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Tribute to Head Coach Dennis Jones
The Austin Vipers thank head coach Dennis Jones for his dedication to the sport of football. His leadership influenced countless people, and improved them as both athletes and men. The team’s success can largely be attributed to his talent and hard work. Congratulations on a successful career and historic 223-50-1 record.
Jones’ success started as a player. He played two years of college football at Tennessee State University. He was also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
He joined the U.S. Army after college and served from 1983-87. After his active service he remained in the U.S. Army Reserves until 1996. During that time, he played semi professional football with the Austin Assassins, then the Austin Texas Stars. He won several championships until the Texas Stars moved to San Antonio in 1998.
Jones, like other teammates, tried to commute down to San Antonio. However, after practicing nearly every day, it proved too much.
Jones realized how much talent remained in the area. In 1998 he decided to form the Austin Gamebreakers. He served as owner, head coach, and defensive coordinator.
The Gamebreakers won the United Professional Football League Championship their inaugural season. The following year, the team moved to the Texas Football League where he won another league championship. Jones was named the 1999 TFL Coach of the Year.
The Gamebreakers joined the North American Football League in 2000. They dominated their way to six division titles, three conference titles, and the 2006 NAFL Division II National Championship.
Jones made several connections with the Gamebreakers. He met Garrieth J. McAfee, known to most as “Coach Mac,” and Hank Morris, future owner of the Austin Vipers. Through the years they became great friends. They worked together until 2009 when the team ended with an overall record of 168-34. Jones and McAfee retired shortly after.
Despite already having a great career, Jones could not stay away from football for long.
Jones said, “Coach Mack and I were discussing coming back because we missed the game and missed the opportunity to give our knowledge to the other guys.”
Another opportunity presented itself in 2011. Hank Morris, now owner of the Austin Vipers, convinced Jones out of retirement. Jones came back with several former Gamebreakers, including McAfee.
Word spread quickly of Jones’ return. Former players, and new talent alike, were drawn to the team. There were immediate results.
Jones coached the Vipers to a 13-0 season,
treasures the moment.
“We had a great time,” Jones said. “We had a banquet, parties, and it was nice hanging out with some football greats and other football minds.”
Unfortunately this is one of his last memories of McAfee. Shortly after the Hall of Fame induction, Garrieth J. McAfee passed away January 2013.
McAfee meant a great deal to the Vipers, and affected the team long after he was gone. His teachings on and off the field helped motivate the Vipers to their 2013 “AAA” XFL National Championship. After the game they dedicated the season in his honor.
Jones found another motivation in his friend’s passing. He felt the need to continue coaching. He wanted to leave knowing he had successfully passed down his knowledge of the game.
After another successful season in 2014 Jones is ready for something else.
“I’m retiring from the game for good,” Jones said with a sigh. “It’s been 25 years. It’s time to let it go.”
Jones has big plans for his future. He hopes to start up a barbeque business. He also plans to spend more time with his four-year-old grandson.
Jones may be retiring but he is not going anywhere. He said he looks forward to watching the Vipers play from the shaded section of the bleachers. He encourages the rest of Austin to do the same.
“Austin is a great place to be,” Jones said. “The community is great and there are a lot of things to do. I just wish they would spend some time to come out and see the product that we produce for the community…we do put on some good football.”
By: Ryan Tanneberger
adding another division, conference, and league championship under his belt. The team also made an appearance in the national championship. Jones was awarded the 2011 Western Football News Coach of the Year.
The team’s first year made a statement to the rest of the league. They moved up to the “AAA” Xtreme Football League after the national championship game.
Since then, they won the 2013 XFL Championships and the 2013 “AAA” National Championship. The team’s current overall record is 55-16-1.
Jones’ winning way is the only predictable aspect of his 15 years of coaching. The secret behind his success has been an unpredictable strategy and his ability to adapt.
He said a team can study film all it wants, but until the game is played no one can be sure. For this reason, he likes to go through a couple of series to see what the other team has specifically prepared for him. Only then will he make his adjustments.
“I love the game because it’s a challenge, it’s chess played with people,” Jones said. “It’s the defensive mind verses the offensive mind. We are trying to outthink the coaches on the other side of the field. We are trying to move players in the right position at the right time. It’s all within the framework of the game.”
Jones emphasizes the importance of the mental game to his players. He said in order to control the game, one must avoid mental mistakes that give the opponent the football. He went on to say the importance of the mental game increases during win-or-go-home games.
Considering his two national championships, five league championships, and numerous other titles, it is safe to say Jones had a knack for the mental aspect of important games.
His success did not go unrecognized.
Jones was nominated in 2012 to the American Football News Today Hall of Fame as a semi professional head coach. After he was selected, Jones went to Las Vegas for his induction ceremony. He was presented by his colleague and long time friend McAfee. Jones said he
Buying Into the Viper Way
The Vipers have two league championships, two national championship appearances, and an overall record of 55-16-1 in only six years. They have recently defended their 2013 “AAA” National Championship all the way to the 2014 XFL Championship Game.
Last season they outscored their opponents by an average of 23 points per game, earning an 11-2 record. There is no denying what the Vipers have done in the past. The question is, how do they do it?
“Every year we have a great group of guys that come in,” said Keith Clay, five-year veteran running back. “You always get those knuckleheads you have to work out...but for the most part everyone comes in here and buys into the system.”
This system for success demands many things from its players. They must be ready when their number is called, work their way up, and then lead by example.
Incoming players are expected to impliment this system on day one.
“When you join this organization, you’re not going to be able to ride the success of what has been laid out in the past,” offensive line coach David Contreras said. “We’re going to have veterans retire due to the physical demand of this game so the younger guys are going to have to commit. They are going to have to be well pre-pared.”
Head coach Dennis Jones expects everyone to play like a starter. He said the Vipers coaching staff evaluates talent daily, so anyone who is playing like a starter he will get a shot. Even if a rookie gets overlooked, Jones guarantees special teams will get him noticed.
Special teams are a great way to contribute to the team. Many games are won and lost by a single field goal or kickoff return. Wide receiver Camerion Carrathus said he believes it is the most important aspect of football.
Clay and Carrathus said most rookies play on special teams regardless of their previous experience.
“If you were a star player from another team don’t come to this team and think you’ll get the same respect,” Clay said. “You have to earn it on the field. Our rookies start on special team, that’s where they get their stripes.”
Carrathus added, “I started on special teams and I gradually started working my way into rotation. So I don’t want anyone to feel like you can come out here and automatically start.”
After a player earns his stripes and works his way into rotation he is expected to become a leader. The quickest way to do this is to lead by example.
Clay said if you go out on the field and play the game like it is supposed to be played it rubs off on the other guys.
He was then asked which teammate he looks up to the most. Clay quickly answered linebacker Anthony Penn. He said Penn is an “old school, hit you in your mouth, help you back up, and go line up in the huddle” kind of player. He also said Penn has been with the Vipers longer than any of the team’s practice jerseys, earning him-self the nickname “Godfather.”
These veterans have been a big part of the Vipers past, but one day they will move on. Someone will need to take their place.
The future of any team is determined by the commitment and dedication of its newest players. This is why the Vipers demand so much. This is how they will continue their winning ways.
Want to buy into the Viper system? Be prepared to work. Watch the guys who have been there for a while and listen to the coaches. They know what it takes to be successful.
“It takes a strong mind and great determination. It takes will power and it takes patience,” Dennis Jones said. “If you have those things you can be a Viper, a successful Viper.”
By: Ryan Tanneberger
AUSTIN- Running back Keith Clay scored four touchdowns as the Austin Vipers ran over the San Antonio Warriors 40-13 in the first round of the 2014 XFL Playoffs.
The Vipers (9-1) had their way in the trenches as the team combined for 261 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Clay took most of the workload with 17 carries for 175 yards. Running back Charles Spradley came in late in the game to take four carries for 37 yards and a touchdown.
The Warriors (5-5) started off strong on their first possession. Quarterback Stephen James connected with wide reciever Steve Marshal for a 50-yard touchdown pass. However, once the Vipers put pressure on James they were able to force several turnovers.
On the Warriors’ second drive linebacker Deon Bell was able to force James out of the pocket multiple times. This led to a critical forced fumble and recovery by Bell.
Everything went downhill from there. The Vipers were able to pressure James into several more mistakes, including interceptions by defensive backs Eric Tennison and Cerek Bedford. Tennison now has 13 interceptions for the season.
The Vipers had no such trouble. The offense was able to score after all but one Warrior turnover. The team also capitalized in the red zone scoring five of their six visits.
Quarterback Tyrrence Taylor went 4-for-10 for 65 yards, a touchdown, and no interceptions. The running backs did most of the work while taking time off the clock. They were able to keep the Warriors off the field with long drives and a consistent run game.
The Vipers are now 3-0 against the Warriors this season. The rivalry has gone back several years and this elimination game is sure to feed the fire. Vipers head coach Dennis Jones commented on the Warriors.
“Every time we hit the field with these guys it’s personal,” Jones said. “After it’s all said and done we do have personal relationships with a lot of Warriors, but between the 10 and the 10 it’s personal. So yeah, there’s quite a bit of beef.”
2014 XFL PLAYOFFS - ROUND 1 Austin 40, San Antonio 13
SCORE BY QUARTER 1 2 3 4 FINALSan Antonio 6 0 0 7 13Austin 8 12 14 6 40
Austin22
26165
4-10-03261-0
3-252-25-02-10-0
6-91-15-65
San Antonio8
40101
8-26-21413-2
3-400-0-01-0-05-111-31-32
Team StatisticsFirst DownsNet Yards RushingNet Yards PassingCompletions-Attempts-Int.Total Offense: YardsFumbles: Number-LostPenalties: Number-YardsInterceptions: Number-Yards-TDFumble Return: Number-Yards-TDThird-Down ConversionsFourth-Down ConversionsRed-Zone: Scores-ChancesSacks
SCORING SUMMARY
TEAM QTR TIME PLAYER Play Warriors 1st 13:11 #1 S. James to #80 S. Marshal 50 yd. pass Vipers 1st 5:10 #1 K. Clay 1 yd. run Vipers 2nd 9:47 #1 K. Clay 1 yd. run Vipers 2nd 0:37 #9 T. Taylor to #88 Perkins 4 yd. pass Vipers 3rd 12:53 #1 K. Clay 35 yd. run Vipers 3rd 6:48 #1 K. Clay 10 yd. run Warriors 4th 14:14 #1 S. James to #4 D. Wells 15 yd. pass Vipers 4th 6:00 #22 C. Spradley 6 yd. run
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:
Ryan Tanneberger
830.305.4244
AUSTIN VIPERS ADVANCE TO 2014 XFL CHAMPIONSHIP
2013 XFL Champion Austin Vipers look for rematch against Bounty Hunters
AUSTIN (May 11, 2014) – The Vipers will be defending their XFL Championship on
May 17. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. at John Gupton Stadium in Cedar Park. The undefeated
Oklahoma City (OKC) Bounty Hunters gave the Vipers their only loss this season in a
double overtime brawl. The Vipers plan on returning the favor in this grudge match,
championship game. Admission is $10 at the gate and children 12 and younger are free.
The last time these two teams met it was a defensive struggle, followed by an explosive
end. In the first half the Vipers defense held OKC to only two field goals, one in each
quarter. The second half started with a bang. The Vipers immediately answered with a
95-yard kickoff return to take a 7-6 lead. OKC did not reach the end zone until the 4th
quarter. A 40-yard touchdown pass and 2-point conversion gave them a 14-7 lead with
10:01 left. The Vipers had their own 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game up with
2:57 left. The Vipers missed a 38-yard fieldgoal with seven seconds left, sending the
game to overtime. Both defenses buckled down and kept the first overtime scoreless. In
the end of the second overtime OKC scored two quick touchdowns to put the game out of
reach.
Since the loss the Vipers have hit a 7-0 hot streak, outscoring their opponents by an
average of 37 points. The Vipers have been waiting, hoping for this moment of
retribution. The Vipers are preparing for their final game to strike down the Bounty
Hunters on the biggest stage possible. They hope to show once and for all who is the best
team in the XFL.
For more information about the team and our upcoming game please visit
www.theaustinvipers.com or email us at [email protected].
About the Austin Vipers
The Austin Vipers are a Minor League Football Team entering their sixth year in
existence. The Austin Vipers joined the Xclusive Football League (XFL) in 2010. The
Vipers were crowned the 2013 XFL Champions in June 2013. Last January the team won
the 2013 “AAA” National Championship. The Vipers have a total record of 55-15-1.
They have two league championships and one national championship.
Coaches, staff, and players can be scheduled for interviews prior to the event. We also
welcome you and your staff to the game, but please RSVP via email.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:
Ryan Tanneberger
830.305.4244
FURRY FRIENDS FESTIVAL IN SALADO
Former “Dog Daze of Salado” Changes Name to Fit Expansion
SALADO, TX - (May 30, 2014) The Salado Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with
Brookshire Brothers and Animal Medical of Salado, will host the annual Furry Friends
Festival Saturday June 14, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival, held at Pace Park, will
benefit the soldiers of Fort Hood and the Association for Pet Adoption Center. This event
is free to the public.
This festival has made several changes since last year in order to grow. Not only is the
event now free but it has expanded on the animals it permits. Now any animal that can be
controlled and socialize is more than welcome. The Chamber expects people will show
off an array of unusual animals this year.
“We will have dogs of all shapes and sizes along with other animals like alpacas, and
hares,” said Claire Hartman, Vice Chairman of the Salado Chamber of Commerce.
In order to keep up with the expansion of our new furry friends the event has increased
the number of vendors and sponsors. These vendors will offer plenty of entertainment for
the children and will be a great way to support the local businesses of Salado.
Furry Friends Festival offers a fun filled day of:
o costume contests
o pet tricks
o military dog demonstration
o rubber duck race down Salado Creek
There will be themed prizes for best costume, most patriotic costume, and best pet trick.
We are selling raffle tickets for the duck race for $5.00 or six for $25.00. There will be a
$200 grand prize for the winner of the duck race. For more information please contact
Ryan or the Salado Chamber of Commerce (254-947-5040).
ABOUT THE SALADO
The Salado marketplace has over 60 shops and artists galleries. Whether you’re in the
mood for fine art, antiques, pottery, crafts, collectables, Americana, southwest or south-
of-the-border décor, handcrafted furniture, trendy or exclusive fashion, gourmet goods
and wines, or a weekend get-a-way, you’ll find that special something in Salado.
Interviews can be scheduled prior to or during the event.
Interview with Minta Spears
Q: How do you like Lubbock and Texas Tech so far?
A: I like it a lot. That was the main reason I wanted to come to Texas Tech. I really liked the campus and I re-ally liked Lubbock.
Q: What is your favorite sports team?
A: Growing up my dad was a huge Coach Krzyzewski fan from Duke so I really liked their men’s team and I really liked watching them in the past. But now, you know, my favorite sports team is Tech.
Q: Why No. 3?
A: When I was little I always played with No. 13. Then when I started playing for my AAU team No. 13 was taken so I went to No. 23. All throughout high school I was No. 23. Then whenever I came here No. 23 was taken so I just decided to go with No. 3.
Q: Who is your favorite player?
A: I’d have to go with J.J. Reddick or John Shire and they both played at Duke.
Q: If you could play one-on-one with anyone who would it be?
A: Probably J.J. or John. We’re on a first name basis [laughs] just kidding.
Q: Having to sit out all last season, how does it feel to be back and doing well?
A: It feels really good. After our first game, our exhibition game, it was the best feeling ever.
Q: Not everyone can come back from an injury like that, what was your rehab experience like? How have you been able to keep the rust off of your game?
A: Our trainer Larry, he’s awesome and we’ve become best of friends this past year because of rehab. So I just worked hard with him every single day. He knows what he’s talking about, so I just trusted him and did what he told me to do. Also, I just tried to keep practicing on my shot and ball handling and doing all the things I could as I progressed through rehab.
Q: Who taught you how to play basketball?
A: My dad did. My dad’s a coach so I was always around it when I was little. He coached high school sports, all the sports, so my brother and I were always around sports and his players and everything. My dad had a big impact on me.
Q: What is it like to be the daughter of a coach?
A: I really like it because I got a lot of things out of it that other people who don’t have parents as coaches. I feel like I have a high basketball I.Q. from that. He helped me develop that. He also helped me develop a love for the game, obviously, because that is the career field my dad chose. He has a passion for it so I have a pas-sion for it.
Q: How old were you the first time you beat your brother at basketball?
A: Well he’s younger than me so I beat him most of the time. Now he’s a sophomore in high school so now he can play me pretty close in one-on-one. I mean he’s pretty good, but I don’t let him beat me too much.
Q: What kind of player would you describe yourself as?
A: I think I’d always like to be described as hardworking. I think that goes into every part of the game whether it’s shooting threes, defense, passing the ball, dribbling, or anything I think that adjective could be applied to all of those.
Q: What parts of your game have you been working on the most?
A: I’ve just been working on a quick release on my shot and getting my feet under it. I’ve also been working on my ball handling and getting it low, quick, and fast. This whole past year I’ve been focusing on my knee and getting that better. Now that I’m back, and feeling good, I can just fine tune everything and just put it all to-gether.
Q: How and when did you get your shot?
A: My shot? It’s an interesting story. Whenever I was little I still used to shoot at a 10-foot goal so I developed a two-handed shot. So from that point to my junior year of high school, I shot with two hands. I had a really weird spin on it. It was two handed and somehow my thumb got into it. After the season my junior year I de-cided to change it and I decided to go one handed, because there’s less room for error. I worked 4-6 weeks on that because I had a showcase tournament. I still shoot weird, but it works.
Q: What is the most important aspect of basketball? What do you think wins games?
A: I think all the statistics are really important, but one key thing that people don’t put as much emphasis on is communication. Coach Whitaker pounds it in our heads and I look at that as my job on the team, just to make sure that everyone is on the same page and everyone know what offense or defense we’re in. That way we can take care of those stats, you know? So I think communication is the biggest.
Q: What do you think of the new signing class?
A: I’m really excited about it! I talked to some of the girls last night. I texted them and told them congratula-tions and everything last night and they’re really excited. I remember signing; you’re just excited and you can’t help but be pumped up. But anyways, they’re excited to be coming to Texas Tech, and they’re ready to be here next year.
Q: What teammates do you look up to the most?
A: I think I look up to everyone in a way. But it would probably be Amber, because she’s had to step up a lot this year and she’s overcome a lot while still working on her game. If you’ve been to any of our games you can just see it.
Q: Now that you’re emerging as a leader, what are some of your takeaways from the other leaders on the team?
A: To always work hard and, to bring this word up again, communicate. Also to encourage your teammates because you can be in a bad game and get down on yourself. But, if you have your teammates to fall back on, that’s a really big part of it.
Q: Are you in any other student organizations?
A: I am. I’m on the leadership team for Athletes in Action. It’s like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It’s a different organization but it has the same concept. I’m also the Big 12 female representative for SAAC which is the Student Athletic Advisory Committee. And I think that’s all for now.
Q: What do you want to do after college?
A: My major is media strategies. I actually graduate next Christmas. I’ll graduate early and then I’ll start my masters in the sports media track. I’ve always wanted to coach. I’ve always wanted to be a college coach. I just want to be surrounded by sports.
Q: Why do you love basketball?
A: I love basketball because I’ve made so many awesome friendships and connections from it. It’s just so much fun and so exciting to play like if you connect with a pass or to get flowing in a game, there’s no better feeling than that. It’s also because being out for a year I’ve developed a whole new appreciation for the game. I think last year I got caught up in having practice again or getting tired. But this year, I’m not taking anything for granted.
Theta Chi Fraternity Recruitment T-shirts
Running the Ball
Content Analysis by Ryan Tanneberger
Introduction
Like many NFL fans, I consider the Dallas Cowboys to be America’s team. The Dallas
Cowboys franchise is the most profitable franchise in the NFL and has the 7th largest net worth
of any sports team in the world. Information on this team could be worth a lot of money and
would potentially have unlimited resources for research. Despite the team’s market value, the
Dallas Cowboys have struggled their way through mediocre seasons for over a decade with only
one playoff win in thirteen years. If the team was more successful on the field the return on
investment for this type of research would easily pay for itself.
Last season the Cowboys ended the regular season with a (.500) record of 8-8 and
finished third in their division. This shows that there is a need for improvement, and therefore a
need for research. There would be little reason to analyze statistics of a team with a perfect
record that has very few discrepancies in their data. Because the Cowboys lost just as many
games as they won, I predicted that where would be equally distributed data and many
differences to compare.
I chose to look at the Cowboys running game specifically. The Cowboys once made a
name for themselves for their rushing attack with stars like Emmitt Smith, Tony Dorsett, and
Herschel Walker. However last season the Cowboys were ranked 31st out of 32 teams in rushing
yards, averaging only 79 yards per game. Considering the Cowboys were ranked 3rd in passing
last season and still missed the playoffs, there was a suspicion that the key component missing
from their offense was a rushing attack. This is what intrigued me to do a content analysis.
Methods
For this research I did a content analysis. The population was the Dallas Cowboys 2012
regular season. The sample size was a census of all 17 weeks. I constructed two hypotheses.
Hypothesis No. 1 stated that higher rushing percentages would correlate with higher total
offensive yards per game. Hypothesis No. 2 stated that a higher rushing percentage correlates
with winning the football game. My null hypothesis was that there was no correlation between
rushing yards and total offensive yards or winning the football game. The independent variable
for both hypotheses was rushing percentage. For hypothesis number 1 my dependent variable
was total offensive yards, while in hypothesis No. 2 my dependent variable was a winning
outcome for each game.
I chose a content analysis to better analyze the data of the 2012 regular season and
quantify phenomenons in the Cowboy’s offense to determine how successful they were. There
were many advantages to using a content analysis compared to other research methods. For
studying the sport of football, it is necessary to use quantitative data. There is no need for in
depth answers or peoples opinions on the subject. When analyzing this sport it is important to
stay unbiased and look at the data objectively. Another advantage to content analysis is that
statistics can be easily categorized. Not only can they be categorized but also many statistics can
have ratio measurements that can be compared to determine correlations. Finally when doing a
content analysis you can depend on the authority and credibility of the statistics. Unlike in a
survey, where the participants can lie or provide biased and/or false data, the numbers don’t lie.
They could potentially be framed in a bias way but the numbers themselves are recorded
accurately and honestly. If the data is misinterpreted it is not the fault of the data.
At the same time this method or research had its fair share of disadvantages. First of all,
there are many ways to measure one attribute. This makes it difficult to determine which statistic
should be used. For example, when measuring the calibration of the offense is it better to look at
rushing touchdowns or rushing yards? Who is to say which measurement is more accurate or has
more internal reliability? Another problem with this method is that the data can be overwhelming
and confusing. There are so many factors and ways to measure similar attributes. It is nearly
impossible to consider all the variables. In order to determine two simple correlations it took
three different Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Finally, the last disadvantage I noticed was the lack
of data in previous years. There are so many detailed statistics for every position on both sides of
the ball. For this reason, many of these stats are discarded after the season is over and are nearly
impossible to find.
Descriptive Statistics
There are many trends shown in the descriptive statistics of Figure 1 and Figure 2. For
total offensive yards of each game the average was 374.6 yards with a median of 396, showing a
positive skew (Figure 1). For rushing yards the Cowboys averaged 79 yards per game with a
median of 64, showing a negative skew (Figure 1). When looking at the correlation between total
offensive yards and rushing percentages there appears to be a positive correlation (Figure 2).
When I compared rushing percentages to a winning outcome I noticed a very large trend.
The Cowboys were 6-2 when the rushing attack accounted for more than 20 percent of the total
offense for that game. They were also 2-6 when the rushing attack accounted for less than 20%
of the total offense.
There were also several other statistics to consider. For example, there was also a trend
determined by how good the opponent was. Last season the Cowboys were 2-7 against teams
with winning records (above .500 winning percentage) and 6-1 against teams with a losing
record. There were also potential outliers. Considering that the team’s best offensive
performance last season was against the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens yet still
resulted in a loss. This would suggest the game is an outlier and does not accurately represent the
rest of the data.
Conclusion
When analyzing the data I came to several conclusions. There was a positive correlation
between rushing percentage and total offensive yards. There was also a positive correlation
between rushing percentages and winning the game. This proves both of my hypotheses correct.
However, because the study was only looking at the 2012 season there is a potential type 1 error
of a small sample size.
Because I did not use Pearson’s correlation there is no way to determine the strength or
significance of the correlations other than using the eyeball test. Even if Pearson’s correlation
was used, there is no set p-value for chance in sports that I am aware of making this nearly
impossible to determine probability.
There were several outliers and other variable that needed to taken into consideration
especially the talent of the opponents. Another conclusion that I came to is that football is too
complicated of a sport to determine causation for victory. However, several positive correlations
were found.
There are too many intangibles and potential outliers. Even the most trained researcher
would miss factors such as pure luck or coincidence. There are too many factors on and off the
field that come into play (such as injuries, motivation, weather, etc.) in this unpredictable and
exciting sport.
Implications and Importance
The results give implication what when the rushing attack makes up at least 20 percent of
the offensive production the Cowboys have a higher chance of victory. There are other
implications that the Cowboys are very unsuccessful against teams with winning records.
These implications could be very useful information to the Cowboys coaching staff and is
valuable for the organization. For a team with such deep pockets and much needed improvement
this research could potentially worth some money. Not only is this information valuable but also
it is also interesting. This data could be intriguing for Cowboys fans everywhere, as well as
sports fanatics in general.
Future Research
Because of the value of the information I would recommend further research in the topic.
I would suggest looking further into: attempts by each running back per game, the types of runs
(dives, veers, counters, sweeps, etc), and previous years statistics. Hopefully future researcher
would have more resources and information at their disposal.
As long as future researchers take unpredictable variables into account and continue to
look at the data without bias, there is no telling how valuable the research could be. Given the
right resources, researchers could analyze enough aspects of the game to give this franchise a
strategic edge and a chance at another dynasty.
Work Cited
Week, e. "2012 Dallas Cowboys Statistics & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com."
Pro-Football-Reference.com - Pro Football Statistics and History.N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug.
2013. <http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/dal/2012.htm>.
"DallasCowboys.com | Statistics." DallasCowboys.com | Official Site of the Dallas
Cowboys.N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
<http://www.dallascowboys.com/team/statistics.html>.
"Dallas Cowboys 2012 Statistics - Team and Player Stats - ESPN." ESPN: The
Worldwide Leader In Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Aug. 2013.
<http://espn.go.com/nfl/team/stats/_/type/team/name/dal/dallas-cowboys>.
Email Correspondence Leading to KVUE Coverage
t'irst Communityfitle"...real peoph, real seraice"
July 25,2014
RE: Recommendation of Ryan Tanneberger
To whom it may concem:
Ityan Tanneberger has worked for First Community Title for more than seven years now. As acollege student, his work hours varied and therefore sc did his tasks. He has a real team attitudeand is willing to work in any department. He began with FCT scanning and indexing 30 years offiles in our research department. He has also worked in our marketing department; assisting inevent planning, marketing, and advertising thru multiple medias. He is currently digitizing 300volumes of courthouse records in Coryell County. This is the foundation of records from whichwe examine and issue title insurance. Accuracy is paramount.
Most recently, I asked him to join me on a Chamber Cornnnittee for the Furry Friends Festival,an event to celebrate animals and to benefit our Fort Hood Friends. Ryan was instrumental inwriting all the news releases. He interfaced with the TV stat.ions, newspapers, and radio. As aresult, The Temple Daily Telegram wrote an article and interviewed both of us. Fort Hood put acornmunity service ad on their radio station, and severa.l articles were written in the SaladoVillage Voice. This event had never gained any media attent-ion before this year. As Chairman ofthis event, I appreciated Ryan's work. I believe Ryan's effort help grow our event significantly.Ryan worked well on our committee in true team fashion. When the event occurred he was therethe entire time making sure that all went smoothly. We tripled attendance and doubled ourvendors. Ryan is a big reason why!
i have known Ryan for many years. He engages easily "vitir
others and is eager to embed himselfinto a project. Ryan has always offered creative ideas; the 'outside the box' thinking is alwayshelpful. Sports have been his passion for many years so I iook forward to that being apart of hiscareef.
iRyan has been an asset to FCT and I would hope you would find him an asset in yourcrganization aiso.
If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to call me.
PresidentFirst Community Title Company
4613 S. 31st Street * Temple, Texas 76502 * Phone (254) 773-7750 * Fax (254) 778-2533 * www.FCTTX.com
