The DRC Lovefest

Everybody is in love with Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie. He’s got the genes. His cousin is an All-Pro. He’s got speed. He had one helluva workout at the combine. Look here and here.

There are many fans in the DRC lovefest.

He’s shown up as a possibility for the ‘Boys on more than a few mock drafts. If the ‘Boys end up with Cromartie and Felix Jones, consider me a happy camper.

I just hope they don’t draft him at the No. 22 spot. I’m telling you, the curse of 22 is real. I still have visions of David LaFleur, which is more like a nightmare. Trade up, trade down, do something.

The combine has been tough for two Wolverines particularly. Manningham has gone from someone I thought we might spend a first-round pick on to someone whose speed is now being questioned. Where does he fall to? Do we take him if he’s around at the bottom of the second or third round? I might.

Another mock draft has us taking Antoine Cason, a cornerback from Arizona with the No. 22 pick. Key quote:

Jerry Jones wants Darren McFadden and the Cowboys may very well trade up to take the running back. That seems strange because they have Marion Barber, perhaps the game’s most punishing running back. If cooler heads prevail and the Cowboys stay where they are, Cason should be a winning football player. He is physical and can knock receivers off stride. He has excellent coverage technique, but ultraquick wideouts give him problems.

Ah, Randy Galloway. Big Ball of Haterade. It’s almost as if I can hear him audibly groan whenever he writes a sentence praising the Cowboys.  He’s not in the Hater-Hall-of-Fame where Skip Bayless is a first-ballot inductee. But he’s been a consistent source of venom. During our 5-11 Campo years his columns seemed giddy. During this year’s 13-3 season he seemed muted. Just wasn’t that much to bitch about.

Apparently, Little Ball of Hate was off covering the Rangers so Charean Williams filled in for this segment with Galloway. I happen to respect Williams and her writing. Galloway and Williams cover a lot of ground here. Both talk about Darren McFadden, Flozell Adams, Randy Moss, free agency, trade speculation and Zach Thomas. Here's the short version: Jerry is dumb sometimes and we're smart all the time because we’re journalists!

While I’m bashing the Star-Telegram, I have to admit, I’m really enjoying Ray Buck’s series about the history of the Cowboys. The newest story is about one of my favorite Cowboys Ed "Too Tall" Jones. The article details Jones and his affinity for boxing. Can you imagine a first round pick leaving football at the peak of his career to be a boxer? Then returning and being even more productive? That’s unreal.

And did you know that one of the greatest Cowboys considered jumping in the ring with The Greatest of All-Time?

In ’79, Jones wasn’t ready — and he knew it — to go up against heavyweight contenders.

Muhammad Ali pondered coming out of retirement about that same time. On July 14, 1979, he fought an eight-round exhibition against Lyle Alzado of the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium.

(Note: No winner was declared but Alzado took a round, maybe two, from Ali, according to ringside accounts.)

There was talk about an Ali-Jones bout, but it never came close to happening.

Years later, at a Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight outside Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Ali was told by his body guard to turn around ... Ed "Too Tall" Jones was in the crowd.

"Hey, Too Tall! Show me your jab," squealed Ali, holding up his hands. "Show me your jab."

Jones needed to be coaxed, then flicked a stiff jab — all 79 inches of it — in Ali’s direction.

Ali feigned being startled, or at least he seemed to feign it.

Then, both men laughed. What an introduction to "The Greatest."

"I still have a lot of friends in boxing," Jones said. "The sport was something I always knew I was good at."