Romo-Rod

Name the athlete who best fits the following profile:

High expectations from a championship starved fan base.

Excellent regular season performance followed by a dismal post-season showing.

Blonde bombshell girlfriend that added some pounds at some point during the relationship.

If your answer was Dallas Cowboys signal caller Tony Romo, you are correct. But, ah ha, trick question! If your answer was New York Yankees 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez, then you are also correct. Thats right, Jessica Simpson’s former beau and the guy who used to sing “Material Girl” to himself in the mirror, have quite a few similarities.

Tony Romo was supposed to be the next great Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the next Babe Ruth, but with frosted tips. Several things have derailed both of these stellar athletes from their destined greatness. Lets start with Tony Romo. Tony’s career took a sharp turn down the wrong path during his Cancun bye week getaway with the aforementioned Ms. Simpson. This vacation prior to the Cowboys showdown with the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants, showed a casual indifference to his profession. The general knock on Romo is his lack of concentration and pension to make mistakes at the absolute worst time. Basically, he is Brett Favre without the MVPs, Super Bowl ring or the Wranglers out by the pickup. Romo fumbled away his best shot at winning a title in 07 vs Seattle when game deciding field goal slipped through his fingertips.

A-Rod is A-Rod’s biggest problem. Every time he speaks he damages himself in one way or another. A-Rod was supposed to be the poster boy for natural talent during an era where everyone was on the juice. But, A-Rod, like many other professional baseball players, was exposed. He cheated the fans, himself and the record books. Somewhere in the middle of all that, he practiced Kabbalah with the train wreck known as Madonna and uttered the words “loosey goosey” about elevendy times. The steroids aren’t even the biggest problem for Alex in New York. His current .244 post-season batting average with the Yankees has saddled him with the “not clutch” label.

The only way either of these spectacularly flawed athletes alters perception is to win. It’s amazing how winning covers up flaws and hard feelings. Just win a ring and everyone will adore you and forget about all your faults. A-Rod has his best chance with the current crop of Yankees that won 103 games this year. Romo may have to wait a few years to get his shot at the Lombardi trophy given the current state of their organization. Romo will never sniff a title with Wade Phillips country boy fist pumping on the sidelines.

But, at some point one of their true talents will shine through at the right moment. One of them will eventually enjoy a butt slapping, fist pumping celebration with their teammates and hoist a trophy overhead. Who will feel the love first?