I understand how disheartening it is to see Tony in this same situation again, but, what's even more disheartening... is the lack of support everyone seems to have here for him now.
I get that everyone does want to see him on the field for us, but, in all actuality, can we not lose sight of what it is that really happened? Whether or not the case is that he is getting older and more fragile (while I do see this), the fact of that matter is, is that I'm pretty sure none of us have ever seen a specific hit like that...
Try having 250lbs of Cliff Avril jamming your back directly into the ground while sliding at full speed, and I'm pretty sure any normal being should have at least something wrong with their back. It's nearly a miracle it's not anything even more than a minor compression fracture.
For Christ's sake, people, he doesn't even need surgery on this injury, and it's completely unrelated to the previous injuries he's had.
While I do understand it's easy to see how this could be the beginning of the end - I don't like to see it that way.
For everyone who doubts Tony out there, I'd like to keep faith in our boy, knowing that he's one of toughest in the game and once he does come back (which he will), he's going to be better than ever. If there was never a fluke hit such as this, and he went through a full season this year and took us into the playoffs, we would all be saying he does most likely have another 3 years in him - And I still believe that to be true. Quit saying Romo's going to retire, because he's not.
As long he lets it heal properly, our O-line protects him as they should, and there aren't any mortifying, ridiculous plays that somehow take him out for the season again... We (He) will be fine.
I say Dak goes 3-3, Romo comes back, goes 7-3, and we win the NFC East to get back into the playoffs again above the Commanders at 9-7.
Have a little faith, people!
Go Cowboys.
Well, I've waded through 31 pages of mostly negative dung, and finally found an athlete's point of view.
And let me dispense some of your worst fears --
Tony could play next week if he had to.
A subtle compression fracture that requires an MRI for diagnosis is really minor. Yes, it's broken, but it's not displaced and there's absolutely no structural instability. There's no disc herniation, nerve compression, or limitation of motion. I've managed hundreds of these, and they are uncomplicated. Only severe compression that might be seen with osteoporosis requires intervention.
My guess is that Tony will miss 3 games at most.
You can all him unlucky, but his injuries include a pilonidal cyst (minor lumbo-sacral condition),
partial lumbar nerve compression (micro-surg.),
lumbar transverse process fracture (minor),
the well-chronicled clavicle injuries (healed),
and now the L1 minimal compression.
His legs and throwing arm are completely spared, and none of the afore-mentioned issues is likely to result in anything more than the obligatory football arthritis. Things could be much worse.
He also has not had the worrisome concussion history that plagued previous Cowboy QBs.
Can y'all just get your popcorn ready and relax?
Or have you already wagered too much on this season?
Either way, there are millions of undernourished people in the world, and if you help one you'll feel really good.
