By Barry Horn / Reporter
bhorn@dallasnews.com | Bio
10:54 PM on Fri., Mar. 23, 2012 | Permalink
In case you missed it, earlier this week Troy Aikman was in South Texas to promote the opening of the chicken wing restaurant in his portfolio
In an interview with The Brownsville Herald, Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer, said he didn't play quarterback back then as well as Tony Romo does now.
"I think Tony already is a better quarterback than I was," the former Cowboys quarterback said.
I texted Aikman to ask if he stands by his quote. His response indicated that he did.
Aikman, who now earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for Fox, went on to explain to the newspaper what he meant. In essence, he was talking about pure athleticism. "I know how quarterbacks are judged, but as far as [Romo's] playmaking ability and the things that he is capable of doing, he is a far more athletic quarterback, capable of making more plays than I ever was able to," Aikman said. "I believe he will win a Super Bowl before he is done playing."
I thought I'd get a second opinion. So I called Michael Irvin, who was the Ying to Aikman's Yang on the Super Bowl Cowboys of the 1990s. Aikman has no bigger fan than Irvin, his Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Irvin, who hasn't spoken to Aikman on the subject, agreed with his friend, providing an eerily similar explanation.
"Think about the evolution of the game," Irvin said. "Jim Brown was a bad man as a running back. But those were different times. He was playing against different kinds of players, different size players.
"I'll tell you Terrell Owens was a bigger, faster, stronger Michael Irvin," said Irvin, who earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for NFL Network. "He was more physically gifted than me."
But that doesn't mean better, does it?
"Look at Tony Romo's ability to play quarterback outside the pocket," Irvin said. "That's where the game is evolving. I think that's what Troy was talking about."
But Irvin offered a caveat.
"If you have to make a dynamic play all of the time, you're going to ultimately fail," he said. "You can go to that well too many times. To win a Super Bowl you have to be methodical and that was Troy.
"If you needed a ball thrown 17 yards down the field, two feet to the right of the receiver, bing, Troy would put the ball there every time, just like it was drawn on the chalkboard."
bhorn@dallasnews.com | Bio
10:54 PM on Fri., Mar. 23, 2012 | Permalink
In case you missed it, earlier this week Troy Aikman was in South Texas to promote the opening of the chicken wing restaurant in his portfolio
In an interview with The Brownsville Herald, Aikman, a three-time Super Bowl champion and first-ballot Hall of Famer, said he didn't play quarterback back then as well as Tony Romo does now.
"I think Tony already is a better quarterback than I was," the former Cowboys quarterback said.
I texted Aikman to ask if he stands by his quote. His response indicated that he did.
Aikman, who now earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for Fox, went on to explain to the newspaper what he meant. In essence, he was talking about pure athleticism. "I know how quarterbacks are judged, but as far as [Romo's] playmaking ability and the things that he is capable of doing, he is a far more athletic quarterback, capable of making more plays than I ever was able to," Aikman said. "I believe he will win a Super Bowl before he is done playing."
I thought I'd get a second opinion. So I called Michael Irvin, who was the Ying to Aikman's Yang on the Super Bowl Cowboys of the 1990s. Aikman has no bigger fan than Irvin, his Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Irvin, who hasn't spoken to Aikman on the subject, agreed with his friend, providing an eerily similar explanation.
"Think about the evolution of the game," Irvin said. "Jim Brown was a bad man as a running back. But those were different times. He was playing against different kinds of players, different size players.
"I'll tell you Terrell Owens was a bigger, faster, stronger Michael Irvin," said Irvin, who earns a portion of his living analyzing NFL games for NFL Network. "He was more physically gifted than me."
But that doesn't mean better, does it?
"Look at Tony Romo's ability to play quarterback outside the pocket," Irvin said. "That's where the game is evolving. I think that's what Troy was talking about."
But Irvin offered a caveat.
"If you have to make a dynamic play all of the time, you're going to ultimately fail," he said. "You can go to that well too many times. To win a Super Bowl you have to be methodical and that was Troy.
"If you needed a ball thrown 17 yards down the field, two feet to the right of the receiver, bing, Troy would put the ball there every time, just like it was drawn on the chalkboard."
