Skip Bayless: The Real Tony Romo

[Gemini Dolly]

By the time I finish this column, I will decide once and for all, forever and ever, whether I believe Tony Romo is capable of winning a Super Bowl for the Dallas Cowboys.
Never have I wrestled with my better judgment over a player in any sport the way I've gone back and forth, forth and back, about Antonio Ramiro Romo. My heart says: He beat the champion Giants with an MVP-caliber performance on opening night! My head counters: The Cowboys are 2-3, and Romo is 11-16 since the start of the 2010 season.
Heart: Romo was Staubachian late in Sunday's game at Baltimore, converting a third-and-6 and two fourth-and-10s, whipping a touchdown pass and hitting Dez Bryant with a perfect tying 2-point pass!
Head: Dez dropped it, Romo's Cowboys turned the end of the game into more laughable chaos than the final fight scene in "Blazing Saddles," a 51-yard field goal missed left and once again Tony Romo DID EVERYTHING BUT WIN.
Heart: Romo had the NFL's fourth-best QBR last season behind Rodgers, Brees and Brady -- 31 touchdown passes to only 10 interceptions!
Head: He's 32 years old and, in his six years of starting for the Dallas Cowboys of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, he has won a grand total of ONE PLAYOFF GAME IN FOUR TRIES.Heart: Staubach and Aikman have raved about Romo's escapability and playmaking flair! Head: They both live in Dallas and like the guy personally. What do you expect them to say?
Heart: Clutch!
Head: Loser!
Heart: Uh …
Head: WOULD YOU PLEASE WAKE UP AND SMELL THE SPILLED COFFEE! TONY ROMO WAS AN UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT, AND THAT'S WHAT HE ALWAYS TURNS BACK INTO WHEN YOU NEED HIM MOST -- TONY OH-NO. HALLOWEEN ALWAYS COMES EARLY WITH THIS GUY. HIS SPECTACULAR BAD WILL ALWAYS CANCEL HIS SPECTACULAR GOOD. HE'S THE BIGGEST TEASE IN SPORTS, AND YOU KEEP FALLING BACK INTO HIS "GREAT STATS" TRAP. FACE IT: THE QUARTERBACK WITH THE STAR ON HIS HELMET ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND WILL BE STAR-CROSSED. IT WILL JUST NEVER QUITE WORK OUT FOR HIM.
As I type this sentence, I'm nearly ready to concede there's just … something … missing … in … Tony Romo.

An NFL coach who loves Romo's talent and stays in touch with several Cowboys assistants told me: "That team badly needs Romo to take over as its leader. And all he really wants to be is a good soldier. Not a general. Just a very good soldier."http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8522884/making-my-peace-tony-romo
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That was a depressing article by Skip. But, I cant say I disagree.

[burmafrd]

should formally change his last name to clueless

With the exception of 2007 show me a time when Tony had the tools to really excell on this team?

Since that point either the Defense or the O line or the coaching has been subpar.

Including now.

Look at the teams that have won the SB since 2007

Every one of them had a kick *** D and/or O or Coaching that won it all
each one of them had at least two out of three.

Show me one year that Dallas had that.

[SDCowboy85]

I'm sick of hearing about this leadership BS. It doesn't matter what he does, it's never considered leadership. He's always the last to leave, organizes activities with the team, teaches and corrects player mistakes when they're made, etc. Apparently nothing is leadership if Romo isn't a leader.

[ChldsPlay]

If that's the kind of brain activity in his head...how is he functional?

[DWhite Fan]

As I type this sentence, I'm nearly ready to concede there's just … something … missing … in … Tony Romo.

As I type this sentence, I'm am absolutely ready to declare that there is something...missing...in...Skip, specifically a brain...:mad:

[THUMPER]

If Romo was a better leader Dez would have caught that 2-point conversion. :cool:

[CowboysYanksLakers]

I still believe in Romo as the QB of the Dallas Cowboys however I don't believe in Jerry Jones the GM...

[KB1122]

As a Romo skeptic, I've always thought the leadership thing was a bit of a canard. It's easier and less arguable to say that he's not a leader than to say the real problem - that Romo isn't quite good enough. Or perhaps to acknowledge the other way to look at it - how few and how elite are the quarterbacks that win most of the championships.

[proline]

It really doesn't take much to bet against any one QB or player winning a SB. It's not like everyone gets one. Most don't.

[tyke1doe]

I've said it before, but I'll say it again.

If Tony Romo had been drafted or signed by the Ravens, the Steelers or even the 49ers, it is my opinion he would be in the Super Bowl by now.

But he was drafted/signed by the Cowboys and wasn't handled properly. He wasn't protected early in his career with a running game and then he was given too much responsibility with little help.

I don't think he'll win because I think the Cowboys culture has finally gotten to him. He'll continue to be good, but I don't think he'll achieve greatness with the Cowboys.

I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

[juck]

Skip is spot on

[Prossman]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.

[kristie]

If that's the kind of brain activity in his head...how is he functional?

i have no idea.

[popp1234]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.

I realized this two years ago.

[ChldsPlay]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.

Very few QBs make fewer bad choices than he does.

[SDCowboy85]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.
Please don't post unless you know what you're talking about. He is one of the absolute least mistake prone QBs in the game. He just happens to play for a team where you can't make a single one if you want to win.

[CxC1993]

Surprised Skip didn't end up bringing up Tim Tebow in all of this, since he has a very creepy obsession with him.

Romo can lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, but it's not like he can do it on his own. That's why football is called a team sport. I also don't get why people act like Tony is the only QB in the NFL that ever makes a bad decision or a bad throw.

[rickjameschinaclub]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.

And Jason Garrett has been OC for 5 years...

[ddh33]

Not only is Skip pretending to be a journalist, he also pretends to be a psychologist too!

[gimmesix]

My head counters: The Cowboys are 2-3, and Romo is 11-16 since the start of the 2010 season.

His head should have stopped spinning here, and realized that the Dallas Cowboys are 11-16 since the start of the 2010 season with Romo at quarterback.

Maybe instead of focusing on Romo, he should be focusing on all of the reasons that's the case, because I can guarantee that Romo's performance in most of those games was good enough for a team to win with.

After going back and watching some of the Cowboys' performances in the 1970s with Roger Staubach at quarterback, it's easy to see without the defense performing at a high level at times and the running game performing at a high level at times, Dallas would not have achieved anywhere near the level of success it had with Staubach.

There were times the defense bailed the team out while Staubach simply wasn't playing very well. And there were times that the running game carried the offense until Staubach hit his stride. To be successful, you must have those things in addition to a quality quarterback.

[GusTheo]

I'm scared that Skip may be right. He may never win a Super Bowl with the Cowboys. If he smartens up, and signs with a good team in need of a QB, he may very well win a Super Bowl with someone else.

If a team like the 49ers had Romo, they'd be damn near unstoppable.

[Little Jr]

Tony has been our starter for 7 1/2 years now. There are patterns of mental mistakes the guy makes that never get fixed. Is any of that going to be "fixed" after all this time? probably not. Tony is what he is. He is a qb that frequently doesnt make smart choices.

6 yrs. Not that it matters just pointing out you are wrong with the amount of time he has been the starter.

[casmith07]

Everyone knows that leadership = screaming.

[dallasdave]

By the time I finish this column, I will decide once and for all, forever and ever, whether I believe Tony Romo is capable of winning a Super Bowl for the Dallas Cowboys.
Never have I wrestled with my better judgment over a player in any sport the way I've gone back and forth, forth and back, about Antonio Ramiro Romo. My heart says: He beat the champion Giants with an MVP-caliber performance on opening night! My head counters: The Cowboys are 2-3, and Romo is 11-16 since the start of the 2010 season.
Heart: Romo was Staubachian late in Sunday's game at Baltimore, converting a third-and-6 and two fourth-and-10s, whipping a touchdown pass and hitting Dez Bryant with a perfect tying 2-point pass!
Head: Dez dropped it, Romo's Cowboys turned the end of the game into more laughable chaos than the final fight scene in "Blazing Saddles," a 51-yard field goal missed left and once again Tony Romo DID EVERYTHING BUT WIN.
Heart: Romo had the NFL's fourth-best QBR last season behind Rodgers, Brees and Brady -- 31 touchdown passes to only 10 interceptions!
Head: He's 32 years old and, in his six years of starting for the Dallas Cowboys of Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, he has won a grand total of ONE PLAYOFF GAME IN FOUR TRIES.Heart: Staubach and Aikman have raved about Romo's escapability and playmaking flair! Head: They both live in Dallas and like the guy personally. What do you expect them to say?
Heart: Clutch!
Head: Loser!
Heart: Uh …
Head: WOULD YOU PLEASE WAKE UP AND SMELL THE SPILLED COFFEE! TONY ROMO WAS AN UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT, AND THAT'S WHAT HE ALWAYS TURNS BACK INTO WHEN YOU NEED HIM MOST -- TONY OH-NO. HALLOWEEN ALWAYS COMES EARLY WITH THIS GUY. HIS SPECTACULAR BAD WILL ALWAYS CANCEL HIS SPECTACULAR GOOD. HE'S THE BIGGEST TEASE IN SPORTS, AND YOU KEEP FALLING BACK INTO HIS "GREAT STATS" TRAP. FACE IT: THE QUARTERBACK WITH THE STAR ON HIS HELMET ALWAYS HAS BEEN AND WILL BE STAR-CROSSED. IT WILL JUST NEVER QUITE WORK OUT FOR HIM.
As I type this sentence, I'm nearly ready to concede there's just … something … missing … in … Tony Romo.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/8522884/making-my-peace-tony-romo
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That was a depressing article by Skip. But, I cant say I disagree.
Romo will have to win a super bowl to shut up the critics.:eek: