The Deuce doesn’t house any Cowboys sympathizers. Far from it. However we weren’t about to turn down an opportunity to interview Tony Romo when it was offered by the good people at Starter. We weren’t able to cover everything we wanted in the allotted time. However we managed to hit several topics as well as get our word association on.

First off, Cowboys fans can rest easy. If the lockout doesn’t kill part or all of next season, Romo will be back under center. He says he’s been “healed up” for several weeks. He’s good to go for mini-camp and training camp whenever that happens.

Speaking of the lockout, Romo sounded optimistic (or non-committal) about next season’s status.

We’ll be playing next year. I love football. There are some things to sort out but it’ll get done. …People love football.

Needless to say, Romo wasn’t as emphatic about the negotiations as Antonio Cromartie who put everyone on blast and wants both sides to sort the situation out yesterday. Then again he doesn’t have nine kids to feed.

Romo will have more time to focus on his golf game if the lockout happens. He attempted to qualify for a berth in the US Open last year during the off-season. However he had to withdraw due to football obligations. He’s played once since his injury last October. What’s the state of his game right now?

I played once a couple weeks ago. I stink right now. I haven’t played for several months. I’ll be playing in some tournaments in the coming months. …[Golf] helps me keep my competitive edge during the off-season. Thinking on the [golf] course also helps me on the football field.

Romo is scheduled to play in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am which starts on Thursday. He’s paired with friend and Cowboys fan John Daly** for the second year in a row. Last year they missed the cut after shooting 65-70-78. Maybe they’ll have a better chance if they wear matching pants. Don’t bother coming if you’re not gonna come with the thunder, playboy.

The Super Bowl isn’t an easy subject for obvious reasons. The Cowboys were hoping to be the first team to play in their hometown. It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you’re forced to watch other teams play in your stadium. It probably tastes like burning.

“I’m sorry to not be playing. No, actually it hurts…”

Unfortunately Romo wasn’t as open when it came to his Super Bowl prediction. At first, he thought we were asking him about how good it was for Dallas to host the Super Bowl but we weren’t interested in that. All we wanted to know was who he thought was going to win the game.

They’re both great teams. It’s the toughest game in the playoffs [so far]. I think it’ll come down to the last possession. Whoever has the ball last will probably win the game.

The Packers did have the ball last but the game wasn’t decided by Aaron Rodgers taking a knee unless we missed something. At least he’s still better at predicting games than Pele.

Romo was born in San Diego but spent his formative years in Wisconsin where he was a four-sport athlete. Did that factor into who he wanted to win the game or did it not matter?

When you play in the NFL, you don’t pull for other teams. You just want to win.

He admitted the answer might be different if a division rival were playing. The Giants or Eagles playing in Cowboys Stadium would have to hurt a little more. The Redskins aren’t even an issue unless Jeff George comes out of retirement. Wait, you don’t win games by falling over in the pocket without anyone touching you. Dan Snyder lawsuit in 5…4…3…

The transition from Wade Phillips to Jason Garrett came up in the course of discussing how last season ended and the prospects for 2011. We wanted to know the differences between the two and how their coaching styles differed. Didn’t get much there. “Wade was different than Bill [Parcells]“.

Garrett “has a good understanding of the team and how to play the game”. Does that mean Phillips didn’t? We’re going to assume so for the sake of controversy but Romo was towing the company line. Apparently he didn’t learn how to throw people under the bus from T.O.

Speaking of the former Cowboys receiver, it was time to try some word association. Maybe we’d have some better luck. Romo was up for it but maybe he was because he wasn’t going to give anything up. We asked him to tell us the first thing that came to mind when we gave him a name.

Wade Phillips.
Great coach.

Jerry Jones.
Great owner.

T.O.
Great receiver.

Brett Favre situation.
(Silence) Great quarterback

Keepin’ it tight, I see… Come on, give us something. You know you want to say something else.
(Silence) Great quarterback.

Lesson learned. We should have pulled a page from The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz playbook and played “Douche or No Douche“. No way around that game, Romo. Many have tried but eventually they all fall in line. Just ask Mean Joe Greene.

Romo discussed his relationship with Starter. He, along with Ludacris, unveiled a multi-purpose sports field renovated by Starter. It’ll be used by underprivileged kids from several different schools in the Dallas area. The field was previously only used for practice due to its condition but now games can be held.

I have a good partnership with Starter. They’ve been so generous especially [renovating] this field in Pleasant Grove for underprivileged kids. It’ll serve five middle and high schools. It’ll keep them out of trouble and [give them a chance] to prove themselves.

There was no way we were going to talk about Starter without asking Romo about old school Starter jackets. He laughed and said, “Oh yeah those were great but I don’t really keep those anymore”.

Bet he wished he kept some Starter jackets when the NFL was making players wearing pink for breast cancer awareness. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The good thing is that anyone rocking one of them now doesn’t have to worry about getting shot for it and their Air Jordans like back in the day.

We couldn’t leave without asking Romo for his opinion on sports blogs and whether he reads them.

I don’t really read them. There’s too much going on… Anyway they (not saying you) don’t really know what’s going on especially off the field.

The save’s not necessary, Tony. We have thick skins and sometimes blogs know more than people think about what’s happening on and off the field. Obviously Bleacher Report is excluded from the blogs in the know. They’re too busy calling Mike Tomlin an affirmative action success story. Par for the course.

There was way more we wanted to cover such as his future in the game and struggles to get over the playoff hump. We weren’t going to ask him anything about Jessica Simpson or Carrie Underwood so you’ll have to save your “sexual napalm” questions for the next time you run into him.

** John Daly is the unofficial golfer of the Deuce. Man, we’re here for you. Your boy gave the Deuce some time and it didn’t kill him. Give us the interview, Daly!

After all of the 255 names were called at the NFL draft last week, there were many players who would have loved to be Mr. Irrelevant.   There are many players who would have appreciated sitting sitting in the green room looking awkward and embarrassed while waiting for their name to be called.  Because, better late than never, right?  Think about it.  They get together with their families, friends, or whoever.  They might even have a party.  Then, they slide further then where they thought they’d be.  So they wait.  And then the team they thought would take them passes to take a better player that was still on the board for the simple reason that some GM, or owner, was smoking some crack.   So they keep waiting.  And then they wait some more.  This year, the torture waiting stretched over three days. 

But, for many teams, and for many players, the draft is just the beginning of the search to figure out who will be a part of the following season’s roster.  Before the draft ends, before the ink is dry on the contracts, before a single bite of a porterhouse steak is eaten, every NFL team is looking on their draft board to see which players were still waiting to celebrate.  Then, the mad dash to sign the undrafted guys begins.  For some players, all they can hope for is a try-out.  For others, the draft may not even be over when they are celebrating the relief that came in the form of a phone call from a team wanting to sign them if they remain undrafted.  Some teams have even given try-outs to guys who never played football.  Antonio Gates played basketball for Kent State and Vince Papale was a 30 year old high school teacher and bartender before he was Invincible.  This year, the Patriots are giving a try-out to a wrestler, John Wise, since it worked out for Belichik with Stephen Neal. 

For some players, remaining undrafted is a blessing in disguise.  They often get the same $25,000 signing bonus as the players drafted at the end of the 7th round.  But, there is an added addition.  They may be able to choose where they land.  When there are multiple teams calling with offers, they get to choose where they end up.  So, if they are a safety and one of the two team’s are deep at the safety position they can choose to go to the other team.  I am sure last year Matt Stafford might have thought twice about heading to Detroit.  Remember that game where his dead was hanging at his side and they STILL left him in the game?  Yeah, I think he would have preferred a choice, don’t you?

Undrafted free agents are also the keys to success for many teams .  For one, they’re cheap.  Many teams sign contracts worth $30, $40, or even $50 million for their first round pick.  With all those eggs in that one basket, many teams want to try and get more bang for their buck.  Second, they have something to prove.  After the draft, these players dreams are riding on luck, heart, and hard work.  Third, behind every draft, is a list of players who never amount to much and another list of undrafted free agents who end up making the pro bowl, or many pro bowls, during their career.  Let’s be honest, even the teams who have successful drafts year after year miss every now and then.  Undrafted free agents have to compete for a starting spot just like everyone else.  So, there are many who become success stories.  Just imagine a coach’s satisfaction after his dollar bin find turns into a game day contributor, nevermind a pro bowler.  

The list of undrafted free agents who have had successful careers is a long one.  But here’s a list of a few who made the pro bowl in the past few seasons. 

• Tony Romo (Please note, this is the only time, I repeat, ONLY TIME, I will say anything remotely positive about Romo.)
• Wes Welker
• Kurt Warner
• Miles Austin
• Antonio Gates
• Willie Parker
• Antonio Pierce
• Adam Vinatieri
• Shaun O’hara

That being said, there are some teams who are more successful at picking up undrafted free agents than others. As much as I dislike Mr. Burns, I mean Bill Belichik, he has a proven record of success, shocker, when it comes to signing undrafted free agents.  The league average is 13 per team.  The patriots had 18 on their roster last year.  And, so far, they signed another six this year.   But this year’s leader going into rookie minicamp are the New York Giants.   The Giants have signed 12 undrafted free agents and have another 25 undrafted players stopping by the stadium for a try-out. 

So, the draft is over but the work has just begun.  And the next time you are talking with your friends about how much money some team wasted in the 2010 NFL draft on some garbage first round pick, be the person who mentions the steal from the bottom of the abyss only to be rescued by some team who took a chance.