Its kind of funny, as I watch the Cowboy-Panther game. The Panthers (or Snowball) as my daughter calls them are giving the Boys all they can handle. The Cowboys are up right now 14-7. Steve Smith just caught a great catch from Moore and cut the lead in half. As the game goes on, so shall I.

I have a couple observations about the game so far (ok, the NFL in general could be included)

1. Why do so many players in the NFL have hair longer than my 6 year old daughter?

2. Why do so many NFL players have more tattoos that an Outlaw or a Hell's Angel ? (please, no offense to the Outlaws or the Angels)- really, I mean that.)

3. Is Bryant Gumbel not the absolute worst game commentator we've ever heard? For the love of all thats Holy, get his damn brother in there if you can't get someone else. How many blown calls has he made? The ONLY call he got right was the NON call for pass interference agaisnt the Boys late in the 2nd half. For Petes sake, if that wasn't pass interference, then I don't have a mortgage or a college fund to "donate" to. Good God, save me from idiotic officiating. How that wasn't called. I don't know. But for ONCE, Bryant and I agreed.

4. What's with TO and Romeo? The throws aren't there. Romeo (it might be construed) is deliberately avoiding throwing to TO. Why? T.O has been (to the 3rd qtr) non existent. Ok. WHY ? Jason Whitten has been hunted like a wabbit. (be vewy vewy quiet).

5. T.O. came out and spoke about the lovely Ms Simpson as being unwanted in the cluhbouse or the stadium. Tony Romeo, never once, came out and said a word about it this week. Is that a problem now? Is it a consistent problem with T.O. and that wherever he goes, whetever he says, its all about T.O.

6. I would give him the benefit of the doubt if I hadn't seen his shenanigans in the Super Bowl with the Patriots. Come on now.. sit - ups in your DRIVEWAY? Anyway, thats neither here nor there. So far. and again, I stress, this is the 1st half. Anything can happen. BUT (and you knew that was coming). T.O came right out and badmouthed Roy Williams and pointed out to the media, what happened to HIM when Williams "horse collared" him.

OK, i get it. Williams. You have a rule named after you, then its probably in your best interests to at least acknowldege it. We all know Williams just doesn't get it. But really, did you expect T.O. to say anything nice about anyone on his team when he drops a zillion passes?

7. The Panthers have nothing to win, nothing to gain and yet they have played (so far) an outstanding game. My only question now is, where the hell were you the last 14 weeks? Someone? Anyone?

8. There is a reason why "Tank" was let go by the Bears. Does a leopard change its spots?

9. Smith was the voice of the Panthers. I may have a new opinion about Mr. Moore. He has played an outstanding game against a team that was supposed to annihilate them. Funny, but I'm not seeing that score yet.

10 Gumbel again. Please, let's all sign a petition and get him the hell out ! Come ON people ! The NFL Network is going to broadcast more and more games next year. I don't make enough money to pay for the kind of alcohol it's going to take to ignore him. SIGN NOW !

11. Consider this an Extra Credit in the top ten! Why? Someone please tell me why, young black (oh please, don't even go Al Sharpton or Jesse on me ! You and I KNOW it's not the white boys) - I have yet to see Tom Brady or Peyton Manning doing this, but why are players sporting 5 karat diamond ear-rings on EACH ear? Did I miss something? Is it like the baggy pants down around your hips with your boxers showing? Is it a status thing?(Go ahead, call Al. I don't care. It's the truth). Durng the GAME tho ?

It doesn't matter whether you love the Cowboys or you hate the Panthers. The facts are, any Cowboy fan will defend the officiating. Any Panther fan is still in disbelief. T.O. "left the game" in the half. An "ankle sprain"? Or Romeo not "getting him ball? Is it another T.O. breakdown? Did his big mouth get him in trouble again? We will have to wait and see I guess. History always repeats though.

I'm not a T.O. basher. I respect his abilities. He's a heck of a receiver when he wants to be. I don't respect his attitude. He reminds me of my kid when she doesn't get the IPOD Nano for a Labor Day gift. WHO the hell gives Labor Day gifts? But she expects something and when she doesn't get it, she gets petulant and "tweeny".

Steve Smith, who is THE man for Carolina played as hard as anyone could expect. Moore, proved himself for now, tonite. 

My point here tho, is not about T.O. For once. He's not the "subject", as much as he would like to be. He's a very valuable player not just to himself, but to the Cowboys. My point is, that this isn't the NFL our dads watched with us. This  isn't the NFL we (ok, me) grew up with. The days of "sack" dancing are gone, the day's of horse collars and offensive pass interference are gone. What happened to watching a game with Dad and the biggest question of the day was "popcorn or peanuts? Bud or Bud Lite?"

The only thing it seems we have left, is the New Football League.

This is what I would call "Politically IN-Correct" football.

(btw, I stole the "tags" from ST857 because I want to get back to the game, and I really didn't want to have to type all that stuff in when someone did it for me! Thanks ST ! )