What the last 23 years has done to our fan base

[nobody]

I just know that I really dislike Jerry's dad. If it weren't for him, Jerry would own the Chargers and would be screwing them up, not the Cowboys.

 

[kskboys]

I was much more of a rahrah believer type before the 09 draft. At that point, I started opening my eyes and seeing the clusterfudge that was going on.

I've become mostly emotionless about the Cowboys. Don't like being that way at all, but that's what Jerry has driven me to.

 

[kskboys]

An Eagles fan summed it up nicely when he said Eagles fans love Jerry Jones and hopes he lives to be 100 because we are screwed!

Yup, I remember that, Artsy, it was on the old boards. Sad.

 

[kskboys]

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.

We tried. He closed down his own board because he didn't want to hear it.

 

[ESisback]

I was much more of a rahrah believer type before the 09 draft. At that point, I started opening my eyes and seeing the clusterfudge that was going on.

I've become mostly emotionless about the Cowboys. Don't like being that way at all, but that's what Jerry has driven me to.

Where’s all this rah rah stuff coming from?

 

[Idgit]

Rarely is anybody ripped for not being a cheerleader or not drinking koolaid. But the incessant whining is ridiculous. And 23 years with no championship is not an excuse for it. I wouldn’t tolerate it from my kids, so why would I give the benefit of the doubt for it to a bunch of grown *** men on the internet? Because they’d disappointed in the outcome of a game? Please.

 

[DandyTom64]

I hate when Cowboys fans say, "we have 5 rings."
It's so embarrasing. I

I may be greedy but I wouldn't mind if we were adding toe rings if our hands were full.

 

[75boyz]

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.

I am extremely similar to what you have described here. I dont post more often because the other so called fans(especially those over 50)that lash out at anything negatively posted are more concerned with maintaining their nice guy images I guess.
I mean really. Are the over 50 something's of Cowboy Nation truly reduced to personal attacks because negative factual posts upset their upbeat lifestyle so bad?
Makes me truly question those of us Landry Cowboy fans standards.
That's right I am a Patriots fan for saying this...my bad. I'll go back to lurking.

 

[Melonfeud]

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.

LoL,,,concercerning that "what have the past 23 years wrought us fans/lowered expectations",,,MAN ALIVE, I will admit to recalled actually getting all happy & upbeat after clearly witnessing our #4 throwing a leading the receiver open type of pass earlier in this past seasons play, although ,it was only an over the middle 5 yds past the LOS completion,,,,but, still, ya-know,it kinda' made me greatful in seeing that,,,

 

[Bobhaze]

Rarely is anybody ripped for not being a cheerleader or not drinking koolaid. But the incessant whining is ridiculous. And 23 years with no championship is not an excuse for it. I wouldn’t tolerate it from my kids, so why would I give the benefit of the doubt for it to a bunch of grown *** men on the internet? Because they’d disappointed in the outcome of a game? Please.

Seriously? Whining? It’s just the truth of the last 23 years. How is that whining? It’s an expression of frustration. This post was an observation of what the last 23 has done to some of us fans. That’s not whining.

 

[Legend]

For the past 23 years, I have been watching the Cowboys SB highlights like Al Bundy reminiscing about his football glory days.

 

[Bobhaze]

I was much more of a rahrah believer type before the 09 draft. At that point, I started opening my eyes and seeing the clusterfudge that was going on.

I've become mostly emotionless about the Cowboys. Don't like being that way at all, but that's what Jerry has driven me to.

My eyes were opened when Dave Campo was hired...then kept for 3 straight seasons. Campo was a good dude and position coach, but no one could possibly think he was the best we could come up with at HC. Unless your owner is an idiot or crazy. Or both.

Then when the Cowboys lost in the 07 divisional game after the 13-3 season with the #1 seed....and in post game comments, Wade Phillips made his pathetic comments about excuses, I knew we were in for a long dark tunnel. That’s when I knew JJ was ok with mediocrity. When your FO makes excuses the players take notice. And mediocrity is winked at.

 

[Idgit]

Seriously? Whining? It’s just the truth of the last 23 years. How is that whining? It’s an expression of frustration. This post was an observation of what the last 23 has done to some of us fans. That’s not whining.

Your post wasn’t whining. Your post referenced posters ripping other posters for not being cheerleaders when that’s not at all what happens. People get tipped for whining about the state of the team, and rightly so. That’s not remotely the same thing as ‘not being a cheerleader.’

 

[Vtwin]

Rarely is anybody ripped for not being a cheerleader or not drinking koolaid. But the incessant whining is ridiculous. And 23 years with no championship is not an excuse for it. I wouldn’t tolerate it from my kids, so why would I give the benefit of the doubt for it to a bunch of grown *** men on the internet? Because they’d disappointed in the outcome of a game? Please.

I suppose it depends on your definition of ripped but from my perspective it most definitely happens. Post a legitimate criticism of certain players or coaches, aka not drinking the koolaid, and the fangs come out.

Reducing it to being about "the outcome of a game" kinda misses the point of the op.

In fact, if you hold you head just right and squint a little, it can be seen happening in the post I quoted here.

 

[Legend]

My eyes were opened when Dave Campo was hired...then kept for 3 straight seasons. Campo was a good dude and position coach, but no one could possibly think he was the best we could come up with at HC. Unless your owner is an idiot or crazy. Or both.

Then when the Cowboys lost in the 07 divisional game after the 13-3 season with the #1 seed....and in post game comments, Wade Phillips made his pathetic comments about excuses, I knew we were in for a long dark tunnel. That’s when I knew JJ was ok with mediocrity. When your FO makes excuses the players take notice. And mediocrity is winked at.

I was excited with the hiring of Bill Parcells in 2003 and the Cowboys 7-3 start after three straight seasons of 5-11.

 

[Idgit]

I suppose it depends on your definition of ripped but from my perspective it most definitely happens. Post a legitimate criticism of certain players or coaches, aka not drinking the koolaid, and the fangs come out.

Reducing it to being about "the outcome of a game" kinda misses the point of the op.

In fact, if you hold you head just right and squint a little, it can be seen happening in the post I quoted here.

Find an example of a legitimate criticism getting ripped maybe so I can see what you’re getting at?

I’ll be the first to admit I rip on whiners. I think it’s cringey. I’d never suggest otherwise. But I rarely rip on an honest attempt at criticism of the team, if ever. I might disagree with it, but that’s what the debate threads are for.

 

[Bobhaze]

Your post wasn’t whining. Your post referenced posters ripping other posters for not being cheerleaders when that’s not at all what happens. People get tipped for whining about the state of the team, and rightly so. That’s not remotely the same thing as ‘not being a cheerleader.’

Ok...I guess where I differ is whatever fans think about the state of the team is cool with me. I don’t always agree, but their perspective is their perspective. The only thing I don’t like is people “correcting” opinions. I’ve needed correcting on occasion regarding facts. Got it wrong and someone corrected me. That’s cool. That’s appropriate. Correcting someone’s opinion seems odd to me for an opinion forum.

 

[75boyz]

Seriously? Whining? It’s just the truth of the last 23 years. How is that whining? It’s an expression of frustration. This post was an observation of what the last 23 has done to some of us fans. That’s not whining.

Maybe a Positive Zone could be created, a Negative Zone and even a Reality Zone for those 3 classes of fans. Reality and Negative Zones might end up merging together eventually but it would be a start, wouldn't it?

 

[75boyz]

Ok...I guess where I differ is whatever fans think about the state of the team is cool with me. I don’t always agree, but their perspective is their perspective. The only thing I don’t like is people “correcting” opinions. I’ve needed correcting on occasion regarding facts. Got it wrong and someone corrected me. That’s cool. That’s appropriate. Correcting someone’s opinion seems odd to me for an opinion forum.

Individual perception and opinion can't be corrected.

Legitimate criticisms being ripped are pretty much the status quo around these parts but then again, that's just 'my opinion.' Others may disagree.

 

[Bobhaze]

Individual perception and opinion can't be corrected.

Legitimate criticisms being ripped are pretty much the status quo around these parts but then again, that's just 'my opinion.' Others may disagree.

I honestly enjoy many posters I disagree with. Some have even influenced my opinion to change. I like that. I love this forum because of the variety. There’s nothing more boring than a bunch of fans towing around the same party line opinions. Variety is the spice of life. The world is always better with differences!