Is it my imagination, or are over-hyped Tony Romo injuries now part of the annual changes that tells us winter is coming? I think this is mostly in my head, but it sure sounds right. Here we are in another one of those weeks where everyone will hang on everyone else’s words in order to rephrase into their own words what’s happening with Tony Romo and his problematic back. As usual, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has done zero to help, as he’s already basically saying that Romo is a pussy if he doesn’t play this week. Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk had the best summary of Jones’ stance that I’ve read so far. Basically Jones is already saying that this is “only” a pain issue, and that Romo can play if he’s tough enough to overcome pain.
Sadly, my precious database is of no use on this one. Back bruises are minor enough that they don’t lead to many absences, hence I don’t have much on the books for them. Still, I wouldn’t be a red-blooded American if I didn’t have an opinion, and as all red-blooded Americans do, I insist on telling you this opinion. If I could get just one point across, it would be this:
Playing through pain is not the same as playing effectively through pain. Those are two different things.
I’m no lover of Romo (or the Cowboys franchise) but I feel I need to defend him a little here. Let’s say that Jerry Jones is correct, and it’s “only” a pain management issue. That pain, even with plenty of medication and tough moral fiber could still very well affect the mechanics and mobility that a quarterback relies on in order to succeed. If Romo cannot throw with precision or velocity, he is a liability. If Romo cannot scramble and move to protect himself, he is a liability and is risking further injury. Given all this, you’d hope that a team would be smart enough to protect a valuable asset and not get all wrapped up in this bullshit, “tough enough,” garbage. Looks like Jerry Jones is not in agreement with me there.
Update, Nov 2nd: As of yesterday, they’re now saying that Romo has two small fractures in his back rather than a bruise. So they were holding back the truth on us there. Still, it’s mostly a pain issue, and what I wrote about playing through pain still hold true. And for what it’s worth, I was glad to see Romo sit out today. He is human after all.
