EXCLUSIVE: JONES ON ROMO'S CONTRACT
by Mike Fisher Sun, Aug 26, 2007, 08:18 PM
DallasBlog.com visits exclusively with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for his thoughts on the contractual future of quarterback Tony Romo:
You can believe Tony Romo’s stats from the Cowboys’ humbling 28-16 preseason loss in Houston on Saturday (14 of 22, 197 yards, two TDs and a pick) or you can believe your eyes. Romo was not sharp, with too many errant throws and too many bobbles of snaps typifying his evening.
Not to be too cynical, but THAT is as good a reason as any for Jerry Jones to be patient, measured, conservative – maybe even frugal -- as Romo’s contract discussions proceed.
As Jones tells me, “I’d like to see him play more games. It would be a sounder decision on my part see him go through the preseason games, and then through many regular-season games, and maybe go through all the games. It would be a sounder decision, a better decision, for me to see that. And if it ends up being more dollars, I’d rather spend more dollars and be armed with more knowledge than spend less dollars and have less knowledge.’’
Probably, sometime this year, preseason game No. 3 won’t even be a memory. Sometime this year, we – and Mr. Jones -- will all have a better feel for Tony Romo and his relationship with money. Is Tony: a) A Contract-Year Whore? b) A Carrot-Chaser? Or c) An HDW/HDP?
As the Cowboys march through a 2007 season during which they presume their offense will be led by a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback in the rags-to-riches Romo, let’s march through the definitions of the aforementioned terms – terms that reflect concepts that Romo and his boss must become familiar with.
A Contract-Year Whore is that player who piddles along during his career, hanging on just well enough to earn his roster spot, and then, in the final season of his contract, Voila! He produces his greatest year ever. … all because a payday hangs in the balance.
(Of course, after the Contract-Year Whore collects the new paycheck that was based on the promise of his huge year, what does he do? He turns fat and lazy. Weighed down by his wallet, he reverts to what he’d always been a piddling hanger-on.)
A Carrot-Chaser is the employee who is sincerely motivated by the promise of big money in his final contract year. Management could easily provide him some security. But instead, it dangles the security at the end of a stick, knowing that the employee/player will approach his present and future sincerely.
(The downside to manipulating the Carrot-Chaser thusly? As he becomes a more veteran player, he realizes that his earnestness was used against him. And he tends to be motivated by bitterness. However, his will to succeed is inate. So at least he remains motivated.)
An HDW/HDP is the best of the bunch. He is an “Honest Day’s Work for an Honest Day’s Pay’’ guy. If he makes 10 mil a year he appreciates it. If he makes 2 mil a year he appreciates it. If he’s the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, he does everything he can to win. If he’s golfing, shooting pool or playing Tiddlywinks, he does everything he can to win.
Mr. Jones’ Valley Ranch bet: Tony Romo is an HDW/HDP.
In our exclusive visit with Jones on the subject of Romo’s contractual future, we break it down with him, issue-by-issue:
REWARDING ROMO’S WORK ETHIC
“You’ve got to start with respect,’’ Jones says. “I respect how these players arrive in this spot. I respect players who empty their bucket. I do the same thing, giving everything I can give – in a different way, using different skills – and I empty my bucket.
KNOWING THAT ROMO IS THE FUTURE
“Everything I’ve seen to date – everything! – says Tony Romo is the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback of the future. Everything about him, starting with how he got here. He arrived as a free agent, and my goodness, he’s walk down the halls at Valley Ranch and couldn’t even get anybody to look at him. We had other guys who were taller, or had bigger contracts, or had reputations. But none of that every detered him. He kept working hard, kept handling himself with class, and always had the respect of the people around him. (Drew) Bledsoe once said, ‘I can’t afford to get hurt. Because if I ever do, they’ll put that kid in there and they’ll never take him out.’
ON ROMO ENDING UP ELSEWHERE
“I’m completely convinced that Tony knows that being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is the place to be. I’m confident in him and I’m confident in that. I believe he believes that.’’
ON THE ADVANTAGE OF SIGNING HIM NOW
“From his standpoint, there is always something attractive about being secure. Frankly, that goes for anybody, it goes for me. I like being secure, too. It’s worth it to get security. I can see why any player thinks that way. I could be comfortable reconciling this thing one way or the other. I could conceivably button it down right now and feel good about it.”
ON THE ADVANTAGES OF WAITING – AND WHY IT’S THE PLAN
Again, the essence of Jones’ thoughts on the subject:
“I’d like to see him play more games. It would be a sounder decision on my part see him go through the preseason games, and then through many regular-season games, and maybe go through all the games. It would be a sounder decision, a better decision, for me to see that. And if it ends up being more dollars, I’d rather spend more dollars and be armed with more knowledge than spend less dollars and have less knowledge.’’
Beyond this visit with DallasBlog.com, the owner has spent the summer remaining mostly mum on the subject. Romo himself has largely done the same, though this week he conveniently sprung a public-relations leak.
Somebody asked the QB about the idea that his new contract would mirror the one given Matt Schaub, who moved from Atlanta to Houston with the Texans providing him a six-year, $48-million deal.
“I’ve played more (than Schaub, who had been Michael Vick’s Falcons backup),’’ Romo said. “It’s a little bit different.’’
Tony Romo, subtlely negotiating through the media? Maybe, in addition to being either a Contract-Year Whore, a Carrot-Chaser or an HDW/HDP, he’s a Crafty Fox. And, hopefully, a championship-caliber quarterback.
DallasBlog.com visits exclusively with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for his thoughts on the contractual future of quarterback Tony Romo:
You can believe Tony Romo’s stats from the Cowboys’ humbling 28-16 preseason loss in Houston on Saturday (14 of 22, 197 yards, two TDs and a pick) or you can believe your eyes. Romo was not sharp, with too many errant throws and too many bobbles of snaps typifying his evening.
Not to be too cynical, but THAT is as good a reason as any for Jerry Jones to be patient, measured, conservative – maybe even frugal -- as Romo’s contract discussions proceed.
As Jones tells me, “I’d like to see him play more games. It would be a sounder decision on my part see him go through the preseason games, and then through many regular-season games, and maybe go through all the games. It would be a sounder decision, a better decision, for me to see that. And if it ends up being more dollars, I’d rather spend more dollars and be armed with more knowledge than spend less dollars and have less knowledge.’’
Probably, sometime this year, preseason game No. 3 won’t even be a memory. Sometime this year, we – and Mr. Jones -- will all have a better feel for Tony Romo and his relationship with money. Is Tony: a) A Contract-Year Whore? b) A Carrot-Chaser? Or c) An HDW/HDP?
As the Cowboys march through a 2007 season during which they presume their offense will be led by a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback in the rags-to-riches Romo, let’s march through the definitions of the aforementioned terms – terms that reflect concepts that Romo and his boss must become familiar with.
A Contract-Year Whore is that player who piddles along during his career, hanging on just well enough to earn his roster spot, and then, in the final season of his contract, Voila! He produces his greatest year ever. … all because a payday hangs in the balance.
(Of course, after the Contract-Year Whore collects the new paycheck that was based on the promise of his huge year, what does he do? He turns fat and lazy. Weighed down by his wallet, he reverts to what he’d always been a piddling hanger-on.)
A Carrot-Chaser is the employee who is sincerely motivated by the promise of big money in his final contract year. Management could easily provide him some security. But instead, it dangles the security at the end of a stick, knowing that the employee/player will approach his present and future sincerely.
(The downside to manipulating the Carrot-Chaser thusly? As he becomes a more veteran player, he realizes that his earnestness was used against him. And he tends to be motivated by bitterness. However, his will to succeed is inate. So at least he remains motivated.)
An HDW/HDP is the best of the bunch. He is an “Honest Day’s Work for an Honest Day’s Pay’’ guy. If he makes 10 mil a year he appreciates it. If he makes 2 mil a year he appreciates it. If he’s the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, he does everything he can to win. If he’s golfing, shooting pool or playing Tiddlywinks, he does everything he can to win.
Mr. Jones’ Valley Ranch bet: Tony Romo is an HDW/HDP.
In our exclusive visit with Jones on the subject of Romo’s contractual future, we break it down with him, issue-by-issue:
REWARDING ROMO’S WORK ETHIC
“You’ve got to start with respect,’’ Jones says. “I respect how these players arrive in this spot. I respect players who empty their bucket. I do the same thing, giving everything I can give – in a different way, using different skills – and I empty my bucket.
KNOWING THAT ROMO IS THE FUTURE
“Everything I’ve seen to date – everything! – says Tony Romo is the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback of the future. Everything about him, starting with how he got here. He arrived as a free agent, and my goodness, he’s walk down the halls at Valley Ranch and couldn’t even get anybody to look at him. We had other guys who were taller, or had bigger contracts, or had reputations. But none of that every detered him. He kept working hard, kept handling himself with class, and always had the respect of the people around him. (Drew) Bledsoe once said, ‘I can’t afford to get hurt. Because if I ever do, they’ll put that kid in there and they’ll never take him out.’
ON ROMO ENDING UP ELSEWHERE
“I’m completely convinced that Tony knows that being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys is the place to be. I’m confident in him and I’m confident in that. I believe he believes that.’’
ON THE ADVANTAGE OF SIGNING HIM NOW
“From his standpoint, there is always something attractive about being secure. Frankly, that goes for anybody, it goes for me. I like being secure, too. It’s worth it to get security. I can see why any player thinks that way. I could be comfortable reconciling this thing one way or the other. I could conceivably button it down right now and feel good about it.”
ON THE ADVANTAGES OF WAITING – AND WHY IT’S THE PLAN
Again, the essence of Jones’ thoughts on the subject:
“I’d like to see him play more games. It would be a sounder decision on my part see him go through the preseason games, and then through many regular-season games, and maybe go through all the games. It would be a sounder decision, a better decision, for me to see that. And if it ends up being more dollars, I’d rather spend more dollars and be armed with more knowledge than spend less dollars and have less knowledge.’’
Beyond this visit with DallasBlog.com, the owner has spent the summer remaining mostly mum on the subject. Romo himself has largely done the same, though this week he conveniently sprung a public-relations leak.
Somebody asked the QB about the idea that his new contract would mirror the one given Matt Schaub, who moved from Atlanta to Houston with the Texans providing him a six-year, $48-million deal.
“I’ve played more (than Schaub, who had been Michael Vick’s Falcons backup),’’ Romo said. “It’s a little bit different.’’
Tony Romo, subtlely negotiating through the media? Maybe, in addition to being either a Contract-Year Whore, a Carrot-Chaser or an HDW/HDP, he’s a Crafty Fox. And, hopefully, a championship-caliber quarterback.
posted by The Gryphon at 7:50 PM
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