This May Be a Bridge Too Far for Cowboys

America’s rebuilding project: Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones says his decision to cut veteran quarterback Tony Banks and go with rookie Quincy Carter sent “a message to our fans and to ourselves, we are burning our bridges.

“We understand the philosophy of rookies making mistakes. We also understand the promise of the future and a young talent making plays and what it can mean to our fans .... I like the idea of a quarterback taking the snaps and improving right before your eyes and giving us a chance for the future.”

The Philadelphia Daily News’ Paul Domowich notes Jones’ old message didn’t seen to be going over, with 45,000 empty seats in Cowboy Stadium for the exhibition opener, after which Jones cut Banks.

“If you can’t get anybody to buy the present,” writes Domowich, “sell the future.”

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Fans? Fans? Not that an uncertain, or worse, future sells any better. About 20,000 turned out for the Cowboys’ last home exhibition.

Suggesting the end of the era when football was No. 1 in Texas and spring football was No. 2, the Dallas Morning News’ Tim Cowlishaw writes, “You wonder if we haven’t reached some sort of crossroads with the Cowboys playing to 45,000 empty seats, while the local hockey team has a season-ticket waiting list.”

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Trivia time: What were the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils before they moved?

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Sayonara: With the success of their players in major league baseball, Japanese fans are worried that their leagues will turn into minor circuits.

The Bergen (N.J.) Record’s Bob Klapisch notes growing interesting in two more Japanese players, Yakult Swallow right-hander Kazuhisa Ishii and Tokyo Giant slugger Hideki Matsui. Japanese commentators compare a Matsui defection to the Yankees losing Derek Jeter.

Japanese TV ratings are off 15% this season. Without Ichiro Suzuki, Orix Blue Wave attendance is down 40%.

Even Japan’s prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, conceded recently, “These days, watching major league baseball is more exciting than watching games in Japan.”

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Old guys rule: Baseball players, who were once mostly washed up by 35, are not only enduring longer but dominating.

USA Today’s Mike Lopresti notes that American League Cy Young favorite, Roger Clemens, is 39. Randy Johnson, who just reached the 300-strikeout mark again and leads the majors, will soon turn 38.

Barry Bonds, making a run at the home run record, is 37. Luis Gonzales is 34. Sammy Sosa will soon turn 33.

Moises Alou and Larry Walker, who are atop the NL batting race, are 35 and 34, respectively.

The top five in NL earned-run average include Johnson, John Burkett, 36, Greg Maddux, 37, and Curt Schilling, who’ll soon turn 35.

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Trivia answer: The Coyotes were the Winnipeg Jets, the Avalanche was the Quebec Nordiques, the Stars were the Minnesota North Stars and the Devils were the Colorado Rockies.

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And finally: Spark Coach Michael Cooper, on finally overcoming the Houston Comets: “I think losing last year hurt, but sometimes your prettiest flowers grow out of burnt landscape.”