Just when you thought the season was over, they suck you back in.

A good buddy of mine once said something very insightful to me about rooting for your favorite team.

“It’s horrible when a team gets in your blood,” he said.

The only team on the planet that that applies to for me is the Dallas Cowboys, and Saturday night they sucked me back in.

The Cowboys pulled off what was perhaps their biggest win in recent memory, beating the previously undefeated New Orleans Saints, 24-17, Saturday night at the Superdome.

After watching them drop their last two games, and falling apart in December the last couple of years, I was pretty much resigned to another season of “almost.”

And then they go off and play great in a game that nobody (including myself) was giving them much of a chance to win.

I’m still a little hoarse from yelling at the TV.

The Cowboys played almost mistake-free through the third quarter, taking a commanding 24-3 lead.

It was at this point that I called my Dad in Northern California to see if he was watching, and of course he was.

But just like I was, “He’s too excited to talk right now,” my step-mom said.

Of course, it’s never easy with these Cowboys, and the Saints scored two quick touchdowns to get back in the game, trailing only by seven.

But Romo rose to the occasion, and matter-of-factly drove Dallas down the field for what appeared to be the game-winning field goal with just over two minutes left in the game.

Just before the kick, the NFL network showed struggling Dallas kicker, Nick Folk, spraying kicks all over the field in the pre-game warmups.

But this kick was only 24 yards, basically an extra point, there was no way he could miss this, right?

Then he bounced the chip shot field goal off the right upright and I couldn’t believe it.

Horrible thoughts ran through my head, with “Kill the kicker!” at the top of the list, and “Oh no, here we go again,” right behind that.

But the defense held the prolific Saints’ offense in check, and the Cowboys escaped with the win.

For a fan like myself, it’s both good and bad.

It’s good because I love the dang Cowboys, and it’s bad for the exact same reason.

I could have relaxed the next two weekends, but nooooo!

Now I have to watch, and live and die on every play, and have a heart attack when a kicker misses a 24-yard field goal. A friend I was watching the game with the other night said, “Wow, Kevin, you get so excited. I think it’s cute.”

Try it from my side sister!

It’s dang sure not cute, it’s torture!

“I can’t help it, it’s a personality flaw,” I told her.

Like my buddy said, It’s horrible when a team gets in your blood.