“Life is about creating opportunities and taking advantage of opportunities’’ Jason Garrett told his team at the the start of the Dallas Cowboys' training camp.
Was the speech a motivational masterpiece? You decide.
Some Notable Quotes:
On coaches:
“The coaches I hate—that I had a visceral reaction to—were the guys who told me, ‘You’re doing a great job.’ … And allowing me to be as mediocre as mediocre could be,” Garrett said. “None of us need help being mediocre—especially me. Coach my ass! … You been to the Pro Bowl eight times? You’re getting your ass coached. You just got here 15 minutes ago? You’re getting your ass coached. First-round picks, free agents who signed for nothing—everybody’s getting coached.”On how players should handle interviews/media:
Garrett said, players should be “respectful, brief, boring and humble … Distinguish yourself with your play, not what you say.”On handling distractions:
“Don’t listen to the noise,” he said. “Think Einstein listened to the noise? Think Martin Luther King listened to the noise? Be strong enough mentally, be strong enough physically” to tune the distractions out.
The Cowboys were silent for almost the entire 35 minute speech. Curious whether that was a sign of focus or lack of engagement?
If you have a short-attention-span, here is the four-minute version with some highlights.
Here is the full 35-minute video.
