A DISGRUNTLED Cowboys Fan

Yes, I am a Dallas Cowboys fan. And on this dreary Monday morning in Washington DC, I am SOOOOOOOOOOO upset right now over the Dallas loss yesterday to the NY Giants. Growing up in New Jersey, I always had to be the "outcast" for being the Cowboys fan (along with some Jets fans) in a sea of Giants fans. But when I got to college, I found a fellow die-hard Cowboys fan to cheer with and talk about team dynamics - so that worked out great. Fast forward to present day in Redskins country, I find myself back in the "outcast" pool amongst a sea of maroon and gold - blech!

Yesterday's loss was a TOTAL bummer. Needless to say, I can continue with another year of my favorite rant, "I hate Tony Romo." I have been a Cowboys fan since I can remember - so this isn't a bandwagon thing or a 'Tony Romo is so dreamy' thing - no way. I have been with them since the Tom Landry days, the Hershel Walker days, the first day Jerry Jones took over the team, Troy Aikman's rookie season where they went 1-15 and when they got those hideous uniforms with the big-ass stars on the shoulders. Yes, I have been a life-long fan. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Tony Romo. That boy has got a lot to prove to me and he has come up short in the 2007 season.

Let's flash back to the 2006 NFC wild card game, against the Seattle Seahawks. As I sat in an Arlington bar, watching in disbelief, the bobbled-snap, scramble action in the last seconds, I knew Tony Romo was going to have a hard time from the press and media over it. That was the night I decided that I hate Tony Romo as our QB. But it was a reversible hate. My hate was more of a 'prove to me that you're right for this team and maybe I'll learn to like you.' So start the 2007 season and the Cowboys are doing really well. They are beginning to look like the team of the 90s with Aikman, Smith, Irvin, Harper, Novacek and Johnston. T.O. is finally learning to keep his trap under control and the team is winning. Unfortunately, the hate was not reversed. Since the Cowboys were doing so well, I figured the only way to reverse the hate was to get them to the Super Bowl. Did they have to win it? No - because let's face it, it's the Patriots' year (choke, choke!). So here we are, on Sunday, 1/13/08, watching the Cowboys' 2008 Super Bowl hopes and dreams come to an end, in just a few short hours. And the hate has not died - it will be carried through to the next season.

You might be saying that it's pretty harsh of me to hold these feelings for a guy that had a decent game yesterday. I will be the first to admit that the loss was not all Tony Romo's fault. However, the QB is the leader of the team and the leader needs to set an example and I don't think he's done that. But let's talk about something else that happened during the season that could've led to his loss to the Giants. T.O. said not to blame Tony or the loss on the fact that Tony was seen in Mexico, with Jessica Simpson during their first round bye week. Guess what - that's where I'm going. As far as I'm concerned, a bye week still means you're on the job. He should've been watching the first round games - studying, conditioning, FOCUSING. I'm really shocked that Coach Phillips let him go to Mexico with the SAME person that allegedly "caused" him to have the WORST game this season cause she was up in the skybox, shaking her double-D's in a pink Romo jersey. And if not Coach Phillips, where was that micro-managing owner of theirs? T.O. is only trying to turn the press away from that Mexican vacation because supposedly he paid for it. (Ugh - shut the trap, T.O. - you were doing so well all season.)

There are others of you out there saying that Tom Brady can do it - he had Bridget Moynahan and now he's dating supermodel Gisele. Yeah - well Tom Brady's team is also undefeated and his QB rating is always the tops so what he does on his own time seems to be working so he's good to go. Romo already admitted he could not juggle a romance and a career - that was said to his college girlfriend. I don't think that has changed - so pick one: a great NFL career or dating a blonde dummy whose career is in the toilet. And as an NFL player, you're only working seven months out of the year - he couldn't have gone to Mexico in mid-Feb, after the Super Bowl? Was there a last minute room deal he couldn't pass up? Ugh - just thinking about it makes me so angry.

I am now cheering for the old-man veteran, Brett Favre - he needs a ring so he can retire in peace.
And I'm also jumping on the newly formed 'Yoko Romo' bandwagon - that's what they're calling Jessica Simpson. She's breaking up the team!!!