While most of Cowboys Nation was unified in celebration after yesterday’s big win over the Kansas City Chiefs, two members of the Cowboys fraternity were at odds. After Tony Romo made a fairly benign joke regarding Deion Sanders’ notorious tackling woes during his CBS broadcast, Sanders fired back on NFL Network with some direct shots at Romo’s lack of postseason success.
After Chiefs’ cornerback Marcus Peters appeared to duck under Ezekiel Elliott instead of going for a tackle, Romo jokingly compared him to Deion Sanders. While arguably the greatest cornerback of all time, Sanders was well-known for avoiding contact and taking the path of least resistance on tackles. Peters’ half-hearted dive when confronted with Zeke certainly reminded me of the Primetime I watched for many years.
Apparently Deion didn’t agree, though. At the least, he didn’t like being called out by Romo. Later on his NFL Network show, Sanders fired back at Romo in a clip that quickly went from funny to uncomfortable.
Tony Romo has to regret putting Deion Sanders on blast… #NFL #Cowboys https://t.co/m8oiMAkcKI
— Charlie Quinn (@CharlieQuinnMMA) November 6, 2017
As you can see, Sanders wasted no time going at Romo’s playoff record and lack of championships. That he mentioned “burying the hatchet” suggests the two may have had some animosity in the past, likely regarding Deion’s consistent criticism during Romo’s time as the Cowboys’ quarterback. Deion was not only a strong critic but also, last year, strongly endorsed Dak Prescott and encouraged Romo to retire.
Romo’s joke may have been at Prime’s expense, but it was hardly a unique one. If Sanders isn’t used to hearing the cracks about his tackling by now, he’ll never be.
It’s a good thing Deion has that gold jacket, because apparently he’s got some pretty thin skin underneath it.
Fuck u Dion Sanders sissy ass tackler
That’s funny Deion I thought football was a team sport. Yet you put the sole blame of lack of playoff success squarely on Romo.
If i were Romo I wouldn’t speak on people with rings, gold jackets, and playoff wins Pick on guys like Matt hasselback, or cris collinsworth. We know your good at your new job but We will always remember you as the cowboy qb who never got it done when it mattered. Deion single handedly came to Dallas and brought us a ring in 95 on the defensive side of the ball. 12 years of Romo and only two playoff wins. Im sorry but Romo cant win this battle, the resume says it all
Travis, I appreciate your consistent commenting but really disagree with you on this one. First off all, Deion didn’t do anything “single-handedly.” He joined a team that had already won two Super Bowls and was just a play or two away from winning the NFC Championship game the year before. He was an amazing player, but football doesn’t allow for any one player to truly carry a team. Even quarterbacks are reliant on the line to block and the receivers to get open and complete the catch.
Second, Romo wasn’t trying to compare resumes. All he did was make a joke that’s been made a thousand times about Deion Sanders since he was a player. Even when he was a superstar player, you knew Sanders wasn’t into tackling. I was 13 years old and I remember that. That he got bent out of shape about it now is more about some issue he has with Romo than anything, which is why he responded with a far more personal, below-the-belt shot.
Romo isn’t a player anymore. Now that he’s a commentator, it’s his job to talk about the NFL as it is and was. He can’t be worried about the fact he never won a Super Bowl when he starts analyzing the play of Tom Brady anymore than when he cracks a joke about Deion’s tackling. He is now an observer and critic of the game, and he’s about as naturally good at it as anyone we’ve ever seen.
Maybe that’s what Deion’s really upset about?
Everyone needs to take a chill pill. Both Romo and Prime Time are no longer active players in the NFL. Romo now wears the CBS blue jacket, while Prime Time, wears a Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold jacket. Both have accomplished their goals, and haven’t miss a meal.
Interesting conversation. Jess makes a great point in regards to the type of teams these 2 played on. Deion joined Super bowl caliber teams, while Romo joined a franchise that was rebuilding. I tend to compare Romo’s stats/career to Steve Young. Difference being that Young joined a dynasty littered with HOF caliber players and coaches; while Romo played with Whitten and constant coaching carosel.
Bottom line, Romo is judged by a QB standard while every other position is judged by their performance. Whitten will be a first ballot HOF’er while Romo, who finished as a top 5 QB of all time, could be on the outside looking in because he wasn’t lucky enough to play on a team that carried him to the SB… ala Eli…
RT Deion, you weren’t the best tackler. My favorite defensive player…check, the best watch in 20 years on football screen…check, good at tackling… fuck no. So what Tony ain’t got no rings. That’s because The Dallas Cowboys wasted the best of Tony because they didn’t give him an O-line. No player in the history of football would have done as good as Tony Romo without an O-line. So yeah, suck it up Deion.