Romo's Competitiveness

[Nav22]

Forget the fact that Romo's ridiculously underrated as a player by many in the media. That's fine. The Cowboys have more people who hate their guts than any other team, so it only makes sense that the media plays to that.

Everyone gave Romo credit for being gutsy/tough on Sunday, and rightfully so. Many of the people giving Romo credit were surprised to do so. I specifically remember Tom Jackson saying that Romo showed him toughness that he didn't knew he had.

Of course, if you're a die-hard fan like we are, you shouldn't have ever doubted Romo's toughness. We've seen him play legitimately hurt several times.

So what I don't get is how Romo's sheer competitiveness doesn't get enough attention anywhere? I swear, even most Cowboys fans I know aren't convinced that he's a big-time competitor. I don't think I've ever seen an ultra-competitive athlete get such little credit for that competitiveness. Dirk pre-title comes close.

Am I the only one who saw the sheer depression from this guy in his press conference after he broke his collarbone against the Giants? There was nothing fake about it. He was going to get paid in 2010 regardless. He was the clear-cut starter for 2011. And hell, we were already 1-4. If we go 4-12 with a healthy Romo at the helm, he gets roasted. If we go 1-15 without Romo, he avoids much of the blame. He was given an exit strategy. But he was genuinely as bummed as you'll ever see a 30-year-old who has as many other things going for themselves. One of my good buddies is a Packers fan and he told me he couldn't believe how depressed Romo seemed when he caught his presser. That he didn't know Romo "cared about football that much".

How about when the Eagles smashed us in the '08 finale, 44-6? Romo was playing injured, which in itself doesn't make him "special". Players playing injured happens every week in the NFL.

But here's what makes Romo stand out to me... he played injured... even as we were getting annihilated... on the road... against an aggressive Eagles team teeing off on him with ease, joy, and to the delight of a hostile crowd... and with the season over once garbage-time in Philly ran out. Seriously, that's old-school stuff.

It would've been so easy to sit the rest of that game. What was there to "gain" by playing? You think Vick, McNabb, Cutler, or Alex Smith stay in that game? HA!!

 

[CCBoy]

I agree with your enthusiasm placed in an athlete that continually puts real guts into what he is doing. Tony Romo will always carry and admiration from this old soldier, for that. Thanks for attempting to add to that recognition here...

 

[CowboysPhan]

I'm with you! Even the way he plays golf and basketball in the offseason is just a sign of his sheer desire to always be competing at something. He gets blasted for it, but to me that's just another sign of this quality in him. People who know him talk about what a competitor he is all the time. They sound just like the people who knew Roger Staubach during his playing days. He was the same way. Always looking for some kind of competition even in the offseason. It's what makes them great, IMO.
:starspin

 

[Apollo Creed]

Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, and Martellus Bennett all said that Romo is a baller on the court.

You can't play PGA level golf, pro-bowl level QB, and basketball with some of the best athletes in the world if you aren't competitive.

I think he's always wanted to win and be great, he's just gone about explaining the 'process' the wrong.

It started with, 'if losing a football game is the worst thing that happens to me...' to 'um, excuse me coach **** my broken ribs and punctured lung I'm gonna bring us from down by 10 with 7 minutes to go to win this must-win game.'

He's come a long way since 2006, as a player and as a leader.

Guys in the league knew he could play, knew he could win, but they didn't know if he could lead - last week did a lot to put an end to that. And you can see his teammates, they've always supported him, but I've never seen this team so tightly knit. Watching your leader play through pain, overcome adversity, and lead you to victory goes a long way - and I guarantee from this point forward guys are gonna wanna jump through brick walls for him, I think before that he didn't quite have that locker room support.

 

[Hostile]

The thing I am wondering above all else is if everyone who questioned his leadership abilities is now assuaged? Their silence is deafening this week. Especially given the comments by his teammates.

Marcus Spears telling the media that Romo didn't show his teammates, they already knew, he showed them.

Sean Lee calling him the hardest worker on the tam and their unquestioned leader.

Jason Witten describing him as an elite QB.

Even Jon Kitna saying that he hopes Tony plays because it gives us the best chance to win.

There's a lot of crow going around the DFW media after week 1. It's the main ingredient in humble pie.

 

[Cowboys22]

I have been saying it for a few years now. I recognized this 2 or 3 years ago. Romo is a competition junkee. He lives to compete and is good enough at just about everything to go out and compete. I love this about Romo but I have come to wonder if just simply competing is enough for him. I wonder if his desire to compete is greater than his desire to win when he does compete and that scares me. Sure, I know he wants to win but I'm not sure how bad that desire is and how it compares to his desire to compete. To me, its the last hurdle he needs to clear. When his desire to win trumps his desire to merely compete, then I think he has a chance to lead his team to a superbowl victory. I'm just not sure if he is there yet but I fully admit I could be totally wrong on this.

 

[CCBoy]

Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, and Martellus Bennett all said that Romo is a baller on the court.

You can't play PGA level golf, pro-bowl level QB, and basketball with some of the best athletes in the world if you aren't competitive.

I think he's always wanted to win and be great, he's just gone about explaining the 'process' the wrong.

It started with, 'if losing a football game is the worst thing that happens to me...' to 'um, excuse me coach **** my broken ribs and punctured lung I'm gonna bring us from down by 10 with 7 minutes to go to win this must-win game.'

He's come a long way since 2006, as a player and as a leader.

Guys in the league knew he could play, knew he could win, but they didn't know if he could lead - last week did a lot to put an end to that. And you can see his teammates, they've always supported him, but I've never seen this team so tightly knit. Watching your leader play through pain, overcome adversity, and lead you to victory goes a long way - and I guarantee from this point forward guys are gonna wanna jump through brick walls for him, I think before that he didn't quite have that locker room support.

Now, that's the real deal...Apollo.:

 

[CCBoy]

I have been saying it for a few years now. I recognized this 2 or 3 years ago. Romo is a competition junkee. He lives to compete and is good enough at just about everything to go out and compete. I love this about Romo but I have come to wonder if just simply competing is enough for him. I wonder if his desire to compete is greater than his desire to win when he does compete and that scares me. Sure, I know he wants to win but I'm not sure how bad that desire is and how it compares to his desire to compete. To me, its the last hurdle he needs to clear. When his desire to win trumps his desire to merely compete, then I think he has a chance to lead his team to a superbowl victory. I'm just not sure if he is there yet but I fully admit I could be totally wrong on this.

There are a lot of qualitites necessary for an elite athlete. Maybe some diversion helps in polishing the complete player as well.

 

[InmanRoshi]

This is all true, but what does he say in post game press conferences? I've heard he sounds like he doesn't "really want it" when he answers the questions.

 

[lurkercowboy]

Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, and Martellus Bennett all said that Romo is a baller on the court.

You can't play PGA level golf, pro-bowl level QB, and basketball with some of the best athletes in the world if you aren't competitive.

I think he's always wanted to win and be great, he's just gone about explaining the 'process' the wrong.

It started with, 'if losing a football game is the worst thing that happens to me...' to 'um, excuse me coach **** my broken ribs and punctured lung I'm gonna bring us from down by 10 with 7 minutes to go to win this must-win game.'

He's come a long way since 2006, as a player and as a leader.

Guys in the league knew he could play, knew he could win, but they didn't know if he could lead - last week did a lot to put an end to that. And you can see his teammates, they've always supported him, but I've never seen this team so tightly knit. Watching your leader play through pain, overcome adversity, and lead you to victory goes a long way - and I guarantee from this point forward guys are gonna wanna jump through brick walls for him, I think before that he didn't quite have that locker room support.

The quote about the worst thing happening came after the 44-6 loss at the end of the 2008 season where Romo passed out in the shower after the game from his injuries. He played through pain that day, but because Dallas lost big time there was no credit given.

 

[Boyzmamacita]

The quote about the worst thing happening came after the 44-6 loss at the end of the 2008 season where Romo passed out in the shower after the game from his injuries. He played through pain that day, but because Dallas lost big time there was no credit given.

I remember a poster here saying so what he passed out like it wasn't a big deal. I would love to see some of these guys deal with what players go through. They'd have a renewed respect for Tony Romo.

 

[Apollo Creed]

The quote about the worst thing happening came after the 44-6 loss at the end of the 2008 season where Romo passed out in the shower after the game from his injuries. He played through pain that day, but because Dallas lost big time there was no credit given.

Was a gutsy performance no doubt, but back then I think he said that out of insecurity. He knew the media was going to rip him, he knew it was a terrible way to end the season against a divisional opponent in a win and you're in game, but he needed to understand how important perception is in today's mass media era. He knows that now, that's why he's such a boring robotic interview, the media ruined him by spinning an otherwise great story and engaging fun guy - into a Rhetoric Machine.

Fans never want to see that your QB is indifferent, even though most fans with a brain know how dedicated Romo is and how badly he wants to win - in a moment like that with so much emotion you never wanna give the media, especially in Dallas that much ammunition, especially with the Seattle bobble in the rear-view.

He's much better these days about steering perception and knowing that the only thing that is going to define him and his time in Dallas is getting a Super Bowl. So now that those extracurricular things are gone - he's able to really focus on the task at hand instead of the thousand things spinning around him, couple that with an inconsistent o-line, and no solid defense and the kid really has been a God-send to this franchise.

He knows how valuable he is, and it has to suck to know how ungrateful our fans are, especially after 10 years of Quincy Carter & co.

But as one of Tony's biggest fans on this board and in Cowboys nation, that wasn't one of his best moments.

 

[Sonny#9]

I have to give credit to Romo. He has shown a toughness and guts that has really impressed me. If he weren't a Cowboy, he'd be one of my favorite players, but alas...he's still an ***hole

 

[STSINAZ]

I think he cares alot and is tough....just misses it in the important moments of the game at times....

 

[supafly]

I'm beginning to suspect that Romo actually has bruised ribs and never had cracked ribs + puncture.

Cowboys Corner: CT Scan reveals the small puncture in Romo's lung has healed, putting him one step closer to the field
http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.co...putting-him-one-step-closer-to-the-field.html

and yet this says at the earliest it takes 8 weeks to heal, not a couple days lol

How Long does It Take for a Punctured Lung to Heal | Reference.com
http://www.reference.com/motif/health/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-punctured-lung-to-heal

Smart PR stunt, Romo goes from goat to hero and the team believes in him again.

 

[Dumbsheet]

The man's a stud muffin, plain and simple. He'll play in a full body cast if he had to. They'll have to use horse tranquilizers and chains to keep him off the field come Monday night, the dude is a beast and lives for this sheet.

Some may laugh, but he's got Brett Farve-like toughness, in fact I think in a few years he'll be looked at as the new Brett Farve. His ability to lead his team to vicotry in clutch games with broken bones and punctured and collapsed lungs will attest to that. He's certainly tougher and more of a warrior than that pretty boy Tom Brady, that's for sure.

 

[adbutcher]

This is all true, but what does he say in post game press conferences? I've heard he sounds like he doesn't "really want it" when he answers the questions.

Nope, there isn't any media bias against the boys and the Dallas media is the best.

 

[lurkercowboy]

Was a gutsy performance no doubt, but back then I think he said that out of insecurity. He knew the media was going to rip him, he knew it was a terrible way to end the season against a divisional opponent in a win and you're in game, but he needed to understand how important perception is in today's mass media era. He knows that now, that's why he's such a boring robotic interview, the media ruined him by spinning an otherwise great story and engaging fun guy - into a Rhetoric Machine.

Fans never want to see that your QB is indifferent, even though most fans with a brain know how dedicated Romo is and how badly he wants to win - in a moment like that with so much emotion you never wanna give the media, especially in Dallas that much ammunition, especially with the Seattle bobble in the rear-view.

He's much better these days about steering perception and knowing that the only thing that is going to define him and his time in Dallas is getting a Super Bowl. So now that those extracurricular things are gone - he's able to really focus on the task at hand instead of the thousand things spinning around him, couple that with an inconsistent o-line, and no solid defense and the kid really has been a God-send to this franchise.

He knows how valuable he is, and it has to suck to know how ungrateful our fans are, especially after 10 years of Quincy Carter & co.

But as one of Tony's biggest fans on this board and in Cowboys nation, that wasn't one of his best moments.

Pretty bad moment all around. That game was a low point for the organization. I would imagine that Romo was really frustrated as well as being in serious pain right then, much less having to answer questions about how disappointed he was.

I just thought of something. Romo now is the same age as Staubach in 1973. A lot of football left to go if he can stay healthy.

 

[jswalker1981]

It doesn't get attention? Heck, I've heard some "fans" say that the only reason he went back in the game is because he didn't want Kitna taking his job.

That's being competitive. :bang2:

 

[Risen Star]

Romo proved nothing to me last Sunday. Not a thing.

Why? Because I already knew he was tough as nails and competitive as all hell. The guy would trip his mother to beat her up the steps.

Anybody who doubts this either doesn't pay attention or just makes a living hating on the Cowboys.

His issues are more about mental mistakes and playing consistently.