​

Our answer, of course, is yes. But, according to Jones during his weekly visit on 105.3 The Fan with myself and Newy Scruggs this morning, that's going to be very difficult to do in Cowboys Stadium.

Why?

Because Jones and the Cowboys have no plans to hang the banners commemorating the team's five Super Bowl championships. The banners hung from the rafters at Texas Stadium, but will apparently only be displayed digitally at Cowboys Stadium.

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:

*Screw me. I've been inside Cowboys Stadium a dozen times now and never noticed there wasn't an American flag hanging somewhere. JumboJerry will do that for you. When during the National Anthem there's a flag "waving" on the world's largest video screen you tend to fixate on it. But I was surprised that the place doesn't have a permanent flag inside, almost as much as I was surprised that owner Jerry Jones tried to shrug it off by claimining he has one outside that flies 24/7. Is this "America's Team should have an American flag!" outrage or "Damn we've become a sensitive, cranky people" overkill?

*Speaking of stadium accessories, now that I think about no flag I have another question: Where are the five Super Bowl banners? Tune in to 105.3 The Fan this morning at 10. I'm going to ask Jerry what the what?!

*Let me get this straight, irrationally stubborn fake basketball fans: Dirk Nowitzki scores 29 points in a quarter, hits a game-winning buzzer-beater and pours in 41 points against the Spurs, all in a three-week span. He was the NBA's Player of the Week and he'll likely be the Player of the Month. Early on he's the NBA's MVP. Yet what you grudgingly stick to is the tired, old, non-sensical criticism that he's boring, one-dimensional, slow, white and a choker? Okay. But I promise. You're going to miss him when he's gone, so why not appreciate him while he's here? Starting ... now!

*Somebody -  one guy - actually voted for the Rangers' Ron Washington for AL Manager of the Year. T.R. Sullivan, I'm looking at you.

*Saw the artists' rendering for the new Bush Library over at SMU. I'm not going to make some corny joke about coloring books. But I did find it fitting that the place will be protected by a 3-foot retaining wall. (Vandal #1 to Vandal #2: "Geez, I'd really like to spray paint some graffiti up in there, but how oh how will we ever navigate this waist-high security wall? Damn you Dubya, out-smarted us again!") Just kidding. But surely before the first shovel hits the ground the former Prez is gonna unfurl his "Mission Accomplished!" banner. Right?

*The skinny on new Cowboys' right tackle Doug Free, courtesy of an NFL scout I talked to this week: "Technically he's almost flawless ... the quickest, best feet of any Dallas lineman ... Will be fine in the passing game, but lacks the brute strength to dominate in the running game."

*Sorry, but we overrate Megan Fox.

*The Stars beat the Red Wings this week. I have now exhausted both my interest and knowledge of hockey in 2009. But 2010 looms. Be patient. This just in: Hockey fights are cool.

*Sometimes it's the simple things in life. I never rarely turn down a good game of Tic-Tac-Toe.

*I don't get Twilight. Pretty sure I'm not supposed to.

*Hot.

*Not.

SMU wasn't ready to let fans storm the field. Are the Mustangs ready to bypass Memphis for Honolulu?

​

And now - on the verge of his school's first bowl bid in 25 years - Mustangs' head coach June Jones is picking a strange time to get homesick.

Behind freshman quarterback Kyle Padron, SMU has won three straight, is 6-4 and poised not only for a bowl game but also a Conference USA Championship and the automatic berth to the Liberty Bowl. But the Hawaii Bowl is also interested in the Ponies.

Alas, we have a problem. And Jones might just have a conflict of interest.

Despite the Liberty Bowl promising more money and better TV ratings, seems Jones desires a return to the islands.

"The conference is going to dictate what bowl we go to, but obviously, I've told the guys we're going to Hawaii so that's where I want to go," Jones told Conference USA reporters this week. "These guys have never been to Hawaii. Plus, I think it would be way better PR for the school."

Que?

​

The bad news ...  

​

You, the Dallas Cowboys fan, just want to win.

I think Tony Romo is an elite quarterback and in the NFL you control the clock on the ground and you put points on the board through the air. I get that. But it's becoming apparent that offensive coordinator Jason Garrett makes me pass-happy sad.

In last Sunday's loss in Green Bay, the Cowboys handed the ball to a running back 11 times. Eleven.

Considering Phillips' training camp desire to be a Top 10 rushing team and the quality trio of running backs and Dallas' mammoth, Earth-moving offensive line, the early abandonment of the running game is inexcusable.

Call it premature evacuation.

​

But will I like their food?

Today - right about now as a matter of fact - a new Smashburger (owned by Davis and Colombo) opens in Addison on Belt Line Road. Looks like a place for hearty, but not necessarily heart-healthy appetites.

I officially grew old yesterday afternoon. Once you've seen the rise and fall of a sports stadium, you've officially, um, been around the block.

I remember a kinder, gentler era in Dallas when as a little punk I'd peer out the family Fury along I-35 and gaze in wonderment at The Sportatorium, P.C. Cobb Stadium and a futuristic construction site dedicated to a dazzling new structure to be called Reunion Arena.

The Sportatorium is a vacant, dreary lot. Cobb is the InfoMart. And, after yesterday's final-straw demolition, Reunion is destined to be a grassy, soul-less field come March.

Please, bow your heads.

Let us not weep at the death of Reunion Arena, but rather rejoice in its life ...

When it comes to my weekly NFL Quarterback Rankings - if I had one of those little encircled R's to signify a trademarked idea, it'd go here - the criteria is everything, nothing and all that's in between.

Past performance and future potential is considered, but mostly - like college football's weekly Top 25 - it's an attempt to identify the quarterbacks you'd most like to have starting for your team in this game, this week, right now. Injuries, obviously, significantly plummet value. A clever new TV ad might bump a player a notch.

32. Derek Anderson, Browns (-).

31. JaMarcus Russell, Raiders (-1).

30. Matthew Stafford , Lions (+1).

29. Mark Sanchez, Jets (-).

28. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bills (-3).

27. Marc Bulger, Rams (-).

26. Jason Campbell, Redskins (-).

25. Josh Freeman, Buccaneers (+3).

24. Jake Delhomme, Panthers (-).

23. Matt Cassel, Chiefs (-3).

22. Alex Smith, 49ers (-1).

21. Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks (+2).

Don't know if I'll be able to watch when Texas Stadium's memories are reduced to mush.

​

I was there hounding Roger Staubach about an upcoming Dallas Observer cover story and, to be honest, I'm never comfortable in a room with that many politicians. But I did have an interesting chat with Irving grand poobah Herbert Gears, who isn't exactly shedding a tear over the impending doom of Texas Stadium.

"At this point we're trying to maximize our exposure and our revenue from the event," Gears told me.

The "event" of course, is the imploding of the house built by Tex Schramm, Tom Landry and, obviously, God.

Prepare to cringe. 

​

In the wake of Packers 17, Cowboys 7, King has a message for Dallas fans:

Step away from the ledge.

​

But every once in a while he delivers.

Like Sunday, when he was at Lambeau Field in Green Bay and snapped some pics of the Cowboys' carnage.

Props to you Scott. Now get back to your regularly scheduled insanity.

Scott

What's stranger: That the Cowboys lost in Green Bay or that Carly Patterson is still signing autographs?

​

9. If I were truly astute, I should've also pointed out that another way to lose an NFL game is to not score any points until 38 seconds remain.

8. First time in the 50-year history of the Cowboys that the score after three quarters was 3-0. The game was as boring as it was ugly. And from there it got progressively worse.

7. Nick Folk is starting to worry me. His missed 38-yard field goal on the game's first drive set the tone and gave Green Bay hope. The Cowboys just aren't good enough to give away points.

6. Been talking since training camp about the lack of depth along Dallas' offensive line. During its 6-2 run, the Cowboys were lucky. But with Doug Free and Cory Procter in the game yesterday, you see how quickly things can get ugly.

​Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:

*OK, so let it be known that my buddy and Ticket founding father Mike Rhyner has been/is calling for a Cowboys' appearance in this year's Super Bowl. This, after 14-plus years as president of the anti-Cowboys' faction. "I saw this coming," Rhyner maintains. "It's not a bit."

*Erick Dampier had 14 points and 20 rebounds against Houston. Erica Dampier had one point and four rebounds the next night in San Antonio. Figures.

*UT Southwestern Medical Center gets $42 million for research projects involving brain tumors, autism and cardiovascular aspects. In the era of $100 million contracts and $1 billion stadiums, we throw around $42 million like pocket change. But just once I'd like to read a story about a major breakthrough, a cure, something tangible. Ya know?

*So the police founds drugs and thugs and shit at Jim's Car Wash? You don't say?! If you've ever driven by that place down in Fair Park on MLK, you're not the least surprised.

*Ever have one of those days and/or weeks? This has been one. Don't ask.

*Hot.

*Not.

*Weird.

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Bad news?

Or good news?

To me, Hamlin is the weakest link among Dallas' 24 starters (including kickers). The drop-off from Hamlin to Patrick Watkins is smaller than from any other starter to any other backup. He doesn't make plays. He doesn't even make tackles. Much less interceptions.

Given his three sacks and game-saving play in Philadelphia, you could make an argument for Victor Butler taking snaps away from Anthony Spencer. Maybe you'd survive with the loss of Marion Barber with Tashard Choice, granted.

Sorry, guess again.

​

And, dare I say, checking out Cameron Diaz' box.

I love "Would you accept $5 million in exchange for once a day, every day, going into a completely darkened room for an hour during which at some point you would be administered a tangible level of pain short of permanent disability, dismemberment and death?" hypotheticals. So I saw The Box last night.

I'm a pretty black-or-white, in-or-out guy. But color me gray, I'm still not sure what I saw. Is it a hypothetical piece of genius, brilliantly framed by life-out-there wonderment and pastel '70s color? Or is it merely a cheesy sci-fi, culled from the cutting room floor of The Twilight Zone?

I'd have a better answer, if I didn't have some many damn questions.