"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." ~ Vince Lombardi
It seems everyone has their own opinion of why the Cowboys didn't pull through this year, getting knocked out by the Giants in the first round of the playoffs. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion. BUT, if I have to listen to another accredited journalist carry on about how Jessica Simpson is to blame for the fall of the Cowboy empire, then I'm going to trade in my Journalism degree for one in basket weaving.
Why is everyone resting the loss on the shoulders of Tony Romo anyway? Now, I'm not saying he didn't have a few key mistakes –- but the Cowboys lost as a team. Just as they won as a team prior to the playoffs.
Perhaps if the coaches hadn't been concentrating on interviews elsewhere, they would have been better prepared for the game at hand. Maybe if the Cowboys didn't acquire 11 penalties during the game, they would have been able to gain a few more yards, leading to a few more points on the scoreboard. Or, maybe if the offensive line would've kept the pressure off Romo in the second half, he wouldn't have gone down like a sack of potatoes every 5 seconds. Maybe if Jerry Jones hadn't paraded down the sidelines, shouting sweet nothings in the players' ears, they could have focused their hearts on the game. Maybe Crayton could catch a ball every once in awhile.
My point? Pressure knocked -– and everyone cracked.
The team is still evolving. The Cowboys are in a better place now than two years ago. So why is it that they aren't getting at least a little more credit for what was a pretty damn good season. I think everyone expected this to be Tony Romo's glory season with a fairy tale ending. But that's not how football works. Experience, preparation and cohesion are what work. And now, maybe the Cowboys are finally in a place to achieve that.
Stepping off my blue soapbox ...
