Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys matter again

OXNARD, Calif. — Once you get past the celebrity girlfriend, or girlfriends, since he’s had more than one, and if you can ignore his name and picture constantly showing up in the Hollywood gossip mags and Web sites, Tony Romo is the most grounded, most football-focused, most talented, most I-get-it quarterback the Cowboys have had since ...

Troy. And Roger before Troy. And in between, throw Danny in there, too.

OK, none of the above makes sense, but this column has never been fanatical about making sense. Then again, how can you be a celebrity QB, therefore breaking Big Bill’s hardcore 11th commandment he left with Romo, and still be all that other good stuff?

Because it’s a Tony thing.

A summer ago, Keyshawn Johnson, doing TV commentary, labeled former teammate Romo the most overhyped quarterback in football.

Keyshawn was right, even us Romo disciples had to admit. And nothing has really changed this summer. But somehow, Johnson’s "overhyped" got twisted into "overrated," making Keyshawn livid, because overrated is not what he said.

But the Cowboys are an NFL team that matters again, after a long absence, mainly because Romo suddenly became a quarterback who can play. That’s not me gushing, that’s just obvious, and don’t make me get verbally violent with you on this topic.

OK, when is Tony going to win a damn playoff game? See, that question drives me nuts, when it’s repeatedly asked about a quarterback who hasn’t even had two full seasons on the job.

But it’s Romo who always remains calm, as he did this week in a training camp conversation that covered a lot of everything.

Hear him out:

The 0-for-2, one-and-done exits in the postseason.

Romo: "It’s the nature of the sports business, and certainly the position I play, for that to become a legitimate question. The negative side is part of the culture of sports.

"Without it, there’s really no fun. It’s been something everyone has faced, even Michael Jordan with all that "he will never win a championship" stuff the best basketball player ever had to hear early in his career.

"It’s going to be with me, that question, until we do win a playoff game. And then, I hope, the next question will be about winning a championship. We need to win a playoff. I know that, and I accept that the negative question will center on me until we do."

A Romo quote in USA Today this week about that little Mexico trip in January: "Sometimes you have to care about the way it looks."

Romo smiled at the mention, and then shook his head. "That was more the writer’s opinion than mine. I didn’t tell him that," he said.

In other words, Romo is not giving in to the poor perception criticism about that beach visit, despite many of us telling him he should.

"I know what you want me to say," he added. "That in this job you have to worry a lot about perception. But I still don’t. To me, the only perception that matters is winning. Winning makes it reality. Again, that’s just sports.

"Here’s what I was thinking when we took that trip — get some buddies, and get some girls, and on a free weekend, take a trip to the beach, relax, sit around and watch football. Buddies and girls and watching football. I like all that.

"I still feel like I made a good choice. But [with a laugh] I guess it didn’t exactly work out that way. But if we win like I think we can win, all the perception questions will be answered. Just win."

His brief career thus far.

Romo: "Statistically, it looks all right. Ws and Ls, it’s OK. But there’s just so much more to do, and the question about what I need to do has an easy answer. Go to work. Work every day at being better. I’ve got to be better.

"There is a next level out there. I’ve got to reach it."

High team expectations for this season.

Romo: "I know it’s only training camp, and only a week and a half of that, but this is by far the best we’ve looked offensively since I’ve been here.

"Normally, the defense comes in ahead of the offense. But that hasn’t been the case. We should be a good offense and be a good team, period. I think so, anyway. The expectations are high, and that starts with me."

Lack of proven depth at receiver.

Romo: "I read that and I think you guys have that all wrong. There will be some things happen at receiver this season you guys are not expecting. These young receivers will emerge. Several of them, in fact.

(Does one of them stand out?) Yes, and I will tell you his name, but don’t print it. Just watch and see if I’m right."

The Tony thing continues. The Cowboys have come a long way with him, but still aren’t close, reality-wise, to where Romo thinks he and the team should be.

Randy Galloway can be heard 3-6 p.m. weekdays on Galloway & Co. on ESPN/103.3 FM.