I was a self proclaimed tanker last year

CATCH17

1st Round Pick
Messages
66,920
Reaction score
84,261
They always do, but the backups will play their heart out, because it may save their jobs for the next season......play to win when you are on the field....very simple concept.....my issue is with fans that openly want their team to lose.....I just don't understand that

Yeah I have no problem wanting to win in that situation.

When the team is trash though I love losing for better picks. More losses the better.
 

CowboyRoy

Well-Known Member
Messages
57,924
Reaction score
38,930
Thinking about last season right now, and I just remembered my mentality last season after Dak went down.

I wanted the team to tank and lose for the best draft position possible.

Well, I was wrong and I'll never want this team to tank again.

The team did string together some wins last year and perhaps got lucky this draft by getting Parsons at #12. There was some great talent that went before him, like Surtain and offensive players, but Parsons was the player this team so desperately needed.

I'll never root for another Cowboys loss. Maybe I'll take some solace in a loss knowing it will help improve the draft order.

But I learned my lesson. Always play to win because you never know who is going to fall in the draft.

Go Cowboys.
What? You were 100% on the money. We don’t get parsons, osa, Joseph, etc….. if we don’t tank.
 

RustyBourneHorse

Well-Known Member
Messages
36,527
Reaction score
42,320
Tanking creates a losers mentality and culture. Yes you will add better talent, but what good is when you have created a loser culture around your team

Teams like the Jets and Lions are a good example of why not to tank. They have a loser mentality, and it shows. Thus, they cycle through coaches because it's hard to reset the mentality of a team when they lose perennially like those two franchises have.
 

J_Allen

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,879
Reaction score
5,663
I have never wanted any of my favorite teams, in all sports, at every level, to lose a single game, in 45 years. The persistent prevailing justification is being happy with the results of an outcome that no fan can control and future player acquisitions that cannot be guaranteed by simply wishing it.

The truth cannot be twisted. If a fan wishes their team to lose, the team might win. If a fan wishes their team to win, the team might lose. If a fan wishes their team to tie, the team might win OR lose. A team's front office can hit or miss at every draft selection--from the #1 overall pick to Mr. Irrelevant.

Since all of the above is true, the better question is why would any fan hope for their team to lose ANY games?

You can absolutely miss on draft picks and all you have to do is point to teams like Detroit who have been bad for the last 30 years. My point is this team drafts really well so if you give them a better quality pick, they're going to do a lot better with it. If there's no chance of making the playoffs, I'm all for tanking. If there is a chance, obviously I'm not.

Let's say we went 9-7 last year. We don't have Parsons. I don't mind losing games at all for the betterment of next year. I know it doesn't make sense to some people but that's how I feel.
 

CATCH17

1st Round Pick
Messages
66,920
Reaction score
84,261
You can absolutely miss on draft picks and all you have to do is point to teams like Detroit who have been bad for the last 30 years. My point is this team drafts really well so if you give them a better quality pick, they're going to do a lot better with it. If there's no chance of making the playoffs, I'm all for tanking. If there is a chance, obviously I'm not.

Let's say we went 9-7 last year. We don't have Parsons. I don't mind losing games at all for the betterment of next year. I know it doesn't make sense to some people but that's how I feel.


Smart post.

Some people think winning regardless of circumstance is good but you literally get rewarded with a better pick. The more you win the more your fate is in another teams hands. It’s not difficult to understand.

If you like cheering for Dallas to win meaningless games and you are silly enough to think it impacts anything positively going forward than be my guest.
 

HungryLion

Well-Known Member
Messages
26,533
Reaction score
60,407
I don’t expect players and coaches to ever tank and not try to win.

that being said. Whether fans want them to win games or how has exactly zero effect on the outcome of the games anyway.

so if a fan wants the team to lose and get better draft position. Then so be it. They can feel how they want about a losing season.
 

J_Allen

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,879
Reaction score
5,663
Smart post.

Some people think winning regardless of circumstance is good but you literally get rewarded with a better pick. The more you win the more your fate is in another teams hands. It’s not difficult to understand.

If you like cheering for Dallas to win meaningless games and you are silly enough to think it impacts anything positively going forward than be my guest.

Thank you. Those are my exact sentiments as well.
 

TwoCentPlain

Numbnuts
Messages
15,169
Reaction score
11,084
Choosing the correct player is important. When choosing earlier in the draft, one has more players to choose from. A team still has to make the right choice though.

The Lions had to choose from Sewell, Parsons, and Slater. The Lions chose the worst of the three so far.

The Broncos chose Surtain over Parsons. Time will tell. I think Parsons will be the better pick. Surtain has not helped lead the Broncos to victories the past 4 games. Bronco ship is sinking and Surtain can’t save it.
 

DallasEast

Cowboys 24/7/365
Staff member
Messages
58,176
Reaction score
55,587
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
You can absolutely miss on draft picks and all you have to do is point to teams like Detroit who have been bad for the last 30 years. My point is this team drafts really well so if you give them a better quality pick, they're going to do a lot better with it. If there's no chance of making the playoffs, I'm all for tanking. If there is a chance, obviously I'm not.

Let's say we went 9-7 last year. We don't have Parsons. I don't mind losing games at all for the betterment of next year. I know it doesn't make sense to some people but that's how I feel.
There is no way of rationalizing where players will get picked months in advance unless the exceptions are considered generational talents and a particular franchise is completely locked into the number one position. Players move up-and-down the board during every single draft. Franchises trade picks every single draft. Any fan can say "Oh! I know we will get (fill in the blank) in the draft because they lost (filling in the blank) games!" but that is a false assumption.

The consensus opinion was not players like Aaron Rodgers and CeeDee Lamb falling solidly outside the top ten overall selections, heck, drop outside the top five, months in advance. How many thought BYU's Zach Wilson was a number two overall pick in the last draft back at the end of the 2019 season? This very forum had very few posts foretelling Travis Frederick getting picked late in the first round, following an 8-8 season.

Every fan wants their team's front office to select the best player possible. However, there are no guarantees what player will get picked by their team at any given selection. The same goes for practically all other teams. This is true if a fan wants their team to win and if a fan wants their team to lose. Why choose the negative desire if it has zero impact on what the team does next draft?

Some fans want their team to tank. They "know" it gives their front office a greater opportunity of landing a "can't miss player." They feel good watch their team tank to accomplish that singular goal.

Fast forward to the draft. Some fans yell-and-scream with delight if their front office picks a projected can't miss player. The exact same fans holler-and-curse it their team drafts a player they do not think is a can't miss player.

Why must tanking promote such convoluted aspirations? It is like some believe they ARE both the general manager of their favorite team AND the general manager of every other team. Simply hoping your favorite team to win and being possibly disappointed when they lose is pretty much black-and-white.
 

J_Allen

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,879
Reaction score
5,663
There is no way of rationalizing where players will get picked months in advance unless the exceptions are considered generational talents and a particular franchise is completely locked into the number one position. Players move up-and-down the board during every single draft. Franchises trade picks every single draft. Any fan can say "Oh! I know we will get (fill in the blank) in the draft because they lost (filling in the blank) games!" but that is a false assumption.

The consensus opinion was not players like Aaron Rodgers and CeeDee Lamb falling solidly outside the top ten overall selections, heck, drop outside the top five, months in advance. How many thought BYU's Zach Wilson was a number two overall pick in the last draft back at the end of the 2019 season? This very forum had very few posts foretelling Travis Frederick getting picked late in the first round, following an 8-8 season.

Every fan wants their team's front office to select the best player possible. However, there are no guarantees what player will get picked by their team at any given selection. The same goes for practically all other teams. This is true if a fan wants their team to win and if a fan wants their team to lose. Why choose the negative desire if it has zero impact on what the team does next draft?

Some fans want their team to tank. They "know" it gives their front office a greater opportunity of landing a "can't miss player." They feel good watch their team tank to accomplish that singular goal.

Fast forward to the draft. Some fans yell-and-scream with delight if their front office picks a projected can't miss player. The exact same fans holler-and-curse it their team drafts a player they do not think is a can't miss player.

Why must tanking promote such convoluted aspirations? It is like some believe they ARE both the general manager of their favorite team AND the general manager of every other team. Simply hoping your favorite team to win and being possibly disappointed when they lose is pretty much black-and-white.

There are arguments to be made on both sides of the coin. Through the years of watching the draft I've just seen too many players that teams had targeted yet missed by three or less picks because they won meaningless games and dropped down in the draft.

Every round you have a better pick the worse you do the year before. I like our chances better in that scenario. If we're going to miss the playoffs, I would much rather go 5-11 than 9-7. I'll take that every single time.
 
Last edited:

DallasEast

Cowboys 24/7/365
Staff member
Messages
58,176
Reaction score
55,587
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
There are arguments to be made on both sides of the coin. Through the years of watching the draft I've just seen too many players that teams had targeted yet missed by three or less picks because they won meaningless games and dropped down in the draft.

Every round you have a better pick the worse you do the year before. I like our chances better in that scenario. If we're going to miss the playoffs, I would much rather go 5-11 than 9-7. I'll take that every single time.
I respect your perspective and have allowed myself to continue beating a dead horse. I know what fan tanking looks like, so I will stop making more glue out of it now than was ever needed in the first place. On to the next thread. ;)
 

conner01

Well-Known Member
Messages
27,889
Reaction score
25,808
Tanking creates a losers mentality and culture. Yes you will add better talent, but what good is when you have created a loser culture around your team
Tanking and playing smart or different
I would have started all the young guys including at QB
I don’t think winning an extra game or two last year had anything to do with the team this year
Many weren’t here and those who were playing last year in most cases aren’t the reason we are winning now
 

Irvin88_4life

Well-Known Member
Messages
22,440
Reaction score
26,292
But they likely would’ve ended up with 3 other players that would help this team.
Well Gholston you got from trading back with the eagles. The other players they draft could be bust so let's not talk "ifs" and be happy how things went down
 

JustChip

Well-Known Member
Messages
6,124
Reaction score
5,715
Well Gholston you got from trading back with the eagles. The other players they draft could be bust so let's not talk "ifs" and be happy how things went down
Oh, I’m very happy. I’m just saying that quality players are available regardless of where a team picks.
 

Chuck 54

Well-Known Member
Messages
20,034
Reaction score
12,011
I’ve read a few times that Surtain has had some bright moments in coverage, but I can tell you the two games I’ve watched, he has had no interest in supporting the run. In the game the other night, the RB twice was being held by two players and Surtain literally stood there in arms reach, shuffling his feet with no interest in participating or even pushing back while the RB drug those guys an extra 2-3 yards for first downs. I didn’t like what I saw at all.
 

kskboys

Well-Known Member
Messages
44,054
Reaction score
46,962
Are you stating the Cowboys' front office (a.k.a. Jerry Jones) purposefully tanked the 1989, 1990 and/or 1991 seasons?
Absolutely. Wasn't Jerry running the show back then, tho, it was Jimmy. Takes brains to tank, Jerry isn't anywhere near smart enough.
 

kskboys

Well-Known Member
Messages
44,054
Reaction score
46,962
Philly might have 3 top 10 picks next draft as a result of their tanking (which also included their game against us late last season). We'll see how it served them in a few years.
Tanking is worthless if you make bad picks.
 

DallasEast

Cowboys 24/7/365
Staff member
Messages
58,176
Reaction score
55,587
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
(Link) “People are wanting to compare them [2019 Miami Dolphins] and tanking to what we did the first year in Dallas. That’s completely wrong.” - Jimmy Johnson
Absolutely. Wasn't Jerry running the show back then, tho, it was Jimmy. Takes brains to tank, Jerry isn't anywhere near smart enough.
Okay.
 
Top