Anthony Spencer Has Set the Tone for the 2009 Cowboys Season

And just like that, the tone for the 2009 season has been set.

Not by the firing of the special teams coach Bruce Reed.

Not by the release of Adam "Don't Call Me Pacman" Jones.

Not by any thought Wade Phillips might get fired or Jason Garrett becoming head coach somewhere else.

This has nothing to do with the usual suspects—Jerry Jones or T.O.

This has everything to do with Anthony Spencer, a 2007 first-round pick out of Purdue University. The Dallas Cowboys have big plans for him to replace Greg Ellis as early as next season and wreak havoc on opposing QBs along with sack machine DeMarcus Ware.

This has to do with the fact that this past week he showed absolutely no sense of judgment when being charged for public intoxication and disorderly conduct in Indianapolis.

According to Indy police his response to being charged was, "Who cares?" Exactly. No harm, no foul, right?

Absolutely not!

If you all remember, he was also a spotlight on HBO's Hard Knocks when he said the reason he skipped a rehab session was because the lights went out in his house.

Now, I have no reason to think of this man as nothing else than an outstanding citizen and player with tremendous upside. Especially since prior to Tank and Pacman, Spencer and the 'Boys have stayed clean off the field.

But here's what needs to happen with Anthony Spencer. The Dallas Cowboys need to grab the bull by the horns on this and at least release a statement that this will not be tolerated and they will deal with this accordingly. 

I don't need to know—although I hope it involves a huge fine—what or how they do it. They just need to do it. It is time for this organization to absolutely demand accountability and settle for nothing less. Anything else will showcase this offseason as just more of the same and that will trickle down to next season. 

Think it's too early? Well, guess again. There's no time like the present.

The tone for the 2009 season has been set. Let's just hope it's the right one.

Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips want us to believe in "change." Well, here's your chance to prove it to us.