Jason Witten for president. Everyone else can go away.

I wish they had broken my heart. It would have been much easier to deal with a close fight-to-the-finish kind of loss in Philadelphia on Sunday. That way, my heart would be broken as I was disappointed at the end of yet another NFL season for the Cowboys, and I would have remained optimistic and probably even supportive of my team and its cast of characters as I am endlessly prone to do.

Instead of breaking my heart the Cowboys, in a 44-6 trouncing, simply embarrassed and shamed me. I thought that their first half in Philadelphia was the worst professional football performance possible. Then the second half started. 

Over the last few years, I have put up with a lot as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. Through it all I have stayed true. I have defended the choices of Jerry Jones in picking up trouble-prone Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, and Terrell Owens. I have defended the attitude of Wade Phillips when everyone else could only talk about his coddling, easy-does-it ways that seemed to be hurting the team. I have refused to believe that "December meltdowns" in Dallas were anything more than coincidence. I have focused on the positives of Owens as a big-play receiver, and his relative lack of trouble making. I'm not sure I can do it anymore.

Last week playing at home against Baltimore, the Cowboys fell apart. At the time, this was a must-win. It was the last game Texas Stadium would ever host. And they fell apart. With a little luck, the 'Boys remained in control of their own destiny after some key losses by contenders last week, including the Philadelphia Eagles. This week, with the stakes and emotions even higher, the team didn't even show up. The 0-16 Lions would be 1-15 right now if they had been lucky enough to have been scheduled to play against Dallas this weekend. I'm quite sure that if my brothers and I had flown to Philly on Sunday, we could have played by ourselves against the Cowboys (without pads, and with blindfolds) and beaten them pretty soundly. How is that not a coaching problem? How can Jerry Jones resolve to keep the coaching staff in place? He paid $6 million this year to his head coach and assistant head coach alone. SIX MILLION DOLLARS. And those two men couldn't get their team excited about a game like this? How can Roy Williams - superstar receiver - run his mouth to the press and the public about not being used enough as a part of the offense and then look like a junior high girl on the field in the biggest game of the year (and, since he came from the Lions, the biggest game of his career to date)?

I'm finally admitting it. The press has been right all along, and I have been wrong. The Cowboys are stocked way too full with prima donnas who can't survive out of the spotlight, but the spotlight is only negative. I agree with Peter King. Everyone on the team, AND in the press keeps talking about how this is the most talented team in football. Prove it. You're not the most talented team in football when you lose the last two weeks in games that would put you in the playoffs. You're not the most talented team in football when the only stories written about you are about your demise, your intrasquad catfights, or include the words "suspended" and "arrested."

I'm still a Dallas Cowboys fan. I always will be. I'm not sure anything could change that. I don't know for sure, however, if I can continue to be the optimist I've been for the last few seasons. As I said above, I'm not even heartbroken - I could deal with that. I'm ashamed. Embarrassed. Sick.

I feel terrible for Jason Witten. He's a true superstar who's got a great attitude, he never complains, he plays through bruised ribs and torn ligaments in his ankle because he knows he can help the team. If I were Jerry Jones I'd be tempted to fire everyone in the organization except Witten and start all over. I'd keep Marion Barber too. Barber's fumble on Sunday about midway through the third quarter was returned for a touchdown and probably put the nail in the coffin (okay, maybe the second or third nail). Barber hasn't had more than a few carries a game since Thanksgiving because of an injured toe. His one mistake looked much bigger than it was because of the situation surrounding it. Tashard Choice produced huge numbers for an untested rookie in Barber's place in recent weeks, and he was let down too. I don't really have any comments on Tony Romo. I've been one of his biggest supporters since he became the starter in 2006, but I don't know how I really feel about him anymore. Thanks for reading.