You could practically see the national media tripping over itself for the last month as each member tried to win the hype war over Tony Romo. The headlines might as well have read: “Romo throws four touchdowns, finds better cure for polio.”
There?s no doubt that the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, who took over the team a little over a month ago, has been largely impressive in his seven starts. His presence has quelled the Terrell Owens madness and put the Cowboys in the driver?s seat of the dreadful NFC East.
That?s pretty much it, though. Sure, there was the win over the Colts, but how did racking up wins against the Cardinals and Buccaneers, along with the up-and-down Giants and Panthers, somehow get the team in the Super Bowl discussion?
The only one with the least bit of sanity about the guy was head coach Bill Parcells, and if Parcells is the most sane of the bunch, we?re all in a world of hurt.
Thankfully, the Saints administered a 42-17 whooping to the Cowboys Sunday night, stomping out Lombardi talk at least for another week. The would-be golden boy looked positively human, connecting on just 16 of 33 passes for 249 yards. He threw a touchdown, but he also tossed two interceptions.
It?s easy to understand the appeal of Romo. He?s everything football fans were hoping Matt Leinart would be this season: the golden-armed pretty-boy quarterback who had famous singers lined up for dates. On top of that, he has shown he can chuck the ball since taking over.
But are we so desperate for the next great quarterback that we need to create a star? Outside of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, there aren?t too many field generals that call to mind the glory days of Elway, Montana, Marino, Young, Aikman, Moon and Kelly in the 1980s and ?90s.
What we have now is the era of the journeyman quarterback, the guy who can simply manage a team to the Super Bowl. How else can you explain guys like Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer and Ben Roethlisberger winning over higher-profile names in recent Super Bowls?
That?s why, when a guy like Romo comes along, the media goes in full hyperbole mode. In a league that has watered itself down considerably in the name of parity, there needs to be a sense that there?s something bigger than what is actually happening.
The truth is, Romo is not going to win the Super Bowl this season. The best teams ? the ones that are the most consistent (i.e. the Bears, Ravens and Chargers) ? have quarterbacks that are holding true to recent form.
The Bears might be losing their patience with the Dilfer-mode they?ve been in with Rex Grossman, but ask the Chargers or Ravens if they?d rather have Romo right now than their current quarterbacks. The answer will be no.
Matt Palmer is a staff writer for The Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected].
