For the few minutes that Tony Romo lay on the ground in the first
quarter of last Thursday’s preseason game against Seattle, Dallas Cowboys fans
were worried that the end had come for the Romo window. Romo did get up, but it
was later revealed he suffered a fracture in his vertebrae and could be out
6-10 weeks. Though he will be back later
in the season, it is apparent now that he must seriously consider retirement.
A little disclaimer before we get started, I love Tony Romo.
Since 2006, when I started my interest into sports, he was the first player I
identified with. Since then, I would defend him at all lengths and applaud when
he would make those Houdini-like plays. He was my quarterback, borrowing a
phrase from former Romo teammate Terrell Owens. Yet, in the last few years, I
was in total denial about the long-term health issues that seemed to be
plaguing him. The hit that happened last Thursday finally woke me up.
The Romo-Era is coming to an end.
Why the change? The
numbers simply told the story to me. With the current injury, it will be the
sixth time since 2008 that Tony Romo won’t play a full season. That doesn’t count the multiple times he has
suffered major injuries and still played through them. Remember when he had a
punctured lung? This shows us two narratives; Romo is one of the toughest
players in all of sports and he is also one of the most fragile.
It has gotten worse since the start of the 2013 season. He
had four surgeries and two separate fractures on his back. It seems every time
he gets hit, fans have to hold their breath to see if he will get back up.
As he gets older, it will get worse. Football is a brutal sport and it is much
worse to those who are older. It is a young man’s game and Tony is tempting
fate every time.
He will return this season and could be fine and lead the
team into the playoffs. Romo could return for next season and play at a high
level. But, the next hit could also be the one to knock him out forever. No player should have to retire that way.
Lifting up your children is much more important than lifting the Lombardi
Trophy.
