Last year, Romo's life—and that of his team—was an embarrassing and not very entertaining soap opera. He was dating an incredibly untalented tabloid star, fighting with his wide receivers (while secretly holding late-night trysts with his tight end) and the Cowboys missed the playoffs after he folded like a cheap suit during the stretch run. (Plus, there was Hard Knocks, Pacman Jones, Roy Williams, etc...) After a promising start to his career, it was looking like he might become the answer to a bar trivia question 10 years from now that would make people say, "Tony Romo? Whatever happened to that guy?"

Since then he dumped Jessica, Terrell Owens got run out of town and the Cowboys have returned to first place. Romo has found a new, less complain-y target and the giant video board is too distracting for anyone to notice his shaky footwork. Without all that drama in his life, Romo is a pretty solid quarterback. Solid enough to outsmart Andy Reid and the Eagles anyway. (Seriously, between the failed challenges and sissy field goal in the final minutes, I don't think there's any big game the Eagles can't find a way to screw up.)

Oh, there's still plenty of time for that late season collapse (despite two games against Washington and Oakland at home) and he still has a grumpy and terrible Roy Williams to deal with. Plus, you know ... Wade Phillips. But right now no one really cares about what Tony Romo is up to anymore and that should be just the way he likes it if he wants to keep winning.

Tony Romo, minus the flash, has pushed Cowboys atop of NFC East [USA Today]
Tony Romo delivers another complete performance in win over Eagles [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

* * * * *

Here are some other big winners, who did not win quite as big:

Marmalard: That'll show those Giants for trading you for that pretty boy. Now let's get fucking druuuuunk. [Newsday]

The Indianapolis Colts: All they do is win! (*Regular Season Only) They'll be undefeated when the Patriots come to town next week. Then we'll see what's what. [Yahoo, Toronto Star]

SEC Championship Game Ticket Brokers: Another SEC game, another poor officiating job in favor of the undefeated team. They will get their Alabama vs. Florida, but not without another bit of generosity from the referees. [Mobile Press-Register, Wetzel]

Big Ten Haters: The conference's last best hope for respectability lost their quarterback and their undefeated season and now Ohio State will get yet another chance to lose the Rose Bowl. At least all our games are out of the way before Thanksgiving! (Sigh.) [Chicago Tribune, The Lantern]

Vince Young: 2-0 since taking over the reigns of the Titans. So everything's cool now, right? [Tennessean]

Finally, the Weekend Loser?: Matt Leinart: Seriously, the guy came into a no pressure, can't lose blowout and still got pulled from the game for being worse than ineffective. (One attempt, one interception.) Have you considered a career in the exciting field of electronics repair? The brochure is free!

•Adam Wainwright blamed Matt Holliday's oopsie on him "losing it in the towels." (Seriously.) Cole Hamels could have, but didn't, blame it on the baby. Boston has no excuses.

•The SEC Commish says he sees no reason for a "public hanging" when officials make bad calls. Instead he prefers the Soviet style, in which they are taken into a soundproof room and shot behind the ear.

•Tony Romo says he won't let his critics beat him with words. He did not say he won't let his critics beat him with game-changing interceptions.

•The US's World Cup qualifier against Honduras tomorrow won't be seen on American television. If Jozy Altidore scores, and no one would be watching it anyway, does it make a goal?

•Just when the Patriots find a solid number one RB — bam! Torn ankle ligaments for Fred Taylor. Any disappointment is mitigated by the fact that the standard Fred Taylor contract is for four games.

•J.P. Losman finally lives up to the hype; too bad he did it in the UFL. He threw for two touchdowns and (Super Bowl champion!) Dede Dorsey rushed for two as the Las Vegas Locomotives win the inaugural UFL game.

•Courtesy of the Global Sports Fraternity, fullbacks are born, not made:

The Cowboys issued a statement last night in order to clarify this video that seemed to show Romo not realizing what down it was at the end of the Broncos game on Sunday. According to Romo, he was perfectly aware that it was fourth down and even told his teammates in the huddle before the fateful snap. But as he turned to walk off the field when the play was over, he noticed the down and distance marker said "3." So he merely double-checked with the refs who confirmed for him that he would not get to throw another incomplete pass. (WR Patrick Crayton also backs up that version of events.)

So why did the referee's marker say three? Because you need to dial it back from four to one and they were in the process of resetting it. Why are we still relying on this primitive number wheel technology? In this day age, can't we have 3-D holograms that display our downs for us? Or singing robots? Or special microwaves that beam all yardage information directly into our brains? The future is so disappointing.

Dallas Cowboys' Romo knew the last down against Denver [Dallas Morning News]

Fox's Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate is showing off footage this morning that could be interpreted to show Tony Romo believing that he had one more down remaining after Champ Bailey knocked away his final pass attempt in the end zone on Sunday. As the Broncos and their fans celebrate, Romo waves at his lineman as if to get them back to line of scrimmage for one more play. Then he appears to look at the refs while holding up three fingers, until he is forced to admit the dark truth that hides within his soul—the last play was not, in fact, third down. That's when the expletives start to fly.

It's possible that Romo had forgotten that he spiked the ball on second down to stop the clock. Hey, it happens! Or another theory (mine) is that someone on the Dallas sideline may have confused him by trying to send in another play. (He's not acting with a lot of urgency, because he probably knows that he's wrong.) None of the Cowboys have spoken up yet, so it's still a bit of a mystery. Much like the Cowboys red zone strategy.

Meanwhile, another blogger simply wants a retroactive pass interference call on Bailey, but unfortunately, he is operating under the mistaken impression that people might actually feel sorry for the Cowboys.

Was Tony Romo Lost During Last Play of Cowboys-Broncos Game? [My FoxDFW]
Champ Bailey Should Have Been Flagged For Pass Interference [The Landry Hat]

Smith told Sirius' NFL radio that he's yet to see the smiley Romo "snatch somebody up" for not doing their job on the football field, which means, I assume, that he's never seen him be a leader nor kidnap a small child in a shopping mall.

And although Romo vowed to become more Col. Jessup this year, Smith isn't buying it.

So when ... you say things are going to change, and you've never been that dominant personality or in that leadership position then, as a player, you lose me," Smith said. "... I'm sitting there saying, 'OK, now you're going to become a leader?' What happened [in previous playoff seasons] when we got knocked out both times?

"Now all of a sudden, you're going to change? And our talent level is less than it was two years ago [when the Cowboys made the playoffs as the NFC's No. 1 seed, only to lose to the Giants]. How much better can we be?"

Prop bettors take note of the Cowboys 15/1 odds to win the Super Bowl this year because remember what happened when Tiki Barber decided to publicly criticize the quarterback and former coach of his former team.

-Antoine Walker joins the NBA All-Star team of gambling deadbeats, alongside Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning and Michael Jor[REDACTED BY EDICT OF CZAR STERN] At least Walker tried to pay off his debts. Too bad the checks bounced.

-Pedro Martinez signs with the Phillies, anticlimactically ending his courtship. Also sure to be anticlimactic Pedro's return to the bigs.

-Meanwhile, Los Angeles has taken their offer to Lamar Odom off the table. Gamesmanship? Or, with the cap coming down, can the Lakers simply not afford to pay $9 mil to a fourth option who's running out of potential to live up to?

-To afford to offer Paul Millsap a contract, the Jazz will have to take out a bank loan. Why again did we think Salt Lake City could support a professional sports team?

-MMA poster girl Gina Carano's ex says there's a sex tape. He also says he's "smashed a lot finer than that." Classy.

-Bud Selig says Pete Rose's HOF eligibility is "under review." He declined to set odds for the prop.

-Tony Romo lost a girlfriend, but gained a sense of humor. Does this make you like him more? Didn't think so.

-Because no one believes that Prince Fielder is a vegetarian, here's a list of the 50 fattest MLB players of all time. Starting with Prince's daddy.

The most despicable, of course, those Bastards from Queens, who can't keep pets off their new field. But I'm secretly rooting for Tony Romo to do something that doesn't involve him collapsed in vintage Weeping Romo Pose on the last play of the season. He deserves better.

After a tumultuous winter that had him buried in the T.O. mess, a pending break-up with Jessica Simpson, and the harsh public scrutiny of her newly acquired plumpness, the man just seemed to need a break. But Spring hath sprung: T.O.'s gone, his relationship has steadied, and Jessica has apparently shed those pesky extra pounds. It is a rebirth for Romo, time to step out and show the world his newly found grit and perseverance. And what better way to prove it than at an Easter family brunch with the Simpson clan? I can do this. I can deal with anything. I'm Tony Romo.

And then some random paparazzi fella somehow snags graphic, unflattering photos (NOT SAFE FOR WORK AT ALL) of your girlfriend's ladynest while walking out of the restaurant and life suddenly goes to shit again.

Namaste.

Awful Butthole Photos [WWTDD]
Other Photos [Just Jared]

It's true: The network just announced that it's developing a reality show centered on the life and times of Owens, who may or may not even be with he Cowboys next season. "VH1 announced Monday that the series takes place in the offseason, and T.O.'s best friends and publicists — Monique Jackson and Kita Williams — will help him re-examine his personal life. The two will work as 'matchmakers and therapists' for Owens." Sounds like I'm gonna need a whole handful of caffeine pills to stay awake through this.

That caps an exciting day in Cowboys news in which we also learn that tight end Martellus Bennett has recorded a rap song in which, among other things, he rhymes "Romo" with "homo;" and Romo's beloved intended, Jessica Simpson, appears at a chili cookoff in Florida showing off a few (dozen) extra pounds.

In case you're looking for Bennett's video, YouTube seems to have taken it down ... at the Cowboys' behest? By all accounts it was pretty bad. Here's a description:

It's just about what you'd expect from the Cowboys' wildly entertaining, slightly crazy young tight end. His first video features Bennett busting a freestyle rap bragging about having "Jerry Jones money" (while wearing a Cowboys helmet) and includes a bunch of words that aren't allowed to be used on this here blog. He has another R-rated rap titled, "Google Me" on his MySpace page. Hey, what do you expect from a goofy 21-year-old millionaire who doesn't have any professional obligations other than to work out daily? But I did call Bennett to request that he tone down the language in his raps.

Meanwhile, the center photo of Jessica Simpson above was taken at the 99.9 Kiss Country Chili Cookoff at C.B. Smith Park in Ft. Lauderdale on Sunday. Quite a transformation since July, I must say. Jessica, in WhyFame.com:

"Curves are better. I don't get the whole rail thing. It's not good for your heart, it's not good for your mind; it's emotionally destructive, it really is."

Plus, you're warmer in the winter.

If it was Jerry Jones' intention to bring some normalcy back to his team and return to the basics of football for the coming season, well, mission accomplished, my friend! The only thing missing is an actual clown car.

Jessica Simpson Has Gained A Couple Larry Legends (Lbs) [Sports Crackle Pop]
Breaking: Tony Romo Now Dating Dolly Parton [The Sports Hernia]
Get Cha Popcorn Ready, TO To Get Own Reality Show [Slow Breaker]
Martellus Bennett Has A Dirty Mouth And A Lot Of Free Time [Dallas Morning News]

From the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram:

Among the celebrities in attendance were singer Solange Knowles, comedian Guy Torrey — who served as the master of ceremonies for the live auction — actress Jill Marie Jones and actor Carl Payne. Actor Will Smith sent a special birthday message, and rapper Ludacris was expected to perform at midnight. Owens was given the official key to the city of Dallas by city officials.

However, considering the events of the last week — when Owens was involved in a controversy with tight end Jason Witten and quarterback Tony Romo, the headliners Monday night were his teammates and coaches. Romo, who is suffering from a back injury sustained against the Giants, was a no-show at press time, along with Witten, who is also nursing injuries.

Actually it was a combination birthday party and celebrity fund-raiser for Owens’ Catch A Dream Foundation, which donates toward aiding 81 families in the Dallas area just in time for Christmas.

The party's best game? Pin-the-tail-on-Ed-Werder. I'm also wondering: That key to the city ... does it open pharmacies? Cause that would be bad.

TO Gets Plenty Of Support For Birthday [Ft. Worth Star-Telegram]

Here's Terrell Owens doing what he does best, denying controversy that he's supposed to have started. In this case, the jaunty jalopy cap adds a special air of believability, wouldn't you say?

This time it's the whole Tony Romo-Jason Witten who-likes-who-best squabble, which T.O. says never happened. The three, in fact, were seen laughing it up on the sidelines during the Cowboys' 20-8 win over the Giants on Sunday night. Shoving matches? Heated words? Certainly not. T.O. denies all.

"Thats Ed Werder reporting that, and whatever his sources was, they told a blatant lie. For me, that's a lack of professionalism in my eyes."

Romo:

“It’s just part of playing football,” Romo said. “We have a lot of highly competitive individuals who want to win. I give a lot of credit to T.O. and Jason for drumming this whole thing up to take attention away.”

Actually, the leading receiver for Dallas was neither Owens nor Witten, but rookie running back and former Yellow Jacket Tashard Choice, who had four catches for 52 yards. But it was his 91 yards rushing and a touchdown which really propelled Dallas. Too bad the Giants didn't have similar backup power at running back; they sorely miss Brandon Jacobs. Not to mention a certain trigger-happy receiver (they're 1-2 without him).

Eli Manning was only 18-of-35 for 191 yards and two interceptions, and the Giants didn't score a touchdown. One big reason for his poor showing was the fact that he was sacked eight times, and hurried several others.

By comparison, Iraqi journalist Muntather al-Zaidi had a much better day, hurling two shoes at George W. Bush during a press conference with unerring accuracy; both would have hit him right on the numbers had Bush not ducked. And as you can see in the photo, al-Zaidi was being heavily pressured on at least one of his throws, which he still managed to zip in on a nice spiral directly over the podium. Eli should spend today studying that tape.

'Boys Overcome Distractions, Shut Down Giants [NBCSports]

Yes, there have been several recorded instances of Owens yelling at his coaches, his teammates, and generally looking displeased, but—say it with me now—"he just wants to win." Of course, he still clings to his believe that any winning scenario involves him getting the ball as often as possible. But now his discontent is spreading to the rest of the receiving corps who allegedly held a meeting with Cowboys coordinator Jason Garrett (and minus tight Jason Witten) in order to "discuss the distribution of the football and what was termed 'a buddy system.'"

This story about the pass distribution complaints was first reported by Clarence Hill in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but ESPN's Ed Werder went one better, busting out more "sources" that claim that Owens believes quarterback Tony Romo avoids throwing to him even when he's open and that Witten and Romo have even had secret meetings where they draw up plays that no one else knows about. Well, that's a new one.

But to be fair to T.O. ... Romo does stink. He committed four turnovers, including a interception returned for a game-winning touchdown against Pittsburgh, and threw incomplete on several key downs when he tried to hit a covered and/or clueless Witten. So just because Owens is paranoid, that doesn't mean everyone isn't out to get him. Or it could be that the quarterback he used to shed tears for just isn't very good?

Cowboys receivers upset with Tony Romo's pass distribution [Star-Telegram]
Sources: T.O.'s expressed resentment toward Romo [ESPN]

• Just Call Him Hanging Chad. The Cincinnati Bengals deactivated receiver Chad Ocho Cinco for tonight's game against the Steelers, so adjust your fantasy rosters accordingly. The reason: Violating a team rule. That takes in a LOT of territory, especially when you're talking about Ocho. But that's all the team's saying. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will get even more catches, I suppose. [NBCSports]

• Oh Sweet Merciful Baby Jesus, Make It Stop. Speculation has resumed about Brett Favre's retirement plans, according to the New York Post, which writes: "This offseason figures to contain plenty of drama surrounding Favre's future." For his part, Favre says he "has absolutely no idea" if he's coming back. [New York Post]

• Role Model, Indeed. Spotting a homeless man outside of a Cinemark Theatre in Dallas, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo paid for the guy to come inside and sit with him and a friend for the movie. The featured selection? Role Model. Bonus quote: Romo, who confirmed the story but didn't want to elaborate, waved Doc over to sit by him and his friend. Doc sheepishly mentioned that he hadn't showered in a few days. "Don't worry about that," Romo said. "I'm used to locker rooms." [Dallas Morning News]

• X-box, Here I Come. Terrell Owens reports flu-like symptoms, Dallas Cowboys excuse him from practice on Wednesday. This can't be considered bad news for the 49ers, who play the Cowboys on Sunday. [Star Telegram]

• Driver's Father In Trouble. The father of Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver was involved in an altercation with Houston police on Wednesday and is in the hospital, family members said. Police said Driver was arrested for outstanding traffic warrants and was found to be "unresponsive" upon his arrival at jail. Paramedics transported him to the hospital, they said. Key graph from story: As they beat him and forced him to swallow something, the officers told Marvin Driver Jr. he was "going to see Jesus," according to relatives and community activist Quanell Evans, who identified himself as Quanell X.

The rally was for Lake Highlands' playoff-bound football and volleyball teams, and Smith was evidently in town to promote his latest movie, Seven Pounds. And Romo was there because, Jessica was shopping nearby? Anyway, Smith says something interesting at about the 9:30 mark on the video, saying: "This is the first high school I've visited in about nine years." Considering that his son, Trey, is a sophomore receiver at Oaks Christian High near Los Angeles, that's actually kind of sad.

Besides, fans at Oaks Christian, the night I was there, said that Smith has been to several games. So somebody's lyin'!

As you can see, Smith actually played reporter and asked about Romo's injured finger. I couldn't really make out a lot of what Romo was saying. Who would have thought that a gymnasium pep rally where Tony Romo and Will Smith make an impromptu appearance would be so noisy?

Will Smith, Tony Romo Light Up Lake Highlands Pep Rally [HS GameTime]
Tony Romo And Will Smith At HS Pep Rally [NESW Sports]

First, of course, we had to get a ticket. If you remember the original story (and we know you have it on your fridge), all one had to do to acquire access to the bliss that can only come from being in the same cavernous mallpark as Jessica Simpson was to spend money at Fry's Food and Drug. (Unfortunately, you had to choose food.)

Jessica's glossy face awaits you when you enter the front of the store, beckoning you to gorge on PepsiCo products (which is why you'll need the ProActiv, we assume) to finally be able to grace her presence. We started stacking our cart full of Diet Pepsi and Sobe Water when spotted some fine, fine print:

Did we have enough magical Fry's points to spend on such a titillating offer? No, sadly... we've just moved to this fine clime and therefore have not shopped at Fry's enough (or been to enough Diamondbacks games) to gather the needed points. However, we estimate that it only takes 4-6 weeks of feeding the gaping maws of the little lights of your life to gather up enough Fry's points to make this happen. So now you know the price of getting close enough to Jessica Simpson to see the roots. (Of her country music career.)

Ooh! Chip bowl! Classy.

We had spent enough to get our magical receipt, vesting us with the power to claim a free Jessica Simpson concert ticket (with extra baseball!) by the time we left Fry's. We considered various plots to gather the necessary Fry's points to get closer to the story, but we reconsidered. We weren't actually all that sure how close we wanted to get to the phenomenon. In the end, we chose to stay in the stands and work the general crowd, avoiding the Jessica Simpson fangirls and boys.

Also, we might need those Fry's points for something important someday.

We sprinted out of our home right after Deadspin work last night to make it just in time for the game, though not in time to get in on the Dan Haren bobblehead night. (You owe us a bobblehead, Unsilent!) We weren't overwhelmed with the walkup crowd when we arrived, but we were concerned our magical free ticket may not be available anymore. After all, there may not be a Jessica Simpson explosion in fan attendance, but 'free' tickets to a baseball team in a playoff race are 'free' tickets to a baseball team in a playoff race.

Our concerns were unfounded, though; we snatched up our free ticket with little trouble. The ticket vendor told us that many people had indeed cashed in their receipts and to expect a full upper deck tonight. (What, you didn't think they were giving away the seats they were making money on, did you?)

Sure enough, the upper deck did seem rather full (at least for a Diamondbacks game), but the composition of the crowd struck us. We found ourselves surrounded by families (as you'd expect on a Saturday in the cheap seats) and many pre-teen and teenage girls with questionable interest in the game. Did the Diamondbacks actually get the atypical teenage girl crowd to attend a Saturday night game to see their heroine?

The Diamondbacks did pull out all the stops to lure the girls into becoming baseball fans. They invited the ESPY-laden heroines of college softball after telling their story of carrying an opposing player around the bases.

Jessica herself came out in the fifth to pimp her appearance and put on her best performance of the evening: not cringing at the forced flirting dialogue. ("Sorry; I have a boyfriend. Did I mention I have a boyfriend? He's a football player. He plays sports. I'm dating the quarterback. Do you know my boyfriend?" This would become a theme.)

Also, CDs were given away to certain sections, ones part of the evening's ticket giveaway. (We did not win. Or maybe we did.)

Also, apropos of nothing, we saw this: it's a canine on a chicken with a battering ram beating up a burrito. The kids love that, right?

Unfortunately, the Diamondbacks failed to order up a decent baseball game. Between the Reds' Edinson Volquez fidgeting often on the mound as Dusty Baker rode him hard and put him up wet and then both managers switching to situational pitching bingo in the late innings, the kids around us began to fidget. We secretly rooted for chaos and a 14-inning game to push the start of the concert past midnight.

When the Reds tied the game again in the top of the ninth, we got our wish and thousands of little girls turned to their parents and asked, "Why are they still playing?" Of course, our answer ("only because they're contractually obligated, honey") probably wasn't the appropriate one. Kids lurched between sugar highs (one child a few rows back screamed without apparent external stimulus for a solid 15 minutes) and sugar crashes (weeping, sleeping, and drinkin... wait, those were the adults).

Eventually, though, like all things Dusty, it ended well after it should have with heartbreak all around. The game took four hours to complete 10 innings (!!!), leaving the little darlings waiting for a Jessica Simpson concert until 9:30 local time.

Then the exodus began. At one point, we became concerned that people named "Simpson" might outnumber other people in Chase Field by the time the concert started.

However, as the "stage" was constructed, we noticed the rush for the doors slowing quite considerably. People had moved down to the lower bowl, sure, but there were still many thousands left. (When Miss Simpson stepped up to the stage, she exclaimed, "I didn't expect so many of you to stay!" Neither did we.)


The Fry's VIPs (and is there any more cheapened acronym in America since "RBI"?) filtered onto the field and we were near the moment of truth. How would America's newest country star enter this new stage of her life?

It was at this moment that we realized this would not end well. We did not expect wacky morning DJs. Nothing good can come from wacky morning DJs.

Then the woman of the evening strolls slowly to her stage, sipping from a travel mug and chatting with her handlers. This wasn't a grand introduction; it was an accidental entrance.

She gave an extended introduction to the crowd, managing to mention her boyfriend who plays football a few times. (By the way, the heartiest sounds of the night came from feverishly booing Tony Romo and the Cowboys. She tried to get everyone to agree that hey, we may disagree on the Cowboys, but those Eagles suck, don't they? More boos. Jessica, unless it's reggaeton or Christian rock, it's not a musical football interlude in Phoenix.)

Her sponsors could not have been pleased with what happened next: she sang. Specifically, she sang Nancy Sinatra (so we're getting her Miss Piggy duet?) and then launched into her own tunes. At first, the sound system robbed us of the ability to hear her, but then someone ruined that. She caterwauled, yodeled, and shouted various lyrics breathlessly in a manner that would have cleared the place out if...

... well, actually, she did. As it turned out, the bulk of the "concertgoers" had been gawkers from the game, wondering what to expect from the ingenue emeritus. Once they got a sample (and possibly got in a few mocking shots), they bolted for the exits as if a Marlins game broke out.

Honestly, she tried so hard that our heart broke for her. She flailed wildly, trying to show emotion and effort. She even almost memorized the banter between songs, only failing when asked to tell us which two songs she's loved for so many years that she stole from to make her own song. (By the way, "stole" was her word.) She was simply awful, though.

She really only seemed to be genuinely speaking for herself when she talked about her boyfriend and the song she wrote for her boyfriend and she loves her boyfriend. (Of course, according to at least one Philly fan, she might be misguided there, too.)

We stuck it out for a few more songs, hoping for... well, we don't know. Anything to make a happy ending. It didn't happen. When we slipped down to the lower level, one of the ushers shrugged at me and said, "I hope she doesn't plan on selling any albums."

However, the Diamondbacks possibly sold baseball to a few more families they need to build a fan base that nearly disappeared in 2004 Also, Jessica might have pulled in a few more fans for her new album and we all know the value of the publicity. Even PepsiCo and Fry's got to associate themselves with sexy wholesomeness. So from a polished and calculated corporate synergistic standpoint, we suppose it wasn't a total loss.

On the other hand, all we saw last night was a young woman way in over her head trying her damnedest to hit her spots and sing many of the prescribed notes and name drop as many people as possible to prove to everyone (and especially herself) she belonged wherever she thought she was last night. We really didn't expect that part.