Which was the best era of Cowboys football: the 70s or the 90s?

KJJ

You Have an Axe to Grind
Messages
56,547
Reaction score
34,789
To add on to your post...Beyond the obvious of the Jerry/ Jimmy disaster, The team was ravaged with talent loss via the new FA...The teams of the 70's were able to keep all their talent and not have to worry about FA...Imagine if Dallas could have kept their guys...Harper, Maryland, Stepnoski, Gogan...etc...Those quickly eroded the team...

Had it not been for the break up between Jimmy and Jerry and the loss of so many key free agents those 90s teams would’ve dominated for a long time.
 

stuckindc

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,079
Reaction score
1,197
Context is important...

Without zero hesitation - 70's...

Because, the 70's team was at the center of the late 60's and early 80's team. All under Landry. 25 years of winning. Every single year, a chance to go the distance.

90's? 4 and done... All under Johnson.

Now? 25 years of ineptitude... All under Jones.

So sorry for you folks that never have been able to understand the excellence that was the Dallas Cowboys for so long and that has been made a joke by Snake Oil Jones.[/QUOTE
Had it not been for the break up between Jimmy and Jerry and the loss of so many key free agents those 90s teams would’ve dominated for a long time.
exactly...no Shante Carvers and Kavika Pittmans...Maybe Randy Moss...buts that's a discussion for a whole other post.
 

Flinger

Well-Known Member
Messages
929
Reaction score
299
exactly...no Shante Carvers and Kavika Pittmans...Maybe Randy Moss...buts that's a discussion for a whole other post.

Agreed... IMHO, it is the advent of Free Agency that began the decline of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has never figured it out. And, still doesn't.
 

12+88=7

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,465
Reaction score
2,737
The answer is the 70's because that was really a golden era in football. The reason being there were SIX super teams, not just one or two. Look at the list of HOF's or near HOF'S on each roster.

These were the teams that could win the SB or be playing in it.

NFC: Dallas, Minnesota, or Los Angeles
AFC: Miami, Pittsburgh, or Oakland

Washington and Denver crashed the party once, but THOSE were the teams.

Dallas only won two championships during this period, but were the 2nd best team of the decade behind Pittsburgh. Imagine the 90's teams having 5 other super teams for a 10 year period. They would not have been as dominant as they were for a much shorter time frame.
 

cowboybish

Well-Known Member
Messages
733
Reaction score
1,511
The Baby Boom generation got to see both the 70s era and the 90s era. The 70s gave us the consistently dominating - but sometimes disappointing - Cowboys that won 2 of 5 Super Bowls and established the great tradition we enjoy today. The 90s gave us the brash and dominating Cowboys who talk trashed and backed in up on the field.

So which era do you think is the best?

With all due respect to Tom Landry, who I respect and had the privilege of interviewing prior to his death, I have to give it to 90s Cowboys.
The 70s teams could pull a victory out of the grips of defeat, but could also lose a winnable game as well.
The 90s teams were simply dominating and feared in a way I don't think the 70s Cowboys were. I never expected them to lose. I always felt they would find a way to win. Too bad the era was short-lived.

What say ye?
Having been around for both decades and a fan since 1962/63 and admired both Landry & Staubach and those 70's teams I don't think any of the 70's team could beat the 92 or 93 team. They were earth movers on the line and Emmitt was well, Emmitt. The Defense came in waves and Aikman would have carved up the secondary. JMHO
 

sean10mm

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,024
Reaction score
3,000
Having been around for both decades and a fan since 1962/63 and admired both Landry & Staubach and those 70's teams I don't think any of the 70's team could beat the 92 or 93 team. They were earth movers on the line and Emmitt was well, Emmitt. The Defense came in waves and Aikman would have carved up the secondary. JMHO

This is true with any comparison of completely different eras though. The 1996 Patriots would sweep every Cowboys, Steelers and Dolphins team of the 1970s, even though they were a marginal Super Bowl team of the 1990s.
 

jnday

Well-Known Member
Messages
14,282
Reaction score
11,404
Agreed... IMHO, it is the advent of Free Agency that began the decline of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones has never figured it out. And, still doesn't.
Jerry was pushing free agency as much as anyone. I don’t think he understood exactly what FA is or how it effects teams.
 

tyke1doe

Well-Known Member
Messages
53,646
Reaction score
32,023
I posted this the other day in response to a similar question.

With out a doubt, the 70s teams were more dominating and the players from then fill our Hall of Fame in Canton.

I loved Troy and the boys of the 90s and how they rebuilt the Franchise..

but the 70s. team built our reputation.

Watch.



Actually, I got the idea from your post. :)
 

JayFord

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,526
Reaction score
21,218
I want to say the 90s but the cowboys weren’t dominant from 90-99

now the 70s they were a force from 70-79

but the 90s bought 3 superbowls and if not for free agency woulda bought 3 more

i may have to say 70s
 

nightrain

Since 1971
Messages
14,503
Reaction score
24,338
The 90s were amazing, but it just didn't last. I vote the 70s. Cowboys were perennial contenders for the Lombardi.
 

DallasDomination

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,791
Reaction score
6,205
I agree. The 70s were basically 2 different eras of football themselves. The early 70s team that won SBVI and the late 70s team that won SBXII were comprised of mostly different players. Only a few(i think 2 of offense and 2 on defense) of guys were starters in both games. Of course one was Roger Staubach. The 70s era team began in the late 60s. Even though they didn't win it all until 1971, they were in the hunt each season for a few years prior to winning it. Same at the end of the 70s era. They were contending into the early 80s.
Absolutely awesome journey as a fan.
 

BourbonBalz

Star4Ever
Messages
12,207
Reaction score
8,178
It’s the 70’s teams for me. I was born in 62, so I was a kid in the 70’s which makes the difference for me. Comparatively speaking for the era of those teams, I think the 77 team that beat Denver in the Super Bowl was the most dominating Cowboy team ever. That defense was devastating! The 90’s teams would beat the 70’s teams simply due to the changes in the game and player size. But, for their respective eras, the 77 team was the best.
 

BourbonBalz

Star4Ever
Messages
12,207
Reaction score
8,178
This is true with any comparison of completely different eras though. The 1996 Patriots would sweep every Cowboys, Steelers and Dolphins team of the 1970s, even though they were a marginal Super Bowl team of the 1990s.
I don’t believe you meant 1996 Patriots. 2006? Even then, I’m not so sure the 2006 Patriots would beat the 92 or 93 Dallas teams. Those two eras were no where near as different as the 70’s compared to the 90’s. The players in 2006 were no bigger than the ones in the 90’s.
 

Starforever

Well-Known Member
Messages
7,529
Reaction score
5,069
CowboysZone DIEHARD Fan
Lived through both; 70's true era of relevancy, 90's front end greatness, not sustainable. Both teams were feared, and the 90's could have led to decades more, of domination, but egos, destroyed it all.
 

DandyDon52

Well-Known Member
Messages
21,215
Reaction score
15,288
The Baby Boom generation got to see both the 70s era and the 90s era. The 70s gave us the consistently dominating - but sometimes disappointing - Cowboys that won 2 of 5 Super Bowls and established the great tradition we enjoy today. The 90s gave us the brash and dominating Cowboys who talk trashed and backed in up on the field.

So which era do you think is the best?

With all due respect to Tom Landry, who I respect and had the privilege of interviewing prior to his death, I have to give it to 90s Cowboys.
The 70s teams could pull a victory out of the grips of defeat, but could also lose a winnable game as well.
The 90s teams were simply dominating and feared in a way I don't think the 70s Cowboys were. I never expected them to lose. I always felt they would find a way to win. Too bad the era was short-lived.

What say ye?
I prefer the 90's mainly the jimmy years.
 
Top