Testing the SI Curse
Sports Illustrated christens Tony Romo America's whipping boy
Just days after Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo silenced critics with a game-winning performance against the New York Giants, he's up against a new opponent: the Sports Illustrated curse. The December 2 issue has Romo on the cover with the headline, "Why America's whipping boy deserves your unconditional love."
It's a nice thought, especially for Cowboys fans who know their stats. But Romo can't seem to shake the perception that he's a choker. This is mostly born of a botched field goal hold in 2007. Yes, it was the playoffs. And, yes, the Cowboys lost.
Romo, however, is not the ham-fisted holder of six years ago. Since 2011, he's led Dallas on 11 game-winning drives and has established himself among the elite NFL quarterbacks of all time. Nevertheless, fans are unforgiving when you don't make the playoffs. The Cowboys haven't since 2010, when they got blown out by Minnesota in the first round.
Dallas currently sits at atop the NFC East and appears poised to take the division outright. The Cowboys can add to their lead when they host the Oakland Raiders on at 3:30 pm on Thanksgiving. Or they can fall apart. At least this time they can blame the SI curse.