First Post Ever: Darn Them Cowboys!

So this is my first ever attempt at "blogging" and I'm not sure how the standard or typical "blogger" does this; so I'm just going to do it my way and see how it goes. I hope you enjoy. 

The Dallas Cowboys. As the world knows by now, the boys lost on Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings 34-3. Not really a contest, much less an NFL playoff game. (although, only one of the divisional round games was actually competitive) But the Cowboys game I felt should have been good. The boys however, just did not show up. The first few drives seemed so promising that I was confident even after the second turnover. What happened next was quite heartbreaking actually for a true fan to watch. The entire Cowboy team, including the coaches and both sides of the ball, were put under enormous pressure and adversity...the heartbreaking thing was not necessarily that they couldn't find a way to win; but that the entire team, coaches and all, could not find anyone to rally around. Not one person within that organization knew who to look to in their time of need. When the adversity hit it was almost visible that the team just did not have a leader and did not know who they were supposed to follow into battle. 


For example, when the colts face adversity, everyone from the owner right down to the most un-loyal of fans and even people who aren't fans and are just astute observers of the football world, everyone knows that Peyton Manning is going to put that team on his back and carry them through whatever trying times his team is facing. Even when they don't win...they still have a leader, someone to trust and to look up to...fans and players alike.  


The Cowboys on the other hand...really just don't have that. And it was apparent by the way they laid down their weapons, tucked their tails between their legs, and whimpered their way out of Minnesota! The Cowboys (among other things) need their William Wallace. The Colts have theirs. And that is why win or lose, year in and year out, they are the best team in professional football. And why the Cowboys continually, year in and year out, break our hearts and leave us with nothing to believe in. No confidence, no direction, and no leadership!


I found it inspiring to some degree after the game when Tony Romo made all of Dallas feel SO much better when he told us that (paraphrasing here) "this is a good learning experience and I think that we can improve going forward". Uh...excuse me? Thats reassuring. Thanks for finally turning your hat forward just to make the Bible belt feel better and o by the way, thanks for taking responsibility for screwing up ever chance you got! I mean is that too much to ask? For someone, whether its Romo, Wade, Garret, Ware, or Keith Brooking for crying out loud, to take responsibility for losing and to reassure players and fans alike that everything is going to be ok? Someone needed to emerge as the undisputed leader of that football team and for a minute or two we all thought it would be Brooking...turns out he's all pre-game fire and much less in-game leader! 


Here's a definite! Wade will never be THAT leader. Thats a fact. It will never happen. If Jerry Jones gives him the extension they are discussing and Wade is the "coach" for the next ten years...he will never be the leader we as fans want and deserve! And no...replacing Wade with Garret will not fix anything. Garret is more of a weasel than Dave Campo was...yet then again, Campo is still coaching something.


Now for a minute or two I thought and even hoped a little bit that Tony Romo would become that leader. But alas, he hasn't developed that trait! A trait that I feel is just as important for a QB to have as his ability to throw a football. I desperately wanted him to come out after the game and let the fans know that HE would take responsibility for the loss, and that HE would put this team on his back, and that "going forward" this team will make the next step! The cowboys struggle with adversity because when the going gets rough...who do they have to rally around? Who is the one guy that the entire team can look to and be reassured that HE will get them through whatever adversity they face? And it goes farther than just the team and players...its the fans as well. Who reassures us that things are going to be ok? Nobody does...not on this Cowboys team. Not even Jerry Jones (even though he tries). 


So as fans...who do we look to for guidance and reassurance during the longest off-season in sports? Anyone...anyone? I have little doubt that the boys will be back looking almost the same next year. Wade at the helm (sort of) and Garret navigating...(sort of) and Jerry Jones will be there also telling us that he thinks Wade is our guy and this season is gonna be even better than the last. Yay! I'm so excited...NOT!