Tony Romo retired Phil Simms holy hell did that actually just happen? Is this the world we are living in? Maybe there is hope after all.

Romo hung it up. He got a look at that sweet broadcast money and said “why would I continue to get turned into a broken meet pulp when I can have this instead?”. You could call it the Jon Gruden effect. People still wonder if Gruden is going to coach again. Or Bill Cowher. Come on, they got the best gig in the world, they get to talk about football, stay a personality/celebrity, and have a much less stressful life. Sucks for the Houston Texans though! I guess we get to see what happens when you have a full year of being SAVAGED.

But not only did Romo hang ’em up, he got Phil Simms kicked off the CBS broadcasts? Tony Romo is a hero. I never thought I’d celebrate the day a Cowboys QB overtook a Giants QB but Phil Simms has been garbage for years now and we could use some fresh blood in there. Simms used to be okay. He talked a lot, but he wasn’t the garbage he’s been lately. Still can’t figure out why. Maybe it’s some combo of phoning it in after so long, the game passing him by, and even possibly brain damage catching up to him (he screws up names a lot). Simms seems okay when he’s not in the booth but his booth game has long since soured.

Romo has no booth experience and the fact that he got the headlining A team gig is surprising, but Romo seems like a decent and insightful dude so I hope he works out. At the very least I can now unequivocally support the man, and getting Phil Simms off my television broadcasts is basically the closest Romo will ever get to getting a ring. I don’t know if Romo is a hall of famer. You need 2 basic components to make the hall: statistical dominance and “legacy” (basically career narrative). Romo has some great numbers and spent a few years as a top 5 QB, but his career legacy hurts him. No rings, 2 whole playoff wins, a reputation as a choker (even if it is unfair). He probably ends up in the hall of very good, always a bridesmaid never a bride. You have to be kind of incredible to make the hall with that weak playoff legacy. Romo wasn’t quite that good. He was a fantastic improviser that did his best and occasionally that style results in unfortunate outcomes and everyone focused on that because people are dumb.

It’s going to be weird not drawing Romo in a jersey anymore. He’s one of the most frequent DP sightings and as a long time defender of his (look at one of my earliest comics), it’s very strange seeing him go to something more permanent than IR.

I can’t wait until the moment he has to say bad things about the Cowboys on live TV.