Dear Philadelphia Eagles fans and players:
I was going to be classy.
I wasn't going to say one word about it, reference it, mention the score - 41-37 - analyze it, let alone write a column about it.
But then I remembered.
I remembered the time "The Playmaker," Michael Irvin, lay motionless after his head was driven into the turf at Veterans Stadium by defensive back Tim Hauck. I remembered the tasteless "boos" as Irvin was carted off the field, head and body firmly fastened to the stretcher. I still cringe thinking how those spectators, those fans and citizens of the self-anointed "City of Brotherly Love" couldn't take a moment to unzip, step out of fan-mode and amass some sympathy for a man who could have ended up paralyzed from playing the game he loved.
So as we look back, as we reflect on a day that surely went down in infamy, as I write this on behalf of all Cowboys fans, former and current players, coaches and owners, as I pay homage to "The Playmaker," allow me to remind you all of one thing: scoreboard.
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It was a historic moment, a fitting climax - the absolute best way to say goodbye to "Monday Night Football" at Texas Stadium. For those of you who don't keep close tabs on the Cowboys' organization, Dallas will move to its new $1 billion desert-diamond stadium in Arlington, Texas, at the end of this season.
But we had to get one more Texas Stadium toast in at the expense of Eagles' fans.
Terrell Owens had to blow by Philly's secondary for two more touchdowns before we could satisfactorily shout c'est la vie to a monument that has withstood nearly 28 years of both kindred and somber moments; comebacks and letdowns; playoff wins and losses; T.O. desecrating our Star as a 'Niner and Eagle, then properly restoring credibility to it as a Cowboy; Emmitt Smith breaking Walter Payton's all-time rushing record against Seattle and so many other things I can't mention because of time and space constraints.
Not many things bring me to tears, but I almost feel like crying right now, especially when I think about how close the Cowboys came to losing Monday night, how close I was to not being able to write this for all of you to enjoy.
I'll be real with you all for a second.
Had Donovan McNabb not forgotten the play call with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter and the Eagles on the Cowboys' 33-yard line, the
Eagles might have just iced the game with a touchdown. But that's what I'm talking about when I referred to destiny in Monday's column.
Much like the Patriots last year in their quest for perfection, there were times where New England was blessed with good fortune. Mixed into that Super Bowl recipe is a pinch of luck.
Don't believe me? Take another look at the game tape. What team can overcome two turnovers - including a fumble that was recovered in the end zone - that led to 14 points for the opposing team and still win?
Allow me to put it like this: We designed Texas Stadium to have a hole in the roof for a reason. Clearly, and this is probably the third or fourth time I'm saying this, God was watching his favorite team and saw it needed some help to get over the hump. Maybe whenever Philly builds a new stadium, you all can show up to the town hall meeting and beg to build a similar structure.
Anyway, another sacred blessing in disguise: Dallas safety Roy Williams is out for the next three weeks with a fractured arm. I hate to say this because I've been a staunch Williams supporter since the time he donned the silver-and-blue, but all I needed to see was DeSean Jackson speeding toward the end zone and Williams trailing him in a cloud of dust. God, this hurts to admit: Roy Williams is a liability in coverage. Ah, man, that was hard. In fact, even Jackson knew how bad he burned Williams, because before entering the end zone, he decided to throw Roy-boy the ball just so he didn't look like he got scored on while on national television. That's my best explanation for the DeSean Debacle.
Oh, I almost forgot. I promised open-season on Brian Westbrook on Monday. Here goes: Thank you, Brian, for scoring three touchdowns on us. And, most importantly, thank you and McNabb for fumbling away any chance you guys had of beating the Dallas Cowboys. You're a real pal.
