And Aaron Rodgers Didn’t Even Vacation In Mexico During The 1st Round Bye Week

As I watched the New York Giants handle Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers 37 – 20 yesterday – making the Packers the first #1 seed to be one and done since…well…the Dallas Cowboys in 2007 – I couldn’t help but think, perhaps, Tony Romo’s 1st round bye week vacation in Mexico in 2007 didn’t matter quite as much as we thought!

( Leave it to me to find a Cowboys angle in all that )

Anyway, I did glean some perspective watching the playoffs this weekend.  Some relate to the Dallas Cowboys, some not so much:

-First, Tim Tebow is and will continue to be a force to be reckoned with – that being said, he still can’t hit the side of a barn and his release (or should I say ‘wind up’) is slower than a slow-pitch soft ball pitcher.

-It’s not happening this year, but I was looking forward to a QB match up of Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith.  what a story – what a connection these two have.  Remember the 2005 NFL draft when not only did the 49ers surprisingly select Alex Smith over Aaron Rodgers with the first pick in the draft, but it started a slide for Aaron that didn’t stop til he was mercifully selected by Green bay at #24.  Green Bay still had Brett Favre in his prime, they didn’t need Rodgers.  Talk about a chip on your shoulder experience.  As Alex floundered and Aaron supplanted a legend, we all laughed.  We may still be giggling a little, but after I watched Alex Smith’s play against the New Orleans Saints, I might be done laughing.  It’s like the Wizard of Oz (in this case, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh) gave the Cowardly Lion (yes, Alex Smith) the courage he’d been missing the last 6 years.  A first round QB with confidence and courage befitting the first over all pick and a hard hitting (they punctured Romo’s lung) aggressive Defense and we better all watch out for Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers!

-Listening to all the talking heads and watching all the games this weekend, I’m starting to become convinced that there might not be any one way or formula in assembling a championship team.  For example, – ‘Defenses win championships’, right? – though a few of this weekends final eight had the worst defenses in the NFL and still won.  The Houston Texans, I think, were the 2nd ranked defense, and they lost.  Another is – ‘you have to have an elite QB’ – well, that one is still 50/50, but Alex Smith and Joe Flacco are still playing while Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger are done.  After watching the Giants have an easier time with the Packers than they had with the Cowboys, I’m starting to think ‘getting on a roll at the right time‘ and good ‘ol fashioned luck might play a bigger part in all this.

-Man, if Miles Austin would have caught that pass in the first Giants game…

-Man, if DeMarcus Ware hadn’t been offsides on that drive near the end of game in the second Giants game.

-My pre-season Superbowl pick:  Dallas Cowboys vs San Diego Chargers, was reasonable, I thought.  Time for Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to pass the torch to the ‘new’ elite QBs – Philip Rivers and Tony Romo.  Funny.

-Perish the thought, but just for a moment I wished Jim Harbaugh was the Dallas Cowboys coach and that he transferred all that FIRE his players play with, to our players.

-Because of the 49ers game this weekend, the media replayed ‘The Catch’ more than a few times.  Reminded me of  fate, and Danny White’s  legacy, had that ‘Catch’ never been made.  See, Danny White’s legacy dependent on a play in which he was on the sideline and had no influence in or control over.  Hhmm.

-Any… Given… Sunday.

-True story: Was at a Subway subs shop in Yucca Valley, Ca. Saturday night (watching my weight. lol) The girl behind the counter saw my Dallas hat and said she was a Cowboys fan too.  She says her boyfriend (figures) was a Cowboys fan and she proceeds to tell me that her boyfriend thinks its Romo,  “They need to get rid of Romo” .  The other girl behind the counter chimes in “yea, they ain’t goin nowhere til he’s outta there” . “oh” I said, “you’re a cowboys fan (slash Romo hater) too?” “No” I just know football..I know!, Right?” .  Anyway, I asked the one that  ‘knows football’  who her team was.  She said that she follows players more than teams (thanks fantasy football) and she likes Tebow.  “Now if y’all had Tebow” she told me.  Well, I announced that the Denver Tebows lost to the Patriots earlier that day and she seemed genuinely disappointed  ” Thats Okay”, she said, ” Its gonna be the 49ers and the Packers in the Superbowl this year!” .  Tongue firmly in cheek, I couldn’t help but say “that would be a miracle”.  “No it wouldn’t” the girl with the Cowboy fan/Romo hater  boyfriend said matter-of-fact-ly.  “They are the two best teams”.  I left it at that and paid for my Italian BMT sub and left with this thought:  In the middle of the desert of southern California, far away from Dallas,  two girls who knew nothing about what they were talking about proclaimed themselves Romo haters…and Dallas Cowboys fans.

Ok.  Next week, unless I get a hair to expound on something else, I’ll begin my first ‘core’ player to trade for your consideration.

Artie Cappello