I believe your Cowboys are the first NFL team ever to earn “excessive celebration’’ penalties in consecutive games. There is a “look-at-me’’ arrogance to such a feat, I think.

     Now we have coach Wade Phillips’ response:

    "We're going by the college rule (from now on)," coach Phillips says. "That's it. Our celebration needs to be after the game, winning the game."

      “The college rule’’ will essentially dictate that Cowboys TD scorers simply hand the ball to the ref. No “look-at-me’’ celebration of any kind.

     How comical. ... right down there with Dallas' 1-4 record, a record that reminds us again of the care that must be taken in football betting.

     But the impotent Wade must do something different. As the Star-Telegram points out, the Cowboys now have 49 penalties for 404 yards. That puts them on pace for 157 penalties and 1,293 penalty yards – which would  rank second in NFL history in both categories.

      Cowboys players, incapable of disciplining themselves like 30-year-old men, will now be governed by rules meant for 18-year-old boys.

      Another swift kick for the Cowboys’ end-zone foolishness: The offender in Minnesota was receiver Sam Hurd.

     Did he score? Of course not.

     But Sam was part of a “prolonged or choreographed celebration’’ when he joined UT-ex Roy Williams (and I think, others) in flashing “Hook 'em Horns’’ hand signs.

     Hey, what’s wrong with school pride? Well, among other things, Sam Hurd didn’t go to the University of Texas. He is from San Antonio, but he played football at Northern Illinois University … thus making him one of our proud state’s army of fake Longhorns.