Dallas is the type of sports town where the spotlight is brighter than most other places. Especially if you're not doing well.
Succeed, and you'll get to reap all the benefits. Fail, and, well, then you're Tony Romo.
Dirk Nowitzki has played in Dallas for more than a decade and while he's never experienced anything close to the constant criticism Romo gets, he's definitely familiar with the feeling of the town. He gets the pulse. And amidst the latest batch of fire being thrown Romo's way after a three interception performance Sunday, The Big German decided to stick up for his fellow Texan.
Dirk definitely had some critics and now as a champion, he can kick back and bask in the light of his trophy. A championship is like the immunity idol in "Survivor." At least for a while. You're able to kind of give your critics the finger while you tell everyone how you proved them wrong.
But come on Dirk. What you heard is nothing like what Tony Romo is getting. Nobody ever genuinely wanted the Mavericks to bench or trade Dirk. No one ever thought it would be best to part ways with him. It was always just about how Dirk couldn't win big and that was pretty much it. No doubt, he heard the chatter and had plenty of it. But Romo's on another planet in terms of that.
And worst of all, it lives week to week. When Romo plays through broken ribs and wins a big game, he's a hero. When he throws a couple picks and blows a lead, he's a total goat. For Dirk he validated himself with a heroic postseason. Romo can absolutely do the same thing. And Dirk's right -- you just have to keep plugging.
