On Campus: 'DiNucci Should Start Over Dak' For Cowboys?

FRISCO - By 1979, Bill Walton had won it all in college and had done the same in the NBA, the first-overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft eventually capturing an MVP award and a world title with the Portland Trail Blazers before sitting out a year in protest of something or other, and then becoming a free agent.

And when Walton signed with the San Diego Clippers, a young columnist in Greeley, Colorado, proclaimed it "the deal of the decade'' or something or other, and predicted in print that the Clippers - a franchise that a year before didn't even exist, as they were the Buffalo Braves - were going to win the upcoming NBA title.

Walton missed 68 games in his first season in his native San Diego and the Clippers won 35 games. The same foot injuries that plagued him throughout his career ruined his next season, too; he played zero games and the Clippers won 36.

Now, what business a teenage college kid in Greeley, Colorado had in 1979 writing in the school newspaper about Bill Walton and the San Diego Clippers I do not know. Who read it? Who cared?

Fast-forward to a college student at James Madison University named Andrew Oliveros. He works for "The Breeze,'' the JMU student newspaper. A few days ago, he wrote, in a column titled "Ben DiNucci should be the Cowboys’ Starting QB'':

"Many say that if Prescott doesn’t play, the job will go to recently acquired veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. However, DiNucci brings aspects to the game that Dalton can’t. ... Dalton brings veteran leadership, but he won’t bring that winning spark. ... If Prescott doesn’t play ...''

You get the idea. young Andrew isn't saying Dallas' seventh-round rookie, DiNucci, is better than Dak; he's under the impression that Prescott's contract dispute could cause some sort of permanent absence and that then, once DiNucci gets a chance, he'll leap-frog over 10-year vet Dalton and become Dallas' top QB.

""In reality, I realize Dak is going to play,'' Oliveros responded to me when I asked him about his column. "But I meant it to be about the 'right now.' ... But if Dak doesn't play. ... I don't believe in Dalton. I do believe in DiNucci.''

Andrew is 20 and a junior majoring in Journalism. He tells me he's received lots of attention for his piece - not all of it very favorable. But he's standing his ground in terms of his belief in DiNucci, who, of course, attended school at JMU, as does Andrew.

It was an honor to meet the best announcer out there @davejsports pic.twitter.com/nYrPjP8m3W
— Andrew Oliveros (@Andrew03318) March 9, 2020

"I think it's OK to have an opinion; that's the whole point of sports,'' Andrew says, adding, "I've seen all the Twitter comments. 'I should be fired.' And 'I'm on drugs.' Maybe I've learned that I need to make myself more clear and learn from the criticism.''

Bash Andrew Oliveros? I'll pass. At least he has a reason to be biased toward the QB who was a classmate ... a far better excuse than I could even muster for my Greeley, Colorado-based support of Bill Walton and the "championship'' San Diego Clippers.

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