Writer tears Grammar apart

Hilarious! Just read an article today posted in CNNSI's Truth & Rumors>NFL (Fort Worth Star- Telegram). See below:

Newman: Coward Tearing the Cowboys Apart.
eep fissures remain amongst Dallas??? biggest names, personalities, and players with Wade Phillips basically intimating that he had to have a come-to-Jesus intervention with Jason Witten, T.O. and Tony Romo before Philly. Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman encapsulated all of this angst, somewhat unintentionally Monday, when talking about lack of accountability in this locker room. ???It is like the problem when you had the anonymous player saying all that stuff,??? he said. ???They are a coward, you know, and that kind of stuff ruined this season.??? Let that sink in: A bigtime Cowboy called another bigtime Cowboy, and Witten specifically -- if locker room rumblings about the identity of ???the snitch??? are to be believed -- a coward.

As you can see, anyone would have difficulty reading this. Typical reactions by readers went something like this:

• What the hell? CNNSI needs to get a better online editor. I can't even read what this article is about.
• Was this written by a three year old? I had to use my NSA skills to decipher this :)
• I read this twice and still don't know what they said. Too many ??????????

But the funniest response had to be from Eric1973 posted today:

They said that ???? (I think he is a center) was talking about ????? (the reserve middle linebacker who incidentally is on IR due to fix of his femur that was found on a CT) was ripping the locker room apart. ?? is the agent for ???? who wants his guy to have more money.I mean hello.......learn to read.

I'm OUT. Happy New Years you cretins.

Da Rhino

Sunday Afternoon Football: Cowboys vs. Eagles for the last playoff spot in the NFC

So...I have to say a few things first before I get into my game commentary.

Number One: Anyone who knows football knew this was going to be a tall order for the Boys. They'd be competing in a loser-go-home death match with the hated Eagles on their turf. The first time around had been a slugfest in Dallas, and now it was a cold Sunday in the December, with a punishing wind and Ravenous fans (pun intended). I've been a loyal fan since 1979, so I've seen the good and bad times. This was setting up to be a bad time.

Number Two: I chose not to watch the game live. I was way too nervous to do that (a true fan would understand). Part of me felt "hey, if I don't watch the game maybe they won't disappoint me. And just maybe, they'll play a good game and when I turn it on later, it'll be a pleasant surprise".

Game Commentary:

I begin watching the game. The Eagles get first possession and are moving the ball well. I'm not worried. They always move the ball well. But I'm worried. The Eagles are generally not good on first and second down. Most times they put themselves in a 3rd and a few situation. When that happens, it's either McNabb making a great play with his legs or via a quick pass on the run- OR they fall short and have to punt. During the first drive Westbrook took a pass and fumbled it to Terence Newman. Nice. Who knew that would be the only Cowboy highlight for the entire first half? It's now 24-3 Eagles and Adam 'Titans are no fools' Jones takes the kick-off and makes like he's going to run it back for a TD (you know, like he's done once or twice this year...NOT). He fumbles and the Eagles have the ball on the Cowboy 30ish yard line with 5 seconds left. Eagles 27. Cowboys 3 at the half.

Second half begins. 3rd and inches for the Cowboys and Romo bounces one of the turf to T.O. The camera gets a close up and you can tell Owens is seething. Uh oh...Mt.Terrell volcano alert. This was the funniest part- Wade Philips (the coach who Jerry Jones swore by earlier this week) sends in the punt team and Romo sends them back. What? I thought that Wade was the coach. Guess we now know who wears the pants. 2 plays later Romo (the best sack evader in the league), tosses one to Witten who then tosses one downfield to Owens. 42 yard gain. Nice play. Maybe the Boys have a chance after all. A couple plays later Romo is stripped (it's in his contract to have at least one maybe two turnovers per game. That was the second one) and a Philly defender is running down the field and stiff arming Tashard Choice as he trots into the endzone. Eagles 34, Cowboys 3.

It must have been about now that I received a text message from one of my boys who is an Eagles fan (well he alternates between the Steelers and the Eagles, can't really make up his mind)- "Go Cowboys! Death at the hands of the Eagles". I ignore the message because he only has a mouth when things go his way. Otherwise he's a mouse. I didn't hear a peep from him after the Boy's victory in Week 2. Now he's talking? Geesh

Oh well, can't control that. Romo throws a 35 yard beauty down the side-line to Owens. Nice play. Where've you been my whole life? Next play Barber takes one in the flat and fumbles the ball as he's thrown out of bounds. An Eagle defender picks up the ball and takes it to the house. Eagles 41, Cowboys 3. I actually begin laughing in disbelief.

The NFL audio crew does a good job and zones in on Brian Dawkins "hallelujah" he says down on his knees pointing heavenwards. Apparently he's a Christian. God is smiling down on the Eagles.

On the next Cowboy possession (2nd and 10 from their own 30), Romo runs out of the pocket, pump-fakes, gets hit from behind and loses the ball yet again. Now I'm laughing hesterically (imagine how hard the Eagles fans are laughing). I love Tony Romo, he is one of the better quarter-backs in the league. But he's proven over and over that he cannot win the big game. He has a mental block. He just cannot do it. And that is exactly what he was thinking with his head in the dirt; both hands cupped over his helmet. Eagles 44, Cowboys 3.

Cowboys go 3 and out and then the Eagles take it the other way. Akers misses a field goal and the Boys keep the game within 41 points. Nice. Convert a 42 yard field goal. Maybe they have a shot. As a fan I'm not pissed at the players. I'm upset with the coaching staff (including Garrett) because they clearly did not have this team ready to win. The utter disdain and complete lack of self-confidence permeates the Cowboy sideline.

5:19 remaining and Wade sends in Bollinger, Crayton, Austin, and Bennett. Joe Buck comments on how low Romo looks and then Troy hits it on the head when he says that this loss isn't as painful as the next 6 months is going to be for Dallas.

So if you're Jerry Jones, what do you do know? Start a blog?

I'm out.

Sunday Night Football

So I'm beginning to think that the Cowboys were lucky to get a 20-8 win over the Giants last Sunday night. Why? Because the Giants clearly were not themselves without Brandon Jacobs in the line up. This guys beats up defensive players. Dudes are afraid to tackle him (he said it himself in a pre-game interview). Think about it, he softened up the Panther's D so much that Derrick Ward ran for over 200 yards!

Now don't get me wrong- I like Derrick Ward. He's a good athlete. He's a hard runner with a good mix of speed and power. But he's injury prone and in his best season (2007) he ran for 600 yards in 8 games with 3 TDs. Not studly numbers...but competent. But competent doesn't deliver 200 rushing yards in a single game. Did you see how soft those Panthers were in the last half of the 4th quarter and into OT? Cottony soft brother.

'Earth' is a good nickname for Brandon Jacobs, one of the best for a running back in a while. I've turned up my nose at him in past years (even though I did have him on one of my previous fantasy teams when Tiki was still playing), but won't any more. He's a low-end first rounder now and easily a top second rounder.

Yes the Giants lost 2 games in row and almost lost a 3rd last night (first drive of OT, an easy interception for Chris Gamble gets inadvertently batted down by his own teammate....would have put the Panthers on the Giant's 30 yard line). BUT, they've got home field advantage throughout, and possibly the cleanest path to the Superbowl of any team.

As a die-hard Cowboy fan for life (since '79 brother), I dislike the Giants. But I don't hate them. In fact I respect them (even though I laughed my ass off when the Ravens made them look like children in Superbowl XXXV).

Mr. Spiel is OUT

Saturday Night Football

So I got up this morning with my kids at 7:15am...made them breakfast and set them up in front of some Saturday morning cartoons.

.

Then I ran around all day doing a variety of errands with and without my kids trailing behind me. All I kept thinking was "my reward at the end of the day will be Cowboys-Ravens". So now it's 11:10pm and I've just watched Willis Macgahee run in a 77 yard TD. What a way to close out an era at Texas Stadium. I became intrigued with this team as a 9 year old watching players like TE Doug Crosbie, WRs Tony Hill, Drew Pearson, and Butch Johnson; Ed-Too Tall- Jones, Randy White, and of course Tony Dorsett. Been through good times and the bad. Like most I thought we were on to something this year. But seems not to be so. This ship is going down fast.

Makes me wish I"d stuck to Saturday morning cartoons.