The amazing thing about Terrell Owens' crying jag in front of the media isn't so much that he did it, but rather that he showed some empathy for someone other than, well, Terrell Owens. For a man almost universally believed to be in love with himself, this was an incredible display, one which I'm pretty sure signals the impending apocalypse.
If so, we could all be running out of time, but before I begin attempting to explain to my maker my reasoning for all of the missteps I've made over the last 48 years, let's get something straight.
Tony Romo was stupid to go to Cabo with Jessica Simpson for a few days during the Cowboys bye week, but not because it had anything whatsoever to do with Dallas losing that game to the New York Giants. Players routinely scatter to all corners of the country when given time off by the coaching staff and nobody was the least bit concerned about where, say, Terence Newman went on his off days and who he spent time with.
But as the quarterback for America's Team, Romo had to understand he would be held to a different standard if Dallas did not win a home playoff game against the Giants, a team they had beaten twice already this season.
The notoriety that comes with his position is a double-edged sword. The same recognition and hero-worship that allows him to get Hollywood cuties like Simpson and Carrie Underwood with barely more than a snap of the fingers makes him the Number One Target of the fans' venom when that Hollywood ending everyone is expecting does not materialize.
If Romo had spent his time off in his apartment manipulating his joystick playing Madden 2008, no one would now be questioning his judgment, at least not his off-field judgment.
But here's the thing people should remember about Tony Romo: He's a second-year starter in the NFL, where it often takes quarterbacks years to gain the experience necessary to win in the postseason. Sure there are exceptions like Tom Brady, but it's not at all unusual for even future Hall of Famers to struggle in their first few playoff appearances.
Here are Romo's numbers for his first two playoff appearances, both losses:
You could play this game all day, but the point is this. Each of the above-mentioned quarterbacks eventually made it to a Super Bowl, with Elway winning two and Simms one. Marino lost in his only Super Bowl appearance but is widely and rightly regarded as one of the best quarterbacks ever. But the numbers for all of these greats indicate an inconsistency that should be expected from a relatively inexperienced quarterback.
So T.O. can cry all he wants, as can Cowboy fans everywhere, but maybe you should hold off on passing judgement on Tony Romo. He is only two games into what should be a long playoff career. He may or may not eventually become what people seem to think he is right now, someone who can't win the big one, but it is simply too early to make that kind of determination.
The Pittsburgh Steelers players will never come out and publically admit that the big victory guarantee issued by safety Anthony Smith (You know, the guy who kept getting burned for touchdowns in the Steelers 34-13 loss to New England) was a negative thing, or in any way affected the team. Something about team unity, and all that.
But don't you wonder how many veteran guys on that team went up to Smith at some point during the week and told him to keep his mouth shut next time and do his talking on the field? Of course, based on his play, if he had done his talking on the field, about all he would have said is, "I surrender."
Jim Nantz and Phil Simms on the air late in the game were talking about how many of the Steelers felt Smith's guarantee was a "Win-Win" for Pittsburgh, but I'm not buying that for a second. If it was such a great strategy, then why wasn't a veteran guy with some credibility saying it - someone like, say, Troy Polamalu?
I'll tell you why. Because it was stupid in the extreme. Because veteran guys like Polamalu know how hard it is to beat good teams on the road in the NFL, even if you're a good team yourself, which Pittsburgh definitely is.
Here's the point. With the Steelers depleted at the safety position thanks to Polamalu's knee injury, and with the Patriots dangerous passing attack, it only stood to reason that they were going to try to pick on Smith anyway. He's a guy with very little experience and the Patriots, like every NFL team, always go for the weak link.
But by making himself the center of attention, Smith guaranteed that he was in for a long day, and guaranteed that the Patriots would keep trying to burn him long after the issue had been decided.
Earlier in the week, during a segment on SportsCenter, Marcellus Wiley, the former NFL defensive end, was asked what his response would have been if Smith were on his team and had issued such a silly challenge to a 12-0 team. He said that he and a few other linemen would have dragged Smith into the shower and beaten him down.
Do you think there are a few veterans on that Steeler team who might have done just that? I sure do. Again, it's hard enough to win on the road against a good team in the NFL without giving them extra reason to pick on you.
And please don't give me that tired defense that of course Smith would say what he said; that what player would take the field thinking they were going to lose? I have no problem with any of his comments, other than the guarantee of victory. If he had said, "If we play the way we are capable of playing, we can beat New England," no one would have lifted an eyebrow.
But when you start issuing guarantees and making yourself the story, that's when alarm bells start going off, not just in the opposing locker room but in your own as well, assuming there are some strong-willed veterans who can keep control of that locker room.
Football is a sport that, more than any other, requires players to channel emotion into their performance. Anthony Smith guaranteed that the Patriots would approach this game with even more emotion than they otherwise would have, and that's why and how he hurt his team Sunday afternoon, even more than with his play on the field.
Hey everyone, I know it must seem like I've dropped off the face of the earth, but it's nothing like that.
I've been busy writing - two full-length novels so far, plus over a dozen short stories - and working hard to try to get an agent. If you are curious and have a few minutes, check out my website, www.allanleve rone.com.
If you're a literary agent or if you know one, by all means contact me! In the meantime, I'll be here when I can - love this forum - and as always, thank you for checking out my blog, especially considering how many great ones you could be reading instead....
