Mamas, Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up to Be Babies

Review: Mamas, Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up to Be Babies, by Michael Holmes Holmes, Michael. Mamas, Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up to Be Babies, Toronto, ECW Press. 1998. PB, 96p, illus., list: 8.95, ISBN: 1-55022-359-3 As a Dallas Cowboys fan, given the title, I was expecting the worst. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a minimum of editorializing and Cowboy-bashing by the author -- rather, he lets the principals (in most cases) speak for themselves. The book comprises 16 "weeks" (chapters) consisting almost exclusively of quotes from Cowboy players, coaches and management. There are also a few quotes from authors and reporters. All of the usual suspects are included: Lance Rentzel, Pete Gent, Duane Thomas, Hollywood Henderson, Michael Irvin, Erik Williams, Barry Switzer, Deion Sanders, etc. But Holmes also includes not-so-flattering quotes from some of the supposedly "good guys" like Tom Landry, Walt Garrison, Jimmy Johnson and Troy Aikman. I do have one complaint: Holmes includes several facts regarding the fall of Barry Switzer as OU head coach. I'm not sure how that is related to the Dallas Cowboys, but such obvious sensationaling was probably included to spur sales among Cowboy-bashers or OU-haters. Despite that failing, Cowboy fans may want to give this thin volume a look. I think if you read it with an open mind, you can't help but shake your head at some of the dumb things mentioned therein. Of course, we are all human, so I won't judge what others have done. "There, but for the grace of God, go I". © Copyright Sep 11, 2008 by Fred Goodwin, [email protected]