Dallas Cowboys Franchise Nothing Unusual

[Chuck 54]

History:

1. A new franchise sucked for a few years under Tom Landry.

2. That franchise became a winner under Landry with a bunch of great players, but the Cowboys were perenial losers who couldn't win any big games in the playoffs and lost many opportunities for championship games to both the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers.

3. Tom Landry's team wins super bowls.

4. Tom Landry's team spirals downward and misses the playoffs after 17 straight winning seasons...finally at 3-13, Landry is fired.

5. Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones are the biggest joke in the NFL...a laughing stock until....the Hershal Walker trade.

6. Cowboys win Super Bowls.

7. Stars retire due to injuries and age...Cowboys endure 3 consecutive years of 5-11.

8. Under Parcells, the Cowboys win close games to finish 10-6, but lose in playoffs...then get worse and miss playoffs...Parcells leaves coaching.

9. Phillips hired...Cowboys win like never before, but lose in the playoffs to the eventual SB champions.

10. Cowboys win division and a playoff game and seem to be on the brink.

11. Cowboys piss away a new season with turnovers and penalties...then lose QB to injury.

12. Coach fired (probably)...gm must face facts that some players aren't very good (probably)...offseason spent trying to get better.

No one has destroyed the Cowboys franchise...not Jerry Jones nor Wade Phillips. It's just the natural order of things in the NFL...ups and downs. People want to compare Tony Romo to SB champions...right now, he's probably more Danny White with hopes of getting over the hump and winning a SB, but his supporting cast needs to get better on both sides of the ball.

Even NE misses the playoffs now and again these days. I'm hugely disappointed, but I'll still enjoy watching Kitna and the other Cowboys players for the rest of the season...win some...playoffs very slim possibility...lose some, probably more than some.

But let's not act like someone has committed a heinous crime and secretly destroyed the once great Cowboys. Anyone who's been a Cowboys fan long enough and knows their history, as well as every other teams history, including that of the Steelers, knows that great teams come and go, and in today's NFL very good teams have crappy years. How did Tennessee have a 2000 yard rusher last year and start the season 0-6 or whatever it was, missing the playoffs?

I will admit that I'm both excited and scared to death about whom we'll have as our next coach, as well as both coordinators. Believe it or not, things can actually get worse.

 

[CanadianCowboysFan]

I hate agreeing with you but you are right.

All the people longing for the days of Landry conveniently forget how he couldn't win a big game in the 1980s if his life depended on it, we were punked in 3 straight NFC Championship games, he lost more SBs than he won, and finished 3-13. He was a great coach but he left the team in tatters.

We were back on top under Jimmy and Barry, then fell apart under dumb *** Campo.

Back up for quite some time even though we didn't win a SB.

This is our down year, probably first under .500 year since 2004.

It happens.

Am I pleased, no, but there is nothing I can do about it.

 

[Nav22]

Outstanding post. I really don't get how people are so quick to villify Jerry for the way this season has gone. He's simply a very easy/convenient target, especially for those who haven't forgiven him for the post-Jimmy years.

After last season, it appeared that keeping Wade after the '08 debacle was the right move. Well, we were good enough in '09 to be considered Super Bowl contenders this year, and that's really all you can ask for of your owner/GM. The same fans calling for Jerry's head were just as optimistic, re: our Super Bowl chances, as the rest of us heading into this season. That means that whether you'd like to admit it or not, you were satisfied with the position Jerry had this team in. The results are determined by the players/coaches, not the owner/GM. All Jerry can do is put the team in position to win, and he deserves credit for the on-paper talent of this roster.

I always laugh when the same posters who rip Jerry to shreds turn around and heap baskets of praise at Dez Bryant. Who's responsible for us trading up for Dez again?

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

As any other Owner, they must also face the fact that the GM isn't very good.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Another great post, Wayne. You're one of the few around here who have any perspective about things.

It's so ridiculous when I read things like "We're no better than the Raiders or the Browns!" What a joke. This year sucks, but the last several years have been pretty good -- definitely better than most teams.

 

[burmafrd]

When Bum Bright (and he was a bum) bought the Boys he tried to milk them; cut down on the scouting budget and wanted Tom to hire cheap coaches. That was part of the reason the drafts were so bad in the 80's. At the end Tom did not have a lot of good coaches on staff either. As regards the teams he lost to in the Championship games and the SBs- well they were pretty good teams as I recall. most of the teams that beat the Boys in the NFC championship ended up winning the SB.