Dallas Cowboys: Who’s the newest ‘Carol Baskin’ now that Jeff Heath left?

Dallas Cowboys fans’ favorite whipping boy, Jeff Heath, has departed to Oakland, vacating the post of ‘person you love to hate’. Who might take up this ‘Carol Baskin’ role on the team in 2020?

Pound for pound, no one garnered more hate from his own fan base than safety Jeff Heath. Heath has essentially been the Dallas Cowboys version of Carol Baskin the last few years. Baskin, the person everyone loves to hate on Netflix’s Tiger King, has a lot in common with Heath. Whenever something went wrong on Tiger King, Carol was somehow to blame. Sometimes it was warranted, other times not so much. But the blame was so prevalent, both Baskin and Heath seemed to share the same middle name: “Effin”

I myself have been known to utter Heaths full Christian name from time to time. “Jeff ‘Effin Heath”, I’d say in disgust. Even if five other Dallas Cowboys blew their assignments, it was Heath in whom I often delivered most blame. Maybe it was because his mistakes were in open space and easy to spot. Maybe it was because he was the last line of defense, making outcomes potentially catastrophic. Maybe it was just because we as Dallas Cowboys fans require a player to be the team whipping boy and Heath made it easy.

It certainly wasn’t fair. Jeff Heath is one of the all-time great success stories on the Dallas Cowboys. The undrafted safety out of Saginaw Valley State was an extreme long-shot from the start. But he kept working. He kept making plays. And he made an impression. All Heath did is go from a roster long-shot to a three-year starter and defensive team captain in his seven years as a pro. Not too shabby, I gotta say.

He provided stability and depth to a safety position the Dallas Cowboys notoriously chose to neglect. If only Dallas only marginally invested in the position, they’d be able to play him as the third safety and special teams ace. He’d be this generation’s Bill Bates. Instead, they forced him into a role he wasn’t exactly optimal for and he made some mistakes. And Cowboys Nation never forgave him for it.

Jeff Heath is infinitely more likeable and considerably less likely to be a murderer, but blame was unfairly pinned on him as well. Whenever something went wrong he was somehow to blame.

Whenever something bad happened, we’d collectively look for Heath’s involvement on the play. We blamed the guy who’d far eclipsed his ceiling and defended more talented, less hard-working talent instead. On Tiger King if anything went wrong for Joe Exotic, Carol Baskin was clearly somehow the one to blame. She was such an easy target. Everyone needs a villain, even Cowboys fans. Even on their own team.

Now, Jeff Heath is infinitely more likeable and considerably less likely to be a murderer, but blame was unfairly pinned on him as well. Whenever something went wrong he was somehow to blame. Whenever the offseason came, he was the one everyone wanted to dispatch and upgrade. The guy couldn’t win.

With Jeff Heath gone, do you think Cowboys Nation will finally stop unfairly heaping blame on a singular player? It’s doubtful. Before Heath it was Brandon Carr we loved to hate. Before that Doug Free was the most undeserved whipping boy. There’s always someone we gripe about – There WILL be a successor.

Who do you think it’s going to be? Who will be the new player everyone will love to hate on the Dallas Cowboys? Who’s the new Jeff Heath?

• Published on 04/08/2020 at 16:01 PM
• Last updated at 04/09/2020 at 18:03 PM