Lone Star Struck

How ’bout them Cowboys! Huge win for our boys in blue and silver last Sunday.This win might be a sign of things to come.

How can we deny another game ball to him two games in a row? Miles is proving why we got rid of T.O.

Austin has the game breaking speed and excellent route running that the Cowboys have been lacking for a while.

Austin finished the day with 171 yards on only six catches. He scored two touchdowns along the way. The speedster from little known Monmouth University has given the teams of the NFL a reason to take notice.

We should give Jerry Jones some credit for finding 2 diamonds in the rough. Miles and Tony.

This week’s defensive/special teams game ball goes to DeMarcus Ware.

The sack flood gates have opened!

The Cowboys sackmaster celebrated his new deal with two sacks and heavy quarterback pressure for the whole game.

Ware also had a forced fumble.

He is a leader on defense and deserved every penny Jerry paid for him.

DeMarcus also finished the day with 2 solo tackles. He is the cornerstone of the new improved defense.

All quarterbacks should be running for their football lives. DeMarcus is here to stay.

Congratulations to Austin and Ware for their great contribution to the victory.

Honorable Mention: Tony Romo, Mike Jenkins

What a game! It should have not been as close as it was, but a win is a win. We witnessed some firsts and a record breaking day.

This speedy wide receiver had a record breaking day with 250 yards on 10 catches with 2 game saving touchdowns.

His first score almost won the game for the Cowboys, but the one in overtime counted for the “W”.

Austin just might have earned his starting spot. Miles is the game breaking threat the Cowboys need.

He also could have had a few more touchdowns on the day. But he couldn’t secure a couple of throws from Tony.

Great job Miles Austin.

This week’s defensive/special teams game ball goes to Keith Brooking.

Brooking is the solid linebacker that was needed to compliment the defense.

Brooking finished the game with 8 solo tackles and helped on 3 more. He also recorded a sack on Matt Cassel. He came flying from up the middle to take him down.

With all the pressure the Cowboys gave the Chiefs on Sunday, Keith also had 4 QB hits.

His leadership speaks for itself. You can find the veteran linebacker running up and down the sidelines when he’s not on the field. He gets this team pumped up! It feels like Brooking has been a Cowboy all of his life.

Keep up the great work Keith Brooking!

Congratulations to Austin and Brooking for their great contribution to the overtime win.

Honorable Mention: DeMarcus Ware, Tony Romo, Jay Ratliff

Sometimes its hard to find anything positive from such a heartbreaking loss, however several players did play well and for that they deserve to be recognized.

This week’s offensive game ball goes to Sam Hurd.

Sam Hurd, who has been nearly invisible offensively this year, zig-zagged his way down the field on 4th and 3 to set up a chance for the Cowboys to win last Sunday.

Hurd finished the game with 62 yards on 3 catches. He made up most of those yards his 3rd catch, a 53-yard gain.

Sam was also thrown to twice in the final seconds but could not secure the ball. He was covered by the Pro Bowler Champ Bailey.

We are likely to see more of Sam Hurd with Roy Williams injured this week.

This week’s defensive/special teams game ball goes to Bradie James.

Bradie James was a beast out there. He helped give the Cowboys a chance in the game.

With the offense sputtering, the defense was needed to step up and Bradie led the way. With the exception of the Brandon Marshall touchdown (in which they couldn’t tackle), the defense gave Denver quarterback Kyle Orton all kinds of pressure.

James finished the game with 6 tackles with 2 assists. He also had 1 sack and a fumble recovery.

Congratulations to Sam and Bradie for their outstanding play.

That was a game the Dallas Cowboys should of won. Kansas City is next, hopefully the Cowboys will give us an overwhelming win and that should make it more satisfying to give out game balls next week.

Runners-up: The Entire Defense

This week’s offensive game ball goes to Tashard Choice.

The quickness and toughness he showed against the Panthers defense made him an easy “Choice”. On any other team Choice would easily be an every down back. The Cowboy’s depth in the backfield was on full display Monday night.

It’s really fun to watch his signature “T.C.” every time he scores a touchdown.

Choice had 82 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown, he also had a 2 point conversion. He also hauled in a remarkable 8 catches for another 36 yards.

Although the injuries to Marion and Felix sadden me, we don’t miss a beat when Tashard Choice is on the field, and that truly shows the remarkable depth we have at running back.

This week’s defensive/special teams game ball goes to Terence Newman.

T-New sealed the game for us with his interception returned 27 yards for a touchdown. Terence finished the night with only 3 tackles but he did cause a fumble. This one was close with Victor Butler who also forced a fumble and recorded two sacks.

Despite missing several tackles in a shaky first half, Newman bounced back and kept the Panthers’ top receiver Steve Smith in check.

“Before the game we talked about how our defensive line and linebackers did their job last week and how we didn’t do our job,” Newman said. “So I told them ‘Hey it’s on us. We’ve got to shut these guys down.’ We let this team down last week and we have to make up for it this week.”

Congratulations to Tashard and Terence for their outstanding play.

Runners-up: Victor Butler, Patrick Crayton

With the nickname of Earth, Wind, and Fire comes 2 players on this week’s game balls.

This week’s offensive game ball goes to Marion Barber.

He is the “Earth” in the three-headed monster of running backs by committee. MB3 ran for 124 yards on 18 carries with 1 touchdown. He definitely earned his nickname as Barbarian.

Marion showed quickness and toughness in him we haven’t seen in a while. He would of had another score if it wasn’t for his quad tightening up.

He looked just as good as any running back that played on Sunday. Barber also had 31 yards on 2 catches.

This week’s defensive/special teams game ball goes to Felix Jones.

Felix is the “Wind” of the group. Even though Felix had a fumble that the Giants capitalized on, he also had 134 yards on 6 kick returns for a 22 yard average. His longest return being 38 yards.

Felix showed the speed the Cowboys need out of the backfield.

In addition, on offense Jones had and impressive 96 yards on just 7 carries. Wow!

The Cowboys nearly had 2 running backs with 100 yards each. Despite the fumble, Felix helped the Cowboys almost pull off the win. He scored the go ahead touchdown to put the Cowboys up 31 to 30.

Congratulations to Marion and Felix for their outstanding play.

Runners-up: Jay Ratliff, Jason Witten

First off, Michael Irvin is on Dancing with the Stars. I was very excited about this. With his popularity and his moves from the football field, I think he is the man to beat. If he wins, next up is Troy. Go Playmaker of the Stars!

OK, now for the Cowboys… I don’t take too much into pre-season but it is nice to see the players get off the rust in a live game. Tony Romo looked good. His first series was off. But the way he moved the offense in his second series was great. Showing a little bit of what could be a great season, he spread the ball around and utilized all the weapons available to him.

As soon as I seen Felix Jones run a few yards. I admit I said this out loud, ”Felix I missed you”. The offensive will be awesome. This year I am really focusing on Witten and hoping he has a spectacular year. There is a hidden agenda with that one, more of that later.

The defense looked OK. While the 2nd and 3rd strings gave up a lot of points, the first team looked good. I am excited about Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware. The opposition wont know where DeMarcus will be coming from. Look out for a top 5 defense.

It was nice to see Keon Lattimore get a few reps too. I think he is a sleeper for this team if he makes the full roster. Jesse Holley was also playing in a few plays too. It was nice to see number 16 running down the field. Sometimes players who are trying for a spot on the team don’t play that much. We’ll see if he completes the dream. I still think Hawkins should of made the team instead.

I am looking forward to this Friday’s game. I wont be able to see it here in Illinois, but it will be on NFL Network on Saturday. I want to see the inside of the new stadium. Look for a great season to come!

Each Monday I will talk about the Cowboys and what I think about the team. If anyone can think of a better title let me know. I am looking forward to a great Cowboys season! – DoughboyCowboy

Do you think the Cowboys have swagger this year? I know the games haven’t been played yet, but I have confidence in this team. At first I didn’t think addition by subtraction was good. The Cowboys have now convinced me. The most optimal word is IF this year. The defense will be just as good or even better. Teams will not know where Ware will be coming from. I see DeMarcus getting the sack record this year.

Roy Williams (safety) is gone, but he was never a really good cover man anyway. He was always getting beat on 1 on 1 situations. The two sophomore players, Jenkins and Scandrick, will step up and be a force in the secondary this season. Brookings has played in Phillips’ scheme before. That should be a smooth transition for him. The Cowboys defense will be top 5, at least.

As for the offense, it is Tony’s team. Williams is good at routes and has sure hands. Witten is probably if not the best tight end the Cowboys ever had. Crayton runs great routes too. I have seen in games past that some WRs give up on their routes. You know who I am talking about. The 3-headed monster of Barber, Jones, and Choice will give defensive players fits. Austin will come into his own, if injuries don’t plague him this year. Tony needs to cut down on mental mistakes. He has shown flashes of what a great Quarterback should be.  This is his year to shine. Time for the Cowboys to be Romo-friendly. Whatever that means….

My prediction for this coming season at 10-6 If everything happens the way it should. Like I said IF. I know injuries happen throughout the season. But, I am excited for the upcoming season. I see a Cowboys Swagger about them this year.

How ’bout them Cowboys!

With the Cowboys training camp starting in a few days. I am so excited about this upcoming season. The other day I was watching ESPN and Skip Bayless was talking to Patrick Crayton. The obvious question was asked whether the Cowboys are better now than with T.O.?

The answer that came out of Skip’s mouth shocked me. Now, I can’t stand Skip but his answer was awesome! He said with the running backs that we have, which he said could start for any team. He also praised Tony and the receiving core of Witten, Williams and Crayton. The Cowboys should be the best in the NFC East or at least the second best. For once I actually agree with him.

The Cowboys running backs are just beasts. The team will get Felix Jones back. We all know what Barber can do. Tashard has shown flashes of what a great running back he could be. Tashard ran all over the Steelers defense. Now we know what Witten can do. Tony and Williams have been practicing in the off-season together. Should gel just right in time for Tampa Bay. Now Crayton and Austin should expand the defenses and gain lots of yardage.

Wade taking over the defensive play-calling should help the Cowboys tremendously. When Wade took over in the middle of last season it came alive. This season should be just as good or even better. No more Williams getting beat on pass coverage situations. The sophomore seasons of Scandrick and Jenkins will also help. Demarcus Ware will make a run at the sack record again. I think he will get it this year. Spencer will have to show us why we got rid of Ellis.

Now the Cowboys need to cement Adams feet so he doesn’t false start anymore. With that, Tony should have enough time to do what he does best (with no more Jessica distractions). My opinion is that the Cowboys will make the playoffs. If you agree with me or not, get ready for the Blue Star to make it’s name on the new stadium. How ’bout them Cowboys!!

With Training camp right around the corner, I have been watching some football movies. I was wondering what my top 5 football movies would be.  Watching some of these movies would get us into football mode, if we are not already there, but it would help. Hard Knocks from last year was good,  but I wouldn’t consider that a movie. Other than North Dallas Forty, the Cowboys do need to make a movie of some sort.

So here are my TOP 5 FOOTBALL MOVIES of All-Time.

You might agree or disagree. I would love to hear from anyone what there Top 5 would be.

#1. Remember the Titans – Just an awesome movie. Based on a true story. When i watch this movie it reminds me of the segregation they had back then. The only down part of the movie is of Gerry Bertier involved in the accident. But it also shows real life. I would probably guarantee that this is almost everyone’s top #1 or #2 football movie of all time.

#2. Rudy – Another true story. Great feel good movie. Rudy overcame the odds when everyone told him he could not play football for being to short. He registered a sack in his only game. To have his teammates help him play in that game and also carry him off the field. To this day, I don’t think anybody has ever been carried of the field like he was. To play for an elite school like Notre Dame is an achievement in its self. 

#3. The Program – This movie takes a look at the bad parts of football from drunk driving to steroids. It is a well written movie. If you haven’t seen this movie, you should check it out. It includes lots of football action and the struggles of each individual players life’s to play for a school contending for the National Championship.

#4. Friday Night Lights – Very good movie. It was made into a book, then a movie and now a hit TV show. There are some things I wished they would have put in the movie that was from the book, especially Carter High School academics and the court problems it faced in order to get to the Championship game. This movie is also a true story of High School football in Texas. I don’t live in Texas but I imagine it is like this on Fridays.

#5. Varsity Blues – I know its a kid-type movie, but a really enjoyable one. Very comical on how high school kids life are looked at in high school football in Texas, once again. Texans love there football! Whenever this movie comes on television I will stop and watch it. Enjoyable film.

So tell me, do you agree with me on football movies or do you have others for consideration? Let me know. I thought this would be a good topic for the start of Training Camp in 7 days.

I just want to say, “How bout them Cowboys!”

What team do we hate the most?  The Redskins, Eagles, Giants, or some other team? After my last blog was ambushed by an Eagles fan it made me wonder what team do we dislike the most? I have contemplated back and forth of which team. Maybe all of them (just kidding). In my opinion, I say the Washington Redskins.

The Washington Redskins have been our rival from the beginning. Over a song. Every game we play against them is intense. Plus I think Redskins fans are obnoxious. Last year the Deadskins got a cheap win. They missed a field goal when the judges called it good. I dont know if that changed the season outcome or not, but the win-loss record would have been changed and the Eagles game wouldn’t have mattered.

Speaking of the Phliadelphia Eagles… I cant stand them either. I will make this short with them. When you win even just ONE ring then we will talk. Till then shut up and hope your team does well this year without a good defense.

The New York Football Giants… I really don’t have too much of a big beef against them. I will admit they are a talented group, but Eli looks like a poster child for retardation, the way he holds his mouth open. My girlfriend and I make fun of him and the way he looks. Two years ago when they won the Super Bowl, that was a hard year. The Cowboys being 13-3 going into the Giants game. If we could learn how to tackle the outcome would have been different. I keep replaying in my mind the missed tackle of Plaxico. You know which one I am talking about. Also the dropped pass to Crayton. Oh well, that was 2 years ago.

Then there are other teams. Pittsburgh, since they have 6 rings now. Or maybe the Patriots, with Brady back now watch out for them. Are there other teams I left out? Yeah, I did. But if it comes down to it, the Redskins I can’t stand.

When my little bundle of joy is born, I have an onesie that will say, ”I have been just been born and I already hate the Redskins” – very funny. Until then – How ’bout them Cowboys!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. I worked that day but my paycheck will reflect the money, so I am alright with it.

Football is just around the corner and we will involved in the 2009-2010 season. For me, I cant wait. On the 28th, the Cowboys go to training camp, the on the 30th I find out the sex of my baby to be. So lets just say this month will be great. I won’t give away the name of our baby yet. It will be a good one for Cowboys Nation. 

Anyway, with the season fast approaching, Tony Romo will be our quarterback. I think he will take us to the ultimate level we need to be, the Super Bowl. As the years have passed since he was named the starter he has improved every year. I am very confident that Tony is ”our” quarterback. 

Just for highlights of the previous seasons. In 2006, Tony threw 5 TD passes against Tampa Bay, tying the mark of Troy Aikman. But in his first game, Tony came in to play against the Giants he threw 3 INT, one returned for a TD. In 2007, Tony threw 5 INT against Buffalo on that MNF game. That game was a miracle to win. With Tony throwing that many INTs and winning the game. WOW!

Tony has been named to 2 Pro-Bowls in his 3 years of playing for the Cowboys. In that span Tony has thrown 62 TD passes. In the same time span only one quarterback has thrown the same number of passes, that was Drew Brees.

Watching the games, I see Tony make mistakes, but I also see him make big strides and flashes of what he could be as a quarterback for America’s Team. This season, as Cowboys fans, will see a more improved Tony Romo. So for now I say - ”How bout them Cowboys”!

Why does the media like to use the Cowboys as a bad joke? I am a Cubs fan, that team is in something of a funk. I was watching SportsCenter this morning when they were talking about the Cubs and their turmoil. The line that the broadcaster said was, “ The Cubs are the Dallas Cowboys of MLB.” I did not like that statement. Just because the team had some “problems” of their own. Every media outlet, or most of them, badmouth the Cowboys. I just would like to remind them the Cowboys still had a winning record. No the Cowboys didn’t make the playoffs, but at least we gave it a try.

The Cubs are nothing like the Cowboys. I love the Cubs but they continuously lose every year. That’s why they are called the lovable losers. I have been trying to ignore the media about the Cowboys but this one irked me. The Cowboys are champions! So, what they haven’t won a playoff game in years. But they at least give good runs toward the playoffs.

Don’t get me wrong I am not defending the Cowboys for losing seasons. I want them to win every single year as much as the next Cowboys fan. Maybe this blog is similar to the Are We Spoiled as Cowboys Fans blog that I wrote. But I’ve taken this in a different direction. I am proud to be a Cowboys fan. This year we we will shut up all the critics and they fans that badmouthed my team.

Another quick story before I am done for the day. I work in a small town Emergency Room. Everyone there knows I am a die-hard Cowboys fan. I get harassed constantly in Chicago Bear Country. One of our ER doctors is from Philly and you guessed it - an Eagles fan. I only see him once in a while. The other day he harassed me about the whipping we received at the hand of his beloved Eagles. Then about 10 minutes later he walked by me and noticed my watch, Cowboys of course. He started to say something about the Eagles are tough and the Cowboys are nothing. But my quick little comeback was, ” At least, my Cowboys own 5 rings, how many does the Eagles have?” Never bothered me again for the rest of the night. Go Cowboys!

If there was a national monument built for the Cowboys, what would it be? I think it should be just like Mount Rushmore.

Lets call it Mount Cowboys. Now we have to decide who we think should be on this national monument. If any Cowboys player or staff member had an impact on the Cowboys they should be on this monument. Here are my choices and why I think they deserve to be on Mount Cowboys.

My first choice is the legendary coach Tom Landry. Landry had 20 consecutive winning seasons, 2 Super Bowl titles and was 1966 NFL Coach of the Year. He was the only coach the Cowboys knew until Jerry Jones took over.

My second choice is Roger Staubach. Tom Landry’s quarterback throughout the 69′ to 79′ seasons. He also won 2 Super Bowl titles for coach Landry. Roger was a 6 time Pro-Bowler. Earn the nickname of “Captain Comeback” for many of his come from behind victories.

The third choice for the Mount Cowboys monument is number 22, Emmitt Smith. He is the NFL’s All-Time leading rusher. Just that enough earns him a spot on the monument. Emmitt was elected to the Pro-Bowl 8 times. He was the first player in NFL history to have 5 straight seasons with at least 1,400 rushing yards.

My final and last choice for the Mount Cowboys is Jerry Jones. I know, Some people don’t like Mr. Jones, but what he did was made the Cowboys a dynasty in the 90’s. His buying and trading of Free Agents made all the moves to win 3 championships. He will do everything he can to ensure the Cowboys go to or at least have a shot at being a contender for the Super Bowl. It will be very interesting in the new stadium and the season without T.O.

Here is my choices for the fictional Mount Cowboys monument. If anybody else has another person who deserves to be on this monument let me know. I came up with this as a way to tribute to the Cowboys from past and present. I hope you enjoy this blog as much as I had fun writing it.

I thought I would write about this since the Lakers just won their 15th championship.

We all love the Cowboys.  We Bleed Silver and Blue. But are we spoiled as Cowboys fans?

We expect Super Bowl wins every year and we should as Dallas Cowboys fans. But last year the team didn’t make the playoffs with a winning record.  We often reflect on the previous season to say what went wrong. We have that right. It’s our team.

Should we criticize as fans about the “problem” locker room? We weren’t in the locker room with all the players. The media, especially ESPN, likes to bring out the worst of our beloved Cowboys. Don’t get me wrong one of my favorite things to watch is Sportscenter, but I don’t have to listen to them bash the Cowboys. 

I know this is like beating a dead horse. Will the Cowboys be better off this year without T.O.? We will see. But we should be excited about our offense too. Williams, Crayton, Austin, Witten, Jones, Barber and Romo. That’s still an explosive offense.

I put the Cowboys in the same breath as the New York Yankees, Detroit Red Wings, and the L.A  Lakers. We have been to the final game and have won our fair share. The Yankees have won some 26 Championships. We haven’t been that elite yet and maybe never will, but we should be very proud of our team and its accomplishments. 5 Super Bowl wins, 20 division Championships, and 29 playoff appearances. The Cowboys also have 11 Hall of Famers with one more on the way.

The Cowboys have accomplished a lot in their existence, more than a lot of  professional sports teams, and we should be proud of that. I think this team, with the defense playing up to their capability like they did late last season, will make their way to the playoffs once again.  Even with all the “turmoil”  the Cowboys still had a great year and overcame injuries.

Now, the blasting by the Eagles still hurt but I am very excited about this upcoming season Are you?

How Bout Them Cowboys!