A Dallas Cowboys cheerleader feels "frisky" and "experimental"

This probably is not the cheerleader in question ... although it'd be nice

Deadspin recently posted a story about how some guy attempted to sell the Gawker Media sports blog a story (with photos!!!!) of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in lingerie and near nudity.

The editor A.J. Daulerio posted the series of e-mails between him and the guy with supposed photos in addition to a series of e-mail from a CraigsList post looking for sex fun.

There is talk of toys. Talk of "stretching."

Deadspin lowballed the guy and he declared that he didn't want to spoil someone's life for that amount of money. Classy!

The story never came out and probably never will unless people start digging. I wonder if Jerry Jones appreciates the Dallas Cowboys getting into the news, even if it involves "stretching"? I doubt it.

One thing that should be known: Even if the story never made it out, it still seems pretty true.

Tony Romo's getting married Saturday and I haven't even gotten my invitation

The brushing blind

\Where's the ceremony? When is the ceremony? What should I where? Where are they registered?

You know what. It's too late. I've got plans anyway. So, Tony Homo, you can take you stupid wedding, stick it in your pocket and kiss my black ass.

Have fun with the hot guy from Gossip Girl's sister. Good luck keeping Jerry Jones sober. He'll wind up with the punch bowl on his head doing karate chops and honking your mom's boob.

A draft revisit

Murray

Out on vacation when the NFL Draft went down outside of the first round.

Let's take a moment to recap, regroup and revisit the Dallas Cowboys and their picks.

Tyron Smith
Tackle - USC
The worst-kept secret in the draft was the Cowboys taking Smith. Maybe by design. Had Jerry Jones kept his cards close to his chest and sprung and offensive lineman on his "fandom," there might have been some backlash, despite the fact that I think most fans think the Cowboys need to address the offensive line. Still, picking for such a boring need is still a hard sell. Ramping fans up for the anticlimatic pick was probably ideal. Love this tidbit on Smith's weaknesses: "Does not have natural football instincts."

Bruce Carter
Linebacker - North Carolina
If Sean Lee became Keith Brooking's heir apparent a year ago, Carter is probably Bradie James 2.0, or so the Cowboys hope. Carter's coming off a torn ACL and also is a special teams guru.

DeMarco Murray
Running Back - Oklahoma
Leave it to Jones to draft a high-profile player from the Big XII, whether they need a running back or not. This is pure public relations strategy. Not unlike taking Roy Williams, trading for Roy Williams or any of the other Big XII rabble that's marched through. This has to spell the end of Marion Barber and it keeps Tashard Choice in a period of uncertainty.

David Arkin
Linebacker - Missouri State
The idea of there being a section of Dallas Cowboys Stadium being called "Arkin Asylum." Note: No safeties or cornerbacks taken yet.

Josh Thomas
Cornerback - Buffalo
"Can take too many risks in zone coverage. Will get sucked in by play-action." Yikes. Sounds like he'll fit well in the Cowboys' secondary.

Dwayne Harris
Wide Receiver - East Carolina
Yes. The Cowboys have taken players from Mizzou State, Buffalo and East Carolina. Do you keep Manuel Johnson, Kevin Ogletree, Sam Hurd and the rest of the No. 3 receivers with Harris in tow? Is Roy Williams the Receiver still on this team?

Shaun Chapas
Fullback - Georgia
Would the Cowboys actually take two fullbacks on their roster after Chris Gronkowski? If the seventh round is a time for a reach, do you reach for a fullback? Would've much preferred the Cowboys take a chance on someone in the secondary, defensive line or offensive line.

Bill Nagy
Guard - Wisconsin
Played center and guard this season. Now ... this is a reach that I can get behind: Offensive lineman from a big school. Why not?

Mock, zero hour

Tyron, tying one on

The NFL Draft is tonight.

Jerry Jones talked the other day. Actually, he stood in front of the media, moved his mouth and tongue, and intoned sounds from his oral cavity. None of it made any sense.

During this time, he somewhat intimated that the Dallas Cowboys were not going to trade up in the draft, but the possibility of trading down might be in their best interest.

By all accounts, the Cowboys will take USC tackle Tyron Smith with the No. 9 pick. Or they could trade down. Smith is a raw talent. However, his ceiling is high.

With all this bullshit said, here are some zero-hour mocks:

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
9. Anthony Costanzo
OT - Boston College
Charean Williams says the Cowboys will trade down from the No. 9. However, he still has them picking here and taking Costanzo. Odd. Wonder if he knows how to do a mock draft.

Atlanta Journal Constitution
9. Tyron Smith
OT - USC
I think the "trading down" rumor is going to prove just that ... a rumor.

CBS Sports
9. Tyron Smith

INTERVENTION

You need help

The Dallas Cowboys are doing their darndest to keep Dez Bryant on the straight and narrow.

He recently lunched with Tony Romo, Andre Gurode and Keith Brooking. Jason Witten also reached out to the receiver after the hubbub surrounding his NorthPark Center "sagging" incident and the flow of stories about his spending and debt problems.

Why Gerry Fraley is awesome: "Chace Crawford, an actor and Romo's future brother-in-law, also attended the lunch. What purpose Crawford served at the meeting could not be determined."

ANYWAY, it's sad that this is Bryant's lot in life and that the Cowboys will perpetually have to look out for this guy. There is a 100 percent chance this marriage does not end well.

Totally mocked

The day of doom is approaching. Hide your children.

ESPN
9. Tyron Smith
OT - USC
One of the few times that someone has intimated that the Cowboys might trade down. John Clayton does it here. I imagine they would if they were going cornerback or safety, where they could pick up a quality late first rounder. Maybe.

Yahoo!
9. Tyron Smith
But let's make no mistake here. Smith is a gamble. He has tremendous upside. He could also very well wind up being a bust.

Sporting News
9. Tyron Smith
Boring.

It's the Tyron Smith mock hour!

Culling only hte best and baddest of NFL Draft mocks as the big day approaches.

Draft Countdown
9. Tyron Smith
OT - USC
Never in the past five years has there been such an overwhelming consensus among experts as to who the Cowboys will take. Part of it may be the actual make-up of the top 20 players in the draft. Really of the players winding up in the top 15 in these mocks, I think only LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson dropping to No. 9 would change Jerry Jones' mind. Possibly Cam Newton.

40. Christian Ballard
DE - Iowa
New face. Would give depth to a once-deep and once-effective defensive line.

Peter King
9. Tyron Smith
Although, King states that the Cowboys should take Boston College tackle Anthony Castonzo. Smith is a raw talent. Higher ceiling than the stable and effective Castonzo.

The Football Expert
9. Tyron Smith

40. Brandon Harris
CB - Miami
Many mocks have Harris going earlier than 40, but you never know. Highly regarded cornerback from a school that seems to always produce quality guys in coverage.

Mock me twice

Round No. 2 of the mock drafts. The NFL Draft is a week away despite the fact that there might not actually be a season.

Don Banks
9. Tyron Smith
OT - USC
The popular, almost unanimous decision here. Banks points to the lack of free agency disallowing the Cowboys to address the offensive line. True. Or the fact that the Cowboys probably have to address the line, free agency or no. He has the Cowboys passing Prince Amukamara, Mark Ingram, Mike Pouncey and others.

Fox Sports
9. Tyron Smith

40. Aaron Williams
Cornerback - Texas

71. Jason Pinkston
OT - Pittsburgh
Williams is interesting. He's bigger (6-1, 192) and played for a big school against some of the best offenses in the nation. However, most mocks have him going in the first round. One of the best corners in the draft. No way he gets to No. 40. Plus, most scouting reports remark that he's a high-character guy, going to church and stuff. As for Pinkston, will the Cowboys go for two offensive linemen in their first three picks?

Walter Football
9. Tyron Smith

40. Ras-I Dowling
CB - Virginia
Don't know who he is. Seems, however, that the Cowboys will go secondary with their second pick and Smith with their first pick. Why even have a draft?

Mock me once

The Dallas Cowboys head into the NFL Draft in a couple of weeks with their first top 10 picks since ... Terence Newman in 2003.

CBS Sports (Rob Rang)
9. Prince Amukamara
CB - Nebraska
Amukamara, I thought, was going higher in initial mocks. Must have dropped a tad to the lower half of the top 10. Played for a fantastic defense at Nebraska, a team forced to go head to head against some salty offenses like Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Texas A&M. Knock on him early was speed. Did not register an interception his senior year.

CBS Sports (Chad Reuter)
9. Tyron Smith
OT - USC
Smith is a popular pick for the Cowboys. Would provide depth at the offensive line position. However, if the Cowboys spend a first-round pick on the offensive line, barring injury, they start, don't they? You can't spend that money and that pick on a guy just to watch him sit. Is Marc Columbo so much better? Ideally, no.

Fort Worth Star Telegram9. Tyron Smith
Love this. Check out the photo they used for the guy picking Smith. Instead of a photo of Smith pancaking a pass rusher from Arizona or Washington State, they have a shot of Ndamukong Suh bear hugging Jon Kitna. Star Telegram: Awesome.

Gameplanning a Dallas Cowboys draft

Prince and the pauper

Amid the Final Four, baseball, NBA, the Dallas Stars' death rattle and sleep, the NFL Draft have crept upon us.

Instead of pinpointing the holes in the Dallas Cowboys' roster and highlighting "needs," I think we should just go ahead and prioritize known deficiencies.

It's amazing what a 6-10 season will do to an outlook. A once solid roster seems to lack depth, skill and, on some levels, a basic understanding of the NFL game.

Here are our needs, in order of importance:

1. Secondary
If the Cowboys want to compete on a high level in 2011 (if there is a 2011), they will need to address the secondary. Meaning, if you took the Cowboys roster and determined which group, on some level, can't play in the NFL, it'd have to be the secondary, particularly the safeties. Alan Ball is simply overmatched. Gerald Sensabaugh is possibly gone. Nonetheless, neither are short- or long-term solutions at safety. And, they're it.

Furthermore, 2010 featured a lot more questions than answers at cornerback. Terence Newman is older, and, frankly, he hasn't been effective in five years. Hopes are high for Orlando Scandrick and Mike Jenkins; however, their abilities fell into question, especially Jenkins. Both are "safe." Neither could be Cowboys in three years.

2. Offensive Line
I've never seen a unit quite like the Cowboys' offensive line. Literally, one game they'd look like statues -- a Swiss cheese of 300-pound behemoths with a virtual inability to prevent anyone from flying right by them. The Tennessee game comes to mind. The next week, you wouldn't hear a peep from the opposing defenders. Jerry Jones would probably pay good money to a sports psychologist who could crack the puzzle of Leonard Davis and Marc Columbo, two of the more pronounced deadbeats on the front line. Of course, the Arizona Cardinals might chip in for Davis. Offensive line is a point of contention for the Cowboys.

Aside from Doug Free, they haven't drafted a good offensive lineman since Andre Gurode a decade ago and even he had to move to center to be effective. Now, they're stuck with some expensive parts, who are old and possibly unable to protect Tony Romo. Now is the time to plan for 2011 (there will always be injuries) and thereafter.

3. Defensive Line
Once, this was a position of strength. They were not only good at these spots, they were deep. Extremely deep. Suddenly, you might go into 2011 without Marcus Spears, Jason Hatcher and Stephen Bowen. And Igor Olshansky is neither good or young.

4. Running Back
I've never seen a team have three "noted" running backs and still have none.

5. Linebacker
You are three deep here. Keith Brooking, Bradie James and Sean Lee. You confident in that for 16 games?

6. Quarterback
Not a top priority, of course, but taking a flyer on Stephen McGee wasn't awful (all of thus assuming McGee can't play in the NFL). Can't hurt addressing this need if you can.

7. Wide Receiver
Under-the-radar priority here. Seems like there's a perception of depth and skill at the top. But does it really exist? Does it?

8. Tight End
The Cowboys do not need another tight end. However, it would not shock me in the least if they spent a third rounder or something from a kid from Arkansas or Oklahoma.

9. Special Teams
Considering they spent an entire draft on special teams two years ago, I don't think they need to spend another.

Calling out a columnist

For my money, the best sports columnist in Dallas-Fort Worth is the Telegram's Jenn Floyd-Engel.

Always biting. Always thinking. Never backing down. Staying relevant and actually having an opinion.

She had a doozy Wednesday. She took the Dallas Cowboys, its fans, media, Dez Bryant and everyone in between to task for the latest and greatest of exploits from the wide receiver, which now includes various bills for expensive jewelry in Fort Worth and New York and unpaid apartment bills in Stillwater.

It's a mess. Bryant is, apparently, a mess. Like a Tiger Woods mistress, once one came out, they all came out.

Floyd-Engel's column is great. Sarcastic and pointed. Its sharp and challenging.

She brought it. Unfortunately, it contradicts a lot of the opinions she's had in the past. Never once in the recent column did she eat her own bowl of crow.

Floyd-Engel:

"The Cowboys never should have drafted this idiot. But they did. And everybody at Valley Ranch and beyond who argued that his talent justified this leap: this is what you signed up for, so quit looking so surprised."

The problem, as The Big Lead points out, is that Floyd-Engel has written just the opposite in the past 365 days.

Floyd-Engel in past columns:

"There also is the “absolutely must keep” crew, who do not merit much discussion, either, with Tony Romo and DeMarcus Ware and Dez and Witten and Ratliff and Bradie and Miles and Spencer and Doug Free and Mike Jenkins."

“The dude is a beast, one of those players teams will kick themselves for years for skipping over. Turns out, all of the “expert” reasons to draft Dez have proven valid while none of the reasons to take a pass has materialized."

“This team needs Dez; his swagger, his cocky, his intense drive to show up and show up big, his burning passion to not just be great but do it right now, immediately."

The odd thing about Floyd-Engel's column is that it would have been incredibly easy to admit that she was one of the millions that bought into the talent-over-attitude debate. We got taken in. The physical prowess mesmerized us. It's now clear to most that the Bryant-Cowboys marriage will not end well. Prediction from me: Dez Bryant will not be a Dallas Cowboys in two years. In 2013, we will be discussing his release.

Floyd-Engel is human. She's a sports mortal just like all of us. She makes mistakes. And just like every other human, she's rather unwilling to accept her comeuppance or admit to her own judgement on Bryant's attitude and personality.

However, to come out swinging, throwing uppercuts at everyone's chins looking for a knockout blow (if I can draw this boxing analogy out any further) and then not to look in the mirror (analogy switch!) is pretty sorry.

Are we really ignorant as to how much of a punk Dez Bryant is?

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

The Dallas Cowboys were not going to pass on Dez Bryant in last year's draft. Just wasn't going to happen.

Why? Randy Moss. Way back in 1998, the Cowboys and 20-odd teams passed on the knuckleheaded receiver out of Marshall. The Cowboys and those 20-odd teams have regretted that decision ever sense.

So, Dez Bryant, he dropped out of the top 10, was going to be a Dallas Cowboy.

Everyone talked themselves into it. Bryant had just lied to the NCAA about hanging with Deion Sanders. He wasn't trading autographs for tattoos. He didn't get caught doing drugs, stealing or committing a felony. He lied. We can forgive lying because we lie all the time, and with professional athletes, you hope for misdemeanors.

Bryant dressed well. He called reporters "sir" and although he wasn't the most eloquent guy in the world, he came off as respectable and courteous.

Almost a week after getting cited at NorthPark Center for "bustin' a sag" (thanks to Ticker guy Sean Bass for that tidbit of street), we've, as a group, upgraded Bryant from "misunderstood" to "knucklehead."

Next stop: "Punk."

Yes, we regret skipping on Moss. But, remember, Moss has also talked and played himself through four teams and counting.

We're getting snowed under with the "sir" bullshit and the nice clothes. Soon, the headache won't outweigh the product on the field and Bryant's tenure with the Cowboys will end badly. Terrell Owens badly.

I think Deion Sanders' quotes are pretty telling. He's cut ties with Bryant. Which is saying something. Sanders has been the type in the media to side with the troubled player who is "keepin' it real" and goes out of his way to defend these types of players.

For him to come out publicly and say that the Cowboys need a babysitter for Bryant says volumes.

Rumors persist in spite of all this. That he was out of shape going into camp last year. That he didn't learn any of the playbook. That he's awful with money and is closer to being broke than anyone realizes.

Seriously, we should enjoy this ride. It'll be interesting in a train wreck sort of way. "Bustin' a sag" was just the beginning. An entry incident for bigger knuckleheadedness.

Things are not going well for people today

Stay hard, Mark

Dallas Mavericks great Mark Aguirre collapsed on a treadmill at a gym this morning. He had clogged plumbing in and around the heart.

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Buddy Ryan -- the former hated Philadelphia Eagles coach and Rob Ryan's poppa -- has cancer.

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Eugene "The Hitting Machine" Lockhart was arrested by the FBI. Mortgage fraud charges. Whatever that means.

Doesn't NorthPark Center security know who Dez Bryant is?

Dez Bryant loves the Sunglass Hut

Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was apparently "keepin' it real" at Dallas-Fort Worth's marquee shopping mall and he got busted for it.

He was given a criminal trespass warning at NorthPark Center for a disturbance after off-duty police officer cum mall security stopped him and his crew for their pants fall down below their waist.

I have nothing against "keepin' it real" and whatnot. But here are some ground rules:

1. You don't "keep it real" at NorthPark Center. Why? Because it's full of snooty white folks. It's like "The Wire" not taking place in urban Baltimore, but on Martha's Vineyard or the Lincoln Memorial.

2. Are we still "bagging" our jeans? Really?!? Come on, Dez. You're a grown man now. If you're going to "keep it real," at least get caught with a dimebag or a handgun. This is the professionals.

3. What are we still doing at malls? Why "keep it real" at malls? Is it cool being at Neiman Marcus? Burberry? Gucci? Hugo Boss? Lids? Or the Apple store? Malls are dumb to begin with. Pretending to be cool at malls is nothing short than a cry for help.

Of course, Jerry Jones would've given a kidney to have his 1990s Cowboys get a criminal trespass citation at a mall in lieu of their actual infractions.

Bryan McCann can not handle success

McCann: "I like you."

Bryan McCann -- the undrafted free agent rookie from SMU -- produced two of the most exciting, season-turning plays of the 2010 season for the Dallas Cowboys.

Some guys can't handle the spotlight.

McCann was arrested Saturday morning for public intoxication.

To his credit, McCann says now he wasn't drunk nor was he a danger to himself or anyone else. The police have failed to turn up a police report. Yet.

This is confusing. Police -- no matter what you think of them -- tend not to waste time and paperwork hauling in guys for public intoxication when they are, indeed, sober.

McCann also adds that he was not only sober, but he wasn't a danger to anyone. If you're sober and not waving a machete around, why would you be a danger.

If you refuse a Breathalyzer, you get hauled in. And you can't tell whether you're legally drunk or just not as drunk as you've been before.

Chances are, McCann was tipsy and rowdy. He probably didn't think was that drunk. He gets accosted by the police. He's in the drunk tank and the rest is history.

Dallas Cowboys seem to think there won't be a 2011-12 season

Atogwe

The NFL-player's association talks are still going on. I think they extended the existing CBA another week so they can keep talking with no walk out. Good for them.

I appears the Dallas Cowboys are set for a 12-month lay-off because free agents are flying off the board and I don't think Jerry Jones has even lifted a finger.

Shaun Rogers is a New Orleans Saint. Bob Sanders a San Diego Charger. Oshiomogho Atogwe is a Washington Redskin.

Hell. I haven't even heard a good Dallas Cowboys rumor.

By all accounts, the Cowboys attended the NFL Combine, cut Gerald Sensabaugh and Marcus Spears and little else.

Mind you, this is a team that could use some help at offensive, the secondary, defensive line, maybe receiver and linebacker.

Remember: IT'S A FIVE-WIN TEAM.

I think everyone's convinced that if Tony Romo hadn't broken his collarbone against the New York Giants last fall that they would have been fine. That is not altogether true. It's impossible to predict if the Cowboys would have won more games. It's equally impossible to prove that Romo's play would have won games against Philadelphia, Arizona or Washington.

The team's flawed. It goes beyond Romo. It might include Romo. Who knows?

All I know is that Jones is sitting on his hands and doing nothing. Cowboys fans should be pissed. They're not, of course.

Lunatics running the asylum.

Cam Newton, Tim Cowlishaw and the Dallas Cowboys

Juice Newton

The NFL Combine is this weekend. The Dallas Cowboys are attending, of course. They have the No. 9 pick in the draft, mind you, and they'll be smart to keep a close eye on everyone that might drop to them.

This probably includes the Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. Much-ballyhooed. Much-maligned. Much-criticized.

The Cowboys have announced they'll interview Newton this weekend.

This comes on the heels of Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw stating that the Cowboys should take Newton.

As soon as I saw this story, I immediately thought to myself, "Is Tim Cowlishaw actively hoping ESPN gives him a job?"

I haven't seen pandering and grandstanding in the media like this maybe ever. Jean-Jacques Taylor is lazy. But he'd never do this.

This is Randy Galloway-like. Make a grand statement. Ruffle feathers. Sit back and watch your Twitter followers grow.

This point was brought up the next morning on The Ticket in a brief comment on how Cowlishaw's been on TV too long. It's a ridiculous column filled with ridiculous thoughts.

I'm not high on Tony Romo and if you can address the quarterback position for 2014 right now, I say you do it. However, Newton, probably, is not the answer and everyone knows it.

There are things to consider.

Jerry Jones is probably the worst media manipulator in the world. Every draft season, he'll obviously go into the media and try to mask the Cowboys' intentions. Every year, he makes some outrageous comment to the media about taking a kicker, quarterback or linebacker. Saying he'll talk to Newton seems like another sneaky ploy from the wildcatter.

Also, consider that Jerry Jones is an idiot. He's the man that passed on Randy Moss and the man who didn't pass on Quincy Carter. He has a history of drafting poorly and if Roger Goodell should tell us on draft day that with the No. 9 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft that the Cowboys take Cam Newton from Auburn University it would honestly not shock me in the least! And it shouldn't you either. If Newton had gone to Arkansas, they'd already be negotiating a contract, CBA or no.

What I don't get is that Newton is obviously a trap, in the words of Admiral Ackbar. The fleet-footed, big college quarterback that has the big arm, who played in the simplest offense in the history of college football and was mired in NCAA violation talk as much as he was national championship talk.

It almost seems so bad that it might actually be good. Or seem bad and actually be bad.

He's either Vince Young (marginally good, considerably nutty), JaMarcus Russell (noticeably fat, notably awful) or Daunte Culpepper (remarkably good).

The key to all of this is Tony Romo. If the Cowboys spend a top 10 pick on a back-up quarterback, it would outrage the fans. However, when did Jones really care about the fans?

Who he does care about is Tony Romo. I think Jones loves Romo. I think he loves Romo in a way that is very different then the way he loves any other player.

Romo's confidence may be shot. Or he might say, "We're good enough to make a run here, why spend a prime draft pick on a useless piece when we could use a cornerback or tackle?" That, I think, is the main reason the Dallas Cowboys will not take Cam Newton.

Super Bowl update, Thursday edition

I have actually read and heard very little about the potential work stoppage and collective bargaining agreement during this week celebrating the NFL. I understand the NFL playing it down. But why the players?

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Jeff Pearlman looks back at Super Bowl XXX, the Steelers-Cowboys match-up. Did not realize that the Cowboys were 13.5 point favorites. Neil O'Donnell. Larry Brown.

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Gambling!

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It wasn't long ago that everyone thought Charles Woodson was washed up. Today, he's probably the best cornerback (possibly defender) in the NFL.

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Jerry Jones and a 22-GAME SEASON!!!!!

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Ben Roethlisberger goes a-drinking at Pete's Piano Bar, douchebag central to begin with. Nobody has a problem with the drinking. It's the raping we cringe at.

Troy Aikman gets blasted, coddled

And he loves French fries

It's been a whirlwind week for former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

Yesterday, we all got word that Troy and his wife of 10 years, Rhonda, are splitting up.

When I heard about this, I immediately thought about all the games, commercials and radio interviews I've heard Aikman give over the past year. As he's making jokes and talking about inane things like football, his home life was in shambles. Or something was disintegrating personally. It's an odd feeling for someone that is privy to a lot of Troy Aikman in a given year.

What's odder is that D Magazine just ran a cover feature on Aikman and it does not mention the break-up. Granted, feature stories are far in advance of publication, but updates are always shoe-horned in.

What also threw me off was the way the local media has tackled the subject.

The Dallas Morning News barely mentioned it. The Dallas Observer has stayed away completely. And the dudes at The Ticket gave it the "well, I don't see how this is news, but ..." treatment during morning and afternoon drive. Then they proceeded to bitch about how it's nobody's business.

I don't disagree. I do think it's nobody's business. However, to my knowledge as to how it's being reported, no journalist was digging through divorce filings and found Troy Aikman's name.

Aikman either offered up an interview or, probably, a statement. If he makes it public, then it goes public.

Also, I wonder how media would reacted or have reacted to other personal issues.

When Dirk Nowitzki had a drifter sleeping in his bed, wasn't that super-personal on par with Aikman's divorce? Yes, it was a criminal issue. But it was still a relationship-oriented thing that is no more interesting than Aikman not getting along with his wife.

How about drug issues or arrests? Or the Sean Salisbury brouhaha and multiple firings? Frankly, none of these instances should necessarily be any of our business. Then again, we don't hold Aikman in the same regard as Salisbury or, I guess to a certain point, Nowitzki.

Fact is, local media is coddling Aikman because he's a good guy and because they know him. Know him certainly more than Nowitzki and he appears to be a better guy than Michael Irvin or Quincy Carter.

That's the thing with Aikman: He seems like a super sweet guy. The D Magazine feature is basically a 2,500 blow job on how great of a person he is. Fact of the matter is that Aikman probably is a super swell guy. His post-career announcing gig has done wonders for his image. His personality is shining, his endorsements are booming and that's why I consider him one of the all-time top 5 Dallas Cowboys: He's on par with Roger Staubach as being the eternal face of the franchise.

However, that doesn't or shouldn't preclude him from the same scrutiny that local media gives other athletes.

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One group not giving Aikman any leeway is Slate. The online publication called Aikman irresponsible for his, I guess, silent treatment on concussions.

Aikman, as is well documented, retired fairly early due to back problems and multiple concussions, 10 for sure, maybe a dozen or more.

Slate notes that Aikman is awkwardly quiet when concussions become something of a discussion point during his FOX NFL broadcasts and that he should take a more hardline stance (or any stance) on concussions considering they are a part of his career.

I like Slate and they probably have a point here. My problem is that they didn't quote or talk to Aikman for this piece. I am almost pretty sure he would've given an interview. If what's in the story is any indication, they did not go that route.

In the story, they quote Aikman from another story where he stated that he doesn't want to become a "poster boy" for concussions. I logical question to Aikman, then, would be why and why he says nothing or very little about concussions.

I have heard him talk concussions. Most notably, he stated that he would be careful about letting his son play football.

I do think Aikman purposefully doesn't talk about concussions. It may be because he isn't a doctor. Also, concussions are different. Some guys are out weeks. Some come back to play again in six days. I would bet good money some fight through them, still.

But there's a reason. And it would've been a good question for Slate to ask Aikman.

Dallas Cowboys talent evaluation sucks

Walden pond

The 2008 NFL Draft would forever change the fortunes of the Dallas Cowboys. Right now, it serves as the moment the franchise started dying, gearing up for another rebuild.

For other teams, it was a time of rebirth. It's actually almost singlehandedly turned some teams around in a matter of a few years.

With the 22nd pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys chose running back Felix Jones out of the University of Arkansas.

With the 23rd pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers chose running back Rashard Mendenhall from the University of Illinois.

With the 24th pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans chose running back Chris Johnson from East Carolina State University.

Back then, the debate boiled down to Mendenhall and Jones. The Cowboys ended that debate by taking Jones. Initially, when Mendenhall was lost for his rookie campaign due to injury, the Jones picked looked awesome.

Two years later, we know better. Mendenhall is head over heels better. In two weeks, we'll see first hand as he'll travel to Arlington to play in the Super Bowl.

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One-hundred and forty-five picks after Jones was taken by the Cowboys, they also chose Erik Walden, a defensive end/linebacker in the 2008 draft.

He'd never play a professional down for the Cowboys. He was cut before the season, as it was imperative they instead take Chris Canty and Greg Ellis for their defensive front seven.

Ellis and Canty would play their final season for the Cowboys. Walden would bounce around to the Chiefs and Dolphins. He wound up with the Green Bay Packers. Due to injuries, he's played more and showed something. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week with three sacks and 12 tackles against the Bears in early January.

Walden will in Dallas in a few weeks.

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Another familiar face coming in a couple of weeks is Flozell Adams.

I've seen a lot of Steelers games this year, especially lately when Adams has played due to injuries to the O-line.

I haven't seen all of the false starts, blown coverages and linebackers flying past him on run plays. In fact, he's been good. Effective.

I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't play over Leonard Davis and Marc Columbo.

And don't give me the whole financial bullshit behind cutting Adams. Jerry Jones pays a lot of dumb money to dumb players and he appears to have zero problem doing it. Show me how Marc Columbo and Leonard Davis isn't dumber money, and I'll begin to believe you.