It’s the question everyone SHOULD be asking, but apparently Tony Romo gets a free pass. I’m not sure whether it’s because of his celebrity girlfriend or because we all professed our undying love to him after his first season at starting quarterback.
Whatever the case, let’s wake up and have a little reality check, shall we? We need to see the Terrell Owens situation with a little more objectivity. Was TO a problem in the locker room? Maybe. Yeah, probably. He probably wasn’t the best leader for unifying the team. He definitely was a leader, though. Let’s not kid ourselves. Owens had a following, and he had influence. That means he was a leader.
Tony Romo, on the other hand, hasn’t shown us any sort of leadership on or off the field that should instill confidence in the fans, coaches, or teammates. Who’s got Tony’s back? He needs more than Jason Witten on his side.
Look, it’s been said on the radio, but it needs to be repeated: Michael Irvin was an obnoxious leader on the team in the ’90s, and Troy Aikman still led the team without question. Your quarterback needs to lead, and that’s not something that can be taught. It can be learned by spending copious amounts of time near a good leader, though. We absorb this kind of stuff by spending time with and learning from people. We absorb the essence of people’s attitudes when we spend quality time with them.
So Tony apparently has no role model near enough to rub off on him. So there’s really only one shot: ditch TO and hope that a season of hard won success will help Romo earn the team’s respect and help him feel comfortable in the leadership role. I’m drawing from Colt McCoy’s experience at the University of Texas on this one. Yes, it’s college. But Colt was definitely NOT respected his first year at QB and he won that respect by working hard and fighting for every extra yard on the field. McCoy returned to the field the next year with a newfound confidence and take charge attitude.
That’s what we need to see here in Dallas. Let Tony scratch and claw his way through a season without any major locker room upheavals. Then, MAYBE the following year he can return a new man, full of confidence and take-charge attitude that the Cowboys desperately need.
And if not, Romo will go down in NFL history as a so-so quarterback who disappointed everyone.
