[Deb]

Buck & New Dawg: Is T.O. turning over a new leaf?

True or false? A leopard really can change its spots – and T.O. is out to prove it.

NEW DAWG: False. Let’s make sure we get this right about T.O. The guy has always come in shape, and I can’t remember when someone has questioned his will to play -- or play in pain. So, when he came to minicamp and participated, despite not being 100 percent, it just goes back to how he played last year with that injured ring finger.

BUCK: True. Well, at least, Terrell wants this to be true, and so does Jerry Jones. But T.O. is in the background, waiting to act up like a fifth-grader – and not one of the smart ones, either.

Tony Romo says he has put Jan. 6 in Seattle behind him and will be a “better player” this season. Can we believe him on both counts?

NEW DAWG: Of course, it’s behind him. He’s no longer the holder on field goals.

BUCK: Can I get you a ba-da-boom? Yes, I believe Romo on the first half of his self-analysis, and would like to believe him on the second part. If Romo is put into good situations by the coaching staff, he can be a better player. And it’s possible for him to be a better player and still not make the Pro Bowl.

Are the often-overlooked Desperados helped or hindered by playing in the same market as the Cowboys?

NEW DAWG: The Desperados teased everyone a year ago with a club-record 13 wins. They were the best team all season and choked in the conference championship game, at home, before the Arena Bowl. I guess every team at the AAC is cursed and will find a way to let the locals down.

BUCK: It’s a shame that the Desperados don’t get more play in the media. Will McClay is a total class act. Clint Dolezel is all-world. But just as the Cowboys will always dominate this market for attention – unless one of the other teams happens to reach the Stanley Cup or NBA Finals – the Desperados have had to win gobs of games to win over its fans. Being the Cowboys’ “little cousin” just reminds people that the Desperados aren’t the Cowboys.