Fox Sports: Inside Slant
Former Cowboys receiver Keyshawn Johnson recently called quarterback Tony Romo the most over-hyped player in the league.
Considering that Romo has achieved Joe Namath-like celebrity despite having only 10 starts, Johnson is probably right.
Even though Romo has yet to win a playoff game, his name registers over one million listings on a Google search. That's because he is the quarterback of American's team and has been linked to singers Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood.
And it was Romo, not the more accomplished Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, who was asked to be a celebrity judge at the Miss Universe Pageant.
And it is no secret that Romo is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame with trips to nightclubs in Dallas and Los Angeles.
As a result, there are those who question whether it is too much too soon for Romo and whether he is putting in enough work at his full-time job -- quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
For his part, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has no such concerns about Romo, who went from an undrafted free agent to never throwing a pass in four years in the NFL, to a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2006.
He said Romo's newfound celebrity is good for the Cowboys and good for the league.
"We all want Tony to be everything he can be on the field," Jones said. "From my perspective, I like his colorfulness off the field. That is good for the Cowboys and good for the league. There is an element here that is entertainment, and you have to back it up with action. But if you are in my shoes, you are looking at the Cowboys franchise ... our role and where we are from an entertainment standpoint. I like the way Romo does it."
Jones, who always believes there is no such thing as bad publicity, doesn't deny that Romo's popularity will help him sell more Cowboys merchandise.
In fact, he said Romo's celebrity and Hispanic heritage -- which is key in a state like Texas -- played a huge role in the team's decision to pass on Notre Dame quarterback Bradie Quinn in the draft.
But Jones said Romo is taking care of his football business.
"I can assure you he is doing his work and doing it at the level that allowed him to come from free-agent status to being someone we are counting on," Jones said. "But I like how he handles it. I know first-hand he has his mind and eye on the ball."
Romo said he is getting used to being in gossip magazines and the subject of Internet blogs. Still, he doesn't always understand it.
First, he said his nightlife is being exaggerated. Second, he said he works as hard as he ever has.
"It surprised me that people care that much," Romo said. "It cracks me up sometimes that people ask you certain things, and I'm like, 'Where did that come from?' It just goes with the territory, and being in the position that I'm in, I understand it. I don't take myself too seriously, but I take my job very seriously. I think that's a good mix at the end of the day. I just try to be a good person and work as hard as I can in football. I can sleep at the end of the night if I do that."
Considering that Romo has achieved Joe Namath-like celebrity despite having only 10 starts, Johnson is probably right.
Even though Romo has yet to win a playoff game, his name registers over one million listings on a Google search. That's because he is the quarterback of American's team and has been linked to singers Jessica Simpson and Carrie Underwood.
And it was Romo, not the more accomplished Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, who was asked to be a celebrity judge at the Miss Universe Pageant.
And it is no secret that Romo is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame with trips to nightclubs in Dallas and Los Angeles.
As a result, there are those who question whether it is too much too soon for Romo and whether he is putting in enough work at his full-time job -- quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
For his part, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has no such concerns about Romo, who went from an undrafted free agent to never throwing a pass in four years in the NFL, to a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2006.
He said Romo's newfound celebrity is good for the Cowboys and good for the league.
"We all want Tony to be everything he can be on the field," Jones said. "From my perspective, I like his colorfulness off the field. That is good for the Cowboys and good for the league. There is an element here that is entertainment, and you have to back it up with action. But if you are in my shoes, you are looking at the Cowboys franchise ... our role and where we are from an entertainment standpoint. I like the way Romo does it."
Jones, who always believes there is no such thing as bad publicity, doesn't deny that Romo's popularity will help him sell more Cowboys merchandise.
In fact, he said Romo's celebrity and Hispanic heritage -- which is key in a state like Texas -- played a huge role in the team's decision to pass on Notre Dame quarterback Bradie Quinn in the draft.
But Jones said Romo is taking care of his football business.
"I can assure you he is doing his work and doing it at the level that allowed him to come from free-agent status to being someone we are counting on," Jones said. "But I like how he handles it. I know first-hand he has his mind and eye on the ball."
Romo said he is getting used to being in gossip magazines and the subject of Internet blogs. Still, he doesn't always understand it.
First, he said his nightlife is being exaggerated. Second, he said he works as hard as he ever has.
"It surprised me that people care that much," Romo said. "It cracks me up sometimes that people ask you certain things, and I'm like, 'Where did that come from?' It just goes with the territory, and being in the position that I'm in, I understand it. I don't take myself too seriously, but I take my job very seriously. I think that's a good mix at the end of the day. I just try to be a good person and work as hard as I can in football. I can sleep at the end of the night if I do that."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:04 PM
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