Wednesday, Oct. 01, 2008
Romo has "it" — on and off the field
OK, confession time.
I have loved sports most of my life and, as a female, people have always assumed it’s because I think players are hot.
That has never been the case but I admit after meeting Tony Romo at the Weatherford/Coppell football game, I may have a hard time defending myself against that assumption.
This is my third season covering high school football and I can tell you press boxes are funny places to be and as usually the only woman there, a lot of testosterone fills the air.
But when word got out that Romo was on the field that Friday, I’m not sure if I was the most excited person there.
My media friends, who will remain nameless (you know who you are), were all grabbing for binoculars trying to verify if it was in fact Tony standing near the endzone, saying "No way" and "Why would he be here?"
Folks, I don’t use my media pass for much beyond game entry, but this was one instance where I decided I was putting it to good use.
After informing my colleagues I was headed down to see why Romo was gracing us with his presence, a couple of them shouted for me to get an autograph. I laughed and went "Yeah right."
As I made my way down the steps, onto the track and around to where Romo was being swarmed by adoring fans, cheerleaders and everyone else, I couldn’t help but smile knowing I was that close to the biggest sports interview I had ever done.
Then the panic set in and a plethora of things went through my mind in the next 5 seconds. What if he refuses to speak to me? What if I ask a dumb question? What if he says something controversial? What if I have food between my teeth? What if, what if, what if.
It turns out my angst was for nothing.
At first glance, Romo wasn’t very intimidating wearing a dark blue hoodie, jeans and a baseball cap with the Masters logo on it. That, coupled with his need for a shave, made him look like any normal guy enjoying a Friday football game.
But as I introduced myself and shook his hand, the enormity of it overwhelmed me.
Here I was, sports editor for the Weatherford Telegram, interviewing the quarterback of America’s Team at halftime of a high school football game. Wow!
MW: So what brought you out to the game tonight?
TR: I just like to go to a football game every once in a while.
MW: What made you pick this one?
TR: (Hesitation) Well, I live near here.
MW: OK, so it’s kind-of like a hometown thing for you.
TR: Yeah, I know a couple people here.
MW: How long have you been here?
TR: Since about the second quarter.
MW: What do you think of the game so far?
TR: It’s good. {Coppell’s} playing good.
MW: Thanks, Tony.
And just like that, the interview was over but not before he shook my hand again and said, "Nice to meet you, Melissa."
It may not seem like much but the fact that he remembered my name was exhilarating and it struck me then that Romo really has "it."
To me, the definition of "it" is the understanding that you are not better than the rest of us; that you put your pants on one leg at a time.
The understanding that you get paid A LOT of money to play a game when others don’t even make a tenth of what you do to teach our children or protect our cities.
And, the understanding that by giving a few minutes of your time to people who admire you actually makes them feel good and really isn’t all that hard to do.
See, I’ve met some famous athletes before and I’ve got to be honest, they were jerks.
But Romo wasn’t like that. He signed every autograph and took every picture without complaining. He was gracious to all around him, even holding conversations he seemed genuinely interested in.
This added to the story about the couple whose tire he helped change on his way home from the Cleveland game Sept. 7 have made me the biggest No. 9 fan in the nation.
Plus, he’s not bad on the gridiron either.
I have never bought a football jersey with a player’s name on it though I have owned a few hockey jerseys.
Thanks to Tony, however, my wallet will be a little lighter this week.
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