Former Cowboys QB Romo fails in bid to qualify for US Open

Retired Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's bid to reach the U.S. Open golf championship ended in a local qualifier on Monday outside Dallas in Aledo, Texas.

Romo shot a three-over-par 75 at Split Rail Links & Golf Club and was not one of the seven qualifiers who finished two-under or better to advance to the sectional from a field of 115 hopefuls.

Romo was one-over after an eagle at the 14th hole but dunked his tee shot on the next in the water and took a triple bogey that ended his chances.

Three bogeys on the front nine left him three-over at the turn. Romo followed with a birdie at No. 10 but bogeyed No. 11. He closed the round by making a six-foot birdie putt on No. 18, but it was too little too late.

The Texas Golf Association estimated a gallery of about 200 turned out to watch the local favorite, who played quarterback for 12 NFL seasons and passed for 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns.

Injuries and the emergence of Dak Prescott at quarterback last year as a rookie ultimately derailed Romo's football career. During the offseason, Romo took a job with CBS as its lead analyst for NFL telecasts on Thursday nights and Sundays.

Romo also tried to qualify for the U.S. Open in 2008, 2010 and 2011. In 2010, he made it to sectional qualifying but had to withdraw in order to participate in organized team activities with the Cowboys.

The 2017 U.S. Open will be played June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin.

(Editing by Larry Fine)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Romo expected to trade gridiron for broadcast booth

Quarterback Tony Romo plans to pursue a career in broadcasting even if the Dallas Cowboys release him as expected.

ESPN's Adam Schefter, who is represented by the same agent who represents Romo, broke the story Tuesday. Sports Business Journal connected Romo to CBS as a replacement for the network's top NFL broadcast analyst, Phil Simms.

Romo played only for the Cowboys in his 14-year career.

Offseason speculation centered on Romo joining a new team with QB-needy teams downplaying their interest at last week's owners meetings. The Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers were reportedly checking into the potential of adding Romo.

CBS and Romo have not signed the agreement, per Sports Business Journal, but the move is expected to be completed in a matter of days.

Of course, Romo's retirement could become more of a respite from playing football if the Cowboys or another team develop a need unexpectedly.

  
NFL Network reported Romo already discussed bailing out the Cowboys should they need him to return and play in 2017.

Should a playoff-caliber team encounter an emergency at the position, Romo could be enticed to punt the broadcasting plan.

Romo has three seasons remaining on his contract with the Cowboys. On Monday, Romo was given permission to talk to other teams, a signal Dallas wanted to pursue a trade.

Romo has made $127 million in his career, but injuries began taking a toll in recent years.

In 2016, Romo was sidelined in August by a fractured vertebrae and only played one series -- at Philadelphia in the regular season finale -- all season. It was only the latest in a run of major injuries: fractured collarbone (2015), spine (2014), herniated disc (2013).

If Romo files his retirement papers, and the Cowboys designated him a post-June 1 release, they would save $14 million against the 2017 salary cap.

Romo was scheduled to count $24.7 million against the Cowboys' cap in 2017. Instead, his charge would count $10.7 million and $8.9 million in 2018.

The 36-year-old lost his starting job in 2016 after a preseason back injury pushed rookie Dak Prescott into the No. 1 role with the Cowboys. Prescott went on an unexpected run and won Offensive Rookie of the Year, leading the Cowboys to the divisional playoff round where Dallas suffered a last-second loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Romo turns 37 on April 21 and a recent history of back issues likely played a factor in stepping away.

Romo is the all-time leading passer in Cowboys history with 34,183 yards and 248 TD passes.

His career record of 78-49 was overshadowed by failure in the playoffs. Dallas never advanced beyond the divisional playoffs in four appearances with Romo, who passed for 300-plus yards 46 times.

(Editing by Andrew Both)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Rookie Cowboys duo have 'America's Team' riding high

The Dallas Cowboys have taken the NFL by storm this season thanks to better-than-expected performances from two rookies who have quickly become the faces of 'America's Team' and given a jolt to sagging TV ratings.

Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott have been a welcome revelation for a franchise that won three Super Bowl titles during a dominant stretch in the 1990s but have only made the playoffs five times in the last 16 seasons.

The pair have also helped bring some relief to the NFL, which has been in the unusual position of suffering a 14 percent drop in television ratings across all games this season.

The dynamic Dallas duo have led the Cowboys (8-1) to first place with an eight-game win streak, the latest coming in Sunday's thriller against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers that was the highest-rated NFL telecast of the 2016 campaign.

Prescott, a fourth-round pick whose incredible start has many experts believing long-time Cowboys' starter Tony Romo has lost his role, has not let the pressure of the toughest job in American sports faze him one bit.

"He's evolving and actually performing at a level that is very inordinate, eight wins is inordinate for our team," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said of Prescott's poise following Sunday's come-from-behind win in a hostile Pittsburgh environment.

As for Elliott, the Cowboys' fourth overall draft pick was expected to immediately productive given his talent and the team's dominant offensive line but few thought he would be unstoppable.

"I expected it out of myself. I'm a guy with high expectations," said Elliott. "I was put in a perfect situation. I'm surrounded with a lot of great players, and they make me better."

Elliott scored two of his three touchdowns in the final two minutes of Sunday's 35-30 win, the latest standout performance in a season in which he leads the NFL in rushing and has made a strong case for Most Valuable Player honors.

The performances of Prescott and Elliott already have fans of the Cowboys - who earlier this year topped Forbes' list of the world's most valuable sports teams - thinking about the glory days of the 1990s.

While anything can happen over the final seven games of the regular season and in the unpredictable playoffs, the current edition of the Cowboys appears to be the best since the franchise won its last Super Bowl in 1996.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Ken Ferris)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NFL: Dallas 38, Philadelphia 33

Tony Romo tossed three touchdown passes -- including a late, go-ahead strike to Dez Bryant -- and Dallas rallied past Philadelphia 38-33 Sunday.

Romo completed 22-of-27 pass attempts for 303 yards without an interception for the Cowboys (6-6), who logged their third win in four games.

The Cowboys erased a 27-24 deficit with 5:35 left in the game when Romo capped a seven-play, 86-yard drive with a 6-yard TD pass to Bryant, putting Dallas ahead to stay.

Morris Claiborne ensured the victory with a 50-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown that gave the Cowboys enough of a cushion to hold off the Eagles, who got a 98-yard punt-return touchdown by Damris Johnson with 31 seconds left.

Bryant finished with two TDs on six catches for 98 yards. Jason Witten also made six grabs for 108 yards for Dallas.

Bryce Brown followed up 178-yard rushing performance last week with 169 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries Sunday for the reeling Eagles (3-9), who dropped their eighth straight.

source: upi.com

Dallas Cowboys camp outlook: Buzzword is urgency

Editor's note: As offseason work across the league winds down, the focus is shifting to the steamy summer workouts ahead. The countdown to training camp has begun. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News will provide in-depth looks at all 32 teams over the next six weeks. First up, the NFC East. Today: Dallas Cowboys. Friday: Washington Redskins.

No matter how much quarterback Tony Romo and coach Jason Garrett play the urgency of the 2012 NFL season, it's Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones who sets the tone. Jones says the window is closing on the Cowboys and he is heading into training camp feeling a sense of urgency to make a Super Bowl run.

After watching the former dynasty team of the 1990s win one playoff game the past 16 years, Jones, who will turn 70 this year, says he doesn’t have time to wait much longer. Nor does he want to.

“From my perspective right now, I don’t have time to have a bad time,” Jones said. “There is an urgency. It’s my perception that decides when the windows are and where they are. With that in mind, I’m saying that we need to get out here, get down to business, get in some playoffs and get knocking on the door.”

source: aol.sportingnews.com