Aikman’s aches acerbate accusations
by Jennifer Bentley, sports editor

     Troy Aikman was signed to a $65 million contract a few years ago. That same contract is restructured every year, with more money added.
     Aikman has yet to prove he is worth all that money. He has been out with concussions, back problems, strained muscles … the list goes on and on.
     When Aikman does play, he is not performing at the level of years past. Throwing up to five interceptions a game is not the Aikman the Cowboys bought.
     I am not jumping on the Kick-Aikman-off-the-Cowboys bandwagon yet.
     However the Cowboys have been crippled by the loss of a major player upon whom the team depends. That is another point.
     The definition of team, according to the dictionary, is any group organized to work together.
     I think the Cowboys and Jerry Jones missed this concept in school. There is no team in Dallas.
     The whole team is built around a few key players, and when those players are on the injured list, the team falls apart. Troy Aikman, even when he is healthy and playing well, cannot ensure that the Cowboys win.
     Winning is a team effort, and with the team relying on a few key players, it shortchanges the team. No team should be hamstrung by the loss of a player, and the Cowboys looked lost Sunday against the Jaguars.
     And Emmitt Smith, who is generally a reliable player, cannot carry the team either. Sunday’s loss against the Jaguars proves that.
     No one player can carry the team; the stress alone would force any player to foul up. Unfortunate-ly, this is what the Cowboys have done to a few leaders, Smith and Aikman among them.
     For now, Jerry Jones, and all of Dallas, needs to give up on playoff and Superbowl hopes for this year.
     Dave Campo needs to spend time rebuilding his team, especially the offensive line.
     If Aikman is going to continue to play, he needs to be better protected than he is now.      He cannot throw accurately if he is worried about linebackers breathing down his back.
     Such worry leads to the interceptions and missed plays.
     For now, the Cowboys need to get through the season with as few rattling, depressing losses as possible and focus on retooling the Cowboy machine.
     They can start by focusing on the strengths.
     The offense, led by Emmitt Smith and Rocket Ismail for one thing, is somewhat stable.
     Ignoring Emmitt’s fumble late in the fourth against the Jaguars, he has remained one of the few stable forces within the team.
     Ismail scored one of the few touchdowns against Jacksonville and during the Cardinals game, scored another two touchdowns.
     However, now that he has been injured with a torn ACL in his left knee, the Cowboys are left without another strong player.
     Mark Stepnoski is a perennial favorite with fans and with the media for good reason. He does an admirable job at center, shows up for preseason camp and attends practice.
     In short, Stepnoski does his job and does not complain. The whole point of this tangent off into left field is that the Cowboys have plenty of good players, but the team is built around a few overpaid superstars. The fault does not lie with Dave Campo.
     The precedent for building the team around superstars had been set already.
     Campo needs to focus on restructuring the team and making the team a team—not just a showcase for some of the highest paid players in the NFL.
     And Campo needs the trust of the owner and general manager to stay out of his business.