There is silence in Texas Stadium today.

Ever since last week's announcement that Dallas Cowboy Coach Tom Landry was fired by new Dallas owner, Jerry Jones, and replaced with former University of Miami Coach Jimmy Johnson, Texas Stadium is quiet.

The man, the legend, the NFL institution with the fedora hat and stoic face has left.

So long, partner, thanks for your 26 years of roaming the sidelines.

Pack up your files and those two Super Bowl rings. Don't call us, we'll call you.

What ever happened to handling the situation in a professional manner? Did the Cowboys suddenly forget that Landry turned the team from "America's Nightmare" in the early '60s to "America's Team" in the late '70s?

Jones remembers only past results. Like the Cowboys' 3-13 record last year.

Thanks, Tom.

The only person who handled the situation with class was Landry himself. He said that he felt no bad feelings about his firing and that his firing and that his relationship with the Cowboys had ended.

A tear rolled down his cheek.

The top 10 symptoms of March Madness (also known as that strange sickness every college basketball fan gets around the third week of March, when the NCAA Tournament reaches full stride):

10. You make no plans to go outside during the weekend. (e.g., "You got backstage passes to see Bruce Saturday afternoon? Sorry, the Eastern Regionals are on at 3 p.m., the Midwest at 5 p.m., the West at 7 p.m. I'm going to be kind of busy. Hey, maybe I'll see you after the Final Four.")

9. You go to your friendly, neighborhood copier place and enlarge the NCAA Tournament bracket 3999 percent so it can cover one of your bedroom walls.

8. You start doing Dick Vitale impersonations during dinner. (e.g., "Sherman Douglas! Showtime! I was just talking to my good friend Jimmy V., and he has confirmed the rumors that he will accept the coaching position for the Soviet basketball team...")

7. You say to yourself every time LSU freshman Chris Jackson nails a three-pointer, "I can't believe he's younger than me."