October 2009 Archives

This dude is selling his football alliegiance on Ebay. Check it out here.

I bid on this. If I win, this guy is an Eagles fan. Or maybe make him a Redskins fan.

I've been a Dallas Cowboy fan for as long as I can remember.

Even in the late 70's when my family lived in Houston and "Luv Ya Blue!" was all the rage; I rooted for the 'Boys from Big D. But I can't do it any more.

I remained a fan in the early 80's despite my frustration with Danny White's ability to get us to the NFC Championship game in '80,'81, and '82, only to watch him play poorly in each game and cost the Cowboys a trip to the NFL Championship. But I can't do it any more.

The mid 80's saw a decline in the number of wins the team achieved, and a sharp increase in the number of different QB's that played under center. Remember Hogeboom?! Pelluer?! Collier?! Sweeney?! I remember, yet I remained a fan. But I can't do it any more.

At the end of the '88 season, a new owner talked about restoring the luster and shine to the Cowboys star, but did much to tarnish it in his handling of Coach Tom Landry (rest his soul.) I certainly didn't agree with how it was handled, but I was still a fan. I just can't do it anymore.

Before it was announced that the Dallas Cowboys would be sold to him, Jerry Jones made what has remained the smartest decision in his history of owning the team. He hired Jimmy Johnson to be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. It was a decision that would ultimately lead to 2 NFL Championship titles ('92 and '93) in 5 years. It was easy to be a fan during those years. But I can't do it anymore.

Feeling slighted by all of the attention and credit Jimmy Johnson was receiving for the team's success, the owner forced Johnson out after the '93 season (THEY HAD JUST WON BACK TO BACK SUPERBOWLS!!!!!) Despite owning the pie, Jones undeservedly wanted more credit for gathering the ingredients. He named himself GM and hired Barry Switzer, who hadn't coached at any level for 5 years prior to accepting Jones' offer, to coach the team. Jones once made the comment that anyone could coach the Dallas Cowboys with the talent that was on the team (talent that Jimmy Johnson put together). Switzer proved him right by winning the NFL Championship in only his 2nd year. The wins weren't pretty, and the team was showing signs of coming apart at the seams (drug arrests, drunk driving, fights at training camp, gun charges) yet I remained a fan. I just can't do it anymore.

From '95-2007, the Cowboys head coaching position was a short assignment. Switzer, Gailey, Campo, Parcells (the latter did much to improve the roster). From '96 until now, the Cowboys have yet to win a playoff game. Through all of the coaching changes, and losing records, and lack of playoff wins, I've remained a fan. Until now.

My hope that the ownership will finally see the light and hire a competent GM is gone. My faith in the current GM to hire a competent coach has run out. My optimism that our starting QB will eventually stop spending so much time playing golf & chasing women, and start taking his job more seriously, has turned to deep, dark pessimism. My thoughts that the talent on this current team would prevail and finally lead us deep into the playoffs have been destroyed by poor coaching decisions, bad play calling, and uninspired play.

The stadium may be beautiful, but the product is anything but. I can't bring myself to cheer for this team any longer.

** At the close of this auction I will immediately begin rooting for, and become a die hard fan of, any NFL team of the winning bidder's choosing. A portion of the proceeds will be used to purchase apparel and possibly game tickets for my new team. The remaining portion will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.**

You're a Cowboys fan. You're confused. Angry. You don't know why your team spent its last two snaps on offense throwing the ball to Sam Hurd, who was blanketed both times by one of the finest cornerbacks in all of football. You don't know why Jason Witten stayed in to block on both plays. You don't know why the team didn't just try and run it in on 4th down, given that they have the best rushing offense in the NFL. Everything is baffling and incomprehensible and horrible.

Well, would it ease your mind if I told you there's a perfectly good explanation as to why they threw to Hurd twice in a row? Yes? Oh, good. Would it ease your mind if I told you the reason is because Tony Romo might just be an idiot?

No?

Well then, you won't like this item from Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram.

Is it possible that Romo didn't know it was fourth down?

Following the final incomplete pass to end the Cowboys hopes, a video caught on KDFW Fox-4 shows Romo seemingly telling his linemen to line back up. He then flashes three fingers to one of the game officials.

After hearing the response, Romo screams and walks off field.

If true, Romo apparently forgot about the spike to stop the clock on second down. When asked about the series of events, coach Wade Phillips didn't know anything about a discrepancy. He said that on the sideline they knew what down it was and any questions would need to be directed at Romo.

That may not be until Wednesday or Thursday. Romo is not scheduled to talk to the media until then.

Well, in Romo's defense, those clock-killing spikes at least FEEL like they shouldn't cost you a down. Alas. I'll just go ahead and predict right now that Romo tells the media he knew what down it was. The video, of course, suggests otherwise. If Romo really thought it was third down, that's... not good. It suggests a lapse in concentration at the very worst possible time, not an unfamiliar sight when it comes to the Cowboys star QB. Perhaps Romo was concerned with other things. Perhaps he had a karaoke duet with Dennis Haskins later in the evening. Perhaps he was distracted by the fact that Jessica's bust clearly looks to be rounding back into form. We can't discount any of those possibilities. We also can't discount that Romo may now suck.

DENVER (AP)--Champ Bailey figured the last play was his to make.

Why not? Tony Romo had been testing him all afternoon, even though he kept acing every exam.

"I welcome it. Please do. That's the only way I get a chance to make plays," said Bailey, who had eight tackles, broke up four passes and made one key interception in Denver's 17-10 win over Dallas on Sunday.

His biggest play came with a second left when he knocked away the potential tying touchdown pass from Romo to Sam Hurd on fourth-and-goal from the 2.

With the blitz coming, Romo quickly fired toward Hurd cutting across the middle. Bailey reached around and swatted the pass away with his left hand at the last second, giving the Broncos their first 4-0 start since 2003.

"Maybe they thought they could catch Champ sleeping," teammate D.J. Williams surmised. "One of the top corners in the league, my last play, I wouldn't go toward him."

Romo would. Again.

"They're good all over," Romo insisted of Denver's top-ranked defense. "I understand Champ's good. It's questionable. I think you could go either way on that call. It's a bang-bang play and the corner's always driving on the ball. If he gets to the ball early, that's part of the game. ... Those are always going to be contested throws."

The Broncos had taken the lead on Brandon Marshall's 51-yard touchdown catch from Kyle Orton with 1:46 remaining, providing some vindication for the Pro Bowl receiver whose temper tantrum during training camp earned him a nine-day suspension from coach Josh McDaniels.

By the look of their emotional embrace on the sideline after he zigzagged his way into the end zone, Marshall and McDaniels have reconciled.

On the other sideline, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, coach Wade Phillips and cornerback Terence Newman were swearing a flag should have been thrown on Marshall for offensive pass interference.

"I couldn't have played that play any better," Newman said. "I could have sworn it was going to be a penalty. He grabbed my jersey and threw me to the side. If that wasn't a hold, I don't know what is. I tried to grab him back. I figured either way, we were both going to be called for holding. But the refs didn't see it."

Marshall grabbed the ball off the top of Newman's helmet at the 25-yard line, then avoided three more tacklers on his way for the score.

Even then, Marshall was nervous.

"Going back to Pop Warner I've made a bunch of plays like that really didn't mean anything because we end up losing the game," Marshall said. "We knew their 2-minute offense is one of the best in the business."

Sure enough, Romo, ineffective in the second half when the Cowboys' first five drives ended in four punts and an interception by Bailey, found Hurd for a 53-yard gain on fourth-and-3 to the Broncos 20-yard line with a minute left.

The Cowboys reached the 2 with 9 seconds left. Romo spiked the ball on second-and-goal, then Bailey knocked away a high pass intended for Hurd before swatting away the last one that was right on the money.

"That surprised me," Broncos safety Brian Dawkins said. "Both times that surprised me. To challenge a Hall of Famer, still doing what he does? You saw what he did on that beautiful pick on the sideline. So that surprised me that they continued to go at Champ. I'm glad they did."

Bailey, who picked off a pass from Romo at his 6 in the third quarter, wasn't surprised Romo would test him one final time because the blitz was designed to coerce a quick pass to his man.

"If you want to keep testing me, putting the pressure on me, I'm with you," Bailey said.

Denver held the league's best rushing attack to just 74 yards on 25 carries, a 3-yard clip.

In the second half, Romo was 11 for 24 for 201 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

"It happens, it happens," Dallas receiver Roy Williams said. "Michael Jordan scores nine points. Tiger can't come back on the final day. It happens. It happens."

Especially when Elvis Dumervil is breathing down his neck all game.

Romo was sacked five times, twice by Dumervil, who has eight in his last three games.

Denver's defenders filed into the locker room afterward crowing about having proved the critics wrong for blasting them this offseason and then dismissing their 3-0 start against bad offenses.

"To come out and do it against a great team shows we are great," D.J. Williams proclaimed.

NOTES: Orton improved to 17-2 at home as a starter since joining the league in 2005. ... Broncos RB Correll Buckhalter sprained his left ankle after gaining 55 yards on five receptions and 37 yards on six carries. He walked out of the stadium on crutches.