I know it comes off as grotesquely insensitive but watching the Cowboys morass their way to a "win" over the Cleveland Staff Infections reminded me of those controversial "Bum Fights" from years back... you know the ones where people would pay homeless men money, beer or worse to fight each other and they'd record it and put it on YouTube. Dallas was "Dumpster Dave" and Cleveland was "Banana Peel Pete" and Pete slipped on his own puke and the Cowboys were declared the winner. In Roger Goodell's NFL, fair to middlin to outright dog dung can still be "good" enough to get a W. All is fair in Parody Hell.

That being said, you don't ever make excuses for winning and this was one that Dallas obviously needed. It marked the first time this season they've strung together wins. Think about that a sec. It took over 2 months for the Cowboys to win 2 straight ball games and they're on the cusp of being Your First Place Dallas Cowboys. They have a GM who thinks the world is flat, a head coach who can't see the forest for all the trees, an offensive line that would be about the 7th best in the Big 12, running backs who get hurt about as often as Rob Ryan drops an F-bomb in front of tv cameras and a nare do well safety named Barry who blew out an achilles and STILL got a 4 year extension. Bum fights can sure take a toll on the observer.

It sort of snuck up on me but this coming Monday will mark 5 years in San Antonio holding the keys to STSA. It's only 5 years but some of you probably consider it a mini-miracle that it actually has gone on this long. When I left KESN (Mickey Dallas) a couple of guys I have a ton of respect for, Mark Followill and Chuck Cooperstein, both told me at the time that this would be good for me. I was hosting the night time slot and there just wasn't any way (at the time) that I would be doing anything more than I already was. They were right. I needed to grow. In 5 years I've become a hell of a lot better than I was before... and I've matured as a person (insert joke here)... I've learned how to do a 3 hour show all by myself and deal with the responsibility of being the afternoon man at Ticket 760 and being the React man on big brother down the hall 1200 WOAI. Lord knows had the ratings stunk and the sales plummeted they would have sent my butt back to Cowtown. It's not that I'm some sort of great talk show host... I don't think I suck but the reason the show has worked is because big boss Peter Bolger allowed me to do my thing and work through my mistakes... and because a lot of people like it. I don't have any idea what a "great talk show" sounds like but I do know that the only ones that work long term are the ones that somehow find a way to connect with the audience. For reasons only the cosmos knows, the city has connected with a North Texas rednexican who only knew how to get to Sea World and the Alamo before he moved here. I do know though that you have to build a relationship with the listener. Any dude can watch a football game and fire off an ignorant opinion about it... but listeners won't keep coming back unless they feel like they know you and I really feel like a lot of guys I've never met actually do know me a little bit.. and I've come to know the city. Like any place, it ain't perfect but it's ours. This will always be special to me... I met Tita here.. my twins were born here. For 14 years I've been able to work in the "toy department" of life (that's for you Coop) and who knows how long that'll continue. The mark of a good man is not what he does for a living but I know how lucky I am to get to do this. At some point I'll wind up teaching, driving a truck or whatever... but it's been a pleasure to hold the keys to the cool car for a little while. Dick Vermiel tear and Troubadour playing in the back ground. Enough sappy BS. See you at 4.

Despite everything that he deserves criticism for, I find it ironic that Tony Romo's taking a worse bashing than he's ever received over the Chicago debacle. Whilst I feel your pain, I just can't sit here and think that the main reason for his terrible game was the scourge that is Jerry Jones. As Romo stood there watching Kyle Orton finish the game, I can't help but wonder if Romo finally realized what his lot in his football life is. You and I both already know. He's bound for a tarnished legacy of good ball player who lost. We unfairly call those people "losers". You could put Aaron Rodgers at QB for this team and over time, he too would lose steam.... and he too would lose games. Gregg Popovich has repeatedly beamed over the Spurs' "corporate knowledge" when asked about the secrets of the franchise's annual successes. Dallas' corporate knowledge is stagnate to the point of incurable disease. I know it. You know it.. and as the clock wound down the other night perhaps Romo knew it.