Monday, July 20, 2009

Tony Romo: The Jury Is In

Source: http://dallascowboysnation.com

Do you think Tony Romo is distracted by fame? Maybe you feel like Romo is in his make or break season, or just maybe, you think Romo is far overrated. The chances that you can relate to these statements is about 90 percent. I say that strictly because where ever you look 9 out of 10 fans are bashing Romo’s very existence.

Just recently I was rummaging through DC.com and read Mick’s latest article “Pressure Cooker” and it inspired me to do a little digging. You see, Romo’s lack of post season production isn’t as frightening as one might imagine. Though the outcry of fans would produce a different story. I simply decided to compare the ever so scrutinized Romo with other NFL greats. The results were just as I expected, Romo was leading the pack and the fair weather fans arguments were proven to be ridiculous.

NAME COMP ATT PCT INT TD RATING W-L RECORD TOTAL YDS
Romo 831 1,307 63.6 46 81 94.7 28-12 10,562
Montana 713 1,130 63 32 52 86.3 18-15 8,069
Peyton 1,357 2,226 60.9 81 111 85.1 32-32 16,418
Aikman 920 1,528 60.2 60 54 74.6 38-27 10,527

Clearly these statistics place Romo on comparable status with HOF caliber Quarterbacks. So what gives? Why the criticism? I accredit it to one of two scenario’s. 1) The fans of today are too idiotic to realize that football is a game of growth and maturity and not a game of instantaneous success, and their ignorance far surpasses the need to gather information and statistics to help them understand the game, or 2) Tony Romo is simply just another victim of Dallas Cowboys Nation. I can only really offer an explanation for one, since I can’t change the disposition of fans.

The Cowboys microscope has been in effect since the 70’s when Tom Landry decided to go with Roger Staubach as his starter over Craig Morton. It then continued with Danny White, and claims of Troy Aikman “going soft” before winning another Super Bowl in 1995. This to me says that no matter how talented and skilled a quarterback is, as a Cowboy he is doomed to being faced with the troubles of Hollywood. Here is where the problem lies, fans easily forget or become blind to the talent that truly lies in the quarterback that is leading their team. Romo has displayed strong abilities in arm strength, pass accuracy, mobility, and throwing on the run, which elevates him to one of the only true balanced quarterbacks in the league.

It is my firm opinion that if Romo was on a handful of other teams he would be referred to as a gem and most certainly a franchise quarterback. We need to realize the facts, we need to open our eyes, and realize that Romo is a worthy and talented leader for this team. Facts speak for themselves.