The news out of Dallas these days is getting to be concerning and as usual, it centers around Tony Romo. Last year, after getting lathered by the Eagles in the season finale, Romo stated he would be okay if he never got to a Super Bowl. This year, after hearing he needed to get in better shape from Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett, Romo responded that the meeting never occurred and that the concern with his being in playing shape was “silly”.
Hmmm, why all the mystery around Romo? One always hears conflicting reports: great competitor in practice, fools around too much in practice, locks into Witten too much, forced the ball to TO too much, in great shape, can’t make the plays in December… Which story is the right story and which ones do you believe?
My personal thought is that Romo spends too much time in the spotlight. Sure this is the age of the internet and no one really has any privacy, but I sure don’t remember Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach or even Danny White being the source of so much controversy. Don’t get me wrong, I think Tony Romo is a good quarterback, the best the Cowboys have had since Aikman. But I also think he walks a little tall for a guy with no pedigree. I mean what part of undrafted free agent, losing record in December and two first round playoff losses, makes Tony Romo think he can walk around with as cavalier an attitude as he seems to have?
I’d like to see Romo put his tabloid stardom in the background, concentrate on getting in shape, practicing hard, leading by example and getting the Cowboys back to the playoffs and Super Bowl. No other result for the quarterback of America’s Team can be considered success!
Last season, the Dallas Cowboys traded 1st, 3rd and 6th round picks in this years draft to Detroit for wide receiver Roy Williams to be the number 2 wideout behind Terrell Owens. After arriving, Williams caught all of 19 passes and 1 touchdown for the Boys. This season, TO is gone and Roy Williams finds himself at the top of depth chart in Big D. Can he handle the upgrade?
Enough of the smokescreen already! The Detroit Lions need to stop playing around and sign the guy in the picture, top 2009 QB prospect Matthew Stafford. By all accounts the former Georgia Bulldog has all the tools for the NFL; big arm, good mobility, good field presence, leadership, the works. I’m tired of hearing about how much money it costs to draft a quarterback with the first pick in the draft. What if he’s a bust, you ask??? From where I stand, the Lions have done nothing from a draft standpoint in many years. They finally hit some gold with Calvin Johnson two years ago, but how about getting someone to throw to him? Can you name five Detriot Lions and oh by the way, Joey Harrington is not a Lion anymore folks so don’t name him. The franchise made a signature move finally jettisoning Matt Millen who was a good player, but lousy General Manager. Now it is time to make another move, draft Matt Stafford. Anyone remember Matt Ryan from last year? Think the Atlanta Falcons are crying about drafting him number 3 overall last year? It takes money to make money people and the best way to fix a franchise is to get a franchise quarterback. Is Matthew Stafford Troy Aikman or Peyton Manning? Probably not, but he probably is not Tim Couch or Ryan Leaf either. Its great to get a solid left tackle to play for you, but if Miami had seen a QB they wanted, Jake Long would not have been the number 1 pick. It is just as hard to find the next Anthony Munoz, Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden as it is to find the next Carson Palmer. Its time for the Lions to start fresh, dig deep, take a chance and get the man to lead them; Matthew Stafford!
I am sick and tired of all the pundits giving the quarterback credit for Super Bowl wins. Yes, the quarterback is the field general for the team and, in a lot of cases, winning a Super Bowl has a lot to do with whether the quarterback plays well or does not. But, there are twenty-one other starters that take the field that have a lot to do with the outcome. Football is the ultimate TEAM sport. It is the only sport where players are not asked to play both offense and defense. Baseball, basketball and hockey all require players to stay on the field, court or rink when either team has the ball or puck. Also, we still have not mentioned the coaches, especially the head coach, who is usually the straw that stirs the drink. I know John Wooden always said you can not win championships without great players, but I say more often than not, great players can not win championships without a great head coach.
