The 12 Weeks of Cowboys by West Coast O

It is Christmas season again, and my favorite team has me feeling like I’m a kid on Christmas morning. The Dallas Cowboys are 11-1 through 12 weeks this season and I’m as giddy as a crotchet enthusiast at the world’s biggest ball of yarn. So what better way to celebrate Christmas and 12 weeks of the NFL season than with my very own Cowboys Christmas Carol?

I have had several inquiries from family and friends on when exactly I would write something regarding my beloved Cowboys, but like any healthily superstitious sports fan, I did not want to risk sabotaging my team’s success. However, my previous blog about the Cleveland Indians propelled them to a game away from the World Series title and in light of the fact that I am couching this blog using song, the story surrounding the birth of Jesus, and the Lord’s Team (note hole in the roof of Texas Stadium for His viewing pleasure.), I thought I would be safe to broach the subject of the Dallas Cowboys (if not slightly sacrilegious).

So, without further ado, I am introducing you all to my very own Cowboys Christmas Carol: The Twelve Weeks of Cowboys. This comes complete with an explanation of each day followed by the sing-a-long lyrics below. Enjoy and feel free to make it your new Christmas tradition…

On the __ week of football, my Cowboys gave to me…

1^st – A Romo Passing TD

Romo has already surpassed the great Cowboys quarterbacks of Meredith, Staubach, White, and Aikman to set the new single season touchdown record. He has currently thrown 38 touchdowns this year!

2^nd – Two Running Backs

Like many NFL teams this year, the Dallas Cowboys run a two-back system with Julius Jones and Marion Barber. Julius is the flash and has the Notre Dame pedigree; while Marion Barber runs so hard he has earned the nickname Marion the Barbarian and has quickly become maybe my favorite Dallas Cowboy on this team.

3^rd – Three Folk Points

Finally, the Cowboys have a good kicker. We Cowboy fans once took this for granted. Now, we are relieved to have a reliable, stud kicker back there that leads all kickers in Fantasy Football scoring (yes, he is on my fantasy team).

4^th – Fourmer Philly Bird

Okay, a bit of a play on words, but this references former Philadelphia Eagle Terrell Owens. After he desecrated the Star when playing with the 49ers, I vowed to always despise him. When the Cowboys signed him I said I would not cheer specifically for him. I gotta tell you, it’s hard not to when you watch the plays he has made this year.

5^th – Five Super Bowl Rings

Yep, when we add our 6^th this year, we will lead NFL franchises in most Super Bowls won!

6^th – Six Blockers Blocking

This refers to the real MVPs of our offense: Andre Gurode (C), Kyle Kosier (LG), Leonard Davis (RG), Flozell Adams (LT), Marc Columbo (RT), and Jason Witten (TE)

7^th – Seven Points-a-Scoring

The Cowboys have scored an NFC leading 48 touchdowns so far this season

8^th – Eight, wait that was Aikman…

The number 8 will forever be linked for me to my boy idol Troy Aikman, who is currently the best commentator in the NFL and has done several Cowboys broadcasts this year.

9^th – Nine, now that’s Romo!

The franchise-quarterback torch has been passed from Aikman to Romo. How can you not love this kid? Certainly Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood, and Brittney Spears can’t.

10^th – Ten sacks by Ellis

Despite only playing in 9 of our 12 games this year, our most seasoned veteran and silent leader of the Cowboys, Greg Ellis has a team leading 10 sacks. Demarcus Ware could also be inserted here as he has 10 as well. I love the blitzing, turnover-prone Wade Phillips defense.

11^th – Eleven Wins and Counting

That’s right. We lead the NFC with the best record and if not for those annoying Patriots, we’d be undefeated.

12^th – Twelfth Man, that’s the Fans!

Granted, the bandwagon fans are turning out by the droves again this year. But this goes to the true-blue Cowboy fans that invest their emotional, physical, and spiritual faculties to support the success of our team week in and week out. Cowboys fans unite!

Sing-a-long Song Lyrics:

The song is cumulative with each verse building and repeating until the conclusion. It sings exactly like the popular Christmas Carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” except the lyrics are obviously pertaining to the Cowboys. I have also substituted “my true love” with “the Cowboys”, which are synonymous anyhow. Remember, the only way to spread Christmas (or Cowboy) cheer, is to sing out loud for all to hear…

First Verse:

On the first week of football my Cowboys gave to me

A Romo Passing TD

Second Verse:

On the second week of football my Cowboys gave to me

2 Running Backs,

And a Romo passing TD

…and so forth until the last verse:

On the twelfth week of football my Cowboys gave to me

Twelfth man, that’s the fans!,

Eleven wins and counting,

Ten sacks by Ellis,

Nine, now that’s Romo!,

Eight, wait that’s Aikman…,

Seven points-a-scoring,

Six blockers blocking,

Five Super Bowl Rings…,

Fourmer Philly bird,

Three Folk points,

Two Running backs,

And a Romo passing TD

GO COWBOYS!!!

All Photos from: dallascowboys.com, except Ainkman is form cnnsi.com

Who needs Kobe?.... And other random questions from Chi-town Toe

I do realize the Kobe talk was so last month. However, due to the stellar start by my Chicago Bulls, I felt the need to re-open the wound. I was excited for the Bulls season to start. Can you blame me? They were picked by ESPN and Sports Illustrated to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the images of Tyrus Thomas dunking on Shaq were fresh in my memory from last year's playoff rout of the Heat, and I was still stuck in a sports coma due to the recent failings of the Cubs, the Irish, and the once mighty Bears defense. (Somewhere Dick Butkus is physically ill watching the 2007 Bears.) Then the supposed opportunity was laid in Paxson's lap to get Kobe. The papers and talk shows were abuzz. Sane people calling in and writing who both had seemingly legitimate arguments. However my friends, as seen in the past 20 years, there is one argument on the Kobe saga that should have trumped them all. I am afraid Johnny Pax, who I will forever love for Game 6 in Phoenix in 1993, didn't look closely enough at NBA history, or his own history to make the right decision. Are you ready for the argument? Here it is: The SuperStar Factor!

Quick: name one SuperStar on the Bulls. Still searching? How about one NBA all-star? Ok, so you came up with Lou Deng and Ben Gordon as POTENTIAL all-stars. In the words of the late, great Chris Farely: La-de-frekin-da! Be sure you watch the Pistons next time they play the Bulls. Watch as Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups take turns smoking our size deficient Ben Gordon. What about Loul Deng? Could he be very good? Yes. Great? No! Watch any Bulls game this year and tell me if you really feel you are watching something special when you watch him play. (By they way, he is also the guy that as a Freshman in college fueled the UConn comeback against Duke when he was launching threes with less than 4 minutes to go and 20 seconds on the shot clock with Duke up by 8.)

Now for the history lesson: Name one team in the last 15 years to win a championship without a SuperStar. You can't find one can you. MJ, Hakeem the Dream, MJ again, Shaq and Kobe, Duncan, D-Wade. Ah...but you say the Pistons. Good choice and the only team I can think of. 1 in 15!! Now that is a model to follow.

Kobe is the best player in the game. Period! He would have brought the Bulls to the finals. I am afraid Johnny Pax has gotten a little too conservative on us. He came to two crossroads in his GM career that will cost him. He failed to get Garnett and now Kobe. For all the great things he has done for the Bulls, he should have remembered that #23 who got him so many open shots and laid his cards on the table for Kobe.

Some other thoughts on recent sports events:

1. The BCS rocks! I love it when a 2 loss teams get to play for the title. And when the winner of Mizzou-Kansas actually didn't mean anything. What an awesome system! Start a playoff you idiots.

2. How great is it that we can see how the coaches voted in the polls.
Great Example: Bob Stoops, coach of Oklahoma. #1 OU........... #6 LSU...........HAH!

3. The Twins might seriously trade Johan Santana. Maybe to Boston? I can just hear the gun fire from the New York streets. If Santana goes to Boston, I am laying down $100 bucks on Boston to win the World Series for the next 5 years.

4. Tebow should win the Heisman. He is unbelievable. Enough said.

5. The college basketball season has started...is it March yet?



Kobe picture: www.allposters.com