My buddy (a Colts fan) and I had an interesting chat last night about his love for Peyton Manning. He was talking about how even though he will always love the Colts and is a big Luck fan, nothing will ever compare to the Manning years because they were his formative years as a fan. Luck may win ten Super Bowls, but he will never be Peyton. Peyton took over when my buddy was in 4th grade, and quite literally saved football in Indianapolis. He put the Colts on the map and made them relevant here.
My dad often says similar things about Roger Staubach. He was in his teens during the 70s glory years, and always raves about ol Roger the Dodger. He still roots hard for the Cowboys and watches them most weeks, but it's just not the same as when Staubach was out there.
This got me to thinking; who is my Manning, my Staubach? Without a doubt, it's Tony Romo.
I'm 26, and my first vivid memory of the NFL was Super Bowl XXX when I was seven years old. Little did I know it would go downhill from there. Sure, there were a lot of other great moments, like Emmitt breaking Payton's record, but for most of my formative years, being a Cowboys fan was a futile enterprise. We weren't even relevant.
Enter Tony Romo. My username (romothesavior) is a bit hyperbolic, but the dude made the Cowboys relevant for the first time in my adult life. I'll always remember his first game, the bobbled snap in Seattle, the beautiful 13-3 season, all the heroic comebacks and frustrating losses. Sure, 8-8 has sucked the past three years. But it beats being a kid and avid fan, and looking forward to 5-11s and Quincy Carter and Troy Hambrick.
Just like my buddy with Manning and my dad with Staubach, I am invested in Romo like no other player. And like my buddy and my dad, I'll keep rooting for my team long after he's gone. Much to the annoyance of my significant other, the Cowboys hold a special place in my heart that little else can match. But when I'm 50 and yelling at the TV for some other gunslinger to win us ring number 10, it'll be with just a shade less passion than I possess now. I had never contemplated that until my conversation last night, and it's made me appreciate his career and this season even more.
Yes it's just a game, and yes I'm just a fan watching grown men play it. But I want Romo to win one so damn bad. Not only so I can rub it in all the naysayers faces, but because he deserves one. The dude should go down as a first ballot Hall of Famer, one of the all-time greats to wear the Star or strap on a helmet. But it won't happen without a ring. He will never earn widespread respect without one. So ******, lets get a ring!
