What Was It Like?

[fgoodwin]

I've been a fan since the mid-60s so I'm one of those "older 'n dirt" fans that lived through the highs and lows. It's hard to describe what it was like to experience being a Cowboy fan from 1966-1985 other than as someone wrote earlier that I knew we were in the hunt every year, but I never took a Super Bowl for granted.

Having (figuratively) died after the first championship loss to the Packers, died the again next year after the Ice Bowl, and exasperated after the Browns killed us two years in a row, only to reach the edge of greatness in SB V, winning SB VI gave me a sense of relief more than anything else (I was a junior in high school that year).

The high point of the 70s for me was winning SB XII -- I was in my first year of grad school and thus old enough to really enjoy the win, especially because I spent the day watching the game with some college buds and babes. The next year I watched us lose to the Steelers but I had a smile on my face because I watched the game in the ladies dorm at North Texas State in Denton (UNT now)!

Even into the 80s, Danny White almost made us forget the retirement of Roger Staubach, but he couldn't get us past tough opponents in three straight NFC Championship Game losses (each on the road). Many won't forgive Danny for that but in fact the defense was aging as old warhorses held over from the 70s reached retirement age.

The second half of the 80s was kinda like now -- the team was no better than average, following every surprising win with one or more frustrating losses. Then Jerry and Jimmy took over, and to be honest, back in 1989 and 1990 I wasn't terribly impressed with either one.

But the '91 season convinced me we had turned the corner. 1991 was probably the best of "recent" seasons for me (wow over twenty years ago!) because I KNEW we were coming in from the wilderness. You just KNEW Jimmy was gonna lead this team to the Promised Land and that's exactly what he did, TWICE. Those Cowboy teams from 1991-1995 were different than the 70s era Cowboys.

The Cowboys of he 70s were confident and cocky, but the early '90s Cowboys would punch you in the face and kick you in the @$$. Every Cowboy team since 1995 has been wusses in comparison.

I remember feeling so confident in the period 1991-1995 that we were simply gonna kick @$$ regardless of the opponent. When was the last time we felt that way? Today, we wonder IF we'll win, we wonder which team will show up, will Tony self-destruct, etc.

From 91-95, all you wondered about was how badly would be beat the other team. Yes those were good times -- it's hard for me to believe we haven't had that feeling in almost twenty years.

Thanx for letting me rant.

[fjorge23]

It was amazing time to be a cowboys fan in the 90's. it was an honor to see Aikman, emmitt, and michael. That team was really special, they made it look so easy. Moose Johnson and novacheck were amazing As well. We should of won at least 5 rings with that team, if it wasn't for Jerry I want all the credit jones. As long as Jerry is GM we will never win another ring!

[cajuncocoa]

Originally Posted by fgoodwin

I've been a fan since the mid-60s so I'm one of those "older 'n dirt" fans that lived through the highs and lows.

From your post, I gather you and I must be about the same age...I was also a junior in high school when the Cowboys won their 1st. SB

Great post, BTW!!

A significant difference IMO between the team we now have compared to the teams of the 70s or 90s...

Those teams that won Super Bowls found a way to win. I never really felt they were out of it until the clock showed :00.

Today's team seems to find a way to lose games that they should win. You can tell the exact point in the game when they've lost it...you can almost feel the momentum shift. They don't seem to be able to overcome adversity very well.


All of us old enough to have seen Staubach play remember his many 4th qtr comebacks. In the 70s they used to say no one was neutral about the Cowboys ...you either loved them or you hated them, and if you hated them it was because we gave you a good reason to do so!!

At the beginning of almost every season ESPN & Co. set expectations for this Cowboys team so high, classifying them as Super Bowl contenders. I have to say, I haven't really seen it. I've never allowed myself to get caught up in that because I know I would be let down.

Since the triplets left, I haven't see that "something special" (swagger?) in the Cowboys that was there in the 70s and 90s.

[lwehlers]

Originally Posted by windward

It was awesome.

I was 9, 10 and 12 when we won our Super Bowls in the 90s. Truthfully, in those days I took our greatness for granted.

That won't happen again. I'm enjoying every win, suffering through every setback, and knowing how sweet it will be when we get ring #6.

i also took the superbowl wins for granted. i was in my early twenties. now it will probaly be until my fifties before they win again at the rate they are going now.

[cowboyblue22]

it was fantastic in the 70s and 90s the thing u was that u knew your team was good
not a week to week league
was so great in 1971 when cowboys beat the dolphins
and were not next years champions any more was like knowing we are the best
was so proud to say and be a cowboys fan those teams were so tuff mentally and physcialy.

[dhaber]

I became a Cowboy fan in the first year of thier existence back in 1960 only because I had this thing about drawing stars at the time (I was 10 years old) and saw them playing the Giants with my father one day on TV. I saw that star on the helmet and told my Dad, I am going to root for that team, the Cowboys. That is about as much as I knew about them back then. I was just getting into sports but when football season rolled around I stuck with the Cowboys and started learning everything about them, from knowing all the players, the draft, the coach/es, etc. Basically became a football junkie.
The memories I can recall that were my favorite/s was actually the maturation of the team from a start up to their first Super Bowl and then their first Super Bowl win. They had some great players back then and at the time they were ahead of everyone else as far as scouting college players was concerned. They were the first take advantage of computers to help them sort out and give them direction as to who to draft. Of course the draft back then went to like 20 rounds but I think they found more undrafted players using their system than just thru the draft. And they found some really great players. Eventually, everyone or just about everyone adopted the same methods for finding players.
I look at the Cowboys today as opposed to years past and I firmly believe that the leadership of the organization is the main issue with the team. It's not that the owner has to be invisible as so many owners are today but more so to insert a capable "football man" as the GM and go from there. Jerry might be a great businessman doing what he does but he isn't a football guy regardless what he thinks. He may be great at spending money for players which he obviously has no problems doing, but spend it on players that make a difference, offense and defensive lines. If you can't block on offense and attack an offense on defense you are never going to be a Super Bowl team. Sure we have some good players no doubt, just not in the right places in my opinion. Years ago, we had some amazing offensive and defensive linemen. On offense, Erik Williams was probably the best RT we ever had and of course Larry Allen the best G. But there were others that were great football players, guys like Ralph Neely, John Fizgerald, Blaine Nye, Rayfield Wright and many others. On defense, Charles Haley, Bob Lilly,
Harvey Martin, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Darren Woodson, Everson Walls, Cornell Green who was a basketball player, just a great athlete, Randy White (my favorite), God was he great. And I haven't even mentioned the skill players. I will just say that those years were unbelievable, so much fun and the best years to be a Cowboys fan. They were just so good some years that they were scary. It's hard to compare then and now but I would love to see them regain the dominance they once had as an organization but until they straighten out the organizational thing, I just will keep hoping we find lightning in a bottle regardless because I am a Cowboys fan.

[Bowdown27]

I was 12-13 when they started to win those 3 Super Bowls. It was unbelievable feeling. Being the first team ever to win 3 out of 4 Super Bowls.

[egn22]

i was 12, 13, & 15 when they won the 90's superbowls. the best football memory of all time for me is 52-17. That was the score when we CRUSHED the Bills. and it should've been worse but Leon Lett messed it up celebrating what would've been a fumble recovery for a TD. This was one of the greatest teams i have ever witnessed. We were AMAZING this year. Dominant on defense, dominant on offense. and we were the team everyone FEARED. think Baltimore Ravens or Green Bay Packers now. We were like a combination of that.

The next superbowl was the one where i feel i didn't appreciate it as much as i should've. we beat a stacked up Bills team that had plenty of talent, and we beat them convincingly. by this time i was spoiled and had never seen a team better than my cowboys so i thought this was just the norm.

The last one with Switzer was the least fulfilling. It was obviously a great win. But at the time the AFC really sucked, and winning the NFC east was the toughest part of that season. The Steelers were the best of a crap conference, and we beat them. they were able to keep it closer than the other two but i think that was more a part of us losing Jimmy Johnson and us beginning our decline. and its been all downhill from there. Some highs some lows, but never anything remotely close to those days in the 90's.

[newlander]

Originally Posted by Hostile

Better than sex.

Oh, you might be too young to know how that is too.
It felt like being on top of the world.

.........just can't argue with a word of that: especially after we hit rock bottom in '89' at 1-15........just inexplicable feeling. I regret drinking so much in those days, as my recollections are warm and fuzzy but also hazy to be honest. God what great teams: I especially miss the olines: Tui, Gogan, Step,Nate,Big E....miss them.....miss them............MISS THEM

[StylisticS]

I was 9, 10, and 12 when they won the Super Bowl in the 90s. It was great. I also took them for granted.

[visionary]

Originally Posted by egn22

i was 12, 13, & 15 when they won the 90's superbowls. the best football memory of all time for me is 52-17. That was the score when we CRUSHED the Bills. and it should've been worse but Leon Lett messed it up celebrating what would've been a fumble recovery for a TD. This was one of the greatest teams i have ever witnessed. We were AMAZING this year. Dominant on defense, dominant on offense. and we were the team everyone FEARED. think Baltimore Ravens or Green Bay Packers now. We were like a combination of that.

The next superbowl was the one where i feel i didn't appreciate it as much as i should've. we beat a stacked up Bills team that had plenty of talent, and we beat them convincingly. by this time i was spoiled and had never seen a team better than my cowboys so i thought this was just the norm.

[View Full Quote]The last one with Switzer was the least fulfilling. It was obviously a great win. But at the time the AFC really sucked, and winning the NFC east was the toughest part of that season. The Steelers were the best of a crap conference, and we beat them. they were able to keep it closer than the other two but i think that was more a part of us losing Jimmy Johnson and us beginning our decline. and its been all downhill from there. Some highs some lows, but never anything remotely close to those days in the 90's.

completely agree with you

i was lucky enough to witness the lows and then the highs with the 90s team

if jimmy hadnt had to leave, we would have been the only team in NFL history to win 4 straight SBs

this team will have an uphill task to win as long at the football idiot (jerry) is here

[Lazyking]

The cowboys of the 90s will never be repeated because of the cap. Unfortunately, Jerry Jones doesn't even know how to work the cap properly.

[jobberone]

Originally Posted by Lazyking

The cowboys of the 90s will never be repeated because of the cap. Unfortunately, Jerry Jones doesn't even know how to work the cap properly.

He probably doesn't know it as well as his cap experts. But there are people in the FO who do.

[THUMPER]

Originally Posted by Cowboys&LakersFan

As most of you know I'm one of the younger Cowboys fans and I was just a baby the last time the Cowboys won a Super Bowl. I badly wanna witness one, but I've began to lose hope that'll happen for obvious reasons.

Anyways what was it like seeing the Cowboys who are most of ours favorite sports team win a Super Bowl championship? How did it feel to be able to brag and say we are the champions and the best team in football? I've watched plenty of old film including the numerous Super Bowl victories and it's cool don't get me wrong, but it's just nowhere near the same as having witnessed it live. I love my other sports team, but I would honestly give every single championship trophy they have just for one Cowboys Super Bowl victory. Dead serious. I cannot even put into words how badly I wanna see a Cowboys Super Bowl win.

Seeing the Cowboys win their first SB in 1971 was the ultimate for me! After years of losing then more years of coming so close it was incredibly sweet for us to FINALLY win it all!

For 20 consecutive seasons, from 1966-1985, we were ALWAYS contenders, we always had a good chance of winning it all. 18 of those 20 years we made the playoffs, 12 times we were in the NFL/NFC Championship game, 5 times we went to the SB and won it twice. Even when we lost we were close to winning it all.

Also, we had so many great players back then! Not just good players but great ones, guys who SHOULD be in the HoF like Don Perkins, Chuck Howley, Cornell Green, George Andrie, John Niland Cliff Harris, Harvey Martin, Drew Pearson, Lee Roy Jordan, Everson Walls, etc. Not to mention the players that ARE in the HoF from that era: Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Bob Hayes, Rayfield Wright, Roger Staubach, Randy White, & Tony Dorsett. Add in the great leadership in Tom Landry and his coaching staff and the front office with Tex Schramm and Gil Brandt with owner Clint Murchison behind the scenes and you always felt that we could win it ll every year.

I think the thing that frustrates me so much with the last 16 years is that we haven't even been close to winning it all. The one time we had a really good shot at it (2007) we lost in the first round.

We used to have a culture of winning and always being a contender but that culture is LONG gone. Now we reside with the Lions and Bengals of the NFL, teams that may occasionally make the playoffs and every once in a decade or so actually win one but they are mostly mediocre and a non-factor in most seasons.

That's why I hate Jerry Jones, he has killed the team I loved and made it irrelevant.

[CowboyStar88]

I was in high school the last time they won. I was 15 the 90's teams were so much fun. In 99-00 when this team truely went down hill it was depressing. There was so much smacking talking in high school as I live in CA. All the 9er fans it was a great rivalry! Hope we get to experience it again. Just hate how social media has ruined it. It's like everyone wants to talk smack after a loss if they know your a fan. It's like they live for it.