Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers have oldies who are still goodies

Adrian Beltre, Colby Lewis, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Romo all hold distinction among Dallas-Fort Worth professional athletes.

They’re golden oldies.

Once-great performers who, although aging, remain as popular as ever and, yes, can still play more than a little.

As the youngest of the four, Romo might take some offense. It just doesn’t seem that long ago he came off the sideline to replace a weary and slow-footed Drew Bledsoe in a game against the New York Giants.

And do you remember, games later that season, grouchy Bill Parcells ordering all within earshot to “put away the anointing oil” as it concerned the new hot shot QB?

That was way back when in 2006. Time flies when you’re flying by the seat of your pants and turning the ball over.

Still, the quarterback is the oldest member on the Cowboys’ roster.

Yet, Romo is playing perhaps the best football of his career with dreams of leading America’s Team to a sixth Super Bowl title appearing more and more realistic.

The discerning reader with the critical eye might ask why in the name of George Blanda is Jason Witten not on this list. While it’s true that Witten isn’t months removed from the pee wees, he also isn’t as old as Moses, whether that be Malone, Austin, Edwin or the Jewish prophet.

The magic number to get on this list is 35 and with game. Witten is a just-turned 33 with 12 years of NFL experience under his shoulder pads.

With Witten, though, Romo’s golden years appear to be golden indeed. Same with Beltre, Lewis and Nowitzki.

A look at the golden oldies of today and yesterday:

Adrian Beltre

At 36, Adrian Beltre still has a tighter grip on the third-base line than the Border Patrol, but he might be starting to feel older. A slow-healing sprained thumb had the 18-year veteran vexed, and it probably didn’t help watching whippersnapper Joey Gallo up from kindergarten showing for a while what the future looks like without him. Don’t be too concerned, old fella, the Rangers were happy to see you go 7 for 16 with three doubles and a home run in the last four games before the All-Star break. He was the team’s best player in a disastrous 2014, hitting .324 with 19 home runs and 77 RBIs and had heated up after a slow start in 2015 when a slide into second sent him to the doctor.

Colby Lewis

Colby Lewis has been around so long he remembers when the words “Texas Rangers” and “playoffs” were used in punchlines. Lewis initially joined the big league team as a 22-year-old in 2002. Lewis growing into an old major league pitcher once appeared as likely as 30 inches of rain in May. But he twice has defied career-threatening injuries and, at almost 36, is 8-4 with a 4.77 ERA in his first full season since returning from missing a year and a half under the surgeon’s knife and the supervision of a therapist. Lewis, who is working on a one-year, $4 million deal, is also the franchise’s all-time winningest postseason pitcher. He joked at the end of 2014 that his wife wasn’t ready to see him every day in retirement. It appears she won’t have to worry about next year, either.

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk turned 37 a month ago. It seems like just yesterday that the kid with a bad haircut from Germany showed up at the Mavericks’ facility looking for a game. Like a guy from another generation, he still can’t believe one can be paid this much money to play basketball and, in fact, happily accepted less money to play in 2014 and the next two years. From all indications, those two years will be his last, and he has said he would gladly take a reduced role for the good of the team. To be sure, the future Hall of Famer has lost a step or two, but he still has something. He averaged 17 points and six rebounds last season.

Tony Romo

Tony Romo is the Cowboys’ senior citizen, at 35 the oldest player on the roster with a back likely twice that age. Though he doesn’t move like Clark Kent anymore, he can still get around and not surprisingly has gotten better with age. Though he passed for fewer yards than each of the previous three seasons, Romo also tied a career low for interceptions thrown in a 16-game season and had a career-high quarterback rating in 2014. Why? The Cowboys got younger and better on the offensive line, offering far better protection than Medicare and opening big holes for the desperately needed running game to complement Romo’s skill set. Romo will be a rich old man: He’ll make $17 million in 2015.

Tom Brady: Brady will be 38 when the season kicks off and, fresh off winning a fourth Super Bowl title, obviously has plenty of air left in the tires. Now, though, he will be playing with the motivation of a young guy left by his wife. He’s angry. It’s safe to say the 2015 season is a bee in his bonnet after the deflate-gate controversy left a rash on his backside. Brady, signed through the 2017 season, is out to shove the criticism where the sun don’t shine and prove he can compete and win on any playing field with any ball boy and any air gauge.

Tim Duncan: Duncan, now 39, has always played with a style perfected in an era of yesteryear, but he has been a key piece in five NBA titles for the San Antonio Spurs. He will return for a 19th season, but whether that includes one last title push likely depends on his health and that of his Big Three cohorts Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Duncan averaged 13.9 points per game last season — six below his career average — but still collected nine rebounds a game.

Kevin Garnett: Once a just-out-of-high school phenom with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett’s 20-year class reunion is has come and gone at 39. After winning a title with the Celtics and a disappointing year and a half with the Nets, Minnesota reacquired Garnett at the trade deadline in February and re-signed him for a 21st season.

Peyton Manning: At 37 in 2013, he was the NFL MVP, but in the last few games of the 2014 season, Peyton Manning looked like a 17-year veteran on his last legs. Manning, though, is returning for season 18 at age 39 to show that an old dog can learn new tricks under a new coach and system in Denver. Though his numbers were down from the year before, they were in line with his career in 2014. Manning is in the first year of a two-year deal.

Alex Rodriguez: Perhaps it is a unique scientifically derived gel from the Mary Kay Catalog that has left A-Rod appearing young and strong, but at 39 (40 on July 27!) and presumably out from under the shadow of PEDs the onetime $250 million Ranger is swatting the ball around again for the Yankees. Rodriguez, signed through 2017, also has his eyes on the millions in “marketing bonuses” from the Yankees for eclipsing the numbers of the all-time greats, while the bar minions debate whether he actually is one.

Adam Vinatieri: Vinatieri’s graying temples aren’t only the result of facing down big kicks over a 19-year career. At 42 (43 in December), the Colts kicker is the oldest player in the NFL with perhaps visions of Morten Andersen dancing in his head. Vinatieri, signed through the end of this season, was an All-Pro in 2014 after converting 30 of 31 field-goal attempts and a perfect 50 for 50 on point-after tries.

Don’t forget

Bartolo Colon: A busted colon might still get him, but age 42 apparently won’t. He’s 9-7 with an ERA of 4.46.

LaTroy Hawkins: The majors’ oldest player at 42 years and seven months is carrying on in the Colorado Rockies bullpen.

Jaromir Jagr: He found retirement unsatisfying and returned after three years off. Last season, he became the oldest player in NHL history to record a hat trick. Jagr is coming back at 43.

David Ortiz: Big Papi is now Grand Papi at 39, but the Boston Red Sox hitting hero is still a run producer. He has nine homers after smacking 35 a year ago.

Ichiro Suzuki: He’s not the Ichiro of his prime, but at 41 is hitting. 288 and and looks as if he could at least pinch hit at 50.

All-time golden oldies

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem quit at age 41, a year after winning a sixth NBA title. While he was a career 24-point per-game scorer, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 10 in 1988-89.

George Blanda: Then only a kicker, George Blanda — once also a quarterback — played nine seasons for Oakland between ages 40 and 48.

Brett Favre: The Green Bay legend took the Minnesota Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in 2009 at age 40.

Gordie Howe: Mr. Hockey is the standard for longevity after 32 years in the NHL and World Hockey Association. The Red Wings great finally said enough is enough at 52.

Jamie Moyer: The one-time Rangers joined Hoyt Wilhelm as pitchers working on their 49th birthday, going 2-5 in 10 starts with the Rockies in 2012.

Phil Niekro: The eldest of the Niekro knuckleball brothers didn’t decide he was past his prime until posting a 7-13 record with a 6.30 ERA at age 48 in 1987.

Satchel Paige: A victim of racial segregation, Paige didn’t make his major-league debut until his 41st birthday and went 28-31 over five seasons with Cleveland and the St. Louis Browns from 1948-53. He made one last appearance for the Kansas City Athletics at age 58 in 1965, giving up only one hit in three innings.

Jerry Rice: The NFL’s greatest receiver wasn’t as great at age 42, hauling in 30 receptions for Seattle and Oakland in 2004.

Pete Rose: Charlie Hustle broke Ty Cobb’s hit record at age 44 and became a part-time player at age 45 in 1986 before, sadly, finding other ways to pass the time.

Nolan Ryan: The Ryan Express was capable of ruling the mound with an iron fist up until his last pitch of a 27-year career at age 46 in 1993. Charlie Hough quit the next year at the same age.

This story was originally published July 17, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Cowboys, Mavericks, Rangers have oldies who are still goodies."