Live Tweeting the first UFL Game...

Follow me here. I have a live tweet of the first UFL game. I am risking missing the Office and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia over this...So you better tune in!

NFL Preview Show Extravaganza: Dallas Cowboys

We wrap up the NFC East with a look at the Dallas Cowboys. Personally, I've been waiting to let my thoughts out on my namesake.

This season is indeed now or never for Tony Romo. Gone are the distractions of Terrell Owens and Pacman Jones. Romo is the star of the show in Dallas.

If he wants to be listed among the great Cowboys quarterbacks like Meredith, Staubach and Aikman, he needs to get to the playoffs and win this season.

Common sense says that Romo should be the leader of this team. However, in some ways, it doesn't feel like Romo is leading this team. The biggest issue last season for the Cowboys was there was nobody stepping up to be the leader of this team.

Leaders make the difference between an adequate team and a playoff winning team. If nobody steps up and takes charge, the Cowboys won't win then. This year we will indeed see who steps up and who doesn't.

Time for those burnin' yearbook style questions:

Most Offensive Player: Marion Barber
Most Defensive Player: DeMarcus Ware
Best New Guy: Jason Williams LB
Coolest Twitter Page: Martellus Bennett
Team Song: Texas Flood- Stevie Ray Vaughn
Coolest Names (Top 3): Flozell Adams, Gerald Sensabaugh, Igor Olshansky
Most Likely to Succeed: DeMarcus Ware
In 2009, the Cowboys will go: 7-9

That's all for this week. Next week, we'll focus on the NFC West.

Coming soon...

My oh my has it been a long time since my last blog post. A lot of crazy things have happened. Okay not really, but I do miss updating the site.

I do have the usual summer project of the NFL Preview Show Extravaganza coming up very soon. I hope to get started on the previews in July. I also hope to give a week-by-week breakdown of the 2009 season. I'll do as many updates as I can between now and the previews.

It's great to be back and I hope you come back for some great football news and analysis.

No Post Today: Christmas Day

Enjoy your Christmas Day everybody. Happy Holidays from Oh No Romo!

Tuesdays with Romo: Photo of the week

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Friday Briefs: The 300th post at Oh No Romo

Oh No Romo has officially reached its 300th post. I'll have the little celebratory thing below my picks. Last week, I went 3-2. For the season, I am 43-24-1. There's a couple weeks left in the season and I hope I can have 50 wins.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay

New England over Oakland

Carolina over Denver

Baltimore over Pittsburgh

UPSET PICK: Kansas City over San Diego


Now for the video thingy for my 300th post.

Tuesdays with Romo: Election Day

As I'm sure all of you know, today is Election Day. Out of respect for the Democratic process, I am taking the Tuesday and Wednesday off. If you're registered to vote, go out and vote today. It's your duty as an American (over the age of 18) to do so.

I voted last month and it was a good feeling. However, for the sake of my blog, I will not tell you who I voted for. I might have my football biases, but you won't detect my political biases.

So enjoy voting and enjoy not having to see any of those damn political advertisements.

Let me end with this statement: Vote Damn It!!!


-Oh No Romo

Friday Briefs: Time to pick some games

It finally happened, for the first time this season I went 5-0 for the week. I really nailed those picks. I'm now 25-10 for the season, which means the season is at the halfway point. Time for some week 8 picks.

Baltimore over Oakland- This seems like an obvious win for the Ravens. They need this win to keep with the Steelers in the AFC North.

Jacksonville over Cleveland- The Browns are falling apart, but then again so are the Jags.

New York (Jets) over Cincinnati- The Bengals will keep losing until they decide to win.

San Francisco over Seattle- Good luck goes out to Mike Singletary as he makes his head coaching debut for the 49ers.

UPSET PICK: Tampa Bay over Dallas- No namesake, no win.

Church Sign of the Week: October 16, 2008

Remember the time when Tony Romo got hurt? We don't

Consider Oh No Romo in a panic right now. Our fearless leader is out for as much as four weeks because of a broken finger on his throwing hand.

Ordinarily, we wouldn't fret over this, but because this is our namesake and the fact that he is on all three of my fantasy teams (who by the way were in great shape prior to the injury), we can't help but panic.

I can't imagine how the Cowboys nation is feeling right now. I'd be willing to bet the panic is greater there than it is at Oh No Romo. I'm sure Joe Buck is inconsolable right now.

Get better soon, man.

My fantasy team is doomed right now.

The Mondays: Washington wants to be cool

Washington Redskins 24 - Philadelphia Eagles 17- So...are the Redskins for real? Two weeks in a row, they've knocked off a division rival on the road. That is impressive, even for NFC East standards. Coach Jim Zorn has this team firing on all cylinders. In their next three games, the Redskins will play St. Louis, Cleveland and Detroit. The Redskins could easily be 7-1 at the halfway point.

Tennessee Titans 13 - Baltimore Ravens 10- How about the Titans? They are off to an excellent start. I think what needs to be asked is if Vince Young is ready to come back and play. At this point, Kerry Collins is the hot pick.

Chicago Bears 34 - Detroit Lions 7- How about that Kyle Orton fella? He threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns. The Bears are in great shape. They're 3-2 and could easily be 5-0, had they not lost close cames to Carolina and Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, things are just not looking good for the Lions. Quarterback Jon Kitna was benched in the third quarter and we got our first look at Dan Orlovski. He didn't have a lot of luck.

Atlanta Falcons 27 - Green Bay Packers 24- Would you believe that the Falcons need one more win to match last season's total? It is great to see the Falcons playing good football. Matt Ryan is continuing to mature as quarterback. It helps that he has a good back in Michael Turner, who ran for 121 yards and one touchdown.

New York Giants 44 - Seattle Seahawks 6- The Giants have it going on and they don't look to be stumbling anytime soon. Eli Manning threw two touchdowns on Sunday. Something is wrong with the Seahawks. They're 1-3 to start the season. There's a lot to be concerned about in Seattle.

Denver Broncos 16 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13- The Broncos managed to play defense and won a close game.

ROMO ALERT: Dallas Cowboys 31 - Cincinnati Bengals 22- This one shouldn't have been close, but the Cowboys did struggle. Tony Romo threw for 176 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

Sunday Night Recap: Pittsburgh Steelers 26 - Jacksonville Jaguars 21- The Steelers stay strong in the AFC.

Monday Night Prediction: New Orleans over Minnesota


Photo Credit: Washington Times

Friday Briefs: NFL picks to start October

It's Octoberfest every October here at Oh No Romo. To cap off the first Friday, we have nothing but picks for you. Last week, I went 3-2. I'm 14-6 for the season. Hopefully, I can keep the good times rolling. Here's my five picks for the week.

Carolina over KC- Carolina should start to show that they are a force to reckon with in the NFC.

Chicago over Detroit- This is shaping to be the Bears division, but it's a long season.

San Diego over Miami- Sorry, I can't see the Dolphins giving another terrific performance.

New York Giants over Seattle- I have no idea what is wrong with the Seahawks, but they're not going to win this cross-country trip.

UPSET PICK: San Francisco over New England

Enjoy the weekend

Church Sign of the Week- October 2

NOTE: The Losers Rankings took a bye week

We here at Oh No Romo aren't typically religious, but we respect those who seek religion. Therefore, we hope you enjoy these signs that we'll post weekly. We did one over the weekend and we have another one for you today.

The Mondays: Bye-Bye Brady?

Happy week 1 of the NFL season. I am proud to bring back the greatest spectacle here at Oh No Romo, the Mondays.

New England Patriots 17 - Kansas City Chiefs 10- The Pats held on to win their 17th straight regular season game, but it came at a strong price. Reports are out that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is out for the season after tearing his ACL.

This is a disastrous injury no matter which team you play for. Brady has been the face of this franchise for seven years now. The Patriots will be playing without him for the first time in a long time. The pressure is now on Matt Cassel.

He goes from being back up to #1 on the depth chart. Cassel played well Sunday in his time off the bench. Cassel completed 13-of-18 for 152 yards and one touchdown. Cassel managed the game well and showed a lot of composure despite getting hit hard a couple of times. It will be interesting to see how Cassel does in the next couple of weeks. It will also be interesting to see if the Patriots add another quarterback

Atlanta Falcons 34 - Detroit Lions 21- A big congratulations goes out to Matt Ryan for winning his first game as an NFL quarterback. The big story of the day goes to running back Michael Turner. The former San Diego running back had over 200 yards today with two touchdowns. Matt Ryan also threw his first career touchdown pass when he completed a 62-yarder to Michael Jenkins. The Falcons could be 2-0 if they go through Tampa next week.

Buffalo Bills 34 - Seattle Seahawks 10- I raise my hand because yes, I admit, I saw this loss for the Seahawks coming. I'm not saying the Seahawks are bad, that's only on the road and when they travel across the country. No matter, this is a big win for the Bills. Roscoe Parrish rocked Buffalo when he returned a punt for 63 yards in the second quarter to score a touchdown.

Baltimore Ravens 17 - Cincinnati Bengals 10- How about that Joe Flacco kid? The rookie from Delaware ran for a 38 yard touchdown.

I Believe in Kenny Watson Watch: Watson ran for 13 yards on two carries.

Oh No Romo Alert: Despite a little sweet chin music, Romo threw for 320 yards and one touchdown. The Cowboys won.

Sunday Night Recap: Chicago Bears 29 - Indianapolis Colts 13- It was the Matt Forte show that came on air at Lucas Oil Stadium. Forte ran for 123 yards and one touchdown. Peyton Manning in his return to the field threw for one touchdown and 257 yards. The running game for the Colts never took off. The Colts ran for a combined 53 yards.

Monday Night Predictions: Minnesota Vikings over Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos over Oakland Raiders

Photo Credit: Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The 'Boys, Charles Haley, the Facts of Life and more: An Oh No Romo Exclusive with Jeff Pearlman

We have a special treat for you kiddies today. Former SI writer, Jeff Pearlman was kind enough to do an interview with us. His new book is Boys will Be Boys, which discusses the dynasty of the Dallas Cowboys. The book is slated for release on Sept. 16. In the mean time, you can enjoy this Q&A session with Mr. Pearlman. (Note: No Preview is planned for today.)

There have been several books written on the Cowboys of the 1990s. What makes this book different from all of the others out there?

Excellent question. Having read every Cowboy book that's probably ever existed at this point, I feel safe in saying "Boys Will Be Boys" is very unique. If there's a writer who's tried to make the 90s Cowboys his own, it's Skip Bayless, who wrote three 90s Cowboys books in a very short span. I don't know Skip, certainly respect his talent as a writer—but his work is very, very, very gossipy, and I consider the way he "outed" Troy Aikman in Hell Bent to be one of the most unprofessional things in modern sports journalism. It's something that should have had him blackballed from journalism, but didn't.

Last year Norm Hitzges came out with what I'd consider to be the best '90s Cowboys work until that time, a beautiful coffee table book with large photos and cool details.

But my book is different. First off, I researched the hell out of it. People think guys like Skip are at an advantage, having covered the team, but I disagree. Coming from my vantage point, I couldn't rely on having attended practices or having go-to guys. So I literally tried to interview everyone. Every roster player, every training camp attendee, every coach, assistant, executive, hanger-on, etc. Details, details, details—it's a very detailed book. I also went out of my way to merge two disparate story lines—the amazing on-the-field Cowboys and the wild off-the-field Cowboys. I wanted to weave a narrative from the two, and rely first and foremost on reporting, not merely rumors and passed-down stories that have been reheated 100 times.

That's an awfully long winded answer. Put briefly, I'm very proud of what I'm offering, and think readers will uncover a very serendipitous read.

Is there one central figure that this book focuses on?

No, though I'd say the four stars are Michael Irvin, Charles Haley, Barry Switzer and Jimmy Johnson. Not be design, just how it unfolded.

How many players did you interview for the book and who were some of the notables you met with?

I spoke to 146 Cowboy players, coaches and administrators for this book, and probably interviewed, oh, 250-280 people overall. The key guys, as far as material, were probably Mike Irvin, who I stalked out at his Hall of Fame weekend, Clayton Holmes, Kenny Gant, Jim Jeffcoat, Larry Brown. There's a misconception about book writing, that you NEED the big names (Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin, etc) or a book can't be good.

From my first book, The Bad Guys Won!, I learned the opposite. Neither Dwight Gooden nor Strawberry spoke with me, and it didn't matter. They've been interviewed about '86 hundreds of times. The keys were the backup catchers, the long relievers, etc. Same with the Cowboys. Aikman and Emmitt didn't talk, and I wasn't overly concerned, because they've told their stories hundreds of times. The keys were tracking down men like Clayton, Kenny, Hugh Millen—the guys who were there, who witnessed it all and who have never been asked on the record.

Which player interested you the most writing this book and why?

Oh, Charles Haley. He peed in a teammate's car, masturbated in the locker room, very manic, loved, hated, loathed, tolerated. The ultimate merging of tragic and victorious.

You mention on your web site that you wanted to avoid being typecast as a writer who reports on just the negative aspects. How did you do that in Boys will Be Boys?

Well, I made it as much about the actual football as anything else. You can read Skip's work and forget there was actually a football team involved. That's not a rip, because drama sells. But I was just as fascinated by the on-field dynamic between Irvin and Harper, or Aikman's maturation as a QB. This is a football book.

How much emphasis did you put on the Herschel Walker trade? How much of an impact did that have on the Cowboys of the 90s?

Man, that was huge. You're talking about the best (Cowboys)/worst (Vikings) trade in NFL history. Put simply, without that deal the Cowboys don't win three Super Bowls. No way! It was both brilliant on the part of Jimmy Johnson and moronic on the part of the Vikes' Mike Lynn, who was a business guy trying to make personnel decisions on his own.

You also mention on your site that Deion Sanders was sort of the beginning of the end to the dynasty. He did help win a Super Bowl. What caused the end of this dynasty?

A lot of things. Aging, arrogance, indifference. Deion is a good person, and I think his heart is in the right place. But the '90s Cowboys were built as a cohesive, unselfish unit. Jimmy Johnson didn't tolerate selfishness. His model was Mike Irvin, an off-the-field disaster, but an insanely hard worker; special teammate.

Deion came in and didn't work hard; took practices off; taught younger players how NOT to act. Plus, he brought religion into the locker room, and suddenly guys who used to be studying film were attending extended Bible study. I've got no beef with religion, but myriad players said Deion took the focus away from football.

Could the dynasty have lasted longer if Jimmy Johnson stayed on as coach longer, or was it inevitable (Ed. the demise)?

I think it could have. He was simply a 100,000-times better coach than Barry Switzer, and all the discipline was lost when Jimmy departed. You're talking about an insanely talented collection of football players who smelled blood when Barry arrived. They knew they could walk all over him—and they did.

What was Barry Switzer's relationship like with the players? Who did he get along with the most? Least?

Despite what people think, players loved Barry in a way they didn't love Jimmy. Jimmy was actually hated by a lot of guys, who felt more like pieces of hardware than human beings under his reign. The problem is, loving your coach isn't always such a great thing.

Barry would cut practices short, let players goof around, etc. As for who he got along with best/worst: Worst was clearly Troy Aikman, who came to despise his laid-back attitude. Best was hard to say. Nate Newton loved him. So did Deion.

In your opinion, how does this dynasty rank with all the other NFL dynasties of the past and even the present?

Oh, I think these Cowboys would have put a real ass kicking to the modern-day Patriots. Too athletic, too skilled, too fast. Just a better all-around team, and Jimmy was the perfect coach. They're right at the top, probably with those Bill Walsh Niners and Lombardi Packers.

Will there ever be another dynasty like the Cowboys?

Only if there's an NFL city where magnificent football talent coincides with a resurgence of strip clubs.

Now comes the best part of this show. We took it upon ourselves to ask some fun questions. Enjoy.

If you could be any member of the 90s Cowboys, who would you be and why?

Easy—Alvin Harper. I've long dreamed of being banned from a strip club. Plus, single coverage all day.

Which Leon Lett moment would you rather be apart of: Thanksgiving Day against the Dolphins or the Super Bowl fumble?

Well, the Super Bowl was humiliating, but relatively inconsequential. That Miami gaffe, though, cost Dallas the game and goes down, alongside Jim Marshall's wrong-way run, as the most humiliating in league history. So, from Leon's standpoint, I'll take the super Bowl.

You start a team and you only have Steve Walsh and Steve Beurlein to choose from: Who do you choose and why?

Oh, not Walsh. He was a nice system QB and a very solid backup. But Beuerlein was a legit NFL starter who really knew how to manage a game. Now if it's between Walsh and Babe Laufenberg...

If you could be Deion for a day, what would you do? (Without getting you into trouble with your wife of course.)

I'd do everything to get out of my contract for another season of "Prime Time Love."

You made a Facts of Life reference, therefore I'm obligated to ask this question. Which Facts of Life character best describes you?

I'd say Natalie. Sorta geeky, Jewish and desperately wanting to roll with Kim Fields. (Ed. I'm more of a Natalie, with maybe a little Jo in me, possibly an element of Tootie.)

According to your biography on your web site, you mentioned that you dance professionally on the World Polka Challenge Tour. Me being part Polish, it's a running joke in my family that all the Polka songs sound the same. Any truth to that rumor? Also, do you play a mean accordion?

To be honest, I recently gave up Polka and am forming a Tupac Shakur tribute band. And, yes, that's me on accordion in "Brenda's Got a Baby."

Happy Birthday to Oh No Romo

Who would have thought that one year ago today, I decided to be an idiot and start this blog. Although I'm not a huge celebrity like my namesake is, I'm slowly progressing into a fairly decent blogger.

Am I the best, hell no! I know though if I can do the best I can, I'll be okay. I just have to put some heart and soul into this. I hope to keep blogging for a long, long time.


So happy birthday Blog, enjoy this day!


-Yours truly

Get over yourselves America, Brett Favre is not coming back

It seems like ever since Favre has retired, there have been rumors about him making a comeback to the NFL. This new report out has to take the cake.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen is reporting that Favre has an "itch" to return to the Packers. Favre would expect to be back for training camp.

First of all, if he has an itch, he should check and make sure that it's not a rash. Secondly, Favre is not coming back.

I understand the whole, 'I have an itch and I need to scratch it' policy. I just can't see Favre making a comeback though. Favre's agent has said that he isn't aware of any talks of a comeback. The following is a quote from the Mortensen story:

"As far as I know, right now, Brett Favre is retired and until he tells me something different, that's what it is," James "Bus" Cook, Favre's agent, said.

I think it's time we let go of this and just admit that Favre has retired. The man has decided to move on from football. He chose to leave football while he was still in a good shape. Football didn't leave Favre behind. The Packers didn't cut him to clear cap room; they kept Favre.

In my mind, the 2007 was one of Favre's best seasons as an NFL quarterback. It was the ride of his life and he enjoyed every minute of it. Favre's final play was an interception in the NFC Title Game, but you can't look at it like that. You have to look at the positives, never the negatives.

Hump Day: Random Thoughts- July 2, 2008

Hey what do you know, we're only a couple of weeks away from the starting of NFL training camps. As you all know, this is the most boring part of the NFL season, where media outlets try to report any pertinent information.

Hell, I'm so desperate, I devoted a whole post to NCAA 09. Come on, you can't tell me you're not excited about it one bit! (FYI: The Zeppelin World Tour petition has 16,000 signatures. So keep signing up.)

This is boring! At this point, I'm willing to take any good piece of news. Maybe a Shockey trade rumor. Maybe a Terrell Owens incident. Hell, I'd settle for some Tony Romo rumors from US Weekly or People Magazine.

Do we really want to know who coaches think is the smartest non-QB player in the NFL, or the Dirtiest player? Why don't we go ahead and ask the question, Who has the best hair? Who is the biggest headache to deal with? And my personal favorite, who is their least favorite sports writer?

So how about this NFL rookie cap? Sounds like some crazy stuff, eh? I've developed a three step plan to make as much as much money as Matt Ryan.

1. Get in shape
   
   
2. Learn an NFL playbook
   
   
3. Profit (You figure out how to get from step two to step three.)
   

Just follow those three steps and Gene Upshaw will fight to make sure you get the most out of your guaranteed money.

Speaking of guaranteed money, it's good to see Matt Ryan pick up what Commissioner Goodell is laying down. Thank goodness Ryan understands! I was worried sick that the money would turn him into the illegitimate child of the Monopoly Guy. Damn it Ryan, you can take Park Place and Marvin Gardens, but you'll never take the Pennsylvania Railroad from me!

So the Kansas City Chiefs have a rule in place that bars standing at games in Arrowhead Stadium. That's all fine and everything, but what happens to people who get stuck behind Yao Ming at the game? This rule is dumb. There is also a text message system in place to rat out any person that decides to be a hooligan and actually have the nerve to stand. ZOMG!

Our long National Nightmare is over, the 2008 NFL Record & Fact Book was recently released. The book contains statistics, histories of teams and even some rules for you to chew on. There are some things you'll never see in the book. Like:

• How many commercial deals Peyton Manning gets in a year...
  
  
• How many horrible outfits Clinton Portis keeps in his closet...
  
  
• The number of suits Mike Nolan wears to bed...
  
  
• The number of Vizios that are in LaDainian Tomlinson's home...

Thanks for playing along guys.

Coming Soon to a theatre near you: The NFL Preview Show Extravaganza

That's right people. Very, very soon, I will be starting the second ever NFL Preview Show Extravaganza. You might remember these classics. They went something like this. I'm still figuring out what I want to do with this year's edition, but I know it will be classic.

Once again, I will be previewing all 32 teams, as we once again prepare for the 2008 NFL season. I am personally stoked for this season. I think it will be a lot of fun like it always has been. There are so many questions that need to be answered.

We'll be going in this order:

NFC East

NFC North

NFC South

NFC West

AFC East

AFC North

AFC South

AFC West

The first preview should be ready to go on July 9. Stay tuned!

Oh No Romo

UPDATE: More Flood Photos

Earlier this morning, I posted some pics of the flooding in my town. Now, after making the rounds at around 8 a.m., I have more pics to show you. You can see some of it on the IReport web site at CNN.com.


You might ask why I'm doing this instead of talking about Cedric Benson being released, or Tom Brady having foot odor issues (He doesn't to my knowledge).

I'm doing this because this is an important event for me. This flood is much more important than any talk about the NFL at this point.

I hope to share these images and words with you for the rest of the week. More importantly, I hope you take in these images and words that I give you. Put these images in your head, and put them in your heart.

At some point, I will be able to write again about football. I have my team previews to do. I know that will be a big summer project. However, now is not the time. We are still in a flood warning. However, the good news is the river should crest soon at 19.3 ft. As of 9 a.m. this morning, the river was at 19.1 ft.

I hope to have more pictures and words for you folks this week.

Stay safe

Oh No Romo