Hard Knocked 2010

Austin, Tx.-- As a Cowboy fan, this has been the most exciting year I've had in a long, long time. Yes, I say that almost every other year. But it's true.

I've been lurking on Cowboyszone.com and I came across a hulu clip of Hard Knocks, which was released on August, 29th of 2008. I agree with most fans when they say Hard Knocks is a major distraction. It puts unneeded pressure on the players and the staff. But when I rewound and took a look through the historical looking glass, I found myself experiencing a sense of relief.

My first observation was T.O. was a cancer to the chemistry of the team. Looking back, I'm glad he's not part of our team any longer. Good riddance, T.O.

A few other things I noticed while watching Hard Knocks 2008 was that Miles Austin made some really important plays early on in his career. And if you really take a look at those plays you can see the potential [now] that a lot of people failed to see [then].

Bill Parcells saw something in Miles Austin. I have to give him that much. In hindsight, I have mixed feelings about Bill. But that's a topic for another blog.

One thing that jumps out at me is how close we were to having Amendola on our roster. I really think he would have been an interesting player to watch and he's an outstanding receiver. Wade Phillips liked him, too.

When I look at players like Lowber, it's a wonder why the Cowboys ever brought him in for a look, and I'm left wondering why HBO's Hard Knocks put such an emphasis on Todd Lowber. But we all know it's a tough competition in the NFL. I think most fans would agree we're better off for it personnel-wise.

I really liked watching the effort Danny Amendola put forth. He was the sort of Alice in Wonderland character we all forgot about. He's had a nice career. And I'm glad to see he found a home with the Rams. He epitomizes an example of competition. He hung around on the practice squad and finally found a home. Lowber did not. I guess that's the moral of the story. One day you're here, the next day you're gone.

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One other thing I noticed is that Wade Phillips does indeed have command in the locker room and with those surrounding him and those above him. When you see how he talks to the players, he is stern. Yet you can also see the influence of Jerry Jones all over the team and I like the personnel moves he has made. I will venture to say that is a good thing. Let the door hit Pac Man and Tank Johnson on their backsides, we're a better team now.

I may say this almost every year, but I mean it this time (I swear) when I say that Jerry, Wade and Co. have put together the best squad since 1995. The Dallas Cowboys' roster is a tight squeeze. We have a great group of talent, and the battle for the last few spots will be more than an interesting one. It will be intense and emotional as well. As much as I think Hard Knocks is a distraction, it sure would be interesting to cover the Cowboys in 2010.

But we've got a great season to look forward to. The excitement as a fan over the past few years has been a bit overwhelming, at times, thanks to Tony Romo.

As Tony says, "It's the old saying. The journey is the funnest part."

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[1] http://www.hulu.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys