Let the criticism begin.

On Tuesday, the NFL Combine began where scouts and general managers from all 32 franchises poke, prod and dissect all of the 350 college prospects like an alien autopsy. These ridiculous ratings every year at the RCA Dome affect a 21-year-old’s chances of getting the opportunity of playing professional football.

I believe the best quote I heard about the combine was former Atlanta Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville – “what am I supposed to know about a guy’s potential when he’s in gym shorts.” Truer words have never been spoken.

To prove the subjectiveness in the process, Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich is expected to be rated quite high even though he refuses to throw a football until two weeks before the draft.

The combine resembles the President’s Physical Fitness Test by involving a 40-yard-dash, shuttle run, bench press, high jump and at the end, an IQ test. Amazingly enough, after all this, they get to practice their position (what a concept: letting a quarterback throw the ball).

Unfortunately, this uneven process will affect Eastern quarterback and 2003 Walter Payton Award winner Tony Romo. Let me prepare NFL management for Romo’s performance.

He won’t run the 40 very fast (this was proven by the eight-yard scramble in the Homecoming game that took Romo two days to cross the goal-line).

Coaches will be able to time him in the shuttle run with a sun dial.

Romo’s high jump could possibly be measured with a limbo bar.

His bench press numbers won’t be fantastic, but keep in mind he is a quarterback.

Finally, roll the dice on the IQ test but the last quarterback to fail it miserably was Ryan Leaf. Since you only get one shot, good luck Tony.

In an athletic sense, the Mel Kiper’s of the world will report him as being similar to Dan Marino because a quick release will be his best option in avoiding a sack but not a brutal hit. In short, no matter how many Olympic trainers he works with, he’s a sitting duck in the pocket.

However, to be quite honest, all of these attributes mean about as much as the peso. Call me crazy, but I really don’t care how the man looks in a pair of gym shorts because on Sunday afternoons they are fully padded and it won’t matter.

So, what they’ve determined before he ever throws the ball is that he’s a tall, slow and lanky kid that is a traditional drop-back passer. Uh, these people pay me $50 and I could’ve told them that.

Hopefully, the NFL general managers won’t get up and leave after they look down at their stopwatches and actually miss the opportunity to see him toss the pigskin.

Romo has already shocked people in his all-star bowl game practice by making all the throws he was required to make and seemingly doing all of the basic things naturally.

I really hope Tony Romo won’t slip or fall because God didn’t bless him with Michael Vick’s athletic ability.

At the end of the day, Tony Romo can throw the football far and accurate. Last time I checked, those were adequate qualifications.