Over the past few years, we’ve heard more than a few talking heads offer the opinion that, perennial underachievement aside, the Dallas Cowboys are “close.” But most of these talking heads aren’t Hall of Fame quarterbacks named Troy Aikman.
Aikman joined the “Cowboys are close” camp this week in an appearance on 105.3-FM The Fan, saying that his old team is just a few players away from breaking through. Which means the blame for the team’s inability to so much as make the playoffs in the past three years--in Aikman’s opinion, anyway--doesn’t fall on the owner, the head coach, or even that beleaguered general manager. And it certainly doesn’t fall on the quarterback.
“I’m a big fan of [Tony Romo’s] and I’ve said it all along,” Aikman said, via the Dallas Morning News. “He’s a special player. Unfortunately, not enough people recognize that.”
Aikman acknowledges and even understands the frustration on the part of fans. But according to the three-time Super Bowl Champion turned Fox analyst, this frustration doesn’t come from a lack of talent, but rather, a wealth of talent that hasn’t manifested itself in any playoff success to speak of.
“The expectations for [Romo] and this team have been high ever since [2006],” Aikman said. “I maintain that they’re close. And I know that people keep asking, ‘Hey, can Tony Romo lead this team to a Super Bowl?’ And I believe that he can.
“It’s hard to do. Whether or not he ultimately does it or doesn’t, to me, isn’t really the primary thing. The main thing is you build this team, if you believe that he is capable of doing that, which I believe he is and I believe the Cowboys feel that way as well. Then, you can put the other pieces around him and you have a chance to be really good and really competitive. And I believe that that’s been the case.”
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