FRISCO, Texas -- A week ago today, we learned Tony Romo would be released by the Dallas Cowboys, that he would walk away from the game but not retire and that he would join CBS as its lead NFL analyst.
Tonight, Romo will be in a Dallas Mavericks uniform for their season finale against the Denver Nuggets at American Airlines Center.
What a strange week.
But if one thing has been clear, it has been the level of appreciation shown to Romo in the past week.
The Cowboys had No. 9 grace the digital boards outside their Ford Center at The Star offices. The downtown Omni Dallas Hotel had a big No. 9 grace its building at night. Jason Witten offered up a heartfelt message on social media over the weekend, joining a chorus of teammates who sang Romo’s praises.
Romo has been remembered for his ability -- he is the Cowboys’ all-time leader in touchdown passes and passing yards. He has been remembered for his toughness -- he played half a season with a punctured lung and cracked rib. He has been remembered for his thoughtfulness -- the concession speech he made last November.
Now the Mavericks will have Romo on the bench for their last game of the season, even if coach Rick Carlisle says it will not lead to Romo's making an appearance in the game.
Carlisle said on ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas on Monday that Mark Cuban ran the idea of honoring Romo this way past Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones. Carlisle said he spoke with Jason Garrett about it, too. The Cowboys were more than pleased to sign off on the idea.
Over the years, Romo has become a big Mavericks fan and a friend to Carlisle. He has been known to jab the referees and keep running conversations with players during games. When Dirk Nowitzki recently surpassed 30,000 career points, Romo was there and attended the postgame celebration, as well.
Caron Butler stepped into the Romo appreciation tour Monday by saying Romo could have played professional basketball. (He never said the NBA, by the way. Just pro basketball.) Romo and Butler were two-fifths of the All-Racine County team in 1998. While at Eastern Illinois, rumor had it Romo would play pickup games against the school’s all-time leading scorer, Henry Domercant, who had a long professional career overseas, and fared quite well. Domercant and Romo were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame the same year.
Over the years, Carlisle has attended Cowboys practices and meetings. He was impressed with Romo’s attention to detail and the questions Romo would ask his coaches in those sessions. He has seen Romo show the same attention during Mavericks games.
There is an equal admiration of Carlisle’s ability from Romo.
It might seem odd to many that the Mavericks would choose this way to honor Romo. It’s hard to see the Cowboys doing something similar for Nowitzki, although visualizing the 7-footer in pads before a game would be interesting, to say the least.
A week ago today, we woke up knowing Romo’s future with the Cowboys was coming down to its final months, weeks or days, and it turned out it was in its final hours. He wasn’t without a job for long, going to CBS’ lead analyst spot with Jim Nantz by the end of the day for a job that has been held by only four others: Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, John Madden and Phil Simms.
From the Cowboys to CBS to the Mavericks, all in a week.
What’s next, an exemption to the AT&T Byron Nelson PGA Tour event next month?
