impairment in work, social, or academic functioning, and may lead to involuntary hospitalization to prevent harm to self or others. Note: to receive a diagnosis of a manic or depressive episode, a specific type, duration and number of symptoms MUST be present; refer to a mental or medical health professional or the DSM-IV for more details on this.)

A depressive episode can be identified by:

Mood Changes:


A long period of feeling sad, hopeless, worried, guilty or tearful
Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, including sex.

Behavioral Changes:

Feeling tired, or 'slowed down'
Having problems concentrating, remembering, and making decisions
Being restless or irritable
Changing eating, sleeping, or other habits
Thinking of death or suicide, or attempting suicide

May include psychotic or catatonic features as well.


A manic episode can be identified by:

Feeling like you can do anything, even something unsafe or illegal

extreme displays of emotion- including jubilant or euphoric expressions, rage, paranoia, agitation
Decreased need for sleep, yet never feeling tired

Inflated self esteem or grandiosity

highly talkative, or pressured speech

distractability, or being too easily drawn to unimportant or irrelevant stimuli
Dressing flamboyantly, spending money extravagantly, living recklessly
Having increased sexual desires, or indulging in risky sexual behaviors
Thoughts of suicide or other morbid/destructive behaviors

May include psychotic, or catatonic features

Bipolar I is defined by manic or mixed episodes that last at least seven days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, the person also has depressive episodes (typically lasting at least two weeks) but depression is NOT necessary for receiving a Bipolar I diagnosis, however the symptoms of mania or depression must be a major change from the person's normal behavior.

Bipolar Disorder II is differentiated from Bipolar 1 in that it involves symptoms of hypomania (less extreme symptoms and for shorter duration compared to full-blown mania), as well as the presence of a depressive episode. This diagnosis is defined by a pattern of depressive episodes shifting back and forth with hypomanic episodes, but no full-blown manic or mixed episodes.

Cyclothymia is a "bipolar-like" illness. People with cyclothymic disorder have milder symptoms than in full-blown bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder, if left untreated, can wreak havoc on the personal lives of people with the disorder. Unstable moods frequently disrupt or even destroy personal and work relationships. People may have difficulty finding a life partner, instead moving through a series of passionate, short-lived romances. Impulsive behavior can be self-destructive and lead to serious legal problems. At it's worst, bipolar disorder can be lethal, leading to suicide or death of others. People with bipolar are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. As many as 50% of people with bipolar may also have a problem with substance abuse, in an attempt to alleviate or enhance their symptoms. But bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives with the appropriate medical and emotional support. If you or someone you know is suspected of experiencing symptoms associated with Bipolar disorder, seek the help of a medical and/or mental health professional as soon as possible.



Sources: DSM-IV, webmd.com

For professional referrals, please contact Dr. Christina Villarreal @ christina.villarreal@gmail.com or visit her website at www.drchristinavillarreal.com

Pacifica's KPFA Morning Show Axed: Show Host Edwards-Tiekert Had Enemies

On Monday, four employees of The Berkeley, CA-based, Pacifica-owned KPFA Morning Show, KPFA's most popular locally-produced program - were fired as part of what was called a "cost-cutting" move. That includes the two KPFA Morning Show hosts Aimee Allison and Brian Edwards-Tiekert, and Morning Show Executive Producer Laura Prives and Esther Manilla.

Oaklanders know Aimee Allison as the local personality for Comcast, as well as a former candidate for the Oakland District Two Council Seat that's currently occupied by Pat Kernighan, who won another four year term on election day. Meanwhile, Brian Edwards-Tiekert was pointed to as the person who made "enemies" on the KPFA Board of Directors.

According to a source via email, Brian Edwards-Tiekert's name was on a list of people to be fired that was created, reportedly, by three members of Pacifica's National Board.

The email states that Edwards-Tiekert was a "key player" in the "SaveKPFA slate" that is in power after October's KPFA Board elections.

Arlene Engelhardt Targeted As Problem

KPFA Executive Director Arlene Engelhardt was targeted by Save KPFA members as the person who made the decision to sack The Morning Show. Save KPFA reports that:

Engelhardt has rejected most of the alternative proposals put forward in a Sustainable KPFA Budget backed by workers, the local station board, and KPFA management, and refused to reveal her own salary and those of other high-level managers. While Pacifica’s plan would lay off a large portion of the union staff, the Sustainable Budget would reduce bureaucratic overhead and board expense rather than cut on-air programming.

Engelhardt let go of the KPFA Morning Show staff and replaced it with "piped-in" programming from Pacifica's KPFK station in Los Angeles.

Protest At 11 AM

There will be a protest of this move today at 11 AM at KPFA on 1929 Martin Luther King Jr Way , near the intersection of Martin Luther King and University Avenue in Berkeley. Save KPFA asks you to call Engelhardt. Her office number is (510) 849 - 2590, ext 208 and her cell number is (510) 402 - 9880.

One week later - NOT a post-mortem for Democrats

Democrats took a shellacking, and it's partly my fault -- not because I took time away from journalism to help manage a Congressional Campaign against an incumbent Republican in Minnesota's Second Congressional District, rather because I failed to engage more people in the process.

Look, both major parties have a collection of loyal supporters who consistently identify as a Democrat or a Republican, and many of them turn out reliably to vote even in non-Presidential elections. Polls prior to November revealed Democrats were dis-spirited, Republicans were angry, and those coveted swing-voters (and the capital "I" Independents) had largely lost their enthusiasm.

It wasn't about facts, of course, it was about spin. Logic would suggest (if not mandate) more voters would align with Democrats - Obama had wrenched the economy out of a death-spiral, lowered taxes for most people, lowered the deficit, lowered the troop presence in Iraq, started the process of restoring the cost-benefit ratio of our health care system, and jobs were finally being created faster than they were getting lost.

Meanwhile, the media gave play to every story blaming the state of the economy on Democrats or the White House (hey, they didn't say they believed the story-teller, they just reported that's what was being said, right?) and let the Republican talking points about lower taxes creating jobs echo over and over even though that correlation has been dis-proven repeatedly: it certainly hadn't done so while Bush was in office for 8 years (but hey, the media never said they believed that, or talked about the wealth-gap, and they even let a few people point out that demand is the more logical driver of job-creation, but lots of photogenic people with convincing smiles and voices were talking about how taxes and uncertainty kept rich guys from wanting to hire people. They "covered" what was being "said" right?)

Bush oversaw record growth in government? Well, obviously that's the Democrats fault for caving in, don't they know how to run a filibuster? I mean, big government is bad, right? Unless it provides for our military defense, or social security, or Federal disaster recovery funds, or interstate highways, or border patrols and immigration enforcement, or keeping our toys from being painted with lead, or.... oh never mind.

Earmarks, we all know earmarks are bad, right? They account for nearly 1% of the Federal budget, and if there's one thing we know it's that if we all had 1% more of our money that goes to taxes we'd be just fine now, right? Not so much?

The point is: voting is not about logic. Advertisers have known that logic lets us rationalize our choices for centuries, and modern politicians have long understood there are two fundamentally different parts of holding elected office: there's the campaign - which doesn't remotely test the skills necessary to govern, that's the GETTING into the office part though - and then there's the rest of it, the actual wielding of power while in office.  Successful politicians master both, although there's no one "right" way to do either.

I failed to engage or electrify enough voters in my area; so the cable-TV watching middle class, convinced to vote by a carefully-crafted message laden with buzzwords focus-tested by so-called Conservative strategists that Obama and his "agenda" were leading the country to ruin, elected Republicans in droves in Minnesota.

Remember 2000, when we elected Bush? He was the sort of guy people thought they'd like to have a beer with. Now Minnesota voters face a recount for the Governor because they were reassured by a guy who tried to lower drunk-driving penalties after he got cited for that very offence, because he's told them the $6 BILLION deficit our current (Republican) governor proclaimed as a crisis is mostly just an accounting and spending problem... although he can't explain just how that's going to work, but it's very, very reassuring that somebody knows it can be fixed if voters just trust Republicans.

Post-mortem? No, if there was logic in the outcome of the November 2nd elections it might rise to that level; from here on the ground in Minnesota, looking at the numbers, and the facts, it's a wake-up call for Democrats: they were out-strategized. (Yes, I know, I made that word up. You're one of those logical people, aren't you?) Worse yet, there were voices they could have heeded.

Voters were, in a word, hoodwinked. Democratic politicians lost ground by losing lots of elections to a bunch of slick, experienced, successful Used Country Salesmen. And right here in Minnesota, it's partly my fault.

Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, journalist, political strategist, and photographer who recently worked as the Campaign Manager on the Madore For Congress campaign in Minnesota's 2nd District. He contributes regularly to a host of other web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community. He'll be more active again here at Zennie's now, unless maybe there's a vote recount in an important election in Minnesota.  Oh, wait...

Wade Phillips Fired? Cowboys' Jerry Jones Should Step Down

This blogger has nothing but complete admiration for Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. Mr. Jones took a once-proud franchise and brought it back to Super Bowl glory, building the dynasty of the 90s, winning Super Bowls three times in 1993, 1994, and then 1996.  

But the Cowboys have fallen on hard times in the 21st Century, and in the matter of Wade Phillips, who was fired by Jones today, the real problem remains at the top: Jones himself.

Jones achieved success with Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer as head coaches, and the use of an offensive line that was the first majority-African American line, with each player over 300 pounds. The Cowboys used that advantage to build a power running game, and a stretch-the-field Ernie Zampese / Norv Turner passing game. All of this allowed Jerry Jones to look like a genius and be the face of the Dallas Cowboys - a behavior in direct violation of former Cowboys Owner, the late Clint Murchison.

Clint Murchison, or Mr. Murchison, did something that arguably established the organizational stability around which the Dallas Cowboys were originally built. In 1964 Mr. Murchison signed then young Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, their first, to a 10 year contract. And he did this as the Cowboys first four years were totally awful, starting 0-11-1, and the next three years with no more than five wins a season.

Clint Murchison, who believed in hiring experts and stepping out of the way, left management of the Dallas Cowboys to the NFL's first well-known tripplets: Coach Landry, General Manager Tex Schramm, and Vice President of Player Personnel Gil Brandt.  That group produced the NFL's longest winning streak, the best winning percentage in the NFL, and a mark of success that stands largely unchallenged today.

Jerry Jones Fires Wade Phillips

Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips because he didn't see a positive future for the organization on the field after the Cowboys were pasted 45 to 7 by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.  Jones took the action after saying he would not make any decisions until after the season.  That Jones went against his own statement and bowed to media pressure is but one example of why he should remove himself from the title of "General Manager" of the Dallas Cowboys.

Jerry Jones' constant meddling with the organization has produced a climate of "win-now-or-else" which flies in the face of the actions one takes to create organizational stability.  Moreover, Mr. Jones is not a "system guy," and seems to have almost an aversion to developing system-based organizations.

None of his head coaches are known for creating innovative schemes or coherent organizational structures.  Indeed, the very placement of Jerry Jones at the general manager helm eliminates the development of such organizational systems and the selection of "system coaches."  In other words, coaches that are known for innovations on offense and defense.

One could go a step further and assert that such a coach would have a name that would overshadow that of "Jerry Jones" and Jones may not like that.  In fact, there's ample evidence to back such a claim in how Jones got along with Jimmy Johnson in the years before Jimmy left the Cowboys.

The best episode was told by Sports Illustrated's Peter King in 1994.  Jones simply had to be part of the action, even if he didn't know what he was doing in terms of running the organization. Consider this damning paragraph:

The day before the 1992 NFL draft, the Dallas brain-trust—Johnson, Jones and Ackles—formulated a trade to offer the Cleveland Browns. Late that day, after Jones had left the office, Cleveland coach Bill Belichick called back to say he would do the deal, and the Cowboys announced it. On draft day Jones came to the office upset that he hadn't been called when the deal was confirmed, and he asked to see Johnson. Their meeting droned on until, with only five minutes left before the start of the draft, Jones told Johnson, "You know the ESPN camera is in the draft room today. So whenever we're about to make a pick, you look at me, like we're talking about it." In other words, Make me look as if I'm a big player here, even though we all know I'm not making the picks.

Jerry Jones inability to recognize when feeding his ego becomes a problem, is the problem. It's why Jerry Jones must, with all deliberate speed, fire himself as General Manager of The Dallas Cowboys. Otherwise, Dallas will never achieve Super Bowl level success, perhaps for decades.