Tomorrow is the 38th anniversary of the Beatles last public performance together on the roof of Apple Records in London.

Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup,
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my open mind,
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes,
That call me on and on across the universe,
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box they
Tumble blindly as they make their way
Across the universe
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

Sounds of laughter shades of earth are ringing
Through my open views inviting and inciting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
Million suns, it calls me on and on
Across the universe
Jai guru de va om
Nothing's gonna change my world,
Nothing's gonna change my world.

It was nice to see my favorite band, America, return to the Billboard Album charts this week. The CD, Here & Now debuts at #52 and while it's a far cry from their glory days (sales-wise), it is their first recording of new music to chart in the top 100 albums since 1983's Your Move.

Not bad for a couple of old guys!

Things seem to be making a little more sense down Cowboy's way today. Apparently, Jerry Jones has sought permission from the Dolphins to interview former Cowboy backup QB Jason Garrett for what apparently will be the offensive coordinator. According to ESPN sources, Dallas wanted Garrett even before Bill Parcells stepped down (I wonder if that had anything to do with it). In addition, Jones has asked the Chargers for permission to interview Wade Phillips. All told, the Garrett-Phillips duo wouldn't be such a bad thing. Phillips is widely considered an excellent coach and even though his teams never reached the Super Bowl, his Bill's teams did reach the playoffs.

In Garrett, the Cowboys are going back to their glory days of Troy, Emmitt, Michael and Jimmy. Garret was never known for his arm strength, but he was considered an exceptional student of the game and was successful in his limited action (most notably a 300+ yard effort against the Packers on Thanksgiving in 1993). He has been credited with successfully integrating the previously-ineffective Joey Harrington into the Dolphins passing game this past season.

Talk about your lousy timing. I had no sooner finished my last post yesterday when I got the news that big Bill was calling it quits. I have to tell you I have very mixed emotions when I first heard. A big part of me was happy because I had gotten the feeling late in the season that he was ready to give up, but only stayed because he had to. To me, it seemed as if his coaching decisions had suffered due to it and it made me think it was time for a change.

On the other hand, Bill Parcells is an outstanding coach. While he didn't reach the Super Bowl (nor did he win a playoff game), he leaves the Cowboys far better off than he got them.

As far as possible coaches, while I can only speculate, my guess is that Jerry Jones goes after Wade Phillips and brings with him Jason Garrett, the former Cowboy backup QB during the 90's. Other names I've heard mentioned are Norv Turner (mistake), Pete Carroll (big mistake) and Bob Stoops of the University of Oklahoma (bigger mistake).

My concern regarding a college coach is what I refer to as the Nick Saban problem. Like many successful college coaches, once they find that the NFL is tougher than they thought, they tend to scoot back to college, where they enjoyed all the glory they missed in the pros.

Who knows, maybe a dark-horse will emerge. Knowing Jerry Jones and his hiring history, a real horse wouldn't neccessarily surprise me either.

Well, after going one for four in my playoff predictions, I'm somewhat afraid to pick the Super Bowl winner. I did tell my son I thought Indianapolis and Chicago would win yesterday, but that was more out of desire that belief. My kids have certainly grown into Bears fans and considering they live in Chicago, they should.

As far as the Colts are concerned, I'm just glad it's someone other than New England - although the Patriots are one heck of a team. But as a true Cowboy fan, I didn't want New England to best the Cowboys 3 SB wins in a decade (although Pittsburgh and San Francisco had previously). Plus, it's nice to see that ol' Tennessee boy - Peyton Manning - have a chance at the ring.

I remember way back in January of 1971, I had just turned 8 and the Cowboys were playing the then-Baltimore Colts for the title. Of course, the Super Bowl was not what it has since become, but even then, it was huge. Dallas lost that day, but it was the first year I really began to follow the sport. By the time the next January rolled around, I was already worshipping at the feet of Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly and the rest of the Super Bowl VI winners.

Maybe this upcoming Super Bowl will do the same for my 8-year-old boys. My 13-year-old is also quite excited about it, but like his wonderful dad, he's a big Cowboys fan.

Oh well. Unfortunately, in Baseball, he likes the Cubs AND the Rangers. It's too bad he won't ever be able to root for a World Series winner! He does enjoy watching the Mavericks, though, and they are certainly right up there (with the best record in the NBA). But like me with football, his world revolves around the baseball diamond. He's already put some of his Bar Mitzvah money away so he can go to a few Cubs' games.

So, with a two-week break between now and Super Bowl XLI (has there really been 40 of these already?), I'm going to sit and wait on my prediction. Since Chicago and Indianapolis are so close (about 180 miles apart), I have no doubt that this area will be inundated with Bears and Colts shirts, hats and whatnot (I love that word). I believe that by the time this one ends, I'll be so sick of both teams, I'll actually look forward to another lost Rangers (and Cubs) season.

When I was a kid growing up in Dallas (where I am right now visiting), I was often disappointed by the weather forecasters. At least 3-4 times a year, the weathermen would forecast snow, only to be consistently wrong.

Sometimes, the snow would not develop. But often times, the snow would fall all around north Texas, but somehow miss Dallas. As a child - knowing that even an inch of snow or ice would shut down the city - it would drive me crazy just how common it was to wake up to the storm that wasn't. While scores of schools closed in Fort Worth, Arlington and many other suburbs, I had to get on the school bus for another day of torture.

Now that I'm much older and live in a cold-weather city, my desire for snow and ice has greatly diminished. That's why, when the local forecasters predicted an ice storm for the area last night and today, I was more upset that it would be cold, than I was worried about ice. After all, the temperature in Chicago is in the 20's today. My hope (and expectation) was that by being in Dallas, I would be escaping the brutal cold, if only for a few days. My arthritis needed a break from the pain the cold air causes.

When I got here on Thursday night - up until Friday evening - I was in heaven. The temperature was in the 60's and I was feeling good. But that changed overnight and turned into a cold, hard rain. Just what I needed. Now, the weathermen are saying that the air is going to get a little colder over the next 12 hours and the rain will increase to cause an ice/sleet storm.

My plan had been to leave Dallas tomorrow for home. My gut tells me that there will be no ice storm in Dallas. My own experience has taught me not to trust the weathermen here. Maybe it's due to Dallas being in a "heat-dome" caused by so many people, buildings, pollutants and all that. Or it could just be the location of the city in regards to air-flow and a dry-line. I have no idea. But what I do know is that regardless of what will (or won't) happen in Dallas, my trip tomorrow is In jeopardy for the simple reason that although Dallas may not get ice, the northeast corner of Texas will and that's where I'm supposed to be driving tomorrow.

Well, at least I won't be disappointed about missing school.

As I've stated before, ever since I was about 10 or 11, I have been a big fan of the rock band America. Next Tuesday, they will be releasing their 17th studio recording (of original material) titled, "Here & Now." Besides being another in a long list of albums that start with the letter "H" (only 5 started with a different letter), this 2-disc set also includes a live version of their very popular "History, America's Greatest Hits" recording.

Although the discs come out next week, iTunes made it available for download which also includes a bonus track. Since I know very few of you are interested in my review of this album, I'll just say that it does remain true to the America formula, while also allowing it to be influenced by the album's producers, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne), Ryan Adams and James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins).

For an excellent review of this album, click here.

Anyway, I'm off for a bit of a holiday starting tomorrow (gosh that sounds British). I'm heading south to Dallas to visit with family.

Until then...

Now that I've had a few days to digest the outcome of Saturday's game, I feel like I'm in a better position to review the past season and what steps are needed to build on for 2007.

Clearly, this team underperformed at the most critical of times. Yet in the land of parity, they were still a better team than most. Change three plays during the year and Dallas would be hosting a divisional playoff game instead of losing in the wild-card round.

However, those plays didn't go their way and all we can do now is figure out what it will take for this team to become great again.

First of all, here are my first annual Dallas Cowboy awards:

Rookie of the Year: Anthony Fasano

Offensive Player of the Year: Marion Barber III

Defensive Player of the Year: Demarcus Ware

Overachiever of the Year: Mark Colombo

Underachiever of the Year: Mike Vanderjagt

Player Most Likely to be Playing Elsewhere Next Year: Drew Bledsoe

MVP: Tony Romo

Now, for next year, here are the steps I believe that the Cowboys will need to take to take it to the next level:

1. Priority #1 - Sign two legitimate offensive linemen.
2. Sign a legitimate backup quarterback to replace Bledsoe (someone like Kelly Holcomb, Patrick Ramsey, Billy Volek or even Kyle Boller).
3. Return to the 4-3 defense featuring Greg Ellis and Demarcus Ware at DE's.
4. Sign or draft a DT who can apply pressure.
5. Sign or draft a cover free safety.
6. Re-sign Terry Glenn.
7. Move Bobby Carpenter into the starting lineup (replacing Al Singleton).
8. Move to a more attack/blitz scheme (ala Philadelphia).
9. Re-sign Aaron Glenn.
10. Create an offensive around Tony Romo's skills - not the other way around.
11. Re-sign Martin Grammatica
12. For gosh sakes, sign a kick holder!

So there you have it. I'm anxious as to how the draft will play out and am confident that Parcells has one more year left in him. I could be wrong here, but I just don't see him running out on the challenge and especially on Romo.

BTW, my picks for the rest of the playoffs:

Chicago 30 Seattle 8

New Orleans 24 Philadelphia 21

Baltimore 24 Indianapolis 22

San Diego 34 New England 24

Chicago will Defeat New Orleans 23-10 and Baltimore will surprise San Diego 26-23. Baltimore then will go on to win the Super Bowl rather handidly 34-14.

Maybe.

A perfect ending, was it not?

Just 5 weeks ago, the Cowboys were christened "THE" team to beat in the NFC. And for good reason, to boot. They were coming off a decisive win against Tampa Bay, they had the second-best record in the conference and clearly were the hot hand. On top of that, they had a very favorable schedule ahead, with three games at home over the final 4 weeks. Two of those games against teams that after 12 games, were not even blips on the playoff map and thee other two considered more pretenders than contenders.

But as we clear the rubble of what has been one of the most disappointing seasons in the 46-year history of this most storied franchise, I'm left scratching my head at what was clearly a dream - or a nightmare, if you will. What transpired in the last few minutes of the Cowboy's season was a true lesson of comeuppance. For how many times in years past have we seen these metallic-blue and silver-stared helmeted bunch win on just the same kind of fluke that the we witnessed in Seattle tonight?

Never mind the horrible call against Terrance Newman, or the fact that in all my years watching football, I have never seen an impossibly-conclusive call on the goal-line be determined as conclusive enough to overturn. Never mind that 99.9% of the time, when the receiver puts the ball on the ground before he he's taken a step that the ref will call the pass incomplete. Never mind that Tony Romo, the man who single-handily brought our heroes to the dance, only to be struck by disbelief at his inability to gain an additional inch.

Never mind any of that. What happened here, in the glitter and glow of a beautiful Seattle evening was tha after all these years, we have finally witnessed the end of the Dallas Cowboy's mystique. After all of the Hail-Mary's, all of the Captain Comebacks, all of the Triplets and 99-yard records that will never be broken - after all of the Roger Staubach's and Herschel Walkers and finding the hidden gems in the drafts - all of the White House and all of the Eat, Drink and Have Mary years, all of the South America's teams and all of the Rentzels and Septiens and, especially all of the Irvin's, World's Fastest Humans and TO's - and after all of the stories of hole's in the roof, so G-d could watch his favorite team plays and after North Dallas Forty, Debbie Does Dallas and the Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders, the run is finally over.

Some will say it ended in January 1982 in the east end-zone of Candlestick Park, along with the famous "Catch". But like the true magicians the Cowboys were, they were only biding their time until a later miracle had arrived - one simply known as Herschel. Once they parlayed the luck of the draw in drafting him, waiting for him, signing him and eventually trading him for all the gold in Minnesota, it was once again business as usual in the friendly confines of Tex's Stadium.

And again, the cracks began to show and again, the team began to falter. But who should ride to the rescue? Who would turn this incredibly fortunate franchise around once more? Well, none other than the living-legend himself, Bill Parcells. When every team in the league tried to get his services, only the Dallas Cowboys - G-d's team - was able to bring the Tuna to Texas. Cowboy magic and mystique strikes again.

And it was under the tutelage of the great Parcells that a team, coming off of three consecutive 11-loss seasons, with a quarterback had a hard time distinguishing the difference between a chalk-line and a line of cocaine, was able to return the 'Boys to their proper place in the order of the World.

And even after going 6-10 the next year, you knew it was only timer before Big Bill was able to create the same kind of monster that he had in New York and Boston. Even the next year, when every Cowboy fan in the world knew that their team was better than any of the other teams that actually went to the playoffs, we knew that the football gods would shine once more on our beloved boys.

They were 8-4, with one of the losses being caused by a fluke play in Washington. They were two games ahead of the reeling Giants and also the seemingly inept Philadelphia Eagles. They were poised to regain their rightful place that G-d himself had proven for many years to want.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. But the Cowboys never needed to worry. They were good at times - very good, in fact. But first and foremost, they were always lucky.

And now it's over. Perhaps it ended in New Orleans last month. Perhaps it ended many years earlier. But it's certainly over now. If you believe that one should quit when ones ahead, then perhaps as the Cowboys enter the 2009 season, in just 2 short years, in the further-removed suburb of Arlington, they should change their name as well (perhaps to the Texas Cowboys). Maybe they should consider changing their colors as well. While yellow would be appropriate considering how cowardly the team played today, it wouldn't really matter.

RIP, America's Team. It's been a hell of a run.

How can I just let you walk away, just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me,
when all I can do is watch you leave
Cuz we've shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me,
just the memory of your face
Ooh take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And you coming back to me is against all odds and that's what I've got to face

I wish I could just make you turn around,
turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you,
so many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all

So take a look at me now, well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now, cuz there's just an empty space

But to wait for you, is all I can do and that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now, cuz I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've gotta take

Take a look at me now