ESPN Hashmarks

In the Sunday Conversation, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo talks about everything from Brett Favre, the last two playoff loses to T.O. crying.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Cowboys

• Tony Romo will play in the American Century Championship Golf Tournament at Lake Tahoe this weekend. He's got a lot more game than fellow competitors Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan, but former major-league pitcher Rick Rhoden will win this thing easily.

• I'm headed out to Day 2 of Camp T.O. Hopefully he won't make fun of the kids today. Is telling a child who is slightly overweight to "pretend the ball is a cheeseburger" ever a good thing?

• I have a story on former Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano on the NFL page right now. I'd love to discuss it with you guys later if there's any interest.

Giants

• Someone from Bloomberg's London bureau is writing a story about Jeremy Shockey. Makes total sense.

• Here is Plaxico Burress on New York's WNYC.

Eagles

• Pete Mucha of the Inquirer has details on how to stay on the waiting list for season tickets.

• At least one man is cranking out Eagles stories.

Redskins

• Who knew that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was such a huge Redskins fan? He and Chris Cooley are buddies.

• The Redskins Insider checks in -- briefly.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Cowboys

• Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's contract includes more guaranteed money than the recent contracts of two other CAA clients, Marc Bulger and Tony Romo. Don't you just feel awful for these owners? If he didn't have to pay exorbitant money to first-round rookies, perhaps Jerry Jones wouldn't have to scrape by with a $1.1 billion stadium.

• Cowboys running back Tashard Choice performs in a skit at the NFL rookie symposium. If I'd known there were going to be skits, I totally would've covered this event. I heard the Adam Jones skit was priceless.

• Calvin Watkins says the Cowboys have the fourth-best safety tandem in football.

• Ray Buck of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reaches into the wayback machine for this story.

• Adam Jones is telling Jerry fishing stories.

Eagles

• The Freak sounds off about his former team.

Giants

• Here's Ralph Vacchiano's reading list for Giants fans.

Redskins

• Check back Monday

Posted of ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

We had a chance to visit with Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips about an hour ago on 103.3 FM ESPN. Here's the audio.

Phillips talked about Roy Williams, Tony Romo, Terry Glenn, Pacman Jones, Greg Ellis and Jason Garrett.

Take a listen and then I'll meet you in the comments section for a visit. I'll be the guy named "Hashmarksadmin."

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo failed to qualify for the U.S. Open, but he still got to play the course Friday afternoon. Romo joined an eclectic foursome that included singer Justin Timberlake, NBC "Today" host Matt Lauer and contest winner John Atkinson in playing the South Course at Torrey Pines, the site of this week's Open.

Parts of Friday's celebrity round will be aired next weekend. The event was inspired by Tiger Woods' statement during last year's Open at Oakmont that 10-handicappers wouldn't be able to break 100. Romo, a 2-handicapper (during the season), posted a 13-over-par 84 Friday. And since I had a pretty good view of his 75 at Pebble Beach a few years ago, I'm thinking he wasn't pleased with that score.

Timberlake, sporting a black fedora that had Sam Snead spinning in his grave, shot a 98. He supposedly plays to a 6-handicap, so his 27-over performance tells you how tough Torrey Pines is playing. Timberlake was able to "scoreboard" Romo on US Weekly covers.

Lauer (6.2) and Atkinson (8.1) shot 100 and 114. Atkinson won a contest that included 56,000 entries. A year ago, he was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, but his celebrity caddie, famed sports psychologist Bob Rotella, came away impressed with Atkinson's perseverence.

"For a guy who's played one member-guest [tournament] in his life, it was pretty impressive," said Rotella. "I think he felt very good about it."

For more Romo updates, please read anything that begins with "Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley."

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Terrell Owens seemed remarkably calm a couple of weeks ago when Cowboys owner Jerry Jones rewarded Terence Newman and Marion Barber with long-term extensions. Even though he was heading into the final year of his contract, T.O. felt like Jones would eventually take care of him.

And late Monday afternoon, that's exactly what happened. Jones ignored his self-imposed rule about paying big money to aging players and gave the 34-year-old a four-year deal worth $34 million, which was first reported by ESPN's Michael Smith. The $13 million in guaranteed money is obviously the most important aspect of the deal. By comparison, Randy Moss received a three-year, $27 million contract with the Patriots that included $15 in guaranteeed money. But keep in mind that Moss is three years younger than T.O. and is coming off one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the league.

Common sense suggests you don't make a huge financial commitment to a wide receiver in his mid-30s, but the Cowboys obviously believe that T.O. can remain at an elite level for at least two more seasons.

The Cowboys may eventually pay the price for this contract, but in the short term, it will save them nearly $3 million against the salary cap. The next big contract will go to outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware, but I don't think a deal is imminent. I'm also told that the club hasn't made much progress on a new deal for safety Ken Hamlin, who has the franchise tag.

Jones could have waited to see how T.O. performed in the early part of the regular season like he did with Tony Romo, but he was already convinced. By T.O.'s standards, it has been two years of relative harmony in Dallas. He wanted to finish his career with the Cowboys, and Jones has made that possible.

Honestly, I don't think Jones had any choice but to make this deal.  The Cowboys couldn't risk losing him in free agency.

The team is expected to announce the new contract at a news conference Tuesday, and Hashmarks plans to be there.

(Photo: Mike Stone/AP)

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo spoke with reporters immediately following Wednesday's organized team activities session. He sounded off on topics ranging from Marion Barber's new contract to T.O.'s maturity. Here are some of the highlights:

• On Barber: "He's a charismatic kid, and he loves football. His energy is at a high level every day. That trickles down to everybody else. It's a positive whenever you can get people excited during a game. It's almost like a sixth man in basketball, where a guy comes in and gives you a spark and the momentum changes."

• On coming into the league with Jason Witten and Terence Newman in 2003: "Our draft class, with me as a free agent, we've kind of gone through a lot together. It's neat to see some of these guys get rewarded for their high levels of play. Terence is a great example of a guy who worked his butt off that's a talented player. He's always been a talented player. Keeping him here, he's going to be another one of those guys who allows us to stay hopefully playing at a high level in the NFC for a number of years."

• On whether Terry Glenn is finished because of a knee injury: "Oh, no. He's very much in mind. I think Terry Glenn's going to surprise a lot of you guys. He's probably the one player that I think has as much physical ability on the football field as maybe anybody I've seen. He's not the strongest, most physical guy in the world, but what he doesn't have there, he's probably the best at in everything else. His quickness, his ability to get in and out of breaks, his ability to sense things and get in the right positions is really special. If you ask any of his past quarterbacks that have played with him, they'll tell you he's really special.

"If the guy is healthy, he's going to play and play a lot. We're not talking about a guy who is just coming in. I don't know that people, because he doesn't talk a lot, really understand how good he is. If you talk to other receivers, they'll tell you how special he is. If he's healthy, he's dangerous. If he's not healthy, obviously he won't be able to be the same player. But he's taken the approach that he's gonna get healthy. When he does, he'll get back on the field. I assume, and I think he does too, that he'll be fine come training camp. I think he'll surprise you with just his level of play."

• On what he thinks of young receivers such as Miles Austin and Sam Hurd: "I think some guys have the ability to learn from themselves and get better. Those are the guys that last a long time and continue to improve in this league and in sports in general. I think our young guys actually have that attitude and have the ability to look at themselves and what their weaknesses are and improve. I expect that eventually down the road, our young guys are going to get a chance to play a lot more, whether it's years or whatever. You never know when you're going to get thrust in that position, but they're going to be able to produce in this league, definitely."

• Thoughts on T.O.: "I think you've seen a change in the guy. A transformation has taken place over the last four or five years. I think it's pretty neat. We're pretty lucky to have it happen here. For whatever reason, I enjoy the guy. He's a good teammate. He really is. He actually cares about each one of us. He cares about his team, and he cares about getting better. The guy is out there working his butt off every day, and he gets a bad rap because you guys just don't get to see him every day."

• On T.O. going into the final year of his contract: "I'm pretty sure we'll be just fine with getting that taken care of. He'll be fine."

• On his love for Jerry Jones: "One of the reasons I'm lucky is to be around an owner like Jerry Jones. I'm not just saying it. The reality of it is the guy wants to win. As a quarterback, you need ownership and people in the front office and organization to help you win. If you don't get that help, you're always going to be fighting an uphill battle. You feel that, being a part of this organization with Jerry, that he's going to bring in people and sign people and want to improve this football team every year. It allows you to feel like, hey, we have a chance and I have a chance to do some special things around here. I'm just excited about the fact that he consistently wants to win as much as I do."

(Photo: Rich Kane/US Presswire)

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

One of the reasons I haven't commented on the rumored Tony Romo-Jessica Simpson breakup is because it doesn't interest me in the least. Romo used to write a column about his dating life called "Roamin' with Romo" for my old Web site before he hit the big time. It was a great read because he was self-deprecating and always talked about getting shot down.

It's funny how your accuracy goes up when you become the starting quarterback for the Cowboys. Anyway, now that his love life is national tabloid fodder, it's much less interesting. On Wednesday, the society columnist for The Dallas Morning News reported that Tony and Jessica had broken up. But a day later, he's hedging his bets.

If you guys truly care, I'll provide the real story. But I get the sense you would rather read about football. Thanks.

Mary Hart

(Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press)

Posted by ESPN.com's John Banks

Here is what Dallas Morning News is reporting.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Until now, Terrell Owens' acting resume was limited to the ill-fated "Monday Night Football" intro with Nicollete Sheridan of Desperate Housewives. Now, the controversial wide receiver is making a comeback in Flavor Fav's new sitcom, "Under One Roof" -- otherwise known as "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 2."

T.O. will appear on the MyNetworkTV show tomorrow night, so make sure and set those Tivos. During a conference call to promote the groundbreaking sitcom, T.O. answered questions about his contract status, Pacman Jones and his passion for Tony Romo.

For those of you who didn't know, T.O.'s headed into the final year of his contract. In the past, he's had some very public contract disputes, but he's vowed to take a different approach this time.

"For sure, I definitely want to end my career with the Dallas Cowboys, and go into the Hall of Fame as a Dallas Cowboy," said Owens. "I'm going to let God fight that battle for me. There was a situation where the contract didn't work out in Philly. With this, I'm going to let it play out and not try to be a distraction."

According to a Source, God is looking for a multi-year deal that includes several escalator clauses.  

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

The only downside to being a scratch golfer, naming your celebrity girlfriend and playing quarterback for the Cowboys is ... sorry, I couldn't come up with anything. Tony Romo appears to be living the good life, but on Wednesday, he came up short in U.S. Open sectional qualifying.

Tony fired a 5-over-par 75 at the Golf Club of Dallas, which is not a track he would normally play. Please watch this video in which an 11-year-old boy completely turns on his hero.

My pal Todd Archer, who can be seen lurking in the background during one interview, wrote that Romo missed a one-foot putt in Thursday's newspaper. I didn't think it was possible to miss a one-foot putt, but Tony pulled it off.

A lot of times he calls when he's having swing issues, but I haven't heard from lately. For the record, he's hanging on his left side too long during the backswing and he's not keeping the same wide base that's allowed him to consistently hit 340-yard drives in the past.

OK, glad we could solve that problem. Let's get back to football.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

As many of you first learned on Hashmarks, the Cowboys officially announced their participation in the next installment of HBO's "Hard Knocks" series Wednesday. Owner/producer Jerry Jones was flanked by the president of HBO sports, Ross Greenburg, and the legendary head of NFL Films, Steve Sabol.

The luncheon offered reporters a rare opportunity to share chicken florentine and a vegetable medley with the Cowboys owner and his powerful friends. When I first walked in, local NBC sports anchor Newy Scruggs was grilling Jones about why he would subject his players and coaches to this type of additional scrutiny.

In typical fashion, Jerry's answers were all over the map. He talked about his players' "thick skin" and then put on his producer's hat to suggest a "Babe Ruth type" train ride from the club's training camp in Oxnard, Calif., to a preseason game in San Diego. At this point, I was completely lost, but Sabol came to the rescue by mentioning how the Leatherheads took similar trips in the 1920s and '30s.

Speaking of Sabol, we had a chance to interview him on Dallas-Fort Worth's ESPN 103.3 earlier this afternoon. As usual, Sabol told some fascinating stories.

But back to Jerry's explanation for why he thinks "Hard Knocks" is a good thing for the Cowboys:

"One of reasons that our players have this opportunity is because of the interest in this franchise," he said. "Basically it's taking advantage of promoting why it's so special to be a Dallas Cowboy."

Jerry then indicated that his players and coaches are all on board with the show, which was news to the players and coaches. One high-ranking member of the organization told me Wednesday that the coaches weren't thrilled with the arrangement, saying all the cameras might change their approach.

Sabol said his experience has been that the extra attention can serve as a "distraction" from the monotony of training camp. When Fort Worth Star-Telegram Cowboys beat writer Clarence E. Hill asked about the Romessica storyline, Sabol and Greenburg seemed insulted.

They vowed not to turn "Hard Knocks" into a soap opera, and Sabol said he would only focus on Jessica if she started "running 7-on-7 drills." Actually, that's probably not a bad idea. Later on the radio, he admitted that NFL Films would certainly perk up if Tony Romo's girlfriend shows up at training camp. My gut tells me that Tony will advise Jessica to stay as far away as possible, but that's just a hunch.

One last question: As the campaign manager for the fledgling NFL Network, why would Jones be so quick to crawl into bed with HBO. Yes, I know it's a more prestigious (and visible) network, but it seems like a "Hard Knocks" type series might earn the NFL Network more credibility -- and better ratings.

The only other interesting thing to come out of today's luncheon was Jerry claiming that he never asked HBO to cut a single thing from "Hard Knocks" in 2002. I'd heard differently, but when I asked him about it, he was pretty defiant.

"Zero. Zero," he said when asked how many times he asked HBO not to air something. By the way, Houston Texans fans still remember a "Hard Knocks" episode in which Cowboys players seemed to be taking them lightly.

I believe it was defensive lineman Gary Walker who ran off the field after the Texans' franchise-opening victory over the Cowboys shouting something about "Hard Knocks."

Jerry seems to think the show and the buzz that it creates will give the Cowboys a competitive advantage. That seems like a stretch to me, but we'll find out soon enough.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

We'll be spending some time with Cowboys second-round draft choice Martellus Bennett this afternoon. If you have questions for the former Texas A&M tight end, leave them in the "comments" section located immediately below this entry.

Bennett was one of the best quotes in college football, but he's already been scolded once for being outspoken. When asked about Tony Romo, he made a crack about how he respected anyone who could land Jessica Simpson. I'm told the innocent comment earned him an immediate phone call from the Cowboys' public relations staff.

Here's a nice scouting report now appearing on the blog formerly known as Matt Mosley's Cowboys Blog. Unfortunately, the two touchdowns that Bennett scores in the video both come against my alma mater. I think he piled up half his career numbers in that game.

Back with more in a moment.

Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley

Since 2001, HBO has presented its almost all-access "Hard Knocks" series three times. The first season featured the Baltimore Ravens, who were coming off a Super Bowl title. In 2002, the network used NFL Films to capture the Cowboys' training camp in San Antonio.

For no apparent reason, HBO chose a rather pedestrian Chiefs roster for its "Hard Knocks" comeback in 2007, which was intriguing only to Kansas City fans and this blog.

Now, "Hard Knocks" may be returning to fertile ratings territory, the Dallas Cowboys. According to local newspaper accounts, a deal is "imminent" that would allow NFL Films constant access to the club's training camp in Oxnard, Calif.

America will be able to see the charismatic Wade Phillips up close and personal, and viewers will watched contrived scenes of owner Jerry Jones cutting players he's never made eye contact with.

Who will be the stars?

Obviously Tony Romo and Terrell Owens will be front and center. If Jessica Simpson sneaks into town for a visit, I'm sure NFL Films will assign a camera or 20 to follow her. I'm planning to be in Oxnard during the first week of training camp, so perhaps Hashmarks will receive some air time. Lord knows we need it since "The Hot List" has completely turned its back on me.

Mark my words: Danny Amendola, a free-agent rookie out of Texas Tech, will be the feel-good storyline that "Hard Knocks" crams down our throats. You'll also meet a kid named Marcus Dixon, who has a fascinating backstory.

OK, let's send it back out to Sando in the Seattle bureau.

Posted by ESPN.com senior blogger Matt Mosley 

A few days after falling a stroke short in an EDS Byron Nelson Championship pre-qualifying event, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and three of the Dallas area's top golfers christened the revamped TPC course at the Four Seasons Resort and Club in Irving, Texas. I thought the whimsical music in the video was a nice touch, but I'm not sure why Ryder Cup alum J.J. Henry was the only golfer who received a mic.  

"I wish I had your short game," Henry was overheard saying to Romo.

Other than that, the video featured a series of tee shots from Romo followed by the first-ever triple screen of Harrison Frazar, Henry and Romo hitting shots. CBS should look into this type of technology. The network could cover an entire event without ever taking the camera off Tiger Woods -- even if he's back home in Orlando.

I've had the pleasure of playing golf with Romo several times, although we utilize different tee boxes. I'll never forget following Tony's 345-yard drive on No. 1 at Pebble Beach with a 65-yard worm burner.

"Mr. Mosley, take another one," said the starter.  

Tony began with a couple of chili-dips from the first fairway, but rallied to shoot a 76 that afternoon. I rallied to shoot 93, although that score came into question when I moved a ball out of the No. 18 bunker to avoid a small but menacing fox.

But enough about my round at Pebble Beach with Tony Romo. Most of you know I'm not comfortable mentioning things like that.

The point of this entry is to say that Romo seems to be hanging on his left side a bit during his backswing. I like what he's doing around the greens, but he needs to load up on his right side on longer shots. One of the most important things to keep in mind when offering unsolicited swing tips is to make sure you do it early in the round.

I generally start out by showing my playing partners a Medicus, which was designed to screw up swings for a minimum of two months. But seriously, the Byron Nelson, which begins Thursday, is missing a huge marketing opportunity. Romo, who is basically a scratch golfer, should receive a special exemption into the tournament.

Some would argue that he'd be taking another player's spot, but who gives a rip about that? If you're an alternate for one of these tournaments, we're probably not going to recognize your name anyway.

Crowne Plaza Invitational (Fort Worth) at Colonial officials received criticism from players when they granted a spot to Annika Sorenstam in 2003, but her presence energized a tournament that was fading without Woods and other stars.

This year, John Daly is being offered a special exemption at the Nelson because some people enjoy watching train wrecks. Officials would be better off pointing Daly toward the nearest Hooters and letting Romo fill his spot.

Tournament officials might argue that they don't want a sideshow overshadowing a tournament. Fellas, maybe a sideshow is exactly what this tournament needs.

How sad is it that we live in a world where it's no longer acceptable for franchise quarterbacks to serve drinks to young women out of beer bongs? In case you're the one person who hasn't viewed photos of Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart's recent NCAA Tournament house party, here ya go.

The one thing I'd suggest to Leinart for future house parties is to confiscate everyone's iPhone at the door. And if young ladies are planning to guzzle alcohol through a hose, you might want to grab their car keys as well.

The Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley tells Leinart to grow up in this column. And judging by the play Bickley has received on national radio and TV, he should think about scolding Leinart more often.

"You might think that good pal Nick Lachey - former boy-band sensation who will be 35 in November - might be able to lend his friend some elderly guidance in situations like this. But in the latest round of pictures, Lachey is still wearing his hat cocked sideways, like he's a child. Together, these two have become the male equivalent of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, somewhat laughable and always in search of the next party."

In response to Bickley's column, Herm Edwards is calling for the league to impose sanctions on players who wear their baseball caps cocked at least three inches to the side. Honestly, I wish Dan would leave Lachey out of this. The man's had an identity crisis since his marriage to Jessica Simpson ended.  

Here's the real truth: If Leinart had led the Cardinals to the playoffs (I know it's a stretch), no one would care about these photos. We'd drop by Thedirty.com to check them out and then move on with our lives. Why is Tom Brady not widely criticized for having an unwed child while Leinart, another single father, is being attacked from all sides? It's simple. Brady wins Super Bowls.

It's the same thing with Tony Romo, although he's not a dad. If the Cowboys had beaten the Giants in the playoffs, the infamous trip to Cabo would've been a non-story. Romo's a much more accomplished quarterback than Leinart, but he'll be hounded about his off-the-field activities until he wins a playoff game. Once that happens, his dating life will only be interesting to the TMZ crowd.

By the way, I thought our team of bloggers (James Walker, Bill Williamson, Mike Sando, Pat Yasinskas, John Clayton) did a marvelous job covering the league meetings. Thanks guys.

M

Since I've received numerous emails (3) this morning regarding Tony Romo's alleged wedding to Jessica Simpson, allow me to quickly address the topic. The Arizona Republic's Web site is reporting that Simpson's mother, Tina, announced that the couple had married as she and her daughter walked out of a Chili's restaurant in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

This begs the obvious question, "Why the hell are Jessica Simpson and her mom eating at Chili's?" Not that there's anything wrong with Chili's. Love the skillet queso! It just sounded strange. You expect Tina and Jess to come walking out of The Ivy or perhaps the Mondrian, which features some of the nicest lawn furniture in America.

Anyway, a reporter who'd just finished up a Chili's Oldtimer Burger asked Tina Simpson when her daughter was planning to pop the question.

"Jessica is already married to Tony. What are you talking about?" gushed Tina.

A giggling Jessica didn't dispute her mother's revelation and TMZ.com was off and running. As a public service to readers, I called one of Tony's closest friends to check out the report.

He assures Hashmarks that Jessica and her mother were only kidding. I'm told that Tony fired a 73 in some amateur golf tournament in Charleston, S.C., yesterday.

OK, back to football now.

• Former Colts tight end Ben Utecht is now the first-string tight end for the Bengals, writes Mark Curnutte.

"The emotional roller coaster, the last few weeks, is over," Utecht said. "It's finally good to be graduated and know where I'll be."

Obviously this has been an emotional roller coaster for all of us. We needed closure on the Utecht story, and now we can all move on.

• Mike Chappell of the Indy Star says the Colts may have to address the loss of Utecht in April's draft. What, Gijon Robinson's not the answer? We'll try to monitor this situation pretty closely. I've heard the Colts like Texas A&M tight end Martellus Bennett, but I'm not sure he'll be around late in the second round.

• Demorrio Williams' path to the NFL wound through the oil fields of Texas and Louisiana, writes Kent Babb.

"They dug holes in the thick Texas soil, dirt so thick and so exhausting to penetrate they call it "soft cement." Demorrio dug hundreds of holes in a day, or climbed inside huge oil tanks to scrub debris from the walls, or helped build the massive machines that pull oil from the ground. Then he would drive home, grab a bite and fall into bed for a few hours before it was time to do it all again."

• Bernie Lincicome is worried about life after Jason Elam. He said Elam's penchant for game-winning kicks is what kept the Broncos from having a top-five pick in the draft.

• Chicago Tribune columnist Dan Pompei has secured a list of Wonderlic scores from the NFL combine. Before reading this story, remember that Wonderlic scores are used as markers, and don't always accurately predict how a player will perform. Drew Henson had one of the highest Wonderlics in the history of the Cowboys (42), but it obviously didn't translate to success on the field. Tony Romo had a 37. And if you want to try your hand at a few sample questions, have at it.

"At quarterback, none of the top prospects laid a Wonderlic egg. Boston College's Matt Ryan, he of the off-the-charts intangibles, scored an impressive 32. And his score was matched by Louisville's Brian Brohm, the second-highest-rated quarterback after Ryan on most boards. Joe Flacco of Delaware scored a 27 and Chad Henne of Michigan scored a 22. Both are considered second-round prospects."

• Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald has some thoughts on the Wonderlic. The Dolphins prefer to see how players perform on the foxtrot and mambo exams.

• The Texans are close to signing former Jags backup Quinn Gray, writes The General.

• Cowboys Web site reporter Nick Eatman wants to see Pacman in Dallas.

"Now this is where some of you might strongly disagree, but I don't think it's the Cowboys' obligation to produce choir boys. It's just not. Never has been. It's not the obligation for any team in any sport.

Let me be clear about that. I'm not saying you go out and recreate The Longest Yard for your football team. But at the same time, your goal is to win football games. And you do that by surrounding yourself with good football players.

If our judicial system says this guy is free to walk around in our society, and if the NFL, at some point, allows him to play football once again, then why should the Cowboys, or any team for that matter, not try to better themselves with his services?"

• Gary Myers has recovered from writing columns for 23 consecutive days during the Giants' Super Bowl run. He talked to his old friend Bill Parcells about the No. 1 pick.

"I'm not sure anybody is interested in the pick," Parcells told Myers. "The economics of the pick are a little more devastating if it doesn't work out. You have to have some willing partners of the trade-down thing. We're in position where we are assuming we are going to make the pick."

• Stay tuned for wall-to-wall coverage of Pacman's trip to Dallas tomorrow. Not sure what he's going to talk about for three hours, but you can listen here.

Daily Hashmarks reader Tony Romo has just released a statement about his childhood hero Brett Favre:

"Brett is someone that I always held in the highest regard, first as a young person who grew up in Wisconsin, and then as a fellow NFL quarterback. His style of play was as unique as it was effective. I admired his skills, his leadership, and especially his love for playing the game."

"You knew he was having fun when he played, and that made him fun to watch. He set the standard at the position for a long time, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best."

Update: Tony just sent us the following text message to go along with his previous statement: "We will never see another Brett Favre"

Interesting comment coming from a player who is constantly referred to as the next Favre.

In case you somehow missed it, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was a recipient of Cosmopolitan Magazine's Fun, Fearless Male Award on Monday. Two of Jessica Simpson's exes, Dane Cook and John Mayer also received the prestigious award, which we were not aware of until 10 minutes ago.

The calm and collected Romo diffused what could've been an awkward gathering when he was asked what qualified him to be a Fun, Fearless Male.

"Dane Cook, John Mayer ... if you date Jessica Simpson, I guess," he said.

Thanks to Fanhouse for tipping us off on this important story.

This past December, Hashmarks senior correspondent Mike Sando took a fascinating look at some of the top young quarterbacks across the league. He talked to personnel directors, scouts and assistant coaches about 11 franchise quarterbacks who are under the age of 30.

Mike left Alex Smith and Matt Leinart out of the mix because he didn't feel like either player had established himself as the long-term solution. That left 11 starters for his esteemed panel of experts to evaluate.

Now that the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger has been signed to the richest contract in franchise history, it's sparked a discussion on whether or not he's already reached "elite" status. If you were starting a franchise today, would you rather have Big Ben or Tony Romo?

In Mike's story, only one quarterback ended up in the "underperforming" category. And that quarterback is now a Super Bowl champion.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract extension this morning. The $36 million in guaranteed money is a staggering figure -- especially for this franchise.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo signed for $30 million in guarantees during the season, and Roethlisberger's representatives worked off that contract. The 26-year-old completed more than 65 percent of his passes and finished with a passer rating of 104.1 in 2007.

The Steelers will apparently have a news conference to announce the new contract later today. The franchise had to do this sooner or later, and there was no reason to wait.

Roethlisberger had a nightmarish 2006 that began with his motorcycle accident. He bounced back and had a superb 2007 season, performing like a top-five quarterback in the league. He's now the richest man in the history of the franchise.

In talking to members of the organization this season, the most impressive thing about Roethlisberger's performance was that he was playing behind a suspect offensive line. His ability to improvise and make smart decisions under constant pressure erased any doubt the club may have had about his future. 

Teams can't afford to let their franchise quarterbacks get anywhere close to free agency, and with two years left on Roethlisberger's original contract, the Steelers did the right thing. Look around the league right now. You don't see teams making playoff runs with a mediocre quarterback at the helm.

At this point, I think Roethlisberger is the fifth-best quarterback in the league. I'd love to see your top five. I'll provide mine at some point.

I just finished reading my pal John Clayton's essay on the tricky proposition of drafting a quarterback in the first round. John suggests following the Browns' 2007 approach of selecting the sure thing first and then trading up to take a quarterback.

Well, I'm afraid it's too early to completely endorse that move. Because of the improbable rise of former sixth-round choice Derek Anderson (by the Ravens), we still have no clue if Brady Quinn can be an effective starter.

This is a copy-cat league, and every team is secretly hoping it can identify the next Tony Romo instead of investing millions at the top of the draft. I know the folks in Miami pretty well, and I don't think there's any scenario in which they'll take Boston College's Matt Ryan with the first pick.

Clayton also thinks the Falcons should pass on Ryan at No. 3, but I don't see that happening. Owner Arthur Blank has suffered enough embarrassment. He doesn't have a viable candidate at the most important position on his roster, and Ryan has separated himself from the pack. He seems to have the type of intangibles that you could build a team around. And I'm told he loves animals.

Here's the breakdown as of today: 1. The Dolphins are desperately trying to trade down. 2. Rams take Michigan's Jake Long. 3. Falcons select Ryan.

If you disagree, let me refer you to the comments section. It's much more convenient than my email inbox.

MM

After a wonderful ESPN.com team dinner at Cowboy Ciao in Old Town Scottsdale, a few of us decided to extend our evening. We eventually ended up at the luxurious Mondrian Hotel, which was apparently inspired by the Garden of Eden.

The bar was filled with futons for guests who prefer sleeping in public. In fact, I watched one man take a 20-minute cat nap before shuffling over to order another Grey Goose and tonic.

At some point in the evening (let's call it 1:30 a.m.), I bumped into Jessica and Ashlee Simpson's father, Joe. We had a long conversation that ended with me borrowing his cellphone to call Tony Romo. Joe has caught a lot of heat for Tony's trip to Cabo before the divisional playoff game against the Giants, but now I know the real story. Remind me to share that story at a later date.

Earlier in the evening, Ashlee had performed down the street at Club Myst. A source close to Hashmarks said that Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart had secured a table in the front just before the performance began.

But in an awkward moment, someone from the club had to break the news to Leinart that the table was actually reserved for Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens and kicker Nick Folk.

Folk, a former Arizona Wildcat, basically pulled rank on the hometown quarterback. I'm supposed to receive a call from T.O. this afternoon, so I'll try to get to the bottom of this situation.

Now, I have to head out to the Giants' team hotel, which is conveniently located at least an hour away from our hotel. You'll be the first to know if anything interesting happens.

In case you missed it, the New York Post struck a blow for journalism by flying in a Jessica Simpson lookalike for Sunday's Texas Stadium and placing her at the 50-yard line, three rows behind the Cowboys' bench.  

The Post discovered nanny Lynsey Nordstrom in Bothell, Wash., which is apparently a hotbed for Simpson lookalikes. Nordstrom donned the same pink Tony Romo jersey that Simpson wore during the Eagles game last month.

"I knew we were going to win when I saw her," said Giants fans Anthony Triglia. "I'm dead serious!"

"You have to come to Green Bay," Triglia told Nordstrom.

According to Triglia, Nordstrom responded, "What's Green Bay?"

OK, I'm done with the Simpson-Romo angle.

At this rate, the Dolphins might as well put stars on the side of their helmets next season. President of football operations Bill Parcells and general manager Jeff Ireland have apparently hired one of their old Dallas cohorts, David Lee, to become quarterbacks coach of the Dolphins.

Lee played quarterback for Vanderbilt in the early 1970s, when Parcells was serving as an assistant coach. In 2003, he left his job as quarterbacks coach at Arkansas to become an offensive assistant with the Cowboys. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2005, but he spent the past season as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas.

He was expected to follow former Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt to Ole Miss, but that was before the Dolphins came calling. I've written about this at great length, but Tony Romo has given Lee much of the credit for his development in Dallas.

In the time between a May rookie camp and training camp in 2003, Lee completely changed Romo's delivery. Romo would call Lee late in the evening and the two would meet at Valley Ranch to work on passing drills.

That's why Romo flew Lee and his wife to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii last year, and stays in constant touch with them. When Arkansas upset LSU this season, Parcells and Romo were the first people to leave messages on his cellphone.

Parcells actually demoted Lee in favor of Chris Palmer before the 2006 season, but I think he admired what his former player accomplished at Arkansas and wanted to lock him up before he committed to Ole Miss.

This is another obvious sign that Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano will become the head coach of the Dolphins. The No. 1 word you keep hearing from Parcells and Ireland is "compatibility," and they're both very familiar with Sparano and Lee.  

When Romo's mechanics began to break down late in the 2006 season, I think Parcells finally realized how important Lee was to his staff. Instead of asking Palmer to address the problem, Parcells turned to Lee.

I remember talking to Lee a few days after Romo had the botched hold against the Seahawks. You would've thought something had happened to his son by how concerned he was.

Now, he's been asked to oversee the development of Dolphins quarterback John Beck, whom he knows very little about. The good news is that Lee sent at least four quarterbacks to the pros while serving as a college assistant.

And if Beck can't play, maybe Lee will put Ronnie Brown in the "Wild Hog" formation that he used with great success in Fayetteville.

OK, that's all I have for you this evening. Enjoy the "national title" game.

Update: Here's what our pal Ethan Skolnick said about Lee on the Season Ticket.

It's always a joy to hear Cowboys coach Wade Phillips comment on celebrity news. He says exactly what your slightly-out-of-touch great uncle would say if put in a similar situation.

On the Monday before his team will play its biggest game in over a decade, Phillips spent about 10 minutes answering questions about his star quarterback and tight end's Mexican getaway.

Mark my words. If the Cowboys lose to the Giants on Sunday, a lot of people will point to Tony Romo and Jason Witten joining the Jessica Simpson family for a couple of days on the beach as a contributing factor.

Do I think it will hurt their preparation? Not one bit, but it certainly feeds the public perception that Romo is being distracted by his celeb girlfriend. I think Bill Parcells would've been privately fuming if he stumbled across images of Tony and Jess frolicking in Mexico during a playoff bye weekend.

Of course, Parcells never put his team in that situation. On Monday, Phillips did the only thing he could do: he turned the situation into a joke.

"I was thinking about going to Goliad (Texas) myself," he said of the town where his famous father, Bum, owns a ranch. "It's kind of a hot place this time of year."

I was in the middle of pressing Phillips on the issue when Romo walked by.

"I'm not talking on Wednesday," he playfully (I think) shouted to PR chief Rich Dalrymple.

Phillips said he told the players to get off their feet and relax for a couple of days. He said he learned of Romo and Witten's getaway while surfing the Internet over the weekend, which is such a fun image. Wouldn't you love to know some of the phrases Phillips came up with during his Google search? (He claims that he didn't look at the photos).

"[Romo's] a celebrity and he's dating a celebrity," Phillips said. So that becomes news. Tom Brady's dated several gals, and they report on all of it.

"I try to treat my players like grown men. Everybody has their own private life. Everyone on our team that's not married dates somebody."

Added Patrick Crayton: "Hey, hey, we're talking about the game this week. We can talk about Cancun after the Super Bowl."

Safety Ken Hamlin, who was in an surly mood, said he didn't care where his teammates were as long as they showed up at practice.

Again, a trip to Cancun will have no bearing on the outcome of this game, but don't expect the topic to go away - unless the Cowboys win.

Greetings from my deathbed. Hope you guys are having a splendid afternoon.

In an attempt to feed the Tony Romo news cycle, I just spoke with an assistant coach for the Cowboys who said the normally affable quarterback hasn't been himself this week.

"This is about as quiet as I've ever seen him," said the assistant. "And I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. He's obviously trying to set the proper tone for the team, and I'm pretty sure guys will respond."

For the first time since becoming the starter last season, Romo hasn't made himself available to reporters this week. The Cowboys say it's because he's receiving treatment on his bruised right thumb, but I'm not buying that.

He made the intentional decision not to speak for one of the following two reasons:

1. He's angry about the way he played against the Eagles last Sunday, and by not talking, he's hoping to send a message to his teammates how important Saturday's game in Charlotte is.

2. He knows someone would ask a question regarding the comments T.O. made about his girlfriend, and Tony wants no part of that topic. One of the quarterback's biggest strengths is being able to compartmentalize his life. He can't understand why anyone would criticize him for flying to Los Angeles on an off day when he works harder than any player on the team the other six days.

Now, could someone help me find a hotel room in downtown Charlotte? I'm running out of options here.

My pal Jimmy Shapiro just sent over some interesting odds from Bodog:

How much longer will Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson date?

Under a month                                      6/1

1-3 months                                           9/2

4-6 months                                           4/1

6 months  1+ year                               2/1

Engaged but not married in 2008            3/1

Married by end of 2008                          7/2

Will Simpson attend another Cowboys game before the Super Bowl?

Yes       +150

No         -200

Who will win home-field advantage in the NFC?

Dallas            5/9

Green Bay         7/5