The Houston Texans were battling it out with the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks in the noon game yesterday, and I’d invested three hours into the game when, with the score tied 20-20 in overtime, FOX4 broke away to the Dallas Cowboys game, which hadn’t even begun yet.
I’m a Cowboys fan first and foremost and would have been royally pissed if viewers were forced to miss the beginning of the Cowboys game.
On the other hand, why would a TV station allow its viewers to invest three hours into watching a show and then switch away just before the climax?
There’s got to be a better solution.
TV programmers have had years to figure out these situations.
Anybody remember the so-called Heidi Bowl?
Way back in 1968, the New York Jets were whipping the Oakland Raiders, but the Raiders rallied in the final seconds to score two touchdowns and win the game.
Enraged TV viewers missed the exciting finish because NBC cut from the game to show Heidi at it’s scheduled 7 p.m. time slot.
Mass hysteria ensued.
NFL executives learned their lesson. From then on, a clause in NFL TV contracts ensures that games are shown in their entirety in a team’s home market.
But this isn’t the Texans home market.
This is Cowboys country.
Speaking of little Swiss girls, what’s up with Tony Romo?
Mister Scramble has turned into Sleeps With The Fishes — his feet appear to be encased in cement these days.
The Cowboys offense started yesterday’s game against the San Diego Chargers with four plays and punt, three plays and punt, and three plays and punt, for a total of 13 yards.
On that third possession, Romo dropped back in the pocket on third down, looked for receivers, and then panicked as the pocket collapsed. In years past, he would have scrambled away, bought time, and found a receiver.
Yesterday (and at other times this season) he stood frozen. Then he dropped to the ground without being touched. Play over. Fourth down. Another punt.
Romo might still be suffering shell-shock after taking a hit in the ribs during the opening season game against the New York Giants on Sept. 8.
Meanwhile, anybody else notice that game announcer Daryl “Moose” Johnson has become a manorexic?
The former Cowboys fullback was a thick-necked battering ram during the 1990s glory years. Now he has slimmed down to nothing. If he were entering the NFL today, he’d be a place kicker named “Mouse” Johnson.
DARYL “MOOSE” JOHNSON HAS GONE FROM THIS…
TO THIS.
I love Dez Bryant and it’s hard to criticize the guy who caught both touchdowns for the Cowboys, but he dropped a crucial third-down pass in the third quarter while the Cowboys were still ahead by one point. The Cowboys punted and the Chargers onslaught ensued.
It’s great to see Bryant running better routes, getting in sync with Romo, and making huge plays. Now he needs to lose his knack for dropping passes at crucial times. His fourth-quarter drop in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs kept the Cowboys from pulling out that game.
On the bright side, the Cowboys play in the NFC East, which should be renamed the Heidi Division.
How bad is the Heidi Division?
The Cowboys are a mediocre 2-2 and all alone in first place. The New York Giants are 0-4 and still in the hunt. By the end of the year, fans might be begging FOX to break away from Cowboys games and show Heidi reruns.
