Cowboys thankful for lack of a QB controversyersy

Thanksgiving Day NFL football has been around in the United States since 1920. Nowadays, it annually provides a reason for sports- loving family members to gather around the television in either pre- meal anticipation or post- meal grogginess.

On Thursday the Dallas Cowboys, a traditional “turkey day” participant, will take on the Washington Redskins in a game the Cowboys are favored to win by a touchdown. But that’s not the reason that thankfulness has been oozing out of every pore in the Cowboys’ organization for the past week.

Instead, consider the November 15 press conference held by Tony Romo, the Cowboys’ starting quarterback for the better part of 10 seasons. As Romo prepares to return to action from a broken leg he suffered during the preseason, he could have easily demanded his starting job back from rookie Dak Prescott, who has led the Cowboys to an improbable 8- 1 record in Romo’s absence.

Such a demand would have undoubtedly caused a quarterback controversy, in turn creating a tense, toxic locker room environment. But instead of instigating this type of internal chaos, Romo chose to take the high road in a refreshingly honest, refreshingly classy press conference.

“He’s earned the right to be our quarterback,” an emotional Romo said. “I’m not going to allow this situation to negatively affect Dak or this football team by becoming a constant distraction.”

Making Romo’s grace even more remarkable is the fact that pro football is as brutally competitive as any professional sport. Players compete not only against their opponents, but also against their teammates ( for playing time) and their own fears ( to summon the courage to step on the field in the first place).

The Dallas Cowboys will add a quarterback who understands – perhaps as well as any other professional athlete on the planet today – what it means to be part of a team.