What the last 23 years has done to our fan base

Bobhaze

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First of all...not everything about the last 23 years is bad. In fact, the last several years this organization has greatly improved in drafting and talent acquisition, and this FO has clearly learned from its numerous previous mistakes in cap and roster management. Three of the last five seasons have yielded division titles and two wild card wins. That’s....well not great. But it could have been worse.

However...the last 23 years has been tough for most Cowboys fans. Three wild card wins. No conference championship games, no SBs. Especially tough for the long time fans who remember what it meant to have the realistic confidence your team would have a shot at winning it all.

Some perspective for either young fans or those who have forgotten:
  • The Cowboys played in 5 of the first 13 SBs, and played in 8 of the first 30 SBs.
  • The Cowboys have played in zero of the last 23 SBs.
  • In the 29 years of the Tex Schramm/Tom Landry era, the Cowboys won 20 playoff games. In the 30 seasons of the Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys have won 15 playoff games, 12 of them in the first 7 seasons.
  • In the 26 seasons from 1970-1995, the Cowboys played in 13 NFC Championship games. In the 23 seasons since, ZERO.
So what does a 23 year drought do to a fan base who has been disappointed year after year? What happens to the expectations and dreams those fans? Here are a few things I see:
  • We lower expectations. Most long time fans just lowered the bar we used to have. If we make the playoffs, great, but if not, it’s not a shock. It a way to soften the disappointment.
  • We long for real leadership at the top- especially at HC since we all know Jerry has a lifetime commitment to playing fantasy football. It’s why we believe in every rumor that Sean Payton is coming here or some other top HC talent. Because we desperately want some quality at the top.
  • We get used to accepting excuses- Jerry even makes excuses. Remember when he called a loss a “moral victory”? He has to be the only GM in the league that can do that. This isn’t little league or middle school sports where learning things like the fundamentals, teamwork and sportsmanship are more important than winning. I’m still amazed at the excuses our fan base throws out for losses, especially in the playoffs.
  • We blame the refs or the NFL for our losses- Most fans don’t want to hear this, but one symptom of continual disappointment is to blame others outside the team. It’s understandable in Dallas because our leader hold neither himself nor his nepotistic family members accountable for failure. Nothing changes at the top so fans start blaming people outside the team.
  • We rip each other- I’m amazed at how much some Cowboys fans rip other Cowboys fans for not drinking the Kool aid or not being cheerleaders for the team in all circumstances. I’ve noticed the fan bases of teams that have had some recent success are more accepting of dissent than those who get used to losing or mediocrity. My bro in law lives in Denver and is a broncos fan. They won a SB a few years ago and their fan base is not as critical
There are surely more “symptoms” that are associated with 23 straight years of poor bottom line performance.

What can we do?
  • Stick together- allow anyone who’s a Cowboys fan to be a fan any way they want.
  • Blame Jerry, not each other- none of us is to blame for the last 23 years. The guy who purchased his position as GM is to blame.
  • Keep hope/ditch the kool aid- I hate what’s happened to us but I still have hope. Despite the 76 yo clown in charge we do have some talent. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. And we should all be united to boo the image of Jerral Wayne Jones every time his surgically altered face is in public. Don’t buy what he is selling.
 

Corso

Offseason mode... sleepy time
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I just enjoy. Time only passes, so I pass along with it and make the best of it all.
That includes the Cowboys. And my Spurs. My life doesn't change with how the sport's team I watch does.

I'll still be married, I'll still love dags, I'll still have Diabetes, I'll still be happy and I'll still love my job.

Now let's rip some fellow fans!!!!
 

ArtClink

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Best post of 2019 Hazey! Sobering truths for younger fans.

We have not been able to thrive under the salary cap era because it requires organizational excellence top to bottom with empowering those you delegate to rather than constantly undermime their power like Jerry does. Btw, we are not alone in the NFL in our organizational dysfunction.

Last season is the best it gets around here (wc win) in the salary cap era and it hasnt happened that often. I think Stephen Jones has half a brain so there is hope.

Rams game was winnable if Jerry didnt hire all his drinking buddies for the coaches. Great coaching made the difference in the Rams game and we had jerry's buddies playing checkers while Rams staff played chess.

Anything less than a div playoff win (have waited 23 yrs and counting) is a subpar season. Aim high, no excuses, and go Cowboys!
 

acr731

Jerry learned to GM from Pee Wee Herman
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There was a time when I got nervous for games. I couldn't sleep when night games were on TV, even though I had to get up for work very early (3 am most of the time). I looked forward to the games each weekend with enthusiasm, screamed at the TV when mistakes were made, and was generally in a bad mood for a short time after a loss.

Unfortunately, those feelings have long passed, and I think it started around the time Jerry put JG in place as the OC before Wade was hired. I remember thinking, oh crap, that isn't going to turn out good. And it didn't.

With each passing season I have reached a point where I don't care if I miss a game or not, and I have no trouble sleeping through night games. I watched maybe 3 or 4 games all the way through this year, including the playoff games (missed both of them), and don't feel like I missed anything.

Some members here might accuse me of no longer being a fan, but that isn't the case. I'm simply beyond tired of the Jerry and JG circus, and there isn't anything more to my issues.

Jerry, in my opinion, has failed to show that he is truly interested in fielding a winning team. He keeps retaining a coach he KNOWS isn't going to get the job done, and now has promoted a QB coach with 1 year of coaching experience to the OC position. Is that what you do if you really have your mind on the big prize? Part of me says its merely the next scapegoat to be held accountable for next seasons failures. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I do like Kitna as the QB coach. At least he had an NFL career, as opposed to the new OC who had what, 3 of 4 years riding the bench as a backup with no actual in game experience?

This, in a nutshell, is my problem with the franchise. I'm not a troll, I don't hate the team or its players, but have big issues with management, from the HC to the top. Its past time for Jerry to step up and make the difficult decisions and get the franchise back on the right track. Recent personnel moves suggest he's still on his mission to do things his way, with little to no regard for whats best for the franchise.
 

john van brocklin

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First of all...not everything about the last 23 years is bad. In fact, the last several years this organization has greatly improved in drafting and talent acquisition, and this FO has clearly learned from its numerous previous mistakes in cap and roster management. Three of the last five seasons have yielded division titles and two wild card wins. That’s....well not great. But it could have been worse.

However...the last 23 years has been tough for most Cowboys fans. Three wild card wins. No conference championship games, no SBs. Especially tough for the long time fans who remember what it meant to have the realistic confidence your team would have a shot at winning it all.

Some perspective for either young fans or those who have forgotten:
  • The Cowboys played in 5 of the first 13 SBs, and played in 8 of the first 30 SBs.
  • The Cowboys have played in zero of the last 23 SBs.
  • In the 29 years of the Tex Schramm/Tom Landry era, the Cowboys won 20 playoff games. In the 30 seasons of the Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys have won 15 playoff games, 12 of them in the first 7 seasons.
  • In the 26 seasons from 1970-1995, the Cowboys played in 13 NFC Championship games. In the 23 seasons since, ZERO.
So what does a 23 year drought do to a fan base who has been disappointed year after year? What happens to the expectations and dreams those fans? Here are a few things I see:
  • We lower expectations. Most long time fans just lowered the bar we used to have. If we make the playoffs, great, but if not, it’s not a shock. It a way to soften the disappointment.
  • We long for real leadership at the top- especially at HC since we all know Jerry has a lifetime commitment to playing fantasy football. It’s why we believe in every rumor that Sean Payton is coming here or some other top HC talent. Because we desperately want some quality at the top.
  • We get used to accepting excuses- Jerry even makes excuses. Remember when he called a loss a “moral victory”? He has to be the only GM in the league that can do that. This isn’t little league or middle school sports where learning things like the fundamentals, teamwork and sportsmanship are more important than winning. I’m still amazed at the excuses our fan base throws out for losses, especially in the playoffs.
  • We blame the refs or the NFL for our losses- Most fans don’t want to hear this, but one symptom of continual disappointment is to blame others outside the team. It’s understandable in Dallas because our leader hold neither himself nor his nepotistic family members accountable for failure. Nothing changes at the top so fans start blaming people outside the team.
  • We rip each other- I’m amazed at how much some Cowboys fans rip other Cowboys fans for not drinking the Kool aid or not being cheerleaders for the team in all circumstances. I’ve noticed the fan bases of teams that have had some recent success are more accepting of dissent than those who get used to losing or mediocrity. My bro in law lives in Denver and is a broncos fan. They won a SB a few years ago and their fan base is not as critical
There are surely more “symptoms” that are associated with 23 straight years of poor bottom line performance.

What can we do?
  • Stick together- allow anyone who’s a Cowboys fan to be a fan any way they want.
  • Blame Jerry, not each other- none of us is to blame for the last 23 years. The guy who purchased his position as GM is to blame.
  • Keep hope/ditch the kool aid- I hate what’s happened to us but I still have hope. Despite the 76 yo clown in charge we do have some talent. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. And we should all be united to boo the image of Jerral Wayne Jones every time his surgically altered face is in public. Don’t buy what he is selling.
It's made me not care near as much as I used too, that's for sure.
 

Diehardblues

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It’s truly amazing with our dysfunctional organization this era we have remained relevant some years. But it’s sad what we’ve been reduced to with Jerry. It is what it is.

I’ve become an apathetic fan much like other fans with more mediocre and dormant franchises where you just hope to be competitive.

2018 was probably about as good as it gets this era. An enjoyable season. But continuing to hold on to these expectations we had generations ago appears falsely represented to me and wasted emotions.

I see nothing wrong with rooting for a dormant/ mediocre local franchise and team which is what most NFL fans have. I’ve been doing it with my Alma Mater most of my life. It’s really not that bad. Just not as much fun.
 
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JonesBoys

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First of all...not everything about the last 23 years is bad. In fact, the last several years this organization has greatly improved in drafting and talent acquisition, and this FO has clearly learned from its numerous previous mistakes in cap and roster management. Three of the last five seasons have yielded division titles and two wild card wins. That’s....well not great. But it could have been worse.

However...the last 23 years has been tough for most Cowboys fans. Three wild card wins. No conference championship games, no SBs. Especially tough for the long time fans who remember what it meant to have the realistic confidence your team would have a shot at winning it all.

Some perspective for either young fans or those who have forgotten:
  • The Cowboys played in 5 of the first 13 SBs, and played in 8 of the first 30 SBs.
  • The Cowboys have played in zero of the last 23 SBs.
  • In the 29 years of the Tex Schramm/Tom Landry era, the Cowboys won 20 playoff games. In the 30 seasons of the Jerry Jones era, the Cowboys have won 15 playoff games, 12 of them in the first 7 seasons.
  • In the 26 seasons from 1970-1995, the Cowboys played in 13 NFC Championship games. In the 23 seasons since, ZERO.
So what does a 23 year drought do to a fan base who has been disappointed year after year? What happens to the expectations and dreams those fans? Here are a few things I see:
  • We lower expectations. Most long time fans just lowered the bar we used to have. If we make the playoffs, great, but if not, it’s not a shock. It a way to soften the disappointment.
  • We long for real leadership at the top- especially at HC since we all know Jerry has a lifetime commitment to playing fantasy football. It’s why we believe in every rumor that Sean Payton is coming here or some other top HC talent. Because we desperately want some quality at the top.
  • We get used to accepting excuses- Jerry even makes excuses. Remember when he called a loss a “moral victory”? He has to be the only GM in the league that can do that. This isn’t little league or middle school sports where learning things like the fundamentals, teamwork and sportsmanship are more important than winning. I’m still amazed at the excuses our fan base throws out for losses, especially in the playoffs.
  • We blame the refs or the NFL for our losses- Most fans don’t want to hear this, but one symptom of continual disappointment is to blame others outside the team. It’s understandable in Dallas because our leader hold neither himself nor his nepotistic family members accountable for failure. Nothing changes at the top so fans start blaming people outside the team.
  • We rip each other- I’m amazed at how much some Cowboys fans rip other Cowboys fans for not drinking the Kool aid or not being cheerleaders for the team in all circumstances. I’ve noticed the fan bases of teams that have had some recent success are more accepting of dissent than those who get used to losing or mediocrity. My bro in law lives in Denver and is a broncos fan. They won a SB a few years ago and their fan base is not as critical
There are surely more “symptoms” that are associated with 23 straight years of poor bottom line performance.

What can we do?
  • Stick together- allow anyone who’s a Cowboys fan to be a fan any way they want.
  • Blame Jerry, not each other- none of us is to blame for the last 23 years. The guy who purchased his position as GM is to blame.
  • Keep hope/ditch the kool aid- I hate what’s happened to us but I still have hope. Despite the 76 yo clown in charge we do have some talent. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. And we should all be united to boo the image of Jerral Wayne Jones every time his surgically altered face is in public. Don’t buy what he is selling.


Good post. It’s time Cowboys fans stop treating Jerry like a celebrity and give him a free pass and time to start letting him know us fans are done with his BS.
 
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