If Tony Romo has trouble spotting the sun, it's because Troy Aikman's long shadow has blotted it out.
Breer: Disappointment in Big D
Jerry Jones tells Albert Breer last season was "the most disappointing year" of his entire Cowboys tenure. **More ...**
For years.
Romo has posted remarkable numbers for the Dallas Cowboys, but people in that town don't care about remarkable numbers.
Aikman's body of work -- lighter statistically, but heavier on the Lombardi Trophy count -- is untouchable in the hearts and minds of most Cowboys fans. Only a Super Bowl will alter the group-think, and Jimmy Johnson -- Aikman's old coach -- believes Romo can get there.
"The guy is a great quarterback," Johnson said at the PwC-SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday, via ESPNDallas.com. "You've got to win the ring to get it done. I think Romo can get it done. I love Tony Romo."
Johnson argued that Romo "catches more undeserved abuse" than anyone in the NFL. Sounds about right. For a guy who tossed 31 touchdown passes to just 10 interceptions last season, Romo remains mischaracterized as a bumbler; a stopgap prone to gaffes on the national stage. Nonsense.
Romo's mistakes are well-documented, but they're also largely ancient relics from his early career.
Romo -- in another city -- would be hailed and given his due. In Dallas, the game is different.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
