Haven't you heard this a thousand times in the last few weeks; "Tony Romo reminds me so much of  Brett Favre, yada, yada, yada?"  Sick of it yet?  Bloggers, sportscasters and some fans have gone as far as crowning Romo the next Ironman of the gridiron and NFL ambassador.   In the words of Lee Corso; "Not so fast, my friend!"

What happened to the last next Brett Favre?  What was his name...Rex Grossman?  ...J. P. Losman?  ...Jay Cutler?  Actually, Jay has been compared to both Favre and Marino.  What does that make him - the football Messiah with a rocket arm who will never win a ring?  Now I'm getting off point.

Let me preface this next statement by saying, "I like Tony Romo!"  I am a life-long Dallas Cowboy fan and have cheered and/or revered the players they have put on the field since Roger Staubach (my childhood sports hero) and the "Doomsday Defense" in the early 70's.  I was there to jeer the treatment of Coach Landry by Jerry Jones and also to cheer when his friend Jimmy "Hairdo" Johnson finally molded the triplets into a winning combo. 

However, Tony Romo is no Brett Lorenzo Favre!!!  

...yet.  I'm not counting out his potential to be as good as Favre. Consider though, the names of the quarterbacks listed above.  They also had to have had a flash of brilliance somewhere along the line to draw those comparisons.  Where are those comparisons now?

The only things Romo has accomplished is half of one good season which ended in him botching a snap which would have sent Dallas to the playoffs with a game-winning chip-shot field goal, and one above average season which isn't over yet.  So far all he has won is the hearts of Dallas fans with his recent performance, demeanor and smile and dates with Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson.

I'm yet to see him play through injury time and time again.  I'm yet to see him lead his team to the Super Bowl and then win it in dramatic fashion.  I'm yet to see the Dallas community revere him as they would a founding father.  I'm yet to see him come back as a winner year after year after year.

He is a talented player that I enjoy watching.  I like the ease that he has in getting along with teammates, like his glib way of dealing with the press and really like that fact that behind him my Cowboys are winning again.  But seriously folks, give it time.

You see, as is always the case, there are a few  potential next Brett Favre's waiting in the wings.  College players like Matt Grothe from South Florida and LSU's Matt Flynn, Stephen McGee and Aaron Rodgers have also been compared to the great Favre.  What of their prospects if Romo automatically assumes the mantel?

It isn't just Favre comparison's that irk me.  It's all of them.  Vince Young is supposed to be a more mobile John Elway.  Peyton Manning is supposed to be the next Fran Tarkington.  Philip Rivers is supposed to be the next Dan Marino. Tom Brady is supposed to be the next Joe Montana (that one might stick).  Joe Montana looks more and more like Barry Manilow(sorry about that one...couldn't resist).

The point is, outside of Manning and Brady; none of these people have proven anything on the field for any longer than a year or maybe two.  The comparisons are made way too early. Fans hear them and want to believe it.  Then undue pressure is then put on young players to play like a HOF quarterback from their rookie year and many of them crack under that pressure.  Had they been allowed to develop, they very well might have become a great player in time.

So...who's the next  Brett Favre, Gayle Sayers, Deacon Jones, Paul Warfield, Kellen Winslow, Gene Upshaw, Joe Greene, Mike Singletary, Mel Blount or Jan Stenerud (had to put a kicker in there)?  Let's just wait and see shall we.

You don't wanna wait?  I need to lighten up? 

O.K. then - fire away with the comments.  Who do you think is the next Brett Favre?  ...or Gayle Sayers? ...or Deacon Jones? ... ... ...