MY BOYS!

I know, I know - this is an author blog.
I am supposed to weigh in about serious literary matters related to my novels and the world of writing, or else to offer up carefully thought out opinions on deep matters both spiritual and political.  In short, this blog is SUPPOSED to be serious stuff.
And, most of the time, it will be.

But today is about my Dallas Cowboys.
Wrapping up a 12-4 season with a crushing win over the hapless Redskins (44-17, can you dig it??), they are looking more and more like the fabled Cowboys of the 1990's, who won three Superbowls in four years, and could be relied on to give you a win almost every time, and a good game on the other occasions.  Now, I will be the first to say that this 2014 team is not there yet - the playoffs loom ahead, and both Green Bay and Detroit are formidable teams - but if they bring the game to the playoffs that they have trotted out the last four weeks, the Packers and Lions will be stepping into a buzzsaw!  Unbeaten on the road, this team with a history of December meltdowns after getting our hopes up in mid-season went 4-0 this December.  They have momentum, they have enthusiasm, they have a love for the game and for each other that makes them the most cohesive Cowboys team in at least two decades.

One more thing:  all the Tony Romo haters out there need to go to the nearest barnyard, scoop up a big, steaming shovelful of fresh dirt, and eat it!!! They need to eat it, like it, and then say "Thank you sir, may I have another?"

I have watched for the last ten years as this incredibly talented young man has done his best to carry the team on his back with no defense and no offensive line to protect him - nor any kind of running game to take the pressure off of him.  He has put up incredible numbers, made some sensational plays, and gotten the team further every season than they would have ever gotten without him.  For that phenomenal effort, he has been criticized, vilified, condemned as a choke artist, a lightweight, and called every other dirty name in the sports book. Fans have griped, complained, and begged for another quarterback to take the snaps.

My answer to them has always been this: what would the Cowboys' record be if every player on the team was playing at the level that Tony was?  No one man can win a championship, or even carry his team to the playoffs year after year.  For the first time, this year, Romo has a complete team to back him up.  He's got a great offensive line, a phenomenally skilled running back, several great receivers including the remarkably talented Dez Bryant, and a defense that is better than average and improving with every game.   

No, we haven't won a playoff game yet.  The Superbowl is four games away, games against very talented teams who have records just as good as ours. 

Championships are hard.  Nothing is guaranteed.

But for right now, I am basking in the glow of a great season.

And I am more optimistic than I have been in many years.

Go Cowboys!  All the way!!!!!!!