Let those five words soak in.
It wasn’t too long ago that the Cowboys fan base didn’t agree. In fact, it was two weeks ago.
In a world that measures your success against Aikman and Staubach, Tony Romo has had a rough go with the fans. It started in January of 2007 when he bobbled a snap on a field goal that would have won the Cowboys a playoff game in Seattle. Never mind that this guy had taken over mid-season for an anemic Drew Bledsoe. Never mind that he had come out of nowhere to lead that team to the postseason. He bobbled the snap. He was the goat.
The next year he threw for over 4200 yards, took the Cowboys to a 13-3 record, but they lost in their first playoff game to the Giants. The story? Tony Romo went to Cabo during the team’s bye week . He took a two-hour flight somewhere to relax? How COULD he? Never mind that he didn’t miss a single day of practice. Never mind that many of his teammates also left town. He dared to go someplace tropical… and with Jessica Simpson! Off with his head!
After that playoff loss, Tony didn’t do himself any favors with his postgame remarks. “If something in sports is the worst thing that ever happens to you, you’ve lived a pretty good life.” Gentlemen, start your engines. Romo was now saddled with the reputation that he didn’t care enough - that he didn’t want to win badly enough. Tony hadn’t yet learned a very important Dallas lesson: for many of his fans a Cowboys loss IS the worst thing that’s ever happened.
From there it snowballed. Every single move Tony made was under the microscope. The guy is a scratch golfer who kept those competitive juices flowing in the offseason by trying to qualify for the U.S. Open. Nope. That just means he’s not concentrating on football. Strike 3. He’s out. When he got hurt last year and the season was in the toilet, they made a coaching change. It just so happened that Jon Kitna was quarterbacking when this new breath of life came into the team. People actually suggested that Kitna should replace Romo this season.
Then when Tony made a couple of bad mistakes in a tough opening loss to the Jets this year, the whispers started again. Romo isn’t a winner… and more ridiculous – Romo’s not even a good quarterback – not in the top half of the league. Tony took week one’s loss hard. There were reports that he sat in the locker room with his head down for too long. Apparently now he cares TOO much.
Then last week with two broken ribs and a punctured lung, Tony Romo came back into the game and led his team to victory. The national media made a darling of Tony and for good reason. But I think last night may have been even more impressive. Quarterbacks don’t win or lose games by themselves… but they certainly have the most impact. Last night, Romo came as close as you can to winning by himself.
Still hurting with his ribs, he took a team decimated by injury and inexperience and simply WILLED them down the field. The Redskins blitzed mercilessly. They threw everyone in Washington at him. I swear I saw a tobacco lobbyist in the backfield at one point. Tony was hit… he was harassed… and he had very little help. He was breaking the huddle and explaining to his receivers where to line up. Why? Because they were clearly clueless. It was as if Romo was the only one who had been issued a playbook. He had a center who three different times snapped the ball to an unsuspecting Romo after being fooled by the defense. Facing 3rd and 21, Tony literally pointed and yelled DURING the play, telling Dez Bryant where to go and throwing it there to set up the winning field goal. Tony Romo won that game because Tony Romo flat out refused to lose.
Romo says all the right things. “Criticism comes with playing this position.” Unfortunately for Tony, he plays in Dallas.
Everyone loves him today after that performance. So much so that it’s easy to forget the way they’ve treated him the past 5 years. But one bad interception at the wrong time and the rumbling will start anew.
He’s a great golfer, so he golfs in his free time. You would, too. He dates fabulously famous and beautiful women. You would, too. And at the end of the day, he’s easily one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL and there is an argument that he’s top 5. He wants to win as much or more than anyone on that field and to insinuate otherwise is pure folly. Cowboys fans are lucky to have him. Too bad that it will take a championship for this spoiled franchise to realize it.
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