NFL
Injury-prone Dallas RB Felix Jones is one of the biggest disappointments of the Cowboys’ season. Without a healthy Jones, the Boys are without a homerun threat on offense, which is essential because the team has yet to indicate the capacity to employ a power running game … It has been well-documented that Tony Romo’s football idol is perennial all-pro Quarterback Brett Farve. Most of his “gun-slinging” mentality can be traced back to his intrinsic desire to mirror his game after the Minnesota Vikings Quarterback. While Romo lacks Farve’s spectacular arm strength, he also lack’s Farve’s awareness in the pocket when teams blitz and the offensive line’s protection schemes breakdown. A key fourth-quarter turnover by Romo practically sealed the Boys doom against Green Bay at Lambeau Field last weekend. Recognizing the blitz, the Cowboy QB should have quickly checked down, thrown the ball away or utilized his mobility to evade or slow down Green Bay’s relentless rush employed by Packers Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers.
NBA
The key ingredient to a banner-like season for the Dallas Mavericks will be quality depth on their Bench. After the first month and a half of the regular season, the Mavs have every reason to be optimistic that their bench will be more potent than it has been in recent memory. Guard Rodrigue Beaubois had flashed some of his athleticism from preseason by having turned a 14 points and three assists night in a tough defensive-oriented game against the Detroit Pistons last weekend. If Beaubois can overcome his rookie jitters and become more consistent, the Mavericks will be tougher to contend with this coming spring.
SkyRant of the Week
When I first read that former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Jon Gruden signed a multi-year extension as an NFL commentator, I was a bit perplexed. While Gruden’s a very articulate and engaging personality on the network, I thought he was a bit too predictable and uninspiring as a head coach. Most of his offensive players never trusted him and he played constant “musical chairs” with his roster of quarterbacks. Perhaps, Gruden is finally cognizant of his limitations as a head coach and basks in the glory of a large contract from the “World Wide Leader In Sports.” Hmmm, it wouldn’t be surprising if “Gruden The Genius” has a clause in his contract that lets him exit if he were to attain an NFL coaching vacancy next year.
