The Dallas Cowboys ended their 2023 season magnificently for all the wrong reasons. Dallas lost to Green Bay after a humiliating performance and a feeble effort. The lopsided 48-32 effort was even more embarrassing than the scoreboard read that day, and that’s saying a lot.
Just don’t blame Micah Parsons and his podcast. At least, that’s what former NFL veteran Chris Long is arguing this week.
In the face of criticism in the past few days, Long emerged to discuss the stark amount of issues that have piled up this offseason in Dallas. Long also went to defend the All-Pro pass-rusher for his workload and whether a podcast has really gotten in the way of things for the Cowboys.
“To the contention that a podcast is getting in the way of Dallas’ success, just from the outside looking in, I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think Micah Parsons’ podcast lost that Green Bay game,” Long argued. “I don’t think Micah Parsons‘ podcast got the ball run up your ass when Buffalo thumped you.”
More from Long:
“I don’t think Micah Parsons is the problem in Dallas. If you wanna make Micah Parsons the problem in Dallas, don’t make it about the podcast, okay?” Long said. “The issue could be interpersonal and the podcast is just an extension of it because I don’t think the podcast is creating any sort of distraction.
“And, if players are saying they’re distracted by a podcast? Weren’t we the ones, that when people were demonstrating for various causes, right, and I was one of those people who said, ‘Distractions? It doesn’t distract us.’
“And I don’t mean this condescendingly, but I would tell you that the last thing I think most people are thinking about on a week-to-week is somebody’s f—ing podcast, bro,” Long said. “Unless that podcast is being used to disrespect people on the team, divide people on the team, throw coaches under the bus. That sort of thing. I just don’t see Micah Parsons’ podcast doing that.”
Parsons’ popular podcast, The Edge with Micah Parsons, has existed for some time. Active players have begun immersing themselves more in media through podcast series. You see it beyond Parsons in the NFL with the Kelce brothers’ acclaimed New Heights series. Then there’s Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart’s show or Equanimeous and Amon-Ra St. Brown’s show.
But questions on focus can emerge, and they have. Directly so in this case, as Parsons’ teammate Malik Hooker had choice words for the former Penn State standout.
Via Cowboys Country, Hooker said of Parsons and balancing his podcast:
“My advice for Micah would be: just know we’re all right and being where your feet are,” Hooker said. “Because if we’re at work, and the run game’s terrible, but you’re doing a podcast every week and you know the run game is terrible, then what are you really caring about? Are you caring about the crowd that ‘s watching your podcast? Or caring about the success of our team and the Super Bowl that we’re trying to reach?”
It certainly feels like there’s some contention in the air down there.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022