What about Bob?

I knew Wade Phillips sort of ran a loose ship down in Dallas, but this is ridiculous...

Greg Ellis, a former Cowboys linebacker — he played 11 seasons in Dallas before being released this offseason and signing with Oakland — said on the "Michael Irvin Show" in Dallas that teammate DeMarcus Ware (pictured smushing Eli Manning) would hide from the coaches on the sidelines so Ellis could play. The full interview can be heard here.

Said Ellis: "It's a disgrace when DeMarcus Ware comes off the field just so I can get in the game and when the coaches tell him to come on the field, he tries to hide so I can play. And you're telling me we're trying to win the Super Bowl?"

The Dallas Morning News could not reach Ware for comment. Ware, who led the league with 20 sacks despite apparently taking some plays off, has one year left on his rookie deal.

When Irvin asked Ellis to clarify how Ware would go about doing this, he said: "On his own. He would say, 'G, come on.' And I would tell him, 'No, DeMarcus, go ahead, man. You're coming up on your contract year. Don't mess that stuff up. Go ahead and do you, and we're just going to do what the coaches, or whoever the powers that be, what they want to do.'"

It's absolutely astonishing to me that a player could make his own substitutions at will during a game. You think Parcells or Tom Coughlin or Belichick would stand one second for this? Wow, Lombardi must be rolling over in his grave.

-Chris Mascaro

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was at tonight's Yankee game watching batting practice on the field with a 10-year old leukemia patient (see "Extra bases") as part of the Starlight Children's Foundation Program.

ESPN's Ed Werder caught up with Romo for a brief chat, and the two talked about the Cowboys' underachieving season last year, Tony's assertion that he'll become more of a leader, and of course, Terrell Owens. The video can be viewed below (Romo took the questions in stride with his trademark grin and tact).

Romo, entering his fourth season as the starter in Dallas, threw for 3,448 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 13 games last year. He turned 29 in April.

***UPDATE***: One day Romo's in New York, the next he's outside Washington playing golf with Tiger Woods in preparation for their pairing in the AT&T National Pro-Am at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., this weekend. They tee off Thursday afternoon at 1:02 p.m.

-Chris Mascaro

This tired old act has grown so tired and so old, but T.O. never seems too old or too tired to talk about how he is once again the scapegoat in a quarterback-receiver relationship turned sour.

Happened in San Francisco.

Happened in Philly.

Happened in Dallas.

And each time, it's someone else's fault in T.O.'s bizzaro world.

This time, Owens feels like the scapegoat in the Cowboys' decision to boot him, in part because the team felt his overbearing presence was impeding quarterback Tony Romo's leadership capabilities.

"He was the quarterback of the team," T.O. said during his camp for kids today at Duncanville High School, according to Dallas Morning News blogger Tim McMahon. "I think everybody realized that. It was upon him to adopt that leadership role and carry that out. Obviously, they saw that didn't happen.

"So, for whatever reason, I'll be the scapegoat. I'm not here. Now, it's his team. You know, and I wish him well."

T.O. on why he feels the relationship went sour:

"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know what happened. Obviously, somebody is lying somewhere. I don't know what happened. All I know is that I'm not here. I'm with the Buffalo Bills, and I'll leave it at that."

Bands like Metallica and AC/DC had some pretty scary dudes who you probably wouldn't want to mess with. But they didn't average 300+ pounds.

Three Dallas Cowboys linemen — offensive tackle Marc Colombo (318), offensive guard Leonard Davis (353) and center Cory Procter (308) — make up 3/4 of a heavy metal band they call Free Reign (the fourth member is one of Davis' buddies, Justin Chapman).

And this just isn't a hobby to pass the time. The group just signed a recording deal with Riot Entertainment and its debut album will be released in the fall.

Said Riot owner John Howarth in a Tuesday news release: "Free Reign is a band with massive potential. There has been an enormous buzz surrounding them since they appeared on the scene a few months ago. Free Reign has already been flooded with endorsements. Their marketing potential is limitless. These guys are already huge sports stars, but they have shown they have the talent to diversify."

Colombo plays guitar and is the lead vocalist, while Procter plays drums and Davis is on bass.

Here's a sample of their work from an April show at the Granada Theater in Dallas.

In case anyone's planning a trip to Dallas this weekend, Free Reign's last show of the offseason is at the House of Blues in Dallas Saturday night.

-Chris Mascaro

Jerry Jones now says he has no plans to bring back Pacman Jones.
Hmm.

Maybe Jerrah was sending up a trial balloon when he suggested there might be a way for Pacman to come back this season. Once the owner saw that the overwhelming opinion was that Jones would be a disaster, he backed off.

... fool me twice, shame on me.

Case in point: Jerry Jones has not ruled out bringing Pacman Jones back to the team, this just months after releasing the troubled cornerback.

Terrell Owens may be in Buffalo now, but it appears his mind is still in Big D, and specifically how he was jettisoned out of town. On Thursday he spoke to AOL Fanhouse about it.

"I'd say it hurt," he said about being released. "I was very disappointed, especially when you established a lot of trust gained for three years that I was there, and when somebody blatantly tells you you're not going anywhere on two different occasions, and you've established that bond. If you don't have a man's word, and it doesn't stand for anything, there's really nothing left and there's not a whole lot of trust."

Jerry Jones' ears must have perked up when he heard the second part of the comments.

"Maybe it was out of his hands a little bit," Owens said of Jones. "Maybe it was conspired to get me out of there. But I went through this little period of being down about it [and] now I'm gone and will never forget it."

Owens was alluding to the fact that Tony Romo and Jason Witten may have had a say in the decision to release him (if you remember, Owens accused them of drawing up plays behind his back last season). But Jones' retort centered around the fact that only he knows the rationale behind the decision to release Owens.

Said Jones to ESPN.com: "Of all the people on the planet that know why he's not here, it's me."

Jones added that he closely follows what Owens has to say in Buffalo. "He's credible with me," said Jones.

The saga continues.

-Chris Mascaro

(Photo by Ron Heflin / AP)

Michael Irvin's Spike TV reality show "4th and Long" premieres tonight at 10 p.m. Six defensive backs and six wide receivers will battle it out for an invitation to Cowboys training camp.

Here is what Barry Horn of the Dallas Morning News thinks of the show, which I found through Best, and here is a video sneak peek.

The show looks mildly entertaining, from a Jerry Jones cameo to the obligatory yelling and screaming by coaches and even a shot of a guy vomiting in every promo I've seen thus far.

So enjoy it folks!

-Chris Mascaro

... the Cowboys will name their stadium Cowboys Stadium when it opens next season.

What it means, of course, is that team owner Jerry Jones couldn't get a high enough price for the naming rights, so he's holding out until the economy turns around and a big company will plunk down millions for the privilege of naming the stadium after an airline, a bank, a computer company, or perhaps Twitter.

Best is frantic to get the scoop on which company will get the naming rights for the new Giants/Jets stadium, set to open in 2010. My hunch is that it, too, will not have a corporate name early on.

Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the son-in-law of former NFL coach Dan Reeves, was released from a Dallas hospital, eight days after suffering neck fractures when the roof of the Cowboys' practice bubble collapsed.

DeCamillis is expected to resume his coaching duties by the time training camp begins.

The feds are now involved in the mishap that resulted in a Cowboys' scout being paralyzed and their special teams coach suffering fractured vertebrae.

"We're trying to determine if there were any violations, or determine the cause," said Elizabeth Todd, spokeswoman for Region 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

OSHA investigators will be interviewing witnesses and looking for identifiable hazards, according to Todd. The federal agency has six months to conclude its investigation.

Meanwhile, according to a CNN report, the CEO of a company that makes similar buildings says he believes fewer people would have been injured if the Cowboys' facility had been supported by air rather than a metal frame.

Summit Structures of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Cover-All Building Systems of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which built the dome, referred all questions to a Boston, Massachusetts, public relations firm.

The firm released a statement from Nathan Stobbe, Summit's president, who said he was in Texas working with officials to "assess this severe weather event."

The statement quoted the National Weather Service description of a microburst. It further said the facility was constructed in 2003. A new roof was installed on the building during a 2008 upgrade, the statement said.

"We understand there is a great deal of concern and curiosity about what happened on Saturday, but rather than speculate, we are focused on being part of the effort to find answers and assist the team," Stobbe's statement concluded.

Horrible news from the freak storm that leveled the Cowboys' indoor practice facility yesterday. Rick Behm, a scouting assistant, suffered a severed spinal cord and sustained permanent paralysis from the waist down. He underwent surgery last night and remains at Parkland Hospital in stable condition, according to the Dallas Morning News.

"To the Behm family we extend our love, comfort, and the full support of every person and resource within the organization," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement released by the team." Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time."

The release also stated special teams coach Joe DeCamillis will undergo surgery Monday for a fracture of one of his cervical vertebrae. He is in stable condition without paralysis at Parkland Hospital.

Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither had surgery Saturday to repair a fracture of his right tibia and fibula at Baylor University Medical Center. He should be released later this week.

Scary time in Irving, Texas, as a tornado ripped through the complex, injuring four employees. All coaches and players were accounted for and uninjured.

The team's indoor practice facility collapsed, trapping several people in debris.

Scary, scary stuff. Let's hope everyone comes through it ok.

UPDATE: Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, the son in law of former NFL head coach Dan Reeves, suffered two broken vertebrae in his lower back.

The former Cowboys quarterback, who played with a controversial wide receiver himself but would never have pushed to get Michael Irvin released, believes Jerry Jones did the right thing in dumping Terrell Owens.

Aikman also believes that Roy Williams now needs to justify the move by having a big year. Otherwise, Aikman says, he'll go down as "one of the biggest busts in the history of the league."

So says our Dallas Morning News buddy Jean-Jacques Taylor, a member of the All-Writers Name Team.

Taylor surmises that Burress, even if he somehow avoids jail time on felony weapons possession, will not be joining the Cowboys because of Jerry Jones' stated desire to make Roy Williams the team's unequivocal No. 1 receiver and to see youngsters Miles Austin and Sam Hurd develop. Not to mention Patrick Crayton.

Remember, that's a big reason the 'Boys said adios to Terrell Owens. Taylor says it's tough to see JJ change direction at this point.

Lost in the swirl of controversy over the Cowboys' release of Terrell Owens was the fact the team gave another veteran the heave-ho: strong safety Roy Williams, the man who perfected the "horse collar" tackle that was eventually banned by the league.

Williams has long been critical of head coach Wade Phillips' defensive system, and he got his wish to be released. Not sure what kind of market there is for a decent run-stopping safety who can't cover a lick against the pass, but we'll see.

The ex-Dallas Cowboys wide receiver issued a statement on his website thanking the team and the fans for an opportunity to play the last three seasons. If you didn't know any better, Owens sounds like a swell guy.

“I want to thank Jerry Jones, Coach Phillips and the Dallas Cowboys for the opportunity to be a member of the team for the past three years. A big thanks to the fans - you’ve been awesome! I look forward to the upcoming season and continuing to play in the NFL. I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers to the families of Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith and William Bleakley."

(Blogger's note: I wish Owens would have just left it alone after thanking the team for the last three years. To bring up the names of Cooper, Smith and Bleakley, all of whom were lost at sea in a boating incident off the coast of Clearwater, Fla. is simply not appropriate at a time like this. It's disingenuous. Maybe I'm being too sensitive here, but it just strikes me as Owens using a tragedy to make himself look better. After all, he never expressed any public remorse over the past several days over the incident. The families are feeling enough pain as it is.)

This according to ESPN.com's Michael Smith and confirmed by the Dallas Morning News and the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

Hmmm. Both New York teams are in the market for a big wide receiver to upgrade the offense. Could the Jets and Giants show some interest in Owens?

Oh, my.

The Cowboys paid Owens a $12 million signing bonus last year, which was included as part of a four-year, $34 million team. The Cowboys will absorb about a $9 million salary cap hit.

Owens ran afoul of teammates Tony Romo and Jason Witten, as well as offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, last December when he suggested that Romo and Witten were drawing up plays without him, with Garrett's tacit approval.

Owens, 35, has now come and gone from three different teams.

Originally drafted by the 49ers in 1996, Owens quickly developed into a talented, yet mercurial, performer. He eventually took over for Jerry Rice as the team's premier receiver, yet frequently battled with quarterback Jeff Garcia. He was eventually traded to the Eagles after the 2003 season.

Philadelphia went to the Super Bowl in his first season, but Owens' relationship with the team disintegrated over the next year. He demanded a new contract throughout the 2005 off-season, and was eventually suspended by the team after seven games. He was released the following year.

The Cowboys signed him before the 2006 season, and Owens had a tense relationship with then coach Bill Parcells. He wound up catching 38 touchdowns with the Cowboys over his three seasons.

That's what Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware is saying.

Then again, Lewis has called Baltimore "my city," and he also said he'd love to play for Rex Ryan, who is now head coach of the Jets.

That's the word from the Cowboys' owner, who insists he hasn't decided whether T.O. will be back in 2009.
That sounds a little strange, quite frankly, and it gets our reporter tentacles up slightly. Why? Because up until now, Jones has basically indicated that T.O. will be back in '09.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is having problems attracting a big-name sponsor for his new stadium, which is set to open its doors for the 2009 season.

This situation probably interests only Neil Best, our own Mr. Minutiae. Then again, John Mara, the Tisch Family and Woody Johnson are probably keeping tabs on the situation, because they haven't gotten very far on the naming rights front either. Their new Jets/Giants stadium opens in 2010.

(Photo by David J. Phillip/Associated Press)

I know Giants fans sometimes find Fox analyst Troy Aikman biased towards the Cowboys (I don't), but he always seemed like one of the classier guys in the NFL to me. Now, maybe he can be classified as one of the smarter ones, too.

According to Best's friend at the Dallas Morning News, Barry Horn, Aikman has finished the requirements for a bachelor's of sociology at UCLA and will walk at graduation in June.

Aikman was two sociology classes shy of finishing in April 1989 when he was drafted first by the Cowboys. Dallas, which was coming off a 3-13 season, wanted Aikman in town as soon as possible. It didn't work right away, as the Cowboys finished 1-15 in Aikman's and Jimmy Johnson's first season. But I guess you can't really argue with the six Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls.

Said Aikman about receiving his degree 20 years after he left UCLA: "Finally taking care of unfinished business. It was important to me. I promised my mother when I left school that I would go back and finish. It may have taken longer than anyone thought, but I did it."

Good for you, Troy.

The Cowboys decided several weeks ago that Adam "Pacman" Jones wasn't in their plans for 2009, but they'll make the move official today, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Today is the first day that teams can begin releasing players who were on the books in 2008.

Sure seems that way.

Reeves tells the Dallas Morning News that he thought a deal had been worked out for a consulting job

"For someone to question how I've done [my time] for a lot of years, I've never been questioned," Reeves told reporter Calvin Watkins. "Plus, as a coach, how can you verify that? Nobody punches a clock."

According to the Dallas Observer, Glenn was arrested at an Irving, Texas hotel last week on charges of public intoxication and possession of marijuana. He also had four outstanding traffic warrants.

Oy.

Reports earlier today suggested Dan Reeves had already moved into his new digs at the Cowboys' offices at Valley Ranch.

Nope.

The team released a statement late today indicating that Reeves not only doesn't have a new office. But he won't be having an office at all.

He won't be joining the Pokes.

"We had two very good days of dialogue with Dan Reeves, and both the Cowboys and Dan had an interest in working together," a statement released by the team tonight said. "By Wednesday afternoon, we were unable to reach an agreement on all of the details of a contract, and both parties were comfortable with the fact that Dan would not be joining the organization. Jerry [Jones] holds Dan in the highest regard as a friend and a tremendous contributor to the history of the Cowboys and the NFL."

After all the backlash from the report that the Cowboys lacked discipline, Tony Romo's vow to be a leader, plus the circus atmosphere brought to training camp with the HBO series Hard Knocks, I thought the Cowboys might tone down their act next season.

Apparently I was wrong.

Turns out Michael Irvin will run a reality show this summer with 12 average Joes vying for an invitation to Cowboys training camp. Owner Jerry Jones will serve as one of the judges.

Said Irvin: "This is a groundbreaking opportunity for football players and football fans. The unique element is that these men will actually be competing for a training camp roster spot in an NFL camp. There is so much great undiscovered football talent out there, guys that may have missed their shot for one reason or another. This is about hope and a shot at greatness."

Hey, I guess it worked for the Eagles...

(Photo by Ron Heflin/Associated Press)

Just two days after Troy Aikman criticized him for not worrying about his public perception, Tony Romo told the Dallas Morning News that he's going to become a better leader for his team.

Said Romo: "I think leadership sometimes comes with your ability to perform and your personality. And some of it comes with experience. In a lot of ways, I think I've gotten to the point where I've gained experience.

"I'm definitely going to take a more active approach with that as we move forward from last year to this season. I'll be very excited to get back out there and be with the guys and figure out a way to improve and get better and do the things we need to do to win. Period."

(Photo by Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press)

Here's what the Cowboys' embattled offensive coordinator said of the embattled receiver when cornered at the Senior Bowl:

"I certainly have a lot of respect for him as a player,” Garrett told Tim MacMahon of the Dallas Morning News. “And we’ll just leave it at that.”

And the rest of us will just read between the lines.

We jest, of course. Not about the Cowboys being undisciplined. About this coming as some sort of surprise.

It's been an issue for Wade Phillips wherever he's been a head coach - be it Denver, Buffalo and now Dallas.

According to our buddy Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, Cowboys players were routinely late to team meetings and even team charters. Watkins writes that the team charter left later than scheduled for five road trips in 2008. That's more than half the road games.

Jerry Jones should have known something like this would happen, especially with the easy-going Phillips. And especially after parting ways with taskmaster coach Bill Parcells, who never stood for tardiness and other issues typical of an undisciplined team.

I heard this first from Mike Lombardi on tonight's episode of Inside the NFL, but I wasn't surprised to see Ed Werder also on the case for ESPN ... quoting two anonymous sources.

(Photo by Mike Adams, Associated Press)

Close call for the former Cowboys receiver, who said he was at a stoplight in Dallas on Monday when a car pulled up next to him.

The passenger in the car flashed a gun, but once Irvin began discussing the Cowboys, the situation was defused.

Apparently, when Irvin complained about the Cowboys' 9-7 season, the two men agreed and drove off.

The former Titans and Cowboys cornerback, released by the Cowboys after reports surfaced that he'd been investigated over reports that he arranged to have three Atlanta-area men shot in 2007, said earlier today that he thinks he'll be back in the NFL.

With the Cowboys, no less.

"I think I might be back in Dallas," he told CBS host James Brown.

"And you have an inkling that Jerry Jones will give you another shot?" Browns said.

"Yeah, I do," he said.

Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple said the team had no comment.

The Cowboys released Jones on Wednesday after a season in which he was suspended six games for an off-field fight with a security guard hired to keep him out of trouble.

His release came after ESPN's "Outside the Lines" reporter John Barr contacted the NFL, the Cowboys and Jones' attorneys about a piece scheduled to air Sunday in which three Atlanta-area men allege that Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them two months after the football player was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in 2007.

According to ESPN, "Outside the Lines" obtained information that police, investigating a separate Atlanta-area case, had been told by an informant that Jones ordered the June 2007 shooting following his dispute with one of the men. Police have said that while the case remains open, they are not actively investigating.

Brown asked Jones if the allegations were true.

"They are not true at all, man," Jones said. "This was back in '07. They called me down there, asked me what happened. I told the authorities everything that happened. It's no truth to none of the story."

Ok, I think it's safe to conclude that Adam "Pacman" Jones is done for good in the NFL.

And if some team out there does take a chance on him after this latest disclosure, then shame on them.

The Cowboys have released Jones, who was acquired last year in a trade with Tennessee and signed to a one-year contract after being reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. They did so after the team learned of new allegations of the troubled cornerback during his tenure with the Titans, according to ESPN's Ed Werder.

According to ESPN, "Jones' release came after "Outside the Lines" reporter John Barr contacted the NFL, the Cowboys and Jones' attorneys about a piece scheduled to air Sunday in which three Atlanta-area men allege that Jones arranged for someone to shoot at them two months after the football player was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in 2007.

The June 2007 shooting occurred outside a suburban Atlanta strip club. One of the shooting victims told "Outside the Lines" that he had a dispute with Jones inside the strip club and that not long after he and the two others left the club, a hail of bullets struck their car. The NFL knew about that incident, but charges were never brought against anyone because the victims did not see the shooter."

The Cowboys announced a parting of the ways with Jones in a terse press release today.

The Cowboys' offensive coordinator has drawn interest from the Lions and Broncos, but he'll only talk to the Broncos.

Garrett has reportedly turned down an offer to interview for the Lions job. Hey, would you want to coach the Lions?

Garrett will likely leave the Cowboys this time if he's offered a job. He turned down the Ravens last year to remain with Dallas. All of which earned him a $3 million salary to go along with constant bitching and moaning from his wacko wide receiver and second-guessing from his overrated quarterback.

A wide receiver is unhappy in his role in the Cowboys' offense.

And his name is not Terrell Owens.

So much for riding the momentum of a huge win over the Giants from the week before. The Cowboys were beaten at home last night by the Ravens, and thus sustained a major blow to their playoff hopes. It was the final game at Texas Stadium.

There are now all kinds of permutations for them to get in.

Nice way to say goodbye to the venerable stadium with the hole in the roof.

Looks like they might have said goodbye to their Super Bowl hopes, too.

That's the word in the Cowboys' locker room, where the two had to be separated by teammates, according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram.

You can't make this stuff up. You really can't.

Rock and I will be reporting to you from Dallas, where the Giants and Cowboys tussle in a Sunday night game on NBC.

Question: Do you think the folks at NBC are looking forward to the ratings for this one?

Best will be waiting breathlessly in his bathrobe for the overnight ratings to come in.

Now it seems several players are complaining privately that Tony Romo prefers to throw the ball to tight end Jason Witten more than anyone else, even in practice.

Oy.

Sometimes I ask myself: Is Terrell Owens really 35 years old? Does he ever step back and say, "Oh, my goodness. I'm a multimillionaire playing a kid's game! This is great!"

I suppose not.

He is apparently jealous that Tony Romo is passing the ball more often to tight end Jason Witten. Sigh.

After initial concerns that Pacman Jones' career could be over because of a neck injury he suffered against the Stillers, he might actually be back within a few weeks.

The neck injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Steelers was significant.

Maybe bad enough to end his career.

I can't say I can recall an instance - at least not off the top of my head - of an owner essentially calling one of his star players a wus.

But that's exactly what Jerry Jones has done in calling out Marion Barber for missing yesterday's game against the Stillers in Pittsburgh because of a dislocated right pinkie toe.

Wow.

Barber has been known for his bruising running style, and it helped earn him a megabucks contract in the off-season. But now that the man paying that salary is questioning Barber's toughness (that's manhood, in NFL parlance), it will be very interesting to see how the kid reacts.

My hunch is that Barber will be out there next Sunday night when the Cowboys host the Giants.

Should be an interesting conversation when Al Michaels and John Madden talk about Jones' comment on the nationally televised game.

(A Glauber Nation gold star to anyone who can guess the significance of the picture.)

The powerful running back has been incapacitated by a dislocated pinkie toe, of all things.

With no Barber and no Felix Jones, who is out for the season with a knee injury, the Cowboys are down to rookie Tashard Choice against the Stillers' vaunted defense.

Welcome to Heinz Field, Tony Romo.

(By the way, it is officially next to impossible to post a comment on the blog. Sandy initially had the solution by pressing "control" and then "post." That gives you "comment submission error." Even then, I was pushing F5 and then refreshing, and that seemed to work. I tried it about 10 times earlier, and it didn't work ... We are held hostage to the software currently being used by the Tribune Co., which used to own Newsday. We are expected to migrate away from that tin-cup-and-string system .... I mean, that wonderfully quirky means of communication ... within a few months. We can only hope.)