Cool. One or two people responded to the thread I began early this a.m.
Here's Tony Romo to David Moore, January 2019, before calling Super Bowl LIII:
"I'm sure one day I'll coach. Right now, I'm happy with where I'm at. I'm enjoying it and I'm lucky to be in this position calling the Super Bowl. You know, I have three young boys at home that I want to be around them and watch them grow up.''
Romo stressed he's "many years away'' from a coaching career. While he doesn't know what it's like to compete in the Super Bowl as a player -- a topic that came up on several occasions Tuesday -- he hopes to project the human side of what a game like this means to the franchises, coaches, players and wives and family involved.
Is taking part in Sunday's game as a broadcaster instead of a quarterback just a different version of the same dream?
"I don't know,'' Romo said. "I never got there. It is one of my biggest disappointments. I wasn't able to do that. You leave your whole body, your heart and everything into it and you try. It's something you have to live with. You give everything you've got and, like anything, you move on.
"I don't look back a ton. Just kind of move on to the next step and next phase and try to make that as great as it can possibly be. You try to be as good as you can be at the next thing.
"When you move on, you just keep doing that. That makes life enjoyable, your ability to improve and get better and be as good as you can be at whatever it is you're doing.''
What to take from this that challenges some of the things I've read in these 10 pages:
1. Yes, in fact, Tony does envision himself coaching eventually.
Now? Maybe not. Probably not. His boys are still pretty young (ages 7, 10 and 12).
2. The failure to get to a Super Bowl is one of his biggest disappointments, straight up. That's not really any surprise to most of us, but apparently to some. He won't get a second chance to get there as a player. But putting 2 and 2 together, it goes without saying that he's imagined a path to still yet get to wear a championship ring.
3. At least as important as any of that... and both of those points are important... is the last part. People have credibly asserted that it's a widely held opinion that Tony's fallen off his broadcast analyst game a bit this past year. Perhaps 2019 Tony just explained to us why that may have been the case... maybe he feels he's "been there done that"... maybe he feels he's gotten to the top of that mountain, and the dopamine rush has faded...
Maybe it's time for "the next thing." No, really. I think we see indicators that Tony's mind is ready to turn to the next chapter.
Don't argue with me. I'm just reading what the man said.
And in fact, to the credit of so many as I read what's accumulated here today in this thread since I posted ahead of a road trip I had scheduled... (home now, thank you... ) you haven't argued with me.
You've protested. Sure. Some of the Romo haters predictably so, and/but some of the Romo-friendly fans also have been less than enthusiastic. And in my best David Helman voice... "
It's fine." 
But very few of the comments I just read
argued with
something I actually pointed out in the OP. Again. To your credit. Because, indeed, it's hard to argue with anything I said in the OP, other than maybe argue that Jerry doesn't want another Super Bowl win so bad that he'd think about cutting Romo a piece of Dallas Cowboys equity as contractual obligation/incentive clause.
That one, I can't argue because who really knows. I tend to think it's plausible but that the real debate would be more about what the precise percentage would be acceptable to the Joneses (almost certainly microscopic, but even microscopic could be considerable, of course).
"Well, why would he do that for Tony, though?" I propose two reasons combine to answer that, both fundamentally important, neither sufficient on their own.
1. Tony is special in the Joneses' eye. They have a lot of affection for a lot of players and coaches over the decades, sure, but the mutual affection that is held between Tony and Jerry is at least as strong as any, and I propose, strongest of any. Troy, Emmitt and Michael have been sons to them, but those sons have been at times a little contentious toward the Joneses... Jason Garrett was a son to them, okay, absolutely... but Tony? Tony, in my opinion, is the favorite. Tony is Eastern Illinois. Tony is undrafted free agent. Tony is can-do, competitor, you're not going to keep me down for as long as my back lets me, but/and when you replace me, I'm going to make a classy speech and have my say, then sit down and let the rookie take over. They love everything about Tony Romo, and that's reciprocated.
2. Tony makes a
lot of money as-is. There is a legit theory that says Tony's not like a lot of us... it's not
all about how much he's being paid. He sees life in a bigger picture than just economic. He's made a lot. He's not hurting, and if he ever did hurt, it's not as-if he couldn't get another TV gig again down the road if that's what he chose. Still, it seems unlikely you could expect him to accept such a sizable pay cut without
some built-in opportunity to get in the ballpark of what CBS is contractually-bound to pay.
Enter Jerry, who just spent some time dropping hints that he rather likes the idea of constructing a HC contract that employs incentive compensation. And in a sense, for Tony, Tony's more like Jerry's "other much younger" son... this would amount to something like an inheritance... giving the adopted son a piece of the gargantuan pie, rewarding him in a signficant way depending on the significance of that son's success.
What I'm asserting is, in concept, there is solid reason for both sides to think about the framework... though what I'm
not asserting is that I know that there is a number that both sides would consider to be adequate.... waaaay too much mind reading beyond me to claim capable of.
Finishing the thought... I think you give the keys to Tony, have his pal Jason running the offense with some help from position coaches they both feel confidence in, based on their experience and insight... and you appeal to Zimmer to come back and serve as DC and, concurrently, a veteran head coach ready and able to give input and guidance early and often... that's a compelling triad. And I suppose to my point... it's not like you have some incredibly better option anyhow. The opportunity cost is low simply because there is no hands-down no-doubter candidate to plug in. Together, these guys would bring high football IQ, wild competitiveness, and/but moreover, as intense a passion to correct the wrong of their playing days as can be found among mere mortals... Romo and Witten in particular hunger/thirst to be able to add Super Bowl to their resume's there can be no objective doubt.
The timing is right to do something very different... very wildcat oilman like.
That's how I see it.
