Romo to Williams - Media's point of attack in 2009

Every year, there seems to be something about the Dallas Cowboys the sports media likes to sink their teeth into. Most of the time, these topics are overblown, untrue and end up annoying us Dallas fans by the time the playoffs roll around.

In 2007, the Media's point of attack was Tony Romo's relationship with Jessica Simpson, her appearance at the Philadelphia loss in December, and the criticism of his trip with her to Cabo during the top seed playoff bye. When the hot topic of the Dallas Cowboys is something this trivial, you know the team was doing well. (Coincidentally, going 13-3 in 2007.)

in 2008, the Media latched onto this idea of team chemistry and how the Cowboys lacked it. From there, it evolved into a blame game. Is Tony Romo not a strong enough leader? Is Terrell Owens a cancer to the locker room? Are Romo and Witten drawing up their own plays and leaving T.O in the dust? The overblown media speculation last year was enough to make any Cowboys fan's eyes bleed.

That brings us to 2009. Tony and Jessica are split up. Terrell Owens is in Buffalo. There will be no distraction because of Roy Williams' poor play. No criminal distractions at the hands of Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson. No perrenial whining from Greg Ellis. Even Wade Phillips has a renewed vision for this football team, emphasizing getting things "exactly right." At first glance, there doesn't seem to be much nonsense for the media to cook up this year.

But, we shouldn't be so naieve. You know as well as I do that there will be *something* that the media will find and exploit. My prediction of the 2009 Dallas Cowboys hot topic:  the "chemistry" between Tony Romo and Roy Williams.

Regardless of how good Roy Williams turns out to be, everytime he drops a pass or Romo overthrows him, you'll be able to feel collective excitement of beat writers everywhere salivating at the chance to bring up this topic at a post-game press conference. Lets face it. Williams isnt going to have 100 yards every game. He isn't Terrell Owens, but the media will expect him to be. The point of being "Romo friendly" was to spread the ball around. That means that, including Williams, Crayton, Austin, Hurd and the-unnamed-5th reciever will have improved stats this year. Not to mention more passes in the 2 Tight End set from Martellus Bennet and situations where Felix Jones may split out wide.

But the Media won't see it that way. They'll compare Williams to Owens until their blue in the face.

The remedy? Win. Just win. Even if Roy Williams, stat-wise, pales in comparison to Terrell Owens production (which he probably will.) If the Cowboys can win a play off game--just one playoff game--then Romo to Williams will go unquestioned after this season and the media will look for something else to write about.

But be prepared, Cowboys fans. Romo to Williams (and to a greater extent, the Roy Williams trade) will be poked, prodded, questioned, analayzed, re-analyzed and criticized all season.

Be ready for it, even if Williams' puts up 1000 yards and 7 TDs, because mark my words it will be this years hot, but irrelevant, topic.