What gives you hope?

[Bobhaze]

I am extremely happy I was able to dumb my season tickets and PSL's for break even. This was before the 2016 season. Even after the 13-3 season that year, I still never regretted it for a second.

Now, I feel like I won something in the lottery as I look back on it. It was like I won $10K a year (as that was what I was paying) for the last 5 years now, and for the next 20 yeas as well.

So far I won $50K and counting.

As for any hope. I take it year to year, and do not look back. Yes it sucks the way the past 25 years have gone. But I will not let it fuel the flames of hate or despair nor make be bitter. After this season, I will look forward to the next season (well, already looking at next season). I do not need a snake oil salesperson to pump me up for next season. I will do that on my own, though I still need to see the off season moves to how much I will be pumped. Why? Because that is what fans do. Well it is what I do. I will not go into the season with pom poms or rose colored glasses, but I will go into it with a positive attitude (if they get defensive help and fire Nolan).

Great post. Like you, I will be back as a fan every year. Because of my commitment to the team. And like you, I stopped letting this team (or any other sports thing) ruin even 5 min of my life. Watching the Cowboys is a hobby. It’s tradition. And until something major changes with Jerry’s involvement, we will be what we have always been under his “leadership”- mediocre at best. Occasionally dancing at the periphery of playoff relevance.

 

[pitt33]

Glad I'm not alone. I didnt waste my time either. I saw youtube highlights and laughed.

You can't help but laugh at times. It's almost comical in a sense.

 

[Bobhaze]

Who said I have hope? What I have, that too many are lacking here, is acceptance. I have accepted that the team I root for is flawed from the top and that trickles down and there's really no hope that this improves when Booger goes toes up. BTW, when he does, I think they should put him on his boat and torch it.

How much more do people need to see? How many more spins do they need to put on mediocre drafts and FA acquisitions.

However, I understand the need for hope for some people and digging through the horse poo for the pony and I will not try to dash those hopes but I will debate them.

The major issue on this forum is the inability for some to handle their expectations not being met when they were unrealistic to begin with. Aikman said it last night referring to the expectations for many fans for this season, based on what? Then he followed that up with his own less than optimistic outlook for the future because he can't say what the real problem is with this team.

I lost hope when Booger got that stadium as that would make him bulletproof and no need to field a winner. He makes the same amount of money and gets the same amount of exposure regardless of the record. And there are no negative side effects to losing. He can sit up there and watch the cornerstone to his D misread the D all night and clap after making tackles 8 yards down the field because that's his guy.

Hope? No, none, but this is still my team because of the history and laundry and I will continue to watch them step in it with the hope they step up occasionally as they did in MIN.

I love this. It can still be fun to watch your team even when it’s the Titanic.

Part of the entertainment value for me is waiting to see how many different ways an owner can be stupid. How many consecutive years can you make the same mistakes? It’s like watching a Keystone Cops movie on continuous fast motion loop. The same pratfalls, the same car wrecks and high speed chases. All with the silly, dramatic background piano music. It’s the golden era of silent film comedies. Visual comedy on repeat.

 

[foofighters]

After the last 25 years, it is clear- Jerry Jones and his front office don’t know how to build a winner. Period. It’s not even something that’s arguable. They don’t know what they are doing. The results speak for themselves. Some clear evidence:

• Jerry’s teams in the 21st century have made the playoffs 7 times in the last 21 seasons.
  
• After the great draft haul of 2016, this team hasn’t made the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years.
  
• In the last 25 seasons including this one since we won a divisional playoff game, we have had 6 head coaches, 7 different OCs, and 8 different DCs. And the same GM. And 4 playoff wins.

I could go on. But my question is this- where is the hope? I’m not joking or being sarcastic. Serious question. What is the hope Cowboys fans can hang on to?

• Is our hope pinned to believing we will get healthier next year, thus greatly improve?
• Is our hope based on the fact we will have good draft position?
• Is hope now based in somehow believing the Jones boys have learned something?
• Should we forget the two decades plus of evidence that Jerry literally doesn’t know what he’s doing as GM?

I’m serious when I ask what gives you as a Cowboys fan hope for the future?

The only hope I have- two things- Having good luck and being able to acquire so much talent, it can overcome the completely clueless GM. That’s it.

Nothing. That's why I no longer think of Sundays as Cowboy football day. They are no longer part of my life like they were.

 

[pitt33]

I dropped my golf handicap from 17 to 12 this year.

Nice.

Short game practice is how I lowered mine. Up and down to save par.

 

[CouchCoach]

Jerry's age. I'm serious.

Look who steps in, that gives you hope?

 

[Bobhaze]

Nothing. That's why I no longer think of Sundays as Cowboy football day. They are no longer part of my life like they were.

Honestly, my favorite part of being a Cowboys fan nowadays is the Zone. Hanging with the kaleidoscope of good people here is about the only positive.

 

[CouchCoach]

Nice.

Short game practice is how I lowered mine. Up and down to save par.

I lied to lower mine.

 

[DenCWBY]

You are 100% on the spot.
There IS NO HOPE as long as this IDIOT stayS gm

 

[CouchCoach]

Honestly, my favorite part of being a Cowboys fan nowadays is the Zone. Hanging with the kaleidoscope of good people here is about the only positive.

That is really the only reason I still watch the games, to participate here and on the old forum.

 

[cowboyblue22]

the cowboys are really really broken and i just dont know who or how they will be fixed for me hope is pretty much gone

 

[CouchCoach]

I love this. It can still be fun to watch your team even when it’s the Titanic.

Part of the entertainment value for me is waiting to see how many different ways an owner can be stupid. How many consecutive years can you make the same mistakes? It’s like watching a Keystone Cops movie on continuous fast motion loop. The same pratfalls, the same car wrecks and high speed chases. All with the silly, dramatic background piano music. It’s the golden era of silent film comedies. Visual comedy on repeat.

And I do not get mad at them any longer. I haven't in years. I do not expect much out of them so I am not that disappointed.

It's really the payoff of being a pessimist. Either I am right, as I was last night, or I am pleasantly surprised as I was in MIN. I win whether they do or not.

 

[CouchCoach]

the cowboys are really really broken and i just dont know who or how they will be fixed for me hope is pretty much gone

Couldn't you hear that in Aikman's voice last night when he made that comment about them having so much to address. There was sadness in his voice, resignation.

 

[starfan1]

Every year is different this year was an anomaly and while jerry Jones is the major issue with this team if we get healthy and add a piece or 4 and hit all of them you never know. On the defensive side we need to be perfect in FA and draft because all 3 levels need improvement.

We need alor of talent on that side of the ball but at least last year we were in the middle somewhere this year we suck in every category. We need to look at what the Steelers ,Packers, NE ,Ravens to name a few do and copy it. they are perennially there

 

[Diehardblues]

Our hope is all talent driven.

 

[Diehardblues]

Couldn't you hear that in Aikman's voice last night when he made that comment about them having so much to address. There was sadness in his voice, resignation.

Yep. He said “ I’m not sure where you begin “.

Also all night he kept referring to how the Ravens are one of the best run organizations in the league.

 

[starfan1]

Yep. He said “ I’m not sure where you begin “.

Also all night he kept referring to how the Ravens are one of the best run organizations in the league.

He's not wrong! They are, Steelers are, Pats are even though they have taken a bit of a step back this year but don't count them out. The blueprint is out there yet these front office nimrods refuse to copy and paste. There are a few other team NO.GB perhaps

 

[Bobhaze]

And I do not get mad at them any longer. I haven't in years. I do not expect much out of them so I am not that disappointed.

It's really the payoff of being a pessimist. Either I am right, as I was last night, or I am pleasantly surprised as I was in MIN. I win whether they do or not.

The last time I got mad at a Cowboys game was the 2007 team losing to the giants as the #1 seed. I haven’t been mad at a single loss since.

 

[Diehardblues]

In all fairness the return of Dak and our OL brings us back to a 8-8 caliber team scrounging for a playoff spot like about half the league. Which would be contending for and probably could have won the division this year.

The bigger issue is how do we get to the next level?

That’s much more complicated because it involves building a defense and smarter personnel moves involving key players and Cap decisions , etc. which I have less hope we will get right with our dysfunctional organization.

And why we will continue to be talent dependent mostly in our QB and offense he can generate . Pretty much how it’s been for most of this era.

 

[starfan1]

And I do not get mad at them any longer. I haven't in years. I do not expect much out of them so I am not that disappointed.

It's really the payoff of being a pessimist. Either I am right, as I was last night, or I am pleasantly surprised as I was in MIN. I win whether they do or not.

I'm not extremely pessimistic nor am i extremely optimistic i typically fall in the middle but I understand completely your stance on things. I cant root for a cowboys loss but not caring so much what happens works. Last night was refreshing. I didn't expect much and i didn't receive much and i went to bed without losing a wink.