Tony Romo’s collapse in the playoffs two years ago is starting to be wiped away by time, but the collapse of the Cowboys’ practice facility at the beginning of last season lingers on. The sports betting world may not remember who long-snapper Jamar Hunt is, but Summit Structures LLC and Cover-All Building Systems will never be able to forget him.

Before the NFL betting world had a chance to get to know Hunt, his career was ended by his neck injury in the practice facility collapse. If Hunt had league experience then his injury may not have been career-ending, but a rookie with an injury like this is rarely given a chance to continue his career.

Companies owned by Jerry Jones that inspected the facility several times are also named in the suit, but the Jones companies are also suing Summit Structures LLC and Cover-All Building Systems. Until those lawsuits are straightened out, Hunt will have to wait to get his money from Jerry Jones.

Dez Bryant was a major part of NCAA football betting during his college playing days, and as the season draws closer he is looking to have an effect on NFL preseason betting as well. The newest rumblings coming out of Valley Ranch is that the young receivers such as Bryant, Miles Austin and now Patrick Crayton are looking so impressive that veteran receiver Roy Williams should be let go before the season starts. Williams is ignoring the rumors, and continues to work out with the first team offense.

Former Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens is still without a team for the 2010 season and now he is blaming ESPN. Owens recently said that the media’s desire to focus on the negative things he has done, especially ESPN, has given him a bad reputation with NFL teams and that is why he is not signed yet. Owens has neglected to point out the fact that ESPN is only reporting the things he does, and if he would stop causing problems then he may not have this reputation.

The Cowboys are giving every impression that rookie offensive lineman Doug Free will be the one to replace the departed Flozell Adams at left tackle. Free has been getting all of the first team snaps in practice, and he is scheduled to be the left tackle that starts the first pre-season game.

The Cowboys remain optimistic about their chances at winning Super Bowl XLV in their own stadium this season, and it looks like the odds makers may be agreeing with Jerry Jones and his team. The Cowboys are 12-1 favorites to win the Super Bowl, and the only NFC team given better odds is the defending champion New Orleans Saints at 10-1. The odds-on favorite to win it all in 2011 remains the Indianapolis Colts at 13-2, but the Cowboys are saying they will accept nothing less than a Super Bowl victory for the 2010 season. The other teams given better odds at winning the Super Bowl than the Cowboys include the San Diego Chargers (8-1) and the New England Patriots (10-1).

When you bet World Cup games you try to put your money on the teams that seem focused and ready to compete. When you bet on sports like football, you try to narrow it down to teams that have strong and focused leadership. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has been in the news lately, but not for football. Romo has been trying to qualify for the US Open Championship of golf, but his dreams were squashed when a rain delay pushed his second qualifying round over into a practice day for the Cowboys.

It is admirable that Romo dropped out of  qualifying for golf’s US Open because of his commitment to football, but this has been an ongoing problem with Romo for a couple of years now. The NFL betting will not soon forget the Las Vegas vacation Romo took two years ago in between playoff rounds, or his habit of choosing time with his girlfriend of the moment over working with his offensive line. Romo is easily distracted and that is not going to help the Cowboys in their quest for a Super Bowl win.

Wide receiver Patrick Crayton announced, through his agent Fred Lyles, that he will participate in the teams tenth and final OTA session this week. Crayton is still not happy about the uncertainty of his role with the Cowboys, but he claims he is excited to get on the field and compete for a starting job. The public display that Crayton has made to this point could make this last OTA session too little, too late if he plans on patching things up with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones has indicated that he has no plans on releasing or trading Crayton.

Right now the Dallas Cowboys are scheduled to split training camp between San Antonio, Texas and Oxnard, California. While it may seem inconvenient to break up camp between two states, Jerry Jones likes the set-up and is in negotiations with the facility in San Antonio to extend the Cowboys’ contract for several more years.

Just like Celtics Lakers betting, there is another part to the Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver saga. That part is Sam Hurd. Hurd recently recovered from thumb surgery and was able to join OTAs in the middle of last week. Hurd indicates that he is only interested in contributing to the team in whatever way they need him, and he has not mentioned at all how he feels Dez Bryant could impact the wide receiver position for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys are still pondering the question of who their feature running back will be when the season opens. Marion Barber was given the job in 2009, but he proved to be injury-prone and possibly not durable enough to be a feature back. Felix Jones seemed to excel at being the main back, but he too was injured towards the end of the season. The knee injury for Jones eventually cleared up and he went on to average 5.9 yards a carry for a total of 685 yards in 2009. Barber averaged 4.4 yard a carry and finished the 2009 season with 932 yards.

Barber had almost 100 more carries in 2009 than Jones, but Jones’ average per carry is impressive. The Cowboys may have to consider moving Barber back to being the third down and short yardage back, while making Jones the feature back for the 2010 season.

Dallas Cowboys Players and Draft Positions:
Doug Free – Offensive Lineman
Draft: 4th Round – 23rd Pick in the 2007 Draft
Notes: Doug Free has been great filling in for Marc Colombo this year, did you see the block against the Eagles allowing Felix Jones to score.

Jason Witten
Draft: 3rd Round – 5th Pick in the 2003 Draft
Notes: Jason is one of the premier tight ends in the league, not to mention one of Tony Romo’s favorite targets.

Miles Austin
Draft: Undrafted
Notes: Miles Austin has answered the question where is the production at WR going to come from now that Terrell Owens is gone? Quick Comparison, Terrell Owens 829yds and 5TDs – Miles Austin 1320 yards and 11 TDs, and oh yeah he didn’t start at WR until week 5.

Tony Romo
Draft: Undrated
Notes: Even though everyone loves to hate him, and it seems that even though he ranks in the top ten for QB Rating since 2006, some fans think that we would be better of with a different QB.

Marion Barber
Draft: 4th Round – 8th Pick in the 2005 Draft
Notes: Marion the Barbarian has been the Cowboys battering ram, it is almost impossible to tackle him. Injuries have slowed him down a bit, but he is still an effective rusher.

Felix Jones
Draft: 1st Round – 22nd Pick in the 2008 Draft
Notes: Felix Jones is the Lightning to go along with the Thunder that Marion Barber brings. Felix struggled with injuries this season, but when he is healthy he is exciting to watch, and he averaged 5.9 yards per carry in 2009.

Tashard Choice
Draft: 4th Round – 23rd Pick in the 2008 Draft
Notes: Tashard Choice is the Dallas Cowboys most complete back, but when you play on a team with Marion Barber and Felix Jones there aren’t a lot of carries to go around. Tashard has showed his skills when injuries have sidelined the other Cowboys backs, and he averaged 5.5 yards per carry in 2009.

Jay Ratliff
Draft: 7th Round – 10th Pick in the 2005 Draft
Notes: Jay Ratliff is fun to watch, he is a pass rusher and defensive tackle all in one package. Plus his motor never quits, which is why he recorded 40 tackles 2 forced fumbles and 6 sacks in 2009.

Anthony Spencer
Draft: 1st Round – 26th Pick in the 2007 Draft
Notes: Many thought Anthony Spencer was a bust, myself included, but he has elevated his game to a new level in the second half of the 2009 season.

DeMarcus Ware
Draft: 1st Round – 11th Pick in the 2005 Draft
Notes: DeMarcus Ware has played through injuries the whole year showing what a true warrior he is, and Ware has the best sack dance in the league in my opinion. You have no doubt seen it because DeMarcus is always in the opposing teams back field.

Terence Newman
Draft: 1st Round – 5th Pick in the 2003 Draft
Notes: I was down on Terence Newman earlier this year, but he has improved in coverage as the season has progressed showing us why he is regarded as one of elite corners in the league.

Mike Jenkins
Draft: 1st Round – 25th Pick in the 2008 Draft
Notes: Mike Jenkins looked like a bust after last season, but my what a difference a season can make. At the Beginning of the season Jenkins was in a rotation at corner for playing time, but now I can’t decide who the Cowboys better corner is Terence or Mike.

Strong>Sources:
YahooSports! – NFL
Dallas Cowboys
Image:Dallas Observer

THE ROMO ERA – RECORD IN DECEMBER/JANUARY

2006 – Romo takes over for Bledsoe in Week 7 against the Giants, knocking off the undefeated Colts at home in Week 11. Last year of the Tuna.

Dallas Cowboys: 7-4 entering December.

Week 13 – Win @NYG 23-20. The Martin Gramatica game. Cowboys move to 8-4, four-game winning streak. (NYG: 6-6 after loss)

Week 14 – Loss v. NO 42-17. My Tony Romo jersey (throwback version of course) leaves the shelves of the gift shop. Drew Brees throws for like a million yards. 8-5. (NO: 9-4 after win)

Week 15 – Win @ATL 38-28. DeMarcus Ware runs in a fumble for a touchdown. T.O. scores 2. 9-5. (ATL: 7-7)

Week 16 – Loss v. PHI 23-7. Offense does nothing. Philly wins division (basically) in Texas Stadium. 9-6. (PHI: 9-6)

Week 17 – Loss v. DET 39-31. Not the 0-16 version, but pretty damn bad. Kitna comes in and kills the defense. Playoff spot is unchanged. 9-7. (DET: 3-13)

2006 December record: 2-3. Playoffs made, L @ Seattle. (Need I say more?)

2007 – A bit of a tough year to look at the December record for a couple of reasons. One – the Cowboys beat the Packers on Thursday night (Favre knocked out, Rodgers plays well, but ‘Boys win) November 29. So the rest of the league played in December that week. Also, the last week of the season was meaningless. (A Wade excuse, I know, but when Romo plays only a quarter, the Dallas Cowboys probably aren’t going win if Tony Romo doesn’t play the whole game.)

Dallas Cowboys: 11-1 entering December (including Week 13 Nov. 29 W v. GB)

Week 14 – Win @DET 28-27. This one along with the Buffalo game probably should have been losses. Another ugly game against Detroit in December. 12-1. NFC East title clinched. (DET: 6-7??? after loss)

Week 15 – Loss vs. PHI 10-6. Pretty much the same story as the game the year before, except with a better defensive performance. 12-2. 1^st round bye clinched. (PHI: 6-8 after win)

Week 16 – Win @CAR 20-13. T.O. gets hurt early a week after Romo bruises his thumb. Defense wins the game for the Cowboys. 13-2. (CAR: 6-9 after loss)

Week 17 – Loss @WSH 27-6. Romo pulled in the third quarter, lots of players rested as home field was clinched before the game. 13-3. (WSH: 9-7 after win)

2007 December record: 2-2. Playoffs made. The stomach punch.

2008 – Similar to 2006. Playoffs were up in the air, but this year had by far the toughest schedule so far. Things in the locker room were probably falling apart though.

Dallas Cowboys: 8-4 entering December.

Week 14 – Loss @PIT 20-13. A very winnable game that the Dallas Cowboys simply should have won. 17 4^th quarter points for the Steelers. 8-5. (PIT: 10-3 after win)

Week 15 – Win v. NYG 20-8. A win amid a tornado of controversy that was thought to have saved the season (sound familiar?). 9-5. (NYG: 11-3 after loss)

Week 16 – Loss v. BAL 33-24. The last game in Texas Stadium turns into an embarrassment when the Ravens have two huge rushing TD’s in the 4^th. 9-6. (BAL: 10-5 after win)

Week 17 – Loss @PHI 44-6. The worst Cowboys game I’ve ever seen. 9-7. (PHI: 9-6-1 after win)

2008 December record: 1-3. No playoffs. All Dec. opponents made playoffs.

2009 – A couple of surprisingly underwhelming performances in November, but the Dallas Cowboys still lead the NFC East heading into the final month.

Dallas Cowboys: 8-3 entering December.

Week 13 – Loss @NYG 31-24. Big play after big play kills the Cowboys in a game the Giants have to have. 8-4. (NYG: 7-5 after win)

Week 14 – Loss v. SD 20-17. Cowboys leave 10 points on the field early, Chargers pull away late. 8-5. (SD: 10-3 after win)

Week 15 – Win @NO 24-17. Defense forces three turnovers, offense comes out firing. Season temporarily saved. 9-5. (NO: 13-1 after loss)

Week 16 – @Washington (4-10)

Week 17 – v. Philadelphia (10-4)

2009 December record (so far): 1-2. Playoffs? TBD.

Overall December/January record (including playoffs): 6-12. Yikes.

Some brief analysis: that 2006 team wasn’t really that good. Basically a rookie quarterback in there, and if not for the Detroit game, it would have been a 10-6 team. Still blew the Seattle game, although the fumble by Terry Glenn that turned into a safety was just as big as the fumbled snap.

2007 and 2008 were both horrible. No excuses for the play in ’08 especially. 2007’s only excuse should be for the Washington game, but they were lucky to beat Detroit and laid an absolute egg against the Eagles.

2008 might have just been victimized by the schedule. The three losses were to three of the four conference championship participants, and the win was over the NFC’s #1 seed. Still, the Pittsburgh game was winnable, and it could be argued that the Baltimore contest could have been won as well.

This year? The Saints game looks like it might have saved the season, but it won’t matter with a loss to Washington this Sunday. Tony Romo looks like he’s in the zone, though, so hopefully he stays that way.

There are so many ways the Dallas Cowboys could have beaten the Denver Broncos today.

Could there have been other ways to lose that game? Probably. But this was another game that should be in the win column. This team is not that far away from being 4-0. Should they be? No. They are exactly what they are.

Why is that? Check it out after the jump.

Against a pretty decent offense, the Dallas defense played well enough to win. The only really bad play was the Brandon Marshall TD that gave them the lead. But they were on the field far too long in the second half. In no way is the defense to blame for the Cowboys having the same record as the Redskins today.

After a couple of shaky outings, the defense has become one of the strengths of this team. Kyle Orton was under pressure for a significant portion of the game, with the Cowboys posting three sacks. Was the rush defense stellar? No. But they did stop the Broncos for no yards on two straight 1-yard to go situations.

Special Teams are not the problem either. Nothing notable in the returns columns, Mat McBriar averaged nearly 50 yards per punt and there were no turnovers by the ‘Boys. Denver did not have great consistent field position. Again, an area that was good enough for the Dallas Cowboys to beat the Denver Broncos.

Which brings us to the offense. Quite simply, this offense sucked today. The run game was lousy after two straight 200-yard games. Whether that was because Felix was hurt, Marion and Tashard aren’t quite home-run hitters (or just didn’t have spectacular games) or the offensive lines couldn’t open any holes, it’s hard to tell. Probably a combination of all of the above.

But this game is just another reason why Tony Romo can’t be trusted to win football games for this team. Was this a big game? Yes, but definitely not bigger than the Giants game. On the road in that environment is enough to make a lot of QB’s struggle. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much what Tony Romo is right now. Just another mediocre QB. On an extremely mediocre team.

I hear a lot of talk about how the Dallas Cowboys don’t have a good receiving corps. While I personally disagree, the point is not to have a great group of receivers. While that’s nice, the point is to give your quarterback enough weapons to win the game. And the Dallas Cowboys definitely have that if you combine a solid bunch of WR’s with good RB’s and a couple of above-average to excellent tight ends.

Frankly, I thought the Dallas Cowboys receivers played well in this game. Tony Romo simply couldn’t get them the ball. Even on a couple of completions in the second half, a couple of Tony’s passes were hauled in on extremely nice catches by his wide outs – the Hurd 4th & 3 play and Roy Williams’ final catch. But Romo had trouble hitting those guys when they were open.

The best plays this team runs on offense are where Tony Romo dumps the ball off to a running back or tight end and they run after the catch. Not where Tony threads a ball through three guys so they can make a play.

It hardly seems worth it to write about this team. Anyone who’s watched this team over the first four weeks knows it’s going nowhere fast. Well, anyone except Jerry Jones. Because I know he’s watched them. Yet he continues to sit on his hands and hope that things work out.

I’m pretty sure Bill Cowher is available. I see him there every Sunday on CBS and wish he was patrolling the Cowboys sidelines. Nothing against Wade. I think Wade Phillips should be our defensive coordinator tomorrow if it meant Cowher was coming to coach. But it’s obvious this team is not going to win the Super Bowl.

So changes need to be made. What that means for #9, I don’t know. All he has to know is that he needs to get better. Now.

Romo pic: blogs.tampabay.com

Matthew R. Fuller

As an ordained Baptist minister I’ve heard my fair share of confessions.  Most are incontrovertibly genuine, with the penitents expressing a deep remorse and a concomitant pledge to turn away from the sins which, without fail, lead to shame, fear, abandonment, and heartache.  Sometimes, however, the mea culpa is more specious than the singing career of Heidi Montag

In these extreme circumstances it takes all of my Christian resolve to refrain from unleashing a thunderous torrent of dog cussing: How dare you defile the house of God with your bleeping mistakes!  Your pathetic excuses are bleeping cowardly!  Get your head out of your butt already! But that’s just me . . .

Which leads us to the embarrassment that occurred in Arlington (and not Dallas, thanks to former Mayor Laura “Madam No” Miller’s childish stonewalling, but don’t get me started) on Sunday night.  What should have been a glorious moment for the Dallas Cowboys was instead turned into a horrifying display of amateur football.  Thanks to the “franchise” quarterback, the grand opening of The Death Star was unequivocally marred.  If Jerry were to ask my advice (and why he doesn’t is beyond me) I’d demand that he pay FOX analyst Troy Aikman whatever he wished to pull a Favre and lace up his cleats just one more time.  (I’d also suggest he fire Wade, a.k.a. Mr. Fix It, immediately.  That’s for another column, however.)  Maybe I’m just sentimental since #8 won three Super Bowl titles during my formative high school years, but at this point any measure, no matter how extreme, should be enacted.  How many times are we devoted and deceived Cowboy fans going to be forced to listen to the mealy-mouthed confessions of one Tony Romo?  After every putrid game he’s delivered the same tired “I promise to protect the ball better” speech.  In Sunday night’s three-INT implosion against the hated Giants he was beyond careless with the pigskin.  He was reckless.  He was feckless.  He was gutless.  (For those who value this stat, Romo’s 29.6 QB Rating was the second-worst of his career after the 22.2 bomb he dropped in December 2007 against the hated Eagles.  The Cowboys would have beaten the Giants by at least a touchdown had Romo only thrown two picks!)  Like all Dallas disciples, I’ve grown extremely tired of Romo’s lip service.  Either you stop throwing the ball to the opposing team at an alarming rate—I don’t mind the occasional turnover that comes in the course of a long season, but there’s a limit to my grace—or stop feeding namby-pamby apologies to the media and the fans.  Call me a hidebound fundamentalist Southern Baptist, but either you sin or you don’t.  (This is a kissing cousin to the Big Bill Parcells theology of it is what it is.)  I am not trying to alarm you, but the Cowboys are a decidedly average 11-10 in their last 21 games.  That’s only ten more wins than the junior college Detroit Lions have posted over the same period of time!  This would be funny if it weren’t so sadly mediocre and true.

Romo still has a very vocal cadre of supporters, and these slimy sycophants are almost as crazy as Pacman Jones at the Joule Hotel.  At least he came out on Monday and held himself accountable for the loss against the Giants. While I admit this Romo reaction is light years better than his illicit Cancun vacation with Jessica “Yoko Ono” Simpson in January 2008, and much improved from his flippant if this is the worst thing that happens to me comment after last season’s win-or-go-home disaster in Philly, Romo could blame himself for the mess that is the Obama Healthcare Plan and I still wouldn’t be satisfied.  Quarterbacking the Cowboys is one of the most glamorous and visible positions in all of sports, along with Shortstopping the Yankees (groan) and Caddying the Tiger (no pictures during his backswing), and Romo treats it like he’s playing Tecmo Bowl on Nintendo.  Whatever.  Then there are the Romo lemmings who are quick to point out that his career has started just like the prototype of all NFL QBs, Peyton Manning (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MannPe00.htm).  Except for these salient facts which the lemmings either leave out or forget: Manning played four years at a major-caliber SEC college against many future pro athletes, and he was drafted #1; Romo played at tiny Eastern Illinois against many future rec league athletes and he wasn’t drafted at all; Manning was born with football genes and groomed to be a QB from birth; Romo was born with backward-hat-wearing genes and groomed to be a wannabe golfer from birth.  Again, whatever.

Those laypeople that support Romo are doing him no favors, just as Romo’s own teammates are sabotaging his ability to improve.  In order for a sinful soul to be completely washed clean, the guilty party must be surrounded by a circle of believers who, while offering forgiveness, also buffet him with ample amounts of tough love.  In this case, Romo’s accountability partners and prayer warriors are failing him immensely.  The praise for #9 (and I’ m not talking about the true winner Mike Modano) was effusive from Valley Ranch on Monday and Tuesday (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/092209dnspocowboysinsider.2cc1f57.html), further complicating the paradox of Romo’s greatness.  Teammates should absolutely stand by each other in times of crisis (and if they don’t they end up in the football hinterlands of Buffalo), but if Romo’s fellow Cowboys truly had his best interests at heart they would sit him (and Terence Newman while we’re at it) down and deliver a come-to-Jesus message: you can be one of the all-time greats if you just learn some discipline.  (Yet another reason Jerry should have hired Norv “Aikman Architect” Turner in 2007, along with the fact that Turner’s electric Chargers are chugging along at 9-0 in December and Wade’s anemic Cowboys are choking along at 3-5 in the coconut-crunching final month.)  Like a group of buddies who stage an intervention for one of their own who is abusing drugs and alcohol, so must Romo’s teammates stage an immediate intervention for the embattled quarterback.  His legacy—and the Cowboys’—depends on it.

There are also those voices who believe that Jason Garrett should “dumb down” the offense in order to make it more Romo-friendly.  This, too, would be a faulty solution.  According to QB Rating (again, for those who value this statistic), Romo’s lofty 94.2 would be third in history (behind Steve Young’s 96.8 and Manning’s 94.9.  Note: in order to qualify, a QB must have 1,500 pass attempts; with 1,363, Romo should easily pass that threshold by October) and makes him the second-best active passer behind Manning.  Should Romo indeed become, as Big Bill constantly preached, just a bus driver, handing off 35 times to his eclectic stable of backs?  As good as Barber, Choice, and Felix Jones are, I’m not sure this is a viable course of action.

A fitting way to color the portrait of one Antonio Ramiro Romo, therefore, is with many brushes, each drawing a patron’s eyes to different sections of the canvas with every look.  Romo is like a work of art by the famed abstract painter Picasso: the sum is clearly greater than the parts.  One week it’s hide-the-women-and-children ugly (http://www.sgallery.net/artnews/data/upimages/2007/08/picasso.jpg) and the next it’s spend-three-hours-in-awe resplendent (http://www.artquotes.net/masters/picasso/picasso_guernica1937.jpg).  In Dallas, however, the only masterpiece that matters is a Super Bowl ring.  (Or at the very least, an NFC Championship ring.  It is naïve to expect more from this heartless bunch.)  Anything less is a complete and utter failure.  While I’m not the ultimate judge, I will say with confidence that Romo’s repeated confessions always ring extraordinarily hollow.  We’re all waiting, Tony.  You’ve repented time and time again, but we have yet to see sustained excellence on the field.  Perhaps we’re expecting too much.  Maybe you just don’t have it between the ears to lead the Cowboys to the promised land.  (My favorite local theory.)  Instead of becoming Romo the Redeemed he’s merely Romo the Recidivist.  The Book of Proverbs (that’s in the Bible, folks) reminds us well: As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. If Romo throws up many more atrocious games like he did on Sunday night I’ll be throwing up.  And it’d be a travesty to waste the $6 I spent on the cup of Dr Pepper at Cowboys Stadium.

Here ends the lesson.  And all of God’s people say . . . “Amen!”

Emmitt trading in football cleats for ballerina slippers?

Recently Emmitt Smith ripped this years Dallas Cowboys, but know one will hear it on television, because his stint with ESPN already ended in failure. The reason for this failure is because Smith has yet to master the spoken English language, or the fact that leopards don’t have stripes. You can read his top 20 stupid quotes at the the Fed Online. The only people that will here Emmit’s rant will be anyone that heard him on his preseason radio tour.

What happened to the Emmitt Smith we all know and love?
Most likely Emmitt’s pride is hurt from the failure of his television career, and now he is resorting to being a radio shock jock so that he can regain relevance in the media. Most players reserve negative comment about their former franchise, but I guess when you realize that your media career is over you will do or say anything. Below are Emmitt’s comments that appeared on NBC Sports – Pro Football Talk:

Emmitt Smith’s on the Cowboys Records
“Realistically, I think that the Cowboys can win seven games,”

“I mean, when I start hearing things are going to change, I keep asking myself as a player, how much are they going to change? Are you going to be a hard-nosed coach now since things are going to change? Are you going to be more focused than you were last year? Those kind of things, I’m like, c’mon. This is not a game where you can just turn it on and turn it off.”

Emmitt Smith on Cowboys #1 Wide Receiver Roy Williams
“The question is, can Roy step up and be what they need him to be?” Emmitt said. “I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s possible. . . . I do not see him as a No. 1. I never have saw him as a No. 1. Never have. When I say No. 1, I mean your No. 1 go-to guy. He’s not your No. 1 go-to guy.”

Emmitt Smith on Tony Romo
“[W]hen you have your offseason and you say things are going to change and you’ve never been that dominant personality or in that leadership position then, as a player, you lose me,” Emmitt told Adam Schein and Rich Gannon. “You lost me. I’m sitting there saying, ‘OK, now you’re going to become a leader?’ What happened when we had all this great talent over here and we had a chance to go, not only in the playoffs, but in the first round of the playoffs when we got knocked out both times? Now all of a sudden you’re going to change? And our talent level is less than it was two years ago? How much better can we be?”

Emmit Smith Padding his Stats in Arizona

So Emmitt thinks that the Cowboys will be 7-9, that could happen and only time will tell if it will, but to rip Tony Romo and Roy Williams is laughable. Remember this is coming from a guy who was willing to turn his back on teammates when he held out for more money, and also went to a Arizona to pad his stats at the end of his career. So I guess the fact that he would rip his former team to further his failure of a career in the media should come as no surprise to Dallas Sports Fans.

Now he can go back to focusing on football! And people will have to figure out another way to criticize him! Go Cowboys!

Let’s hope he turns back into the Jedi he once was in order to lead our beloved Cowboys back to the playoffs.

Personally, I don’t think this was that big of a deal, but I also don’t think this is going to hurt Romo’s preparation in any way, shape, or form.

Thanks to The Big Lead for the heads up.

PHOTO: http://www.celebridiot.com/2008/02/21/jessica-simpson-to-marry-tony-romo/

Ironic that this photo comes from a blog talking about the potential marriage.

Every group has one. Whenever you see three or more guys gathered you know, at some point or another, one of those guys will reach out give a little tap. This tap is not friendly and encouraging, but rather the most vile and underhanded blow to the most sensitive of regions.

The situation always plays out the same. The douche will wait until his friends are engrossed in a conversation, or focused on an attractive female who has just walked by, or merely looking the other way. Then comes the strike. With a swing of the arm and snap of the wrist, the victim is rolling on the floor in agony, waiting for the dreaded “stomach feeling” that comes after every nut shot. The attacker meanwhile, is laughing uproariously while the rest of the group looks on in horror and shock.

For those who are still unsure as to what I am talking about when I refer to the dreaded “Man Check,” I offer an example of the lowest of blows.

As I pondered this theory, I realized its implications. The Man-Check guy is not just an annoying friend. He is a cancer of the worst kind. A scourge to the unity of a close group of friends that, if left unchecked (no pun intended) can tear apart even a group of close-knit friends.

The implications in professional sports are simply frightening. If in every group of males, there is that one guy, what havoc could he do to an entire season? What would happen if the Dallas Cowboys Man-Check guy were allowed to roam free, spreading a reign of terror throughout the team? More importantly, who is the Dallas Cowboys Man-Check guy?

This is a question that requires plenty of thought, for the answer is not obvious. As I wonder, it is clear that the Dallas Cowboys season was not lost due to poor coaching or poor on-field performance. It is so clear now what happened. The Man-Check player in the Dallas Cowboys had free reign in 2008 and was able to completely destroy any team moral, resulting in in fighting and a lack of cohesion on the field.

But who was this dastardly villain of the worst sort. I am quick to blame Pacman or Tank Johnson, but that is too easy. Their trouble making is more blatant and open. Guns and strippers are their modus operandi. No, the lowest of villains is not so apparent. He lies in wait, disguising himself as a productive member of the team, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

As outsiders to the day-to-day workings of the Dallas Cowboys, we will never know for certain whom this harbinger of pain and misery is, but with a little deductive reasoning, I am confident that we can eliminate several characters and eventually hypothesize who the villain is.

Right of the bat we can eliminate any loud mouthed, high profile characters. Pacman and Tank are right out of the mix. Terrell Owens, for the first time in his life, is uninvolved in the shenanigans being discussed. It’s too easy for him. TO likes public attention. Besides the nut tap is too basic for him. No real creativity. Why nut tap when you could accuse others of favoritism?

It’s not TO.

Roy Williams is too new. He’d get knocked out for even thinking of nut tapping someone. The same is true for Felix Jones and Tashard Choice. Jason Witten leads by example, as do Demarcus Ware and Zach Thomas. They would never even dream of performing a man-check. Plus, given their overall size and demeanor, they are unlikely to ever be victims either.

Bradie James can’t, as he is too busy keeping the fans in line with a swift and sure right hook to the glasses.
In looking throughout the roster no one stands out as culpable. Barbie Carpenter would be hung from a goalpost if he tried it. Marion Barber is too quiet. The receivers are too busy whining about their catches and the offensive lineman would never get the timing down. Flozell Adams would always swing too early and either have his tap blocked or would miss completely.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is no man-check guy for the Dallas Cowboys. But wait; there is one person I have not named. Someone who can rest assured that there would never be any retaliation within the team. Someone who is popular enough to get close to every member of the team, yet still be distant enough due to flaky, game losing performances.

This person has an axe to grind. With the pressure of the entire team on him at all times, it is clear that this individual has plenty of frustration that needs an outlet. That’s right. Tony Romo has more than enough motivation to nut tap everyone who crosses him.

It’s perfect. A high profile quarterback with plenty of spotlight and a celebrity girlfriend. No one outside the team would ever suspect Tony Romo, and with numerous individuals within the team complaining about his decision-making and supposed favoritism, Romo has more than enough targets.

It’s so clear now. All of Terrell Owens whining and moaning of favoritism is not an actual complaint. He is trying to draw attention to Romo’s vicious attacks without actually going public with his accusations.

No wonder the offensive line won’t block for him. Why would you protect someone who constantly gives you a quick man-check?

2008 was not a disaster due to any lack of preparation or on-field performance. It was a clear statement that Tony Romo unleashed a reign of terror not seen since the days of Attila the Hun. The Dallas Cowboys lack of production on offense was a concerted effort to get Tony Romo knocked out of games. It was a push to remove the protective covering on any starting quarterback so retribution could be doled out and Tony Romo could be stopped. If only Ed Werder would have covered this story. Maybe the Dallas Cowboys season could have been saved.

This is not the first time a rumor involving Tony Romo’s nuptials has been spread throughout the metroplex. In 2007, rumors abounded that Tony Romo and singer Carrie Underwood, of American Idol fame, had tied the knot.

In 2008, another rumor spread that Tony Romo had married his new girlfriend, Jessica Simpson. This rumor was allegedly confirmed by Jessica’s mother who said “Jessica is already married to Tony. What are you talking about?”

Later Jessica mysteriously commented, “Well, I guess if my mom said it, it must be true.”

While this rumor was later proven to be just that, a rumor, TMZ reported in October that Romo and Simpson were extremely serious, and were considering a 2009 wedding. This has given rise to the latest Tony Romo marriage rumor that I heard this morning.

While in all likelihood this recent rumor, like all the others, is false, the thought of a Romo, Simpson wedding is a scary thought for most Cowboys fans. There is a growing suspicion that Jessica is a major factor in Romo’s on field performance, and that the Cowboy’s quarterback would be a better player if he were to break things off with Daisy Duke.

I, for one, am sick of these rumors and the controversy over this relationship. Tony Romo is a professional in the NFL. He got there through hard work and dedication. To think that he would let himself get distracted over a girl is kind of ridiculous in my mind.

Romo is entitled to a personal life. Every NFL player has a personal life, and every NFL player has distractions coming from their personal life, no matter if their wife or girlfriend is a college sweetheart, or untalented singer with a less talented sister who makes Milli Vanilli look like the Vatican Choir. But to think that a celebrity girlfriend would ruin an entire team’s season is laughable.

Yes, Tony Romo performs poorly at the end of the season. Yes, the 2008 Dallas Cowboys season ended in complete disaster. However, this debacle did not come about because of one relationship. There were numerous on-the-field issues that hurt the team far more than Jessica Simpson.

Terrell Owens was taking plays off. Jason Witten was playing injured. The offensive line was without Kyle Kosier and simply was not giving Romo the protection he needed. Without a strong running game due to injuries to Felix Jones and Marion Barber, the Cowboys had to use their passing attack, and with the O-Line not performing as well as they are capable, Romo was pressured and forced to make rushed throws and poor decisions.

None of this had anything to do with Tony Romo’s girlfriend, unless of course she took a crowbar to Marion Barber and Felix Jones, which I did not see reported on TMZ.