Remember When Winning the First Game Was Important

eromeopolk · Sep 17, 2020

As a boy, I remember taking lunch money by betting that the Cowboys would win their 1st game of the season. Tom Landry had an incredible .77% winning percentage for the 1st game of the season Remember Landry did this with an expansion team and with the seasons of 1986-1988 included. If the Cowboys still have the best 1st game of the season winning percentage, it was because of Tom Landry's philosophy to preseason.

His philosophy to preseason was prepare, evaluate, and prepare every preseason game for the 1st opponent of the regular season. He played four preseason games like he was going to attack the 1st opponent of the regular season. He believed in starting off on the right foot.

Jimmy Johnson except for the year Jerry the Dumbo GM Jones did not re-sign Emmitt Smith on time would have a 4-1 record versus 3-2. Barry Switzer took Johnson's team and finished 3-1 in opening games, so that meant Jimmy had prepared a team with the same coaching philosophy that Landry had to preseason (especially after the lesson he learned with 1989 preseason vs. 1st game). Chan Gailey who was mentored by Dan Reeves who was mentored by Tom Landry went 2-0 on opening day (no surprise with Gailey except for being fired for back to back playoff appearances).

So what the heck is going on in Dallas know. How can a team look so unprepared for an opponent like the Dallas Cowboys were unprepared vs. the Rams in the 1st game of the season?

One word...COACHING!
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article35167674.html

JayFord · Sep 17, 2020

Im fine with losing the first game of the season

2015 and 2019 showed me the cowboys cant handle starting off good

GMO415 · Sep 17, 2020

I used to buy into the Cowboy's feeling the same way, until I lost my shirt when DAL lost the opening game to the expansion Texans....UGH!

Flamma · Sep 17, 2020

Tom Landry always had the team prepared in week 1. What you saw in week 1 you saw in week 6, 9, and 14. That's why Dallas would very often get off to really good starts. Then teams would catch up as the season moved along. Tom had no control over that. But at least he put the team in a favorable position until that happened.

Flamma · Sep 17, 2020

GMO415 said:
I used to buy into the Cowboy's feeling the same way, until I lost my shirt when DAL lost the opening game to the expansion Texans....UGH!

Quincy Carter was not very good. Leave it to Bill Parcells to get the best out of him however. He ran a lot of college type plays.

blueblood70 · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
As a boy, I remember taking lunch money by betting that the Cowboys would win their 1st game of the season. Tom Landry had an incredible .77% winning percentage for the 1st game of the season Remember Landry did this with an expansion team and with the seasons of 1986-1988 included. If the Cowboys still have the best 1st game of the season winning percentage, it was because of Tom Landry's philosophy to preseason.

His philosophy to preseason was prepare, evaluate, and prepare every preseason game for the 1st opponent of the regular season. He played four preseason games like he was going to attack the 1st opponent of the regular season. He believed in starting off on the right foot.

Jimmy Johnson except for the year Jerry the Dumbo GM Jones did not re-sign Emmitt Smith on time would have a 4-1 record versus 3-2. Barry Switzer took Johnson's team and finished 3-1 in opening games, so that meant Jimmy had prepared a team with the same coaching philosophy that Landry had to preseason (especially after the lesson he learned with 1989 preseason vs. 1st game). Chan Gailey who was mentored by Dan Reeves who was mentored by Tom Landry went 2-0 on opening day (no surprise with Gailey except for being fired for back to back playoff appearances).

So what the heck is going on in Dallas know. How can a team look so unprepared for an opponent like the Dallas Cowboys were unprepared vs. the Rams in the 1st game of the season?

One word...COACHING!
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article35167674.html

flawed

we started 3-0 last season and finished 8-8

started 3-5 in 2018 went to the 2nd round off the playoffs..

the old saying its not how you start, its how you finish? applies more then a fast start.. seen it in the nfl many times teams come out hot and falter to miss the layoffs..

I rather win them all but planting a theory that starting 1-0 is a must for the season to go well is flawed

the same year 2018 the colts did the same finished strong
titans last year start out horribly, switch QBs change the offense to just run henry and play defense they made it to the afccg did they not? sure glad most of the internet Gms around here werent running the titans they would have cut half the layer sand fired the caches before being allowed to coach and play their way out of it,, we are 0-1 and its over already LMAO..

we have time its more of marathon gave 16 games and only need 10 most years to make the playoffs and this year theres an extra wc playoff game..

RELAX!

eromeopolk · Sep 17, 2020

GMO415 said:
I used to buy into the Cowboy's feeling the same way, until I lost my shirt when DAL lost the opening game to the expansion Texans....UGH!

I was a boy from 1666-1982. "...When I became a man, I put away childish things."

CowboyRoy · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
As a boy, I remember taking lunch money by betting that the Cowboys would win their 1st game of the season. Tom Landry had an incredible .77% winning percentage for the 1st game of the season Remember Landry did this with an expansion team and with the seasons of 1986-1988 included. If the Cowboys still have the best 1st game of the season winning percentage, it was because of Tom Landry's philosophy to preseason.

His philosophy to preseason was prepare, evaluate, and prepare every preseason game for the 1st opponent of the regular season. He played four preseason games like he was going to attack the 1st opponent of the regular season. He believed in starting off on the right foot.

Jimmy Johnson except for the year Jerry the Dumbo GM Jones did not re-sign Emmitt Smith on time would have a 4-1 record versus 3-2. Barry Switzer took Johnson's team and finished 3-1 in opening games, so that meant Jimmy had prepared a team with the same coaching philosophy that Landry had to preseason (especially after the lesson he learned with 1989 preseason vs. 1st game). Chan Gailey who was mentored by Dan Reeves who was mentored by Tom Landry went 2-0 on opening day (no surprise with Gailey except for being fired for back to back playoff appearances).

So what the heck is going on in Dallas know. How can a team look so unprepared for an opponent like the Dallas Cowboys were unprepared vs. the Rams in the 1st game of the season?

One word...COACHING!
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article35167674.html

In years of disappointment there is always that one wakeup game and then that one big loss where I know that its over.

Last year the Saints game was the wake up call and then the loss to the Jets was the axe falling

I recall a shut out loss to the Broncos a few years ago where the axe fell.

This year the wakeup call game came in the first game of the year. And it wasn't really anything to do with big hopes. It was more the injuries that have happened and the realization that this team isn't doing anything special with this defense.

Doomsday101 · Sep 17, 2020

Frankly I hate losing any game regardless of which week it is. Fact is I did not think Dallas would go 16-0 (always hope lol) What I do expect is this team winning and taking the division. Not making lite of losing last week, a game like that could come back and haunt you should you be involved in a tie breaker situation but none the less it is 1 out of 16 games.

windward · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
I was a boy from 1666-1982. "...When I became a man, I put away childish things."

Good god, you’re old.

ScipioCowboy · Sep 17, 2020

windward said:
Good god, you’re old.

Chuck 54 · Sep 17, 2020

Blah - Blah - Blah!
It’s always better to win a game than lose a game. I remember facing division rivals in round 1 and having people say we should lose the second matchup because it is so hard to beat a team 3 times....all garbage!
Al Davis keep it simple. Just win, baby! There are only 16 games in a season. Every loss hurts and puts you in a less favorable position....period!

Silly · Sep 17, 2020

I hear ya.. However, it was not a divisional game. Not all that important. Dallas is not winning a bye. ALL they have to do is win the division.

glimmerman · Sep 17, 2020

Every game is important. I wanted this one as much as you did. And thought maybe we would pull one out in the end. Thanks refs and MM and kicker.

jazzcat22 · Sep 17, 2020

When I was a kid, and into my teens. We always went to watch the Cincinnati Reds opening day.
They as tradition had the 1st game of any team.

Since ESPN took over showing MLB games that has changed. Yet again the almighty $$$ ruins a tradition.

Anyway, my brother always said. If the first pitch was a strike they were going to have a good season. (Was not serious by the way)
However this was when the Big Red Machine was just getting cranked up for the 70’s. So they were always going to have a good season.

I asked him what happens if it is a ball. He said, well, they are good and will rebound and will be fine

so the first game was a ball, not a strike.

we will be fine.

eromeopolk · Sep 17, 2020

blueblood70 said:
flawed

we started 3-0 last season and finished 8-8

started 3-5 in 2018 went to the 2nd round off the playoffs..

the old saying its not how you start, its how you finish? applies more then a fast start.. seen it in the nfl many times teams come out hot and falter to miss the layoffs..

I rather win them all but planting a theory that starting 1-0 is a must for the season to go well is flawed

the same year 2018 the colts did the same finished strong
titans last year start out horribly, switch QBs change the offense to just run henry and play defense they made it to the afccg did they not? sure glad most of the internet Gms around here werent running the titans they would have cut half the layer sand fired the caches before being allowed to coach and play their way out of it,, we are 0-1 and its over already LMAO..

we have time its more of marathon gave 16 games and only need 10 most years to make the playoffs and this year theres an extra wc playoff game..

RELAX!

Nice post....Not! Click on the link of the original post link.

I really don't know where you are coming from at all. I am talking about a Cowboy tradition of winning the 1st game of the season and not how they finish the season.

Even though excluding the expansion years of 1960-65, 1996-2002, 2009, 2010-13, 2015, 2017, 2019, it is apparent during the Landry, Johnson, and Parcells years, they finish pretty well including winning the first game of the season. Parcells was 1-4 as HC of the Boys 1st game of the season. Son of a Bum with Parcells players did much better.

Its seems that some Cowboy fans have forgot the traditions that made the Dallas Cowboys America's team. If you are a Cowboys fan you expect to win the first game of the season, make the playoffs, and contend for a Super Bowl. Because that what the Dallas Cowboys do (or use to do).

jazzcat22 · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
Nice post....Not! Click on the link of the original post link.

I really don't know where you are coming from at all. I am talking about a Cowboy tradition of winning the 1st game of the season and not how they finish the season.

Even though excluding the expansion years of 1960-65, 1996-2002, 2009, 2010-13, 2015, 2017, 2019, it is apparent during the Landry, Johnson, and Parcells years, they finish pretty well including winning the first game of the season. Parcells was 1-4 as HC of the Boys 1st game of the season. Son of a Bum with Parcells players did much better.

Its seems that some Cowboy fans have forgot the traditions that made the Dallas Cowboys America's team. If you are a Cowboys fan you expect to win the first game of the season, make the playoffs, and contend for a Super Bowl. Because that what the Dallas Cowboys do (or use to do).

Yes, the Cowboys traditions came from they made the playoffs just about every year I think 17 times in 20 winning seasons or something like that. And 5 SB appearances in what, 10 years.
However It did not come from winning the 1st game. But Did fans come to expect that as well making the playoffs every year. But I do not recall any fan saying, it is a tradition to win the first game.

I do not recall fans freaking out over not winning the first game like they have this year. Just seems overboard more so than usual.

big dog cowboy · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
So what the heck is going on in Dallas know. How can a team look so unprepared for an opponent like the Dallas Cowboys were unprepared vs. the Rams in the 1st game of the season?

Rams had a new offense no one had ever seen before. In the 2nd half adjustments were made and they played better.

The Cowboys OL had 2 different starters and it really showed against the 2 time DPOY.

OmerV · Sep 17, 2020

eromeopolk said:
As a boy, I remember taking lunch money by betting that the Cowboys would win their 1st game of the season. Tom Landry had an incredible .77% winning percentage for the 1st game of the season Remember Landry did this with an expansion team and with the seasons of 1986-1988 included. If the Cowboys still have the best 1st game of the season winning percentage, it was because of Tom Landry's philosophy to preseason.

His philosophy to preseason was prepare, evaluate, and prepare every preseason game for the 1st opponent of the regular season. He played four preseason games like he was going to attack the 1st opponent of the regular season. He believed in starting off on the right foot.

Jimmy Johnson except for the year Jerry the Dumbo GM Jones did not re-sign Emmitt Smith on time would have a 4-1 record versus 3-2. Barry Switzer took Johnson's team and finished 3-1 in opening games, so that meant Jimmy had prepared a team with the same coaching philosophy that Landry had to preseason (especially after the lesson he learned with 1989 preseason vs. 1st game). Chan Gailey who was mentored by Dan Reeves who was mentored by Tom Landry went 2-0 on opening day (no surprise with Gailey except for being fired for back to back playoff appearances).

So what the heck is going on in Dallas know. How can a team look so unprepared for an opponent like the Dallas Cowboys were unprepared vs. the Rams in the 1st game of the season?

One word...COACHING!
https://www.star-telegram.com/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys/article35167674.html

Who said winning the first game isn't important? It obviously is, but just as obviously it doesn't condemn a season any more than a win in the first game means a team is Super Bowl bound. New coaches, no OTA's, limited training camp and no preseason … lets at least give it more than one week before hitting the panic button.

cowboyec · Sep 17, 2020

who said it's not important.
i don't think Dallas hit the field sunday night with the purposeful intention to lose.
and tho football came back...the lead up to opening day has been anything but normal.
no off season.
no mini camp.
no pre season.
shortened training camp.
that played apart in why we saw what we saw.
the teams that looked better were the ones who retained their staffs.
ours had no time to install all they wanted to.
we make it thru october...i think this team will be on solid ground.

Remember When Winning the First Game Was Important

eromeopolk

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JayFord

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GMO415

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Flamma

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Flamma

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blueblood70

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eromeopolk

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CowboyRoy

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Doomsday101

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windward

NFL Historian

ScipioCowboy

More than meets the eye.

Chuck 54

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Silly

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glimmerman

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jazzcat22

eromeopolk

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jazzcat22

big dog cowboy

THE BIG DOG

OmerV

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cowboyec

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