Chunky Soup has always been hearty, but it hasn’t always been the healthiest in the soup aisle. But over the past few years, Campbell’s has raised the line’s profile by enlisting NFL stars like Donovan McNabb (as well as McNabb’s mom). Now, with NFL Hall of Famer and current Fox broadcaster Troy Aikman as a spokesman for the brand, the soup has also made their soups healthier, with 23 of them having a full serving of vegetables and 100 percent lean meat. We had the chance to ask Aikman some questions about his affiliation with Chunky, what it all means to him, and about life in and after playing in the NFL. Check out the video here, and Troy definitely wins the award for Showing You Mean Business By Stirring the Crap Out of Soup. But hey, the stuff really tastes good. Here is our assessment of the samples they sent…

Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables—This soup had big chunks of vegetables and a nice, beefy flavor. But the best part was the little burger patties. In this soup’s former life, the burgers were fatty and tasted like it. These patties are lean and meaty, and this soup tastes way better than before.

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Along with 21 other ex-coaches and players, former UCLA and Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Troy Aikman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Former head coaches Lou Holtz and John Cooper were also inducted, as well as ex-players Thurman Thomas and Sam Mills.

Among the others honored Saturday were former UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman, former Oklahoma State tailback Thurman Thomas, former Army quarterback Arnold Tucker and John Cooper, who coached at Ohio State, Arizona State and Tulsa.

Jim Donnan, who coached at Marshall and Georgia, poked at Holtz for choosing an overseas opponent.
“One thing about Lou, he knows how to schedule,” Donnan said. “Playing the Japanese he has a good chance of winning.”

Holtz and Cooper agreed that the key to their successful careers were great players.

“The difference between a good coach and a Hall of Fame coach is players,” Cooper said. “You win with people. Show me a winning coach and I’ll show you a coach that has good players.”

Check out the entire list of inductees by clicking here.

In an interview with WFFA Channel 8’s Joe Trahan, Cowboys’ cornerback Terence Newman said that Tony Romo’s relationship with Jessica Simpson has affected his ability to be a successful quarterback.

WFFA Ch. 8′s Joe Trahan asked Newman last week about Troy Aikman’s take that Romo “hasn’t fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about.”

Newman’s reply: “I think that with the situation Tony was in, I think that kind of maybe hurt him a little bit – being a first-year starter, then you have the limelight with his girlfriend and situations of that nature. It’s going to take away from him being a quarterback, being a successful quarterback. He won 13 games and everything was perfect, but now after this past season, it was, ‘Is he doing enough for the team? Is he working hard enough? You know, he’s got this girlfriend, so …’ I think that once he inherited the starting quarterback job and his relationship got into the national media attention, I think that that was something that definitely hurt and took away from Tony Romo being a great quarterback.”

While I don’t disagree with what Newman said (how can I – I’m not a Cowboy and thus don’t know the situation like he does), players have every right to have a personal life off the field. It doesn’t matter if Romo is dating Jessica Simpson or Jessica Nobody – his personal business is his own.

That said, this is at least the third time that Romo has been publicly criticized for his relationship with Simpson. He was hammered by the media for going on vacation with her during the Cowboys’ bye week before a playoff game two years ago, and then came Aikman’s comments, now Newman is speaking out. So maybe Romo does need to be more focused on his football responsibilities. This isn’t to say that he needs to spend every waking hour dedicated to being a quarterback, but obviously there is an issue here because this story won’t die.

Or so says Cedric Golden of Statesman.com:

Romo’s not a leader. Never has been. Never will be.

Leaders don’t develop. They are born. It’s something in the DNA. You either have it, or you don’t. After showing little interest in leadership his first couple of seasons, Romo is talking about becoming a better leader now. In this case, talk isn’t cheap — Romo signed a $67.5 million contract extension during the season — but it’s still just talk.

He’s singing a different tune from the one he sang after the 44-6 drubbing at Philadelphia, which dropped his career record as a starter in December to 5-8. Minutes after his team collapsed on the field, he collapsed in the shower from a rib injury, then offered this explanation of how he dealt with the loss:

“If this is the worst thing that ever happens to me,” Romo said, “then I’ll have lived a pretty good life.”
He might as well have been one of those talentless clowns who audition for “American Idol.” It was comical and hurt the ears.

That’s what separates Romo from guys such as Aikman, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. They live the game. Losses eat at their intestines for entire offseasons. Romo’s comments suggested he was already over the loss.

Aikman offered up no excuses when the Cowboys went 1-15 with him as the starter. And he didn’t morph into a superhero when the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls. He was the same hard-playing, accountable dude during good times and bad times. Romo’s not Aikman. Not even close. And while it’s probably not fair to compare the two, Romo opened up the door when he played the leadership card.
Even a defensive player like Ray Lewis, who had off-field problems early in his career, is 10 times the leader Romo is. He doesn’t have to make any pronouncements about leadership, because his actions make it clear who’s running things in the Baltimore Ravens’ locker room.

Ray Lewis is 10 times the leader Tony Romo is? Gee, way to make a prophetic statement there, Cedric.

He may never be the guy that runs up and down the sidelines like Tim Tebow does or have the gonads to get into the face of his offensive linemen on the bench like Tom Brady, but Romo can lead by example. If he wins, his teammates will follow because in the end, winning speaks louder than any sideline speech that he can give.

Will he ever be Brady, Lewis or Aikman in terms of being a leader? Probably not, but then again, it takes a special man to lead like those guys do/did. What Romo can do is focus more in practice, be more dedicated to the game that has treated him very well the past couple years and start producing in December. If he does those things, people will take notice.

Former Cowboys’ quarterback Troy Aikman criticized current Dallas signal caller Tony Romo for saying he doesn’t worry about how he or his actions are publicly perceived.

“I think maybe things happened so quickly for Tony in terms of obscurity to all of a sudden national spotlight that he hasn’t fully grasped what being the Cowboys quarterback is all about,” Aikman said to Irvin. “And you don’t go to Cabo the week before a playoff game. You just don’t do it.

“It didn’t take away from his preparations. I know that. I mean, everything he says is I think accurate. I don’t think that had any bearing.

“But to say, ‘I don’t worry about perception,’ you better worry about perception, because it’s a big part of making it through some very difficult times.”

Romo famously vacationed in Cabo San Lucas with girlfriend Jessica Simpson during the bye week before last year’s NFL playoffs.

I think Romo is at a crossroads right now in his career. He knows he’s talented enough to get by, but seems to lack the focus and drive to take it to that next step. A lot of players want to get by on their talent alone and it’s not until later in their careers when they realize they have to do that little extra in order to become great.

Romo is a very likeable player and outside of playing for the Cowboys (who are shoved down everyone’s throats by the NFL Network every day), he’s easy to root for. Hopefully he takes Aikman’s (who knows what it takes to win a Super Bowl, although I don’t know if he has the right to tell Romo how to spend his personal time) comments in stride and turns this offseason into a positive. If not, he seems to have already hit his ceiling in terms of potential.

Here are six quick-hit observations from the Cardinals’ 32-25 win over the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

1. Just keep doubting them – the Cardinals will just keep winning.
Let’s run through everything the Cardinals weren’t supposed to do this postseason, shall we? They weren’t supposed to stop Michael Turner or beat the Falcons in the first round. They weren’t supposed to win on the road or stop the Panthers’ dynamic running game in the second round. And then even when they did accomplish those things, they weren’t supposed to beat the Eagles because Philadelphia would finally pressure Kurt Warner like he hadn’t been the previous two weeks. Yet the Cardinals did beat Philly on Sunday, and they did so even though adversity stopped by in the third quarter and smacked them square in the mouth. (More on that next.)

2. The Cardinals did something Sunday that they hadn’t done much of all season – battle adversity.
When the Eagles scored a go ahead touchdown with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game to take a 25-24 lead in front of a stunned Arizona crowd, the Cardinals could have easily crumpled in the final quarter. Philadelphia had just scored 19 points in a matter of nine minutes, were starting to pressure Warner with more ease and had seized all momentum. But the Cards answered with a 14-play, 72-yard drive that took 12:07 off the clock and culminated in a Tim Hightower 8-yard touchdown run. They added the 2-point conversation on a pass reception by Ben Patrick and even though there was still plenty of time left on the clock at 2:53, you got the impression that the Eagles were cooked. Granted, ‘Zona benefited from a non-pass interference call on a 4th and 10 attempt to Kevin Curtis on the final drive, but the Cards had already capitalized on the most pivotal moment in the game by taking the Eagles’ best shot and answering back.

3. The Eagles only played 19 minutes of this game…
…had they played the entire game, they probably would have won. Something that got overlooked by many pundits in the week leading up to the contest was that this was the third straight road game for Philadelphia. It’s hard to win on the road as it is, nevertheless three straight weeks. It’s why most sixth seeds don’t make it to the Super Bowl. That said, had the Eagles played the entire game as well as they did in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, they would have won. Granted, that’s an obvious statement since they scored 13 points and limited the Cardinals to –1 yard of total offense in that third period – but look deeper. In that third quarter, Jim Johnson finally was able to dial up the right pressure on Kurt Warner, Andy Reid was finally able to get the tired Arizona defense on their heels and Donovan McNabb finally was hitting receivers in stride and striking for big plays. (None bigger than DeSean Jackson’s wild 62-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth.) The Eagles essentially only executed their game plan for 19 minutes of this game and yes, the Cardinals had a lot to do with that. But Philadelphia also got in its own way more times than not by dropping passes, failing to execute Johnson’s blitzes and McNabb misfiring on a handful of passes. Were the Eagles tired? They didn’t necessarily show it if they were, but don’t overlook the fact that this team had to do a lot just to make the playoffs and then a lot just to get to Glendale on Sunday. And that could have factored into how they played.

4. Larry Fitzgerald.
What else can one say that hasn’t already been said? He’s amazing, spectacular – exceptional. With all due respect to the Texans’ Andre Johnson, Fitz is the best receiver in the NFL and the adjustment he made on Kurt Warner’s under throw on a 62-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was incredible. He’s one of the few receivers in the league that consistently goes up to get the ball at its highest point and never lets it get to his body. He’s the best.

5. Who the hell is Brent Celek?
Non-Eagle fans go ahead and raise your hand if you knew who Celek was before the game. I knew who he was, but I had no idea he could be a game-changer. The second-year tight end out of Cincinnati was the perfect complement to DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis in that he worked the seams and gave Donovan McNabb a solid, reliable target the entire game. He also freed Jackson and Curtis up by clearing out the Cardinal safeties, which had to adjust to him being a legitimate target as the game wore on. What a game by the youngster who has no doubt made Eagle fans forget L.J. Smith.

6. How can you not love Adrian Wilson?
Because the Cardinals have been bad for so long, Wilson has often been known as just an underrated playmaker on a brutal defense. But now that the Cards are heading to the Super Bowl, general football fans can start to appreciate just how good the eight-year veteran is – and how loyal. When Wilson was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2004 season, he could have signed with numerous teams dying for a playmaking safety and a natural born leader. But as Joe Buck and Troy Akiman noted during the broadcast, Wilson never contemplated signing with another team and reached a modest five-year, $21 million contract with the Cards. Now he’s being rewarded for his contributions to Arizona’s franchise by having the opportunity to play in the Super Bowl. If you can’t root for a guy like that than you won’t be able to root for anybody.

Much like Scores Report contributor John Paulsen, I had the opportunity to sit on a conference call with three-time Super Bowl champ Troy Aikman and FOX play-by-play announcer Joe Buck. I was even fortunate enough to ask Troy about his past Super Bowl experiences, as well as listen to his response on whether he believes the Patriots are one of the greatest dynasties ever. Below I’ve compiled five of the most interesting questions from the call, including my question to Troy (which is listed first) and Joe’s response to being asked about the differences between calling a World Series compared to a Super Bowl.

Troy, Tom Brady is going for his fourth Super Bowl victory and Eli Manning his first. You were a three-time Super Bowl winner – I realize all Super Bowl victories are hard-fought, but was there one in particular that stood out to you as being harder than the rest?

TA: Well, each one got a little more difficult for us and the last one was the most compelling when we played Pittsburgh. That was a pretty tight ballgame and the other ones, you know, we beat Buffalo the first time 52-17 and it was basically over by halftime or early in the third quarter. New England though, the three that they have won, they’ve won all three by only three points, so they’re accustomed to being in tight games. So, they’re going to be well prepared if this game goes down to the wire, too.

Click here to check out the rest of the five questions.