Football Wrap Week 7 (Death of A Season)

I hate writing eulogies. I already did one earlier this year for the Dodgers and now I have to write another for a season that is officially in the ground (with another possibly on the horizon in San Diego).

Forget another blog jocking Auburn, UCLA getting curbstomped by the Eugene Ducky Boys, the Saints missing Reggie, the BCS acting ugly, my fantasy successes or Brett Favre showing his true, selfish colors if he plays Sunday. I present. The Death. Of the Cowboys.

With a heavy heart, I announce this. Seasons usually don't die before the midpoint but they do when you suffer a bonecrushing loss. They die when you find new ways to lose every week and still get shocked at how low it still gets. Case in point - the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

We lost to the Redskins on a holding penalty. We lost to the Vikings with a slew of penalties to negate our efforts. We lost to Tennessee despite Tony Romo having 400 yards and Felix Jones rushing over 100. Just when   you think it can't get any worse, Monday Comes Around (c) Switchfoot

I left work with the Cowboys holding a 14-7 lead and went nuts in the car as Dez Bryant took it 90 yards to the house for a huge lead. Turns out that it was the last sign of life from a dying man. Next thing I know, the Midgets scored three times in the next 8 minutes and it wouldn't stop until the end. That's right. A 31-point response in Cowboys Stadium that ripped the heart out of every fan.

It was death by public execution. Losing despite forcing 5 turnovers. And seeing this sight after the game didn't help....

Yep. Tony Romo's possibly done for the season. Broken left clavicle. They took out my quarterback. My quarterback. Sniff, sniff. (c) Terrell Owens

All the preseason hype in the world couldn't overcome a lack of discipline and terrible on-field decisions. It couldn't overcome Wade Phillips looking more lost like a kid given a Maserati despite just getting his license or Jason Garrett showing why he was a 3rd-string QB with his terrible playcalling.

There's no reason that a team with Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant (3 total TD's Monday), DeMarcus Ware, Felix Jones, Marion Barber should be in this position. It all comes down to coaching and finding ways to win. Romo has shown more often than not that he's becoming a better quarterback despite his Brett Favre tendencies.

And watching all of this is Jerry Jones. The man who is 15 years removed from our last title. The man who's ego has kept him from hiring a great coach. Think about it. After Jimmy Johnson was forced out because he wouldn't bow down to Jerry Jones, we've hired Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and sent Bill Parcells to retirement.

(This pic says it all about Jerry's sense of self-importance)

The most storied franchise in the NFL has had average coaches running the ship. Why? Because the only star in Dallas is the owner. Jerry Jones doesn't want any competition. He undermined arguably the most underrated coaching star of the last 3 decades and replaced him with ordinary guys who were out of their element. In Parcells' case, he wasn't given room to breathe and do the magic he usually does.

And this is why the Dallas dynasty died. Had he never fired Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys would've won 4 straight Super Bowls and drafted players to keep the team going. But no, he has to be the star. The Cowboys stadium is a monument to his excess, his brilliance. His version of Nebuchadnezzar's statue that looks gold from afar but has been crushed by a boulder.

It's beyond stupid. When Wade Phillips is finally canned, Jerry needs to get over himself and do what's best for the franchise. Stop seeing the dollars rolling in from merchandise and start validating it with a team worthy of respect. Go talk to Bill Cowher or somebody with discipline and a proven track record and get an OC who can develop our players.

(For more on Jerry, check this post from last year celebrating his 20th anniversary as owner)

A dead season is upon us. I know Jon Kitna is a great guy but unless he captures magic in a bottle, there's no reason to watch except out of pure loyalty. Chargers fans, we need a win next week or I'll be writing something similar calling for pounds of flesh to repay us for a lost season.