Giants fans are hoping for a romantic interception – and that Tony Romo’s bad-luck-charm gal pal, Jessica Simpson, will show up in person Sunday to cheer on her Cowboy.
“I hope she’s in the stands, because I want Romo to be distracted and looking at her and not the Giants,” said Rickey Latorre, 47, of Brooklyn.
“Oh, she is so cursed,” said Laura Dengel, 24, of Manhattan. “I hope she brings her sister, Ashlee, for double bad luck for the Cowboys.”
Romeo Romo has twice had problems scoring on the field with a gal pal in the stands. Three weeks ago, he had his season’s worst outing as Simpson – in a pink Cowboy jersey with his No. 9 on the back – watched from a Texas Stadium box.
Her hero had no touchdowns, three interceptions, and a dismal 22.2 QB rating in the 10-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. His breakthrough 2007 campaign included 36 TD passes, just 19 interceptions and a sky-high 97.4 rating.
Still, Romo took advantage of the weekend playoff bye to relax with the singer/actress and some teammates down in Mexico.
A Dec. 17-30 AOL online poll asked: “Should Simpson be invited to future games?” Of 20,442 participants, a significant 43 percent voted no.
In 2006, Romo’s worst game came on Dec. 25 – with his squeeze of the moment, “American Idol” Carrie Underwood, at the game. In the 23-7 home loss, also to the Eagles, Romo threw two interceptions and just one touchdown and had a season-low QB rating of 45.5. The subpar performance marred an otherwise great rookie season that saw him toss 19 touchdowns and 13 picks, and garner a 95.1 rating.
This Sunday at Texas Stadium, the Giants and Cowboys will face off in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Dallas is favored to advance to the conference title game.
So, is Jessica a jinx?
“That’s ridiculous. She has no impact over this game,” said Giants fan Peter Montella, 49, of Northport, LI. “But if she is bad luck, I hope she’s there.”
Added Manhattan’s Denise Gaffney, 25, “The Giants are gonna need all the help they can get down in Dallas, so I hope she is there and Tony Romo throws a bunch of interceptions.”
Online Sportsbook.com has a line on whether Simpson will attend. Yesterday, bettors thinking she’ll be at Texas Stadium come Sunday, could get a 1-to-1 wager, but those believing she will stay away had to lay out $140 to win $100.