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WALLY HALL: Romo's retirement clears stage for Prescott

Tony Romo's dramatic romance with the Dallas Cowboys ended Tuesday when he posted a picture of himself on the internet in a CBS jacket.

Romo went from undrafted to starting quarterback for America's team for a decade, although a couple of seasons were shortened by injury.

Romo was first discovered at Eastern Illinois University by former Cowboys director of player personnel Larry Lacewell, even before Romo was invited to the NFL Combine, where he did OK but not good enough to get drafted.

It has been reported that then-Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells didn't want Romo, but Lacewell's eye for talent was good enough for owner Jerry Jones to take a chance on a free agent. Romo didn't play much his first two seasons, but in the 10th game of his third season -- and Parcells' last at Dallas -- he became the starter.

As long as he was healthy, he was the starter from that point on, but in 2013 Romo began to be prone to back injuries. He had a broken finger (2008) and broken left collarbone (2010), but in 2013 he played with a ruptured disk and in 2014 he played with two transverse process fractures.

If at this point Romo wasn't seeing Little Rock therapist and back specialist Rob Tillman, president of Ortho Rehab and Specialty Centers, it was his fault.

In 2015, he missed all but four games after breaking his left collarbone twice (bringing that total to three), and he was lost for most of the 2016 season with a compression fracture to the L1 in his vertebrae.

Dak Prescott, a fourth-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, stepped in. And when the season ended, after completing 311 of 459 pass attempts for 23 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, Prescott was named NFL rookie of the year.

Prescott, who was seen on TV last weekend at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Dallas pulling for Mississippi State in its victory over UConn, also rushed 52 times for 282 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Jones kept his cards close to his vest after the season -- which is part of the reason he is so successful -- but admitted Prescott was the quarterback of the future.

The Denver Broncos publicly admitted interest in signing Romo, and it was widely rumored the Houston Texans were also willing to pick up his $20 million salary, but whispers began that Jones was urging Romo to try TV.

It is not known whether Jones paid off part of that $20 million salary, which would not be uncommon for him, or even whether Romo simply couldn't pass a physical anymore, but if he gets any more back injuries it will be his own fault.

With the help of the Cowboys, Tony Romo landed on his feet and will be partnered with CBS' Jim Nantz this fall.

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There are a lot of great golf tournaments, but only one Masters, which started Thursday at Augusta National. By the time the tournament ends Sunday afternoon, Augusta, Ga., will receive more visitors than during 10 years of non-Masters weeks.

Chuck Miller, The Traveling Guy, retired to Hot Springs Village and wrote a book, Golfing the USA, about his adventures playing golf in all 50 states in 50 weeks.

Week 8 of his tour took him to Georgia, and the chapter was titled "Augusta National...Almost."

The closest Miller got to the golf course was a spot allotted for people to take pictures outside the main gate.

Miller, despite being a correspondent for nationally syndicated Real Golf Radio, drove completely around the course only to discover the privacy was preserved by trees.

Miller's book can be bought at CreateSpace.com6338675 or Amazon.com. It is an enjoyable read, and he likes to eat almost as much as he likes to golf.

As for the Masters, it is amust-watch, even for nongolfers.

Sports on 04/07/2017

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