Tony Romo: Too Reckless for the Big D?

If you've read my items here, you already know I'm a huge Dallas Cowboy fan.

If you haven't, trust me. Huge.

In fact, every Sunday, I wear my vintage Micheal Irvin jersey to support my team. I've supported this team through their ups and downs, and I have never considered switching teams, jumping on another bandwagon, or utterly bashing my team, even when we blow major opportunities and lose significant games. (Trust me again, we have.)

I will admit that anger surfaces, but once rationality sets in, I compose myself and realize it's just a game, and hopefully, we will win the next one.

I've seen the progression of Tony Romo since he took over the signal-calling for the Cowboys. He's an unbelievable talent. He's a gunslinger, reminiscent of Brett Favre. He lives and dies by his arm. He constantly throws for over 4,000 yards. His career passer rating is 95.7, and his touchdown to interception ratio is unbelievable good.

Enough of the good; let me try to be objective here.

Tony Romo just signed a major contract extension. In fact, he gets paid more than Joe Flacco ( a Super Bowl-winning QB). Tony Romo has one playoff win on his QB résumé. One. It's the minor part of his overall playoff record of 1 win and 3 losses. I specifically remember the botched hold during a field goal attempt against the Seahawks. That's a memory that I will never forget. I do try, but traumatic experiences have a way of hanging around in a fan's cerebral cortex.

The Cowboys have not made the playoffs for three years. They have had plenty of opportunites, yet have failed miserably during each attempt. Tony Romo shrunk in the moment. His mental fortitude is often questioned and has become a major concern for me and many other Cowboy fans.

Romo is a package full of improvisation. Sometimes, it's to his betterment. Often, it's to his demise. Too many times, I've seen him create something out of nothing or extend a play when a simple pass out of bounds would have been more effective. Although I applaud his effort, I question what exactly his vision was. Football, like most sports, is a game of split-second decisions, and I understand -- given how fast the game is today -- one of the most difficult tasks in sports is to improvise on the fly.

Frankly, Tony hasn't proved anything since he's been the starting QB in 2006 for the Dallas Cowboys. Is he our long term fix?

Jerry Jones seems to think so, but I'm in complete disagreement. If you look at his sample size, his statistics may be eye-popping, but what's he done worth noting? He's about to turn 33, and I personally think he's topped out.

I truly don't believe he can individually improve, because every year, we talk about the same intangibles with Tony. Yet, every year, it's the same old story. Yes, he has had fourth-quarter comebacks in his career, but can you name one worth noting?

Some may argue that he hasn't had the talent around him, which has forced him to be more reckless than usual. Ask Brett Favre, who came to Tony's defense when asked about the Cowboy QB. Despite what people may perceive as a 'lack of talent,' Romo has been graced with offensive weapons over the past three seasons. From Dez, to Witten, to Miles, Tony has had some unbelievable talent at his disposal.

We shouldn't use that excuse anymore.

Professional athletes are on a team for a reason. They have a god-given ability, and they are unbelievably skilled. And for the most part, most of them have solid work ethics.

Personally, I think it's time to move on from the Tony Romo era, but he's our starting QB and will be for the next several seasons. I will do my best to support him and his offensive rollercoaster ride. Hopefully, this year, everything just seems to click.

We'll see.

To be continued. Check back later midseason.