Tony Romo In The Dark Side of The Tunnel

For Quarterback Tony Romo, life couldn’t be easier. Everything is in place. He has the money, beautiful wife, one kid and another on the way. Oh, and he happens to be the franchise player for America’s Team.

Aug 4, 2013; Canton, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) warms up prior to the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Life is pretty good. Right?

Red light! Brake. Rib check.

Life for Tony Romo these days is anything but easy. Apparently a $108 million dollar contract can’t buy you happiness.

There are some who can’t stand the undrafted quarterback. There are some who cherish him. For Romo, there is no middle. And it all boils down to one question for the quarterback who once smiled on camera (hat backwards) and responded with words like “cool” and “awesome.”

The question: has this man won a Super Bowl? The answer is obvious. For many, that’s where the conversation about the talented quarterback ends.

Which is not fair. Nor will it ever be.

But that’s the NFL. Who can argue with history, legacy, and time?

I recently inked an article here voicing my belief that Romo must win a Super Bowl to be considered a success. I stand by this statement. I am open to opinions, but I won’t budge. It’s simple for the San Diego, CA born native — produce a ring or live in the pits for eternity.

The light at the end of the tunnel for the 33-year old player is fading. He needs to get moving.

There are some who say a few playoff wins will change the light around Tony. That a string of wins in January will help others consider him a success.

I cannot agree. In fact, I think a few playoff wins would be worse. Because if Romo ends his career with “some” playoff wins, there will be more question marks about his ability.

How about:

“He could never win one.”

Or how about:

“See, he choked and never does it when it matters.”

He’ll be regarded as the guy who didn’t win one. He’ll be a Danny White.

They said the same thing with Peyton Manning. John Elway. Until these men won one.

And that’s when the red carpet rolls down from the quarterback’s tongue. It’s he who gets the last laugh. It’s he who gets the perfect lighting, and preferred treatment. It’s he who can commit no wrong from that point on.

And that’s why I am so bothered by Tony Romo. If only he won one sooner, he too, would be seen differently. His image would be vastly different from what it is now. The walking contradiction labels on his back? Gone. Choke artist? No such thing.

Tony Romo would be looked at as he should be: A pioneer. He’d be that kid with a dream who fought through the impossible and launched the dreams of millions. Romo would be the dude who inspired other kids to play, and impregnated them with desire and hope. A hope that one day, maybe, that they too could quarterback something big in their lives. Because after all, these things do come true.

It did for the small town kid.

Will Tony Romo finish his career with a Super Bowl ring? I have no clue.

Is Tony Romo capable of winning one? Oh, absolutely. And anyone who disagrees is either running on emotional fumes or is gambling too much on the small snippets ESPN and YouTube broadcasts.

Tony Romo wins one and the image is different. Just one win. All that bad, negative stuff will end. From that point forward he could do no wrong.

Holding the trophy is a quarterback’s compass out of a dark tunnel.

Tony Romo has two options: A) Quarterback and die in the dark tunnel, or B) Quarterback and run out of the tunnel towards the light.

Life is more fun with light. So don’t be surprised if the quarterback runs out of the tunnel giving everybody the finger, showing off the new ring. Not that it would be a problem.

Super Bowl winners get away with it.

Home/Cowboys News