Ahmad Bradshaw had just made a major contribution to his New York Giants’ upset victory over the mighty New England Patriots. He and his teammates had just been crowned world champions for the second time in four years.

So, what did the folks at the NFL Network want him to talk about? The Dallas Cowboys!

The world over, the city of New York is seen as the great American city. Football is the great American sport. The NFL is the great American sports league. The New York Giants are one of the storied franchises of the NFL.

But the New York Giants still cannot escape the shadow of America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the Giants having won two Super Bowls in four years, despite the Cowboys having been a nonfactor in the Super Bowl hunt for 15 years, Bradshaw was asked what he thought about the Cowboys chances of winning it all.

“I don’t see it happening,” Bradshaw told the NFL Network when asked if the Cowboys will ever win a Super Bowl with Romo at the helm. “I don’t think they believe it, and they’re America’s Team. If America don’t believe it . . .”

Bradshaw was asked to clear his comment, about whether he was referring to the team itself or the fans.

“It all comes together,” Bradshaw said. “If the fans don’t believe it, the team doesn’t. They’re kinda doubtful with Romo.”

How frustrating must that be for the Giants? They have owned the Dallas Cowboys, winning six of the past eight meetings with them. They are 3–0 in Cowboys Stadium. Giants quarterback Eli Manning has more Super Bowl rings than big brother Peyton.

But the talking heads at the NFL Network don’t want to talk about those things. They just want to know whether Tony Romo is the man to get the job done in Dallas.

As frustrating as the America’s Team thing is for the Cowboys’ NFC East bunkmates (Note Bradshaw was not asked about the Eagles or Redskins), it should be equally embarrassing to the Cowboys themselves. I am sure the boys with the stars on their helmets would be just as happy if that bullseye was taken off their chests.

No matter how badly the Cowboys may want folks to just forget about that whole America’s Team thing, no matter how badly the Giants may want to be the team everybody either loves or loves to hate, neither franchise can escape the fact that the mediocre Cowboys are still America’s Team, or so says Gary West of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

The Thanksgiving Day victory over the Dolphins was the most-watched game of the regular season; in fact, with 31 million viewers, it was the most-watched program. Three of the 10 most popular programs were indeed Cowboys’ games. With 27.6 million viewers according to Nielsen, the finale against the Giants was the most-watched regular-season primetime game in 15 years and the most-watched primetime game ever on NBC. And with 17.1 million viewers, the Cowboys’ Monday night game against the Redskins was the most-watched program on cable television.

As for embracing bold innovation, these Cowboys could be the most American of America’s Teams. They play, after all, in the largest air-conditioned space in the world, beneath the largest television in the world, in a $1.2 billion monument to boldness.

And so don’t accept impostors or substitutes. Don’t consign the nickname to the trash, or put it in the freezer or hide it in a drawer beneath the old socks. The Cowboys, Staubach said, are still America’s Team. And America’s quarterback is right. Yes, amid dubious poll results and pullulating flapdoodle and perennial piffle, America’s Team still stands out.

Bradshaw himself referred to the Cowboys as America’s Team, as if there were no arguing the matter, as if winning a Super Bowl, or  a couple of Super Bowls, or every Super Bowl from now one would not be enough to change it.

He may be right about that.

But, more importantly, he may also be right about Romo.

What do you think?

Tony Romo is a lightning rod.

When Romo first burst onto the scene in 2006, replacing an ineffective Drew Bledsoe after halftime of a Sunday night game, almost every Dallas Cowboys fan was excited.

But that was then. Now, we are in December of 2011 and the Romo defenders are much fewer and far less vocal than the Romo haters. Or, at least that is the perception.

The reason the seat Romo sits in is so hot is simple: this is the Dallas Cowboys. The Standard for QB in Dallas is Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Lombardi trophies. Nothing less will do.

But even when guys named Staubach and Aikman are at the helm, the Cowboys are susceptible to the backup quarterback infatuation that permeates the NFL.

Just ask Danny White.

For years, White waited patiently behind Staubach. He served as the team’s punter and backup quarterback and was a fan favorite.

Then, Staubach retired and Danny ascended the throne. He was as good as advertised, too. His numbers were extraordinary. He set a number of team records. He guided his Cowboys to three consecutive NFC title games.

Guess what Danny White did not do?

You got it! Danny never won a Super Bowl. In fact, he never won an NFC championship game. By almost any standard, Danny White forged a highly successful career for himself.

But this is not almost any standard. This is the Dallas Cowboys.

Now, back to Tony Romo and some fun facts regarding this quarterback so many Cowboys fans and Cowboys haters love to deride:

• Tony Romo is 46-28-0 as a starter. That is a winning percentage of 62%, which means over a 16-game season, you can expect his team to win 9.92 games.
• Romo has thrown 144 touchdowns and 71 interceptions. This is a TD/Int ratio of better than two-to-one.
• Romo has an average QB rating of 96.4.
• Romo has led nine fourth quarter comebacks.
• In six years as a starting QB, Romo has thrown for 20,296 yards.
• Tony Romo was an undrafted free agent.

By comparison, Troy Aikman posted these numbers on his way to Canton and the NFL Hall of Fame:

• Aikman’s record as a starting QB was 94-71-0. That is a winning percentage of 56.9. On average, his teams won 9.12 games per season.
• Aikman threw 165 touchdowns and 141 interceptions. That is much closer to a one-to-one ration than Romo’s two-to-one mark.
• Aikman had an average QB rating of 81.6.
• Aikman threw for 32,942 yards during his 12-year career.
• Troy Aikman was the first player taken in the 1989 NFL draft.

Now, why do you hate Romo?

There is only one reason that makes any sense at all. While Aikman was 11–4 in the playoffs with three Super Bowl wins, Tony Romo is 1–3.

With all of this said, I have a very good reason for Cowboys fans to hate Romo less. It is a simple one that only asks you to remember. Just…remember.

I am suggesting that a bad memory is a big problem with Romo haters. So, I would like to challenge you to a quiz. Just click on the link and take the quiz below and then ask yourself this question: How bad do I really hate Tony Romo?

Can you name the Dallas Cowboys Starting QBs Post-Aikman?

How did you do? I suffered brain freeze while taking it and could not remember three of them. When you consider the post-Troy, pre-Tony era of Cowboys football, does it do anything to lessen your Romomisery?

Or is that elusive sixth Lombardi trophy the only thing that will cure it?

All Smiles

In the past five games, Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo has thrown nine touchdowns and only one interception. His quarterback rating during that span is an eye-popping 109.7.

In related news, the Cowboys are sporting a handsome 4–1 record during the same five-game stretch.

In a league that often gives too much credit to the quarterback for his team’s victories and too much blame for losses, it is still safe to say, “As goes Tony Romo, so go the Dallas Cowboys.”

A couple of games ago, after posting a near-perfect 148.4 rating by completing 23 of 26 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns, Romo boiled his recent resurgence down to one pretty simple factor: Good health.

According to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, Romo repeated that sentiment last week as he prepared for Sunday’s game with the Washington Redskins:

“I don’t have a broken rib now, so that’s a positive,” Romo said Thursday, three days before the Dallas Cowboys‘ rematch with the Redskins. “It just feels good. I don’t know. You get used to playing hurt, but it’s just a little different kind of thing.”

Some in the league, in the media and in the stands have questioned just how much Romo’s injury was affecting his play. Suggestions were offered that maybe he was playing up the whole fighting through the pain thing. Maybe it was just a convenient excuse.

Apparently, these yardbirds think being kicked in the ribs by a mule is no big deal.

I, on the other hand, can identify with Tony. Just recently, I had a terrible head cold that I could not shake. Despite going for a steroid shot and an antibiotic, the nasty malady worked its way into my chest and there it stayed for a solid week.

I can tell you, my enthusiasm for work waned. I found it difficult to concentrate. My production slipped. This is all true and I must also confess that I have the kind of job that almost never involves angry, amped-up, 300-pound men using every means at their disposal to grind me into so much powder.

So, here’s to Tony Romo’s health and the continued success of the Dallas Cowboys that, like it or not, have their very fortunes tied to just how well Tony Romo feels.

Tony Romo has a new best friend. Or, he should have, anyway.

DeMarco Murray, rookie running back out of Oklahoma, has given the Dallas Cowboys’ offense what it has lacked since Emmitt Smith left for the Arizona desert: A legitimate threat at the halfback position. And that has made Tony Romo a more effective quarterback.

Romo completed 23 of 26 passes on Sunday for 270 yards, including three touchdowns and excluding any and all interceptions. It was one of his most dominating and impressive performances.

After the game, Romo reminded everyone that it helped that he was actually healthy. He wore no flak jacket on Sunday. He felt good throwing the ball.

Good health was probably key to Romo’s success. So was DeMarco Murray’s 135 rushing yards on 20 carries. When the opponent’s safeties and linebackers have to respect the threat of a break-away run, it makes stretching the field with the downfield pass more doable.

It is no accident that since Murray has taken over running duties for the injured Felix Jones, the Cowboys are 3—1. During this stretch, Murray has run for 601 yards on 75 carries. That is a whopping 8.01 yards per carry.

DeMarco Murray may be the team’s most valuable player right now. The rookie running back has made Romo a better quarterback, Jason Garrett a smarter coach and Rob Ryan’s defense a more effective unit. He takes pressure off Romo, gives Garrett options and gives the Dallas D a chance to catch its collective breath between battles.

Mark it down. Right now, DeMarco is the man…and Tony Romo’s new best friend.

BECAUSE IT WAS SUNDAY: The Legend of Jack Youngblood

Authorized Biography of Hall of Fame Defensive End Includes
New Interviews, Stories, Images from Inspirational Life and Legendary Career

–Foreword by NFL Network Host Rich Eisen –

NEW YORK, September 26, 2011 – No player defined toughness more than Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end, Jack Youngblood. Because It Was Sunday: The Legend of Jack Youngblood(Bravda Velo)is the new authorized biography of the “John Wayne of football,” which will be released on October 1, the day of the Florida-Alabama game. Fans can order from www.youngbloodbook.com. The foreword is written by NFL Network anchor, Rich Eisen.

Inside the book are new interviews with Youngblood, Hall of Fame teammates and opponents, and family, all of whom share stories and insight to a storybook rise to fame from high school to the Florida Gators to the Los Angeles Rams, where he played in 201 consecutive games during a 14-year career as one of the NFL’s most dominant pass rushers.  The man John Madden called the “epitome of a football player” is one of the most respected and courageous players in history, once having played in two playoff games, a Super Bowl and a Pro Bowl with a broken leg. On the 40th anniversary of his rookie season with the Rams and tenth year since becoming the first Florida Gator inducted into the Hall of Fame, readers will learn of the innate reasoning behind Youngblood’s unequaled drive to compete – even in the face of agonizing pain and a life-threatening medical condition – because it was Sunday.

Tested by tragedy and overwhelming odds throughout his career, Youngblood built himself up from a 190-pound high school linebacker who led his team to a state championship and earned an improbable scholarship to the University of Florida, where he transformed into the greatest defensive end the Gators have ever seen, before going to the Los Angeles Rams in 1971 as a first-round pick, filled the shoes of the legendary Deacon Jones and evolved into the most ferocious pass rusher of the 1970s. Because It Was Sunday also treats readers to stories of the people that influenced him and shaped his Hall of Fame career.

Some of the stories revealed in Because It Was Sunday include:

• Suffering the death of his father on his tenth birthday and lessons learned from his grandfather, one of the South’s most infamous sheriffs
• How neighboring Florida State declined to sign him  and the revelation that Bill Parcells told recruiters Youngblood didn’t have a football future
• His calamitous first game as a senior, and being switched to defense exclusively
• Early days as a Gator and how he evolved into an All-American, and eventual College Football Hall of Famer, including tales of the 1969 Gator Bowl victory and his famous exploits in a 1970 game against Georgia
• Astonishing recovery from a knee injury as a senior, which negated career-ending surgery, and inspired him to not miss another game in 15 years
• Draft Day 1971 when he famously asked, “who is coach of the Rams?’
• Senior Bowl performance and Buddy Ryan’s advice that sealed his first-round standing, as well as the College All-Star Game against the champion Baltimore Colts
• First game with the Rams and his days with mentors, Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones
• Enduring difficult first two seasons in Los Angeles, when he nearly quit
• Chuck Knox years when he developed into an All-Pro, and the note left behind from a former coach that nearly cost him his Rams career
• New revelations about his broken leg suffered against the Cowboys in the 1979 playoffs – and, for the first time, we find out he went back into the game a couple of series later
• Intimate memories of the 1980 Super Bowl, in which the Rams were underdogs to the Steelers and came within six minutes of winning, and candid thoughts on why he played  with a cracked fibula – and what he regrets
• Searing moments in which a .357 and, years later, a blood clot, nearly cost him his life
• Inside-the-huddle of ferocious battles against Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton, Dan Dierdorf, Rayfield Wright, Ron Yary, among other legends of the game
• Observations of players Youngblood emulated including Olsen, Jones, Gino Marchetti, Doug Atkins, Willie Davis, Claude Humphrey, among others
• The physical and emotional stress of switching from the 4-3 to the 3-4 defense in 1983, and how he reacted to it – by delivering some of his finest performances
• His emotional retirement, how he came to the decision, and how others reacted
• Life after football; adoption of his wife’s ten-year-old son – a decision that brought his life full circle – and his efforts today to help former players cope with brain trauma

 
As John Madden famously said, “If a Martian landed in my backyard, knocked on my door and asked me ‘What’s a football player?’ I’d go get Jack Youngblood.” In the Because It Was Sunday, Hall of Famers and other legendary players back up that belief:

• “I would have to give Youngblood the vote as the best defensive player I ever competed against.” – Roger Staubach
• “He played a whole game with a broken leg. I mean, think about that. How much of a badass was Jack Youngblood? I’ll tell you: He was a serious badass.” – Jared Allen
• “Youngblood is by far the best defensive end I’ve ever faced and may be the best all-around end in football.” – Dan Dierdorf
• “Jack Youngblood, I’d want him on my team every day of the week, anytime. The man was a 100% guy and was wonderful with his teammates.” – Joe Namath
• “I’ve got to say that Youngblood was nice enough to pick me up every time he knocked my ass off.” – Archie Manning
• “I’d have to say Jack Youngblood was the toughest I ever faced” – Rayfield Wright

Author D.W. Cooper is also writer and editor for Bravda Velo Publishing and Rylin Media, including first-to-market championship books San FranTastic!, Big D Over Big 3!, Dat’s Incredible, and Duke Dominates. He was features writer for POST magazine and contributor to NFL Gameday. Over the last 20 years, Cooper has told the incredible life stories of some of sports’ biggest names and covered unforgettable moments from Super Bowls, NBA Finals, NCAA Championships, and the Olympic Games. He is an adjunct professor at New York University.

MEDIA CONTACT:
MVP Public Relations
(917) 716-8566 david@mvppr.com

Filling the Void

It is hard for an old-timer (and hard to believe a fan of the early ’90s Cowboys actually qualifies as such, but I guess so) to get his mind around celebrating the presence of a member of Buddy Ryan’s family on the Dallas Cowboys’ coaching staff.

Hard. But not impossible.

Thanks to the influence of Rob Ryan, Jerry Jones and company set out to nab Abram Elam in the 2011 NFL free agency gold rush. Abram was one of four top-level safeties on the 2011 NFL free agent market. The other three were Michael Huff, Eric Weddle and Dawan Landry.

Huff and Weddle are more athletic, free safety types. It had been my hope that Jones would make a run at bringing Huff, the University of Texas product, “home” to Dallas. If not Huff, I wanted Weddle.

If not Huff or Weddle, somebody…anybody!

Turns out Jones and Ryan got their man, the one they wanted, the one whose skills and football savvy Rob Ryan knows better than anyone, the one that has already proven he can achieve— excel even— in the Ryan Helter Skelter, Kamikaze defensive scheme.

Last season, Elam recorded 79 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions, 10 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Solid numbers. Not splashy or sexy. But solid.

More importantly, Elam brings experience and familiarity with the Ryan philosophy of defense. He is touted as an intelligent player that should be able to help his new teammates with the learning curve.

Together, Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh should comprise a solid last line of defense. Not spectacular. Just solid. If you have watched many Cowboys games over the past few seasons, you know that, where the safety position is concerned, solid is good. Solid is an upgrade.

So, it says here that Jerry Jones did the Cowboys fans a solid by signing Abram Elam. Mingle a solid signing at a position of dire need with an effective scheme, and the Cowboys defense could go from good to great in 2012.

Old Cowboys fans have to love that, even if the credit will go directly to the progeny of the arrogant little irritant, Buddy Ryan. Besides, in the world of NFL football, the only thing needed to change one’s loyalty is a change of laundry.

Rob Ryan and Abram Elam together again, this time in silver and blue laundry, ought to bring a little more lustre to that star in 2012.

“Pants on the ground. Pants on the ground. Lookin’ like a fool with your pants on the ground.”

Dallas Cowboys’ wide receiver Dez Bryant has apparently receive a criminal trespass warning from the Dallas police department and has been banned from the NorthPark Center Mall in Dallas, WFAA News in Dallas reported yesterday.

The report on WFAA.com reads, in part, like this:

According to the official police report, Bryant and three friends were stopped by the uniformed, off-duty officers working security shortly before 8 p.m. at the popular shopping center after they were observed “wearing their pants halfway down their hips exposing their underwear.”

The police asked the men to pull their pants up.

“Mr. Bryant’s response to the request was profanity laced and [NorthPark] center representatives felt the outburst merited a request for Mr. Bryant to leave the premises,” according to a Dallas police statement issued Tuesday evening.

“What the [expletive] are you stopping me, like I stole something,” Bryant was quoted as saying by a News 8 source. “I’m not leaving until my attorney and my representative get here.”

The report goes on to say that even after Bryant was escorted out of the mall by off-duty officers, he refused to leave. He parked his car in the fire lane and continued to cuss the cops until they were compelled to call on-duty police to the scene.

Apparently, the warning Bryant received means that if he returns to the mall before the 90-day ban ends, he could be subject to arrest.

Dez, of course, played it down when he gave his own brief account of the story on Twitter (where all accounts are brief).

The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver tweeted. The real story has been put out on 103.3.. It’s really a non story..the media need something to talk about.anyway how has everyone day been?

Dez, whose Twitter handle is @DEZ_88, “Headed to North Park tomorrow to get these Lebrons….I am not banned from North park lol.”

While Dez has been adamant about the whole thing being distorted and blown out of proportion by the media, his agent Eugene Parker and the Dallas Cowboys have yet to say anything about the incident.

Breaking a mall dress code is certainly not a major issue, but the incident is the latest reminder of what happens when you mix immaturity with money and fame. Young people are more prone to bad decisions. Experience is a sometimes harsh teacher. It is also a teacher that takes its time getting its point across.

Think of the mistakes of your youth. Are you not glad they were mostly made in anonymity? Aren’t you relieved that not a single news entity cared enough to pursue the story of your stupidity?

With fame and fortune comes the white hot spotlight of scrutiny. With privilege comes responsibility. Most mature adults understand the implications of that. Testosterone-filled kids often do not.

You remember the guy singing “Pants on the Ground” at American Idol a couple years ago? How old was he?

Right! Old.

All that said, Jerry Jones and company have to be just a little knotted up this morning. Dez Bryant slid to them in the first round because people feared the knucklehead factor with this guy.

Jerry has to be hoping the outrageously talented receiver pulls his pants up, screws his head on straight and stays out of the news until his next circus catch on the football field.

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To Roger, with Love

Remember that summer when you went away to camp and fell in love? You got the girl’s address and began writing love letters back and forth. Well, the letters written from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to the NFL players and the one written back to the commissioner by a handful of players are nothing like those summer camp love letters.

They are more like the texts you fired off after the break-up.

Last week, I reported on Goodell’s letter to the players and found myself wondering why, if such offers were made, this labor dispute was not resolved. Why were the players being so selfish? Hadn’t the owners made significant concessions?

Now, I have read the players’ response and I am like, “Ohhhh. Maybe the owners have not been as magnanimous as it seems.”

(I know. I am a Piñata. Whack me and I fly that way. Whack me again, and I fly this direction. Keep whacking me and I am going to burst.)

The players’ letter was signed by eleven players, which, oddly enough is just the right number to symbolize a “team.” NFLPA president Kevin Mawae is the first name on the dotted line. He is joined by Drew Brees, Brian Dawkins, Mike Vrabel and other notables. There is not a “spare” among them.

Goodell is a lawyer by trade, so it stands to reason he may have actually penned the letter he sent. Or, he could have had a minion write. Who knows?

I do not know which of the players wrote their letter. Maybe they all sat around a conference table and collaborated.

“Yeah. Put that in.”

“Hey. Don’t forget this.”

Or, maybe a lawyer or team of NFLPA lawyers drew it up and then the players read it, liked it and signed it. It is all conjecture and hardly worth belaboring, so I will stop.

The players’ letter to Goodell was much more detailed than the Commissioner’s letter.

First, they exonerated themselves of culpability in this lockout. They write:

The NFLPA did all it could to reach a fair collective bargaining agreement and made numerous proposals to address the concerns raised by the owners.  In response, the owners never justified their demands for a massive give-back which would have resulted in the worst economic deal for players in major league pro sports.

In other words, Don’t blame us. This is all your fault.

Then, the players called Goodell a liar.

“Your statements are false,” they wrote.

Liar, liar. Pants on fire.

They backed this up by laying out no less than 14 “facts.” Since this letter is clearly as much for public consumption as it ever was for Goodell himself, they may have forgotten how short our attention span is or how easily we are overwhelmed with information overload. I mean, we are football fans; not legal aides.

But facts are facts and they had 14 of them.

(I also contend that Goodell’s letter was a public relations move as much as it was a headlock, arm-twist and noogie for the players.)

I just cannot see my way clear to write out all 14 facts in this article, especially when I am giving you this link so you, faithful reader, can consume them at your leisure.

One of the more telling facts, however, is number five, which is actually built on the foundation of the first four facts:

Your proposal would have resulted in a league-wide giveback by the players of 576M in 2011 increasing to 1.2 BILLION in 2014, for a total of more than 3.6 BILLION for just the first four years.  Even if revenues increased at a slower rate of only 5%, the players would still have lost over 2 BILLION over the next four years.  These amounts would be even higher if your stadium deductions apply to the first four years (your proposal did not note any such limits on these deductions).

The 14th and final fact is kind of a summary:

The cap system for the past twenty years has always been one in which the players were guaranteed to share in revenue growth as partners.  Your proposal would have shifted to a system in which players are told how much they will get, instead of knowing their share will grow with revenues, and end the partnership.

If the facts check out, one can see that the players have a legitimate beef.

Still, the rancorous tone of the letter seems ill-conceived and, I fear, threatens to paint them in an even worse light with the average NFL fan. The bottom line is they have fans, not because of their sense of justice or their righteous cause. They have fans because they run faster, hit harder and play the game we love better than the rest of the planet.

Saints Fans don’t want to see Drew Brees’ name on an angry letter to Roger Goodell. They want to see it etched on the Lombardi trophy. Besides, this thing won’t be settled in the court of public opinion. It will be either settled in the court of robed lawyers, aka judges, interpreting the law consistent with their ideological leanings and political indebtedness, or (more likely) at the bargaining table.

(OK. Call me jaded. But tell me whether the guy was appointed by Bush or Obama and I can just about give you his ruling before he makes it. So, call me Nostradamus instead.)

While I do find myself moved ever so slightly back in the players’ direction, I find myself, like most fans I talk with, hacked at both sides and unable to identify with either.

Ricky Williams, the Miami Dolphin and renowned lover of herbal things, tweeted Sunday, “It’s turned into the billionaire-millionaire fight. I think you have missed the point. Mass media trumps common sense once again.”

He seems frustrated that you are so stupid. I predict his frustration will only grow, because it will always be billionaires fighting with millionaires to Joe the plumber and Jimmy, who manages the night shift at McDonald’s.

That, I am afraid, is fact 15.

Call it guerrilla warfare— or gorilla warfare, if you prefer. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell decided to be the 800 pound gorilla in the living room of every NFL player.

Unsuccessful in moving the NFLPA so much as an inch in the owners’ direction during mediation, Goodell has taken the fight to the trenches. He sent a letter to every player in the NFL.

Maybe he was inspired by the recent revolutions around the globe that have been fueled by social media, such as FaceBook. Maybe he has seen the power of the grassroots to throw off leadership and blaze a new trail. Whatever his inspiration, the commissioner has side-stepped the decertified NFL Players Association and gone straight to the rank and file to plead his cause.

In his letter to the players, Goodell used several noted and battle-tested tactics.

First, he sought to plant doubt in the player’s mind regarding the leadership provided by his representatives.

“Last Friday,” Goodell writes, “The NFLPA walked out of the federal mediator’s offices in Washington, told us that it had abandoned its right to represent you as a union, and filed a lawsuit.”

The implication, of course, is that the leadership betrayed the players’ trust by refusing to negotiate and then relinquished their right to represent the players when they decertified. The NFLPA betrayed the very people they were sworn to represent. That is the gist of Goodell’s opening statement.

Next, Goodell intimated that the NFL and its member clubs are the real friends of the player.

“The clubs believe there is only one way to resolve our differences, and that is through good faith collective bargaining in an atmosphere of mutual respect…”

Ah. You poor, poor, ignorant soul. Don’t you see who really loves you? We are not the enemy. We are your friends. We only want what is best for you.

Goodell’s next move was to divide and conquer the players. He sought to drive a wedge between the veteran players and the younger guys. He pointed out that the NFL’s proposal to the NFLPA was a salary cap that “would avoid a negative financial impact on veteran players.” He even underlined the phrase, “avoid a negative financial impact.”

The fan, you see, is not the only incredulous party when a rookie signs a record-breaking contract before he ever plays a down of professional football. Veterans that have proved their mettle on the field of play feel the sting when a snot-nosed kid gets a contract that makes his own look like a part-time wage. Goodell implies that it will be the kids, not the veterans, whose compensation will be reduced under the new salary cap structure.

Another piece of the propaganda onslaught is the promise of Utopia. Under our leadership, the prospective leader promises, there will be a chicken in every pot. Goodell used this tactic by outlining the NFL’s proposal to reduce the off-season and OTA workout requirements. He notes changes in insurance options and better income protection for injured players.

Goodell’s parting shot is to remind the player that his own popularity with the fans and goodwill from the general populous of NFL supporters depends on the the two sides getting together.

“Our fans want us to get together,” Roger writes.

And he is right. We do.

When you read the offer made by the owners to the players, you have to wonder what exactly there is not to like about it. Concessions were made. Guarantees were given. Concerns were addressed.

But it still wasn’t enough.

It is little wonder then that General Goodell opted to engage the troops themselves. Negotiations never went anywhere. The NFLPA declared war by taking the fight to the justice system. And you know what they say: All is fair in love and war.

To hear Goodell tell it, this affair is both love and war.

Note: You can read Roger Goodell’s letter to the player in its entirety here.

What is the NFFFL? Stick with me, and I will tell you.

About the time you figure out which side you support in the NFL lockout, someone on that side makes a remark that makes you think twice.

One thing that has become painfully obvious to me is that the concern for the fan is little more than lip service from either side.

Another thing that is painfully clear: These guys— owners and players alike— are convinced that you, the fan, will be right there to cheer them on when all of this is done. It does not matter how their greed, selfishness and stupidity may be ruining the game, the NFL will be as popular as ever when the differences are finally set aside and play resumes.

NFL fans may return a little more jaded. Some of the luster of the game may be tarnished for the younger fans. But all will be forgiven, stadiums will be filled, television ratings will be through the roof, and the NFL will still be the king of American sports.

Meanwhile, owners like Jerry Jones act like the rulers of the world we have made them. In a recent article, Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated gave an unflattering picture of Jones during the negotiations between the NFLPA union representatives and the NFL owners’ executive committee. Trotter writes:

“I don’t think we’ve got your attention,” Jones said to the players, several of whom recounted the incident to SI. “You clearly don’t understand what we’re saying, and we’re not hearing what you’re saying. So I guess we’re going to have to show you to get your attention.”

Jones tapped his fists together for emphasis—the players interpreted it as a sign that a lockout was coming—then stood and walked toward the door. As he reached the end of the table, Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, another labor hawk, began to rise, but Robert Kraft of the Patriots, who was sitting next to him, put a hand on Richardson’s forearm and kept him from going.

If Jones’s intention was to intimidate the players, he failed. “I think everybody in the room thought it was overly dramatic, almost hilarious,” one player said. “It was like a Jerry Maguire moment. You know, ‘I’m leaving. Who’s coming with me?’ I know it didn’t scare any of us.”

For Cowboys’ fans, Jerry Jones being the world’s oddest mixture of arrogance and ignorance is nothing new. But wouldn’t you have loved to be a fly on the wall when the delusional billionaire showed himself an ass and made himself a fool?

So, with owners like Jerry Jones and Jerry Richardson, the Carolina Panthers’ owner whom the players accused of being condescending to them, it is easy to be on the players’ side right?

Wrong.

Meet Adrian Peterson, who thinks his job is a lot like Chicken George’s.

In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Peterson shared the following nugget:

It’s modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too. With all the money … the owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money.

Do I really even have to dignify such stupidity with a retort? No? Thank you.

Watching the NFL owners and NFL Players Association duke it out over the billions of dollars we have provided them with our blood, sweat, tears and passionate loyalty is enough to turn even the strongest football stomach. Their excesses have already priced the common man out of the stadium. From Personal Seat Licenses to ten dollar hot dogs, many NFL fans have given money they could not afford to men who do not appreciate it.

These men lord over the football kingdom with a sense of entitlement. Owners clamor for more money, claiming they are going broke. Players whine about how short a football career is and how they have to make all the hay they can while the sun shines on them. Meanwhile, Joe Plumber and John Q. Public would gladly go broke in the same way as an NFL owner and dream every day of retirement that will likely never come.

Yet, these delusional participants in a squabble over your money want more than your support. They want your sympathy. Go ahead and give it to them, if you want.

I, for one, am this close to saying, “Let the whole thing burn to the ground.”

Let Jerry Jones go broke. Let Adrian Peterson learn what it means to work for a living.

Let the people rise. Let the one voice that ought to be most prominent finally be heard.

How?

Glad you asked.

There is a new league in town— the People’s league. I am calling it the National Fed-up Football Fans League (NFFFL). We have a Manifesto, which you can sign and share by using your FaceBook “like” button. Find it here. Read it. Sign it. Share it.

Any professional sports league is a public trust. The NFL does not belong to the team owners, the commissioner or the current players. It belongs to you. It belongs to me. These are our teams. This is our sport. This is our time.

Stand up. Speak up. Don’t shut up until they sit down and get down to the business of returning our game to us.