By NICK GHOLSON, Scripps Howard News Service

ARLINGTON, Texas - Looks like Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon was right.

This really is "The Year of the Napoli."

If you weren't convinced when Mike Napoli hit that three-run homer in the sixth inning on Sunday night to make sure this World Series was all tied up, then you had to be converted to Napolism after watching what he did in the final two innings of Game 5 here Monday.

ARLINGTON, Texas - One minute, he's Troy Aikman -- the next minute, he's Ryan Leaf.

Love him or hate him, that's just who Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is.

To appreciate the good, you have to endure the bad.

And it was about as bad as it can get here Sunday.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall promised he would go after Dallas quarterback Tony Romo's broken rib Monday night.

But instead, he found Dez Bryant's face mask.

It cost the Redskins 15 yards -- 15 precious yards.

Romo magically converted a third-and-21 at his own 30 when Bryant beat Hall for a 30-yard gain. The 15-yard penalty was a nice bonus.

The soon-to-be American League champion Texas Rangers were 81-63 at this time a year ago.

The defending American League champion Rangers are 81-63 right now.

Although the record is the same, last year Texas had a nine-game lead and Cliff Lee in the starting rotation.

This year, the Rangers are just 2-1/2 games up on the Angels, and Lee is pitching in Philadelphia.

This is the time of the year when most of us can sit in our recliners and snore through a lazy Sunday afternoon.

That will of course change in four weeks when the NFL reclaims possession of our mind, soul and remote control.

From Sept. 11 through Feb. 5, football becomes the mistress of many a good man.

But one recent Sunday was a pretty decent sports day.

When Texas Rangers closer Alexi Ogando took a 2.72 earned-run average to the mound last Sunday night, people began to question the last time a Texas starter finished the season with an ERA less than 3.00.

The answer is Kenny Rogers, who had a 2.96 ERA back in 1995.

Right now quarterback is not the weakest link for the Dallas Cowboys.

Tony Romo is OK.

He has led the Cowboys to a couple of NFC East titles, even won a playoff game in 2009.

But owner Jerry Jones doesn't proudly hang division championship banners from the roof of his stadium.

The Cowboys owner measures success only one way -- Super Bowl victories.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Football coaches preach it every day -- from peewee leagues to the NFL.

"The team with the fewest turnovers will win the game."

To those of us in the press box, it often goes in one ear and out the other. Just not cool enough for us who make a living writing such cool prose.

But it certainly told the story of Super Bowl XLV on Sunday.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, I loved boxing.

As a kid, I listened to fights on the radio with my dad.

Ali vs. Anybody -- I would watch.

Golden Gloves in the Central Boys Club gym -- now that was cool.

Texas State Golden Gloves at Will Rogers Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas -- much, much cooler. I once covered 15 state tournaments in a row.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones got it half right on Monday.

He fired a bad head coach.

Wade Phillips had to go.

The Dallas Cowboys are the worst team in the NFL right now -- and the guy getting paid the most to come up with answers didn't have any answers.