emotional investment

[AtomicDog]

ya know I feel like that too sometimes. I get very philosophical after a heartbreaking loss. "its only a game" "friends and family are more important" "million dollar babies" etc etc. Those things are true, but when the Cowboys are doing well, well life is good! But when they lose, well its time to get philosophical. But what's sad is that if we had won yesterday no one would be posting these type of messages.

I don't get much consolation by knowing that there are other heartbroken fans out there like me. I don't get much consolation by getting philosophical either. If you play a game you are taking a risk that you are going to lose. And its gonna hurt.

For a few years there I was taping games on sunday so I could do other things like play softball or basketball or spend time with the family, but when the cowboys started getting good this year, I was sucked back into the frenzy.

I had a bad feeling about yesterday's game. I didn't feel like the cowboys and us fans were taking philly serious enough.

The cowboys and their fans need to regroup and start thinking playoffs. I don't think it matters where we go on our first playoff game. I have a feeling that we will be ready. And I will watch that game live!!

 

[Cochese]

I also want to mention that somehow you make yourself feel better by not giving the millionaire babies who play football attention, while infact your other form of entertainment that you mentioned (the movies) contains a full roster of millionaire babies.

This team doesnt deserve our attention, but the second we are in our next SB, you will be around claming you never gave up on them and you were in it from the beginning. Hey, I think the Saints could use more fans.

 

[smarta5150]

Ok, but you survived the Quincy and Vinny years? LOL, hey man do what makes you happy. As for me, i couldn’t stop being a fan even if i wanted. I bleed blue and silver.

A+++ on the sig.

 

[EveryoneElse]

I have to admit I came to the same conclusion in the "Game Thread" yesterday during the game.

I can't remember who it was, but someone made a comment that really made me stop and think. It was something like this: " Forget watching these losers, I'm going to go spend Christmas with my son". We give our full attention to a bunch of guys that don't give a damn about us, or our families....it's all about them.

That did it for me.

During the season every plan I make, everything I do centers around when Dallas is playing. Thats top priority for me. At least it had been. For what? To watch a bunch of grown men pout and mail it in half way through the 3rd qtr of a divisional game that is very pivitol? Not anymore. It doesn't make a bit of sense to me looking at it now.

I owe it all to whoever called that pitch to Barber on 4th and goal. Thats when I blew my lid.

 

[Cochese]

Move this thread to the "Bandwagon Zone".

 

[dboyz]

I again certainly understand the sentiment. In the 2nd half of yesterday's game, I kind of just stepped back and watched the game without getting into it. After yesterday's game I will approach the rest of the season differently. I'll still follow the cowboys and I'll absolutely make a point of watching the playoff game but I'm not going to invest much energy into it. I thought we could be an elite team this year, but obviously we are not an elite team.

This team just doesn't have "it." They've got some talented players and a hall of fame coach. They don't have the ability to make big plays at key times, particularly in terms of controlling the line of scrimmage. And the defense right now doesn't have the ability to stop anything. I'm still a fan but I won't be watching with expectation anymore. I'm expecting a mediocre playoff performance and a quick exit.

 

[jackrussell]

Wha, some of yuns can't read or something?

The poster no where infers that they are giving up on being a Cowboy's fan.

Comprehension is a good thing.

 

[Cochese]

Wha, some of yuns can't read or something?

The poster no where infers that they are giving up on being a Cowboy's fan.

Comprehension is a good thing.

I infered he was giving up on them when I read that he will only watch games that arent a waste of his precious time (like let me guess, winning games only?), and the fact that this team is headed for the playoffs, but yet they dont deserve his precious attention.

Bandwagon Zone all the way.

 

[jackrussell]

I infered he was giving up on them when I read that he will only watch games that arent a waste of his precious time (like let me guess, winning games only?), and the fact that this team is headed for the playoffs, but yet they dont deserve his precious attention.

Bandwagon Zone all the way.

Then you are making an assumption (perhaps we should have a zone for those also), and that doesn't make it a fact either.

Now, you may like spending inordinate amounts of time and money on sub par products, there are other's that don't feel the need to offer up such a sacrifice.

We do live in an open market society.

 

[StarAttraction]

Thanks to all who have welcomed me & responded to me in this forum. There are many great cowboy fans who regularly read this board & don’t post perhaps for fear of their grammar or that their opinions will be cut down so they are content to just read & that is fine but I would encourage everyone to post their opinions if they have time because the fans here are knowledgeable & fair & pretty forgiving of each other. I live in Virginia so it’s mostly Titan & Carolina & Commander country but I have a closet full of Cowboy hats & shirts some that I have had for years & refuse to part with. The comment by JustSayNotoTo that I am a bandwagon fan would be laughable to my friends & family who know the depths of which I have gone to go to or watch cowboy games & the ribbing I’ve taken living here. You just don’t know so I politely & good naturedly tell you – bad call on that one. I never said I wouldn’t watch another game, didn’t say I don’t care, just that I’m not going to get so high on a victory or so down after a defeat. It doesn’t hurt to share that with fellow cowboy fans does it? It’s great to be excited about the team & to follow them but keeping it in perspective may help some. It does me. I have felt this way for a while but yesterday maybe because it was such a hard decision for me to make but shouldn't have been (Family & a movie or family hit the movies & I’ll stay here for the game) that I think it just hit me with a dose of reality.

Make no mistake, I never mentioned anything about not remaining a cowboy fan. To the contrary I always have been & always will be. I was the little boy who cried the night Jackie Smith dropped the TD pass in the Super Bowl. The little boy who would sit by the radio desperately searching every AM channel just to hear which way the cowboys were moving the ball, “left to right" the announcer would say. Now I’m an adult who still calls his dad & his brothers to make sure they can see the game or if I should tape it for them. No bandwagoner here. But I forgive you for that incorrect assumption. It’s the nature of the internet. The cowboys will always be my team & I never said anywhere that I was giving up on them. I merely stated that I will now do something I should have done earlier. Find some balance between the Cowboys & my other life. There is no way I would ever support another team but I also will not base my happiness on their performance. I think it occurred to me now rather than the Quincy or Troy Hambrick episodes because I never really expected much from some of those teams. Lovable losers perhaps but this team is different. They are talented but often don’t play with emotion or desire. It seems odd to me that at the end of a professional football game, I’m sometimes unable to sleep over a loss. No more of that for me. I’ll love them to the day I die but they are just entertainment. A $5 dollar movie is better entertainment sometimes. Fans like to say, “I love this game” while players are often quoted as saying, “It’s just a business.” If that is true, then invest your emotional capital wisely.



By the way, JustSayNotoTo, do you cheer when he scores & hurl insults & jeers at him when he drops a critical pass? Hopefully not, because in a way that would make you a bandwagon fan. Until they find someone better – I think TO should stay.

 

[TheSkaven]

I think that you are confusing two totally separate issues. You can make an emotional investment into the team AND have your priorities straight as far as family, work, friends, etc.

First, football should be a family event. My wife and kids can't wait until Sundays. I cook a big breakfast (the star-shaped, blue pancakes are a winner), we wear our jerseys, we throw the football around and we cheer like heck.

All that, and I still take my kids to the museum, to the movies, theme parks, Disney World, coach the soccer team, etc, etc.

I don't see why having an emotional investment in the team and doing these other things have to be mutually exclusive.

Yesterday hurt. I'm in my mid-30's now, so it doesn't hurt like it did when I was a kid. I certainly don't take any anger out on the family. But part of making an emotional investment is caring and being hurt. Part of the territory.

 

[kingwhicker]

Maybe there are others who feel this way about our beloved Cowboys. If you are not one who shares this point of view, you can quit reading anytime you please. After forcing myself to watch the game this morning, I better understand all the disappointed posters on this board. What a pathetic effort from top to bottom by a team we pour our heart & soul into. We don't realistically expect to win every game but it's not asking too much to expect a professional effort by everybody on the team. As a lifelong Cowboys fan for many years I made an uncomfortable decision last night. I taped the game & went to the movies with the family. Night at the Museum was fun & laughter was had by all. If I had been home watching the game, ranting & raving & broken items would have been the result. After further review, I have come to several conclusions. And I am no less of a fan for having made them - I actually feel liberated. I will not invest any more emotional capital in this team. I will no longer rearrange my schedule to fit them. If they are on tv & it is convenient for me, I'll watch them. If anything else interesting presents itself, I will have no hesitation to pop in a tape & record the game - watching later only if it is not a waste of my time. As of right now, this team does not deserve our complete attention. There will be no living & dying on each & every score or blundered mishap or excuse made by these million dollar babies. What is the point of this post - here it is. I crossed over - no longer will sundays, mondays, saturdays, & sometimes thursdays be the Cowboys domain & monopoly over my life. They now have to compete with every other form of entertainment for my attention & money. You can do it too. There is no shame and can actually earn you points with the wife - if that's what you need. I came here to tell you guys I love this message board & many a time it has boosted my spirits to read that others were feeling the same emotions & predicting better times to come. I come to remind us all - they are entertainers & it is ok to treat them the same way you would a bad song when it comes on the radio.

to my brothers who sometimes find their way to this message board - your boys will love Night at the Museum. I give it 5 stars.

and no...this is not Ben Stiller posting

This is the post of the century!!!! I feel the exact same way and have pretty much been doing this since late last season.

 

[Cochese]

Thanks to all who have welcomed me & responded to me in this forum. There are many great cowboy fans who regularly read this board & don’t post perhaps for fear of their grammar or that their opinions will be cut down so they are content to just read & that is fine but I would encourage everyone to post their opinions if they have time because the fans here are knowledgeable & fair & pretty forgiving of each other. I live in Virginia so it’s mostly Titan & Carolina & Commander country but I have a closet full of Cowboy hats & shirts some that I have had for years & refuse to part with. The comment by JustSayNotoTo that I am a bandwagon fan would be laughable to my friends & family who know the depths of which I have gone to go to or watch cowboy games & the ribbing I’ve taken living here. You just don’t know so I politely & good naturedly tell you – bad call on that one. I never said I wouldn’t watch another game, didn’t say I don’t care, just that I’m not going to get so high on a victory or so down after a defeat. It doesn’t hurt to share that with fellow cowboy fans does it? It’s great to be excited about the team & to follow them but keeping it in perspective may help some. It does me. I have felt this way for a while but yesterday maybe because it was such a hard decision for me to make but shouldn't have been (Family & a movie or family hit the movies & I’ll stay here for the game) that I think it just hit me with a dose of reality.

Make no mistake, I never mentioned anything about not remaining a cowboy fan. To the contrary I always have been & always will be. I was the little boy who cried the night Jackie Smith dropped the TD pass in the Super Bowl. The little boy who would sit by the radio desperately searching every AM channel just to hear which way the cowboys were moving the ball, “left to right" the announcer would say. Now I’m an adult who still calls his dad & his brothers to make sure they can see the game or if I should tape it for them. No bandwagoner here. But I forgive you for that incorrect assumption. It’s the nature of the internet. The cowboys will always be my team & I never said anywhere that I was giving up on them. I merely stated that I will now do something I should have done earlier. Find some balance between the Cowboys & my other life. There is no way I would ever support another team but I also will not base my happiness on their performance. I think it occurred to me now rather than the Quincy or Troy Hambrick episodes because I never really expected much from some of those teams. Lovable losers perhaps but this team is different. They are talented but often don’t play with emotion or desire. It seems odd to me that at the end of a professional football game, I’m sometimes unable to sleep over a loss. No more of that for me. I’ll love them to the day I die but they are just entertainment. A $5 dollar movie is better entertainment sometimes. Fans like to say, “I love this game” while players are often quoted as saying, “It’s just a business.” If that is true, then invest your emotional capital wisely.



By the way, JustSayNotoTo, do you cheer when he scores & hurl insults & jeers at him when he drops a critical pass? Hopefully not, because in a way that would make you a bandwagon fan. Until they find someone better – I think TO should stay.

This is a joke. Its hard for anyone to think you ARENT a bandwagon fan when you are making a giant attention ***** of yourself saying that this team doesnt deserve your attention and you are done investing your emotions into the team when you are still here posting about them. You dont know anything about any one on this team that you are finished with, so I really dont know how you can question heart or desire when YOU are the one punking out after a tough divisional loss. Like I said, if you dont feel bad after a loss, there is no way you can feel good about a Super Bowl win. The Cowboys arent your weekly anti-depressant, they are around for good times and bad, and it seems like it has taken you far, far to long to realize this.

You claim players think the game is just a business, claiming spending $5 (where on Earth do you live that a movie ticket is $5?) is better entertainment when the actors on the screen dont care about you, they treat acting like a business the same way football players do. A fan can say 'I LOVE this movie' the actors say "It's just a business". I have no clue what point you are trying to make there. If you resent paying people wealthier than you money for entertainment, maybe starting at your walls would be the way to go.

 

[superpunk]

I think that you are confusing two totally separate issues. You can make an emotional investment into the team AND have your priorities straight as far as family, work, friends, etc.

First, football should be a family event. My wife and kids can't wait until Sundays. I cook a big breakfast (the star-shaped, blue pancakes are a winner), we wear our jerseys, we throw the football around and we cheer like heck.

All that, and I still take my kids to the museum, to the movies, theme parks, Disney World, coach the soccer team, etc, etc.

I don't see why having an emotional investment in the team and doing these other things have to be mutually exclusive.

Yesterday hurt. I'm in my mid-30's now, so it doesn't hurt like it did when I was a kid. I certainly don't take any anger out on the family. But part of making an emotional investment is caring and being hurt. Part of the territory.

Yeah. It's not mutually exclusive. My wife likes the Dolphins, we lay around on sunday's, fall asleep, go outside, throw the football, have friends over, she roots for the Boys and players on my fantasy team, I root for the Dolphins, it's great. Just have your priorities straight to start with, and make football fun for everyone. There are other days to do other things in.

 

[StarAttraction]

Thank You JustSayNotoTO for your passionate interest in my post. I welcome your opinion along with that of each & every poster on the board. You all had some good advice. However; name calling is very inappropriate - that is unless we were old college pals in which case clever nicknames would not only be appropriate but fully expected. Since I barely know you it is not called for in this situation. It reflects poorly on you & shows a real lack of self control. When you resort to these types of things people have a more difficult time taking you or your opinions seriously. You are not a pleasant one to be around from the sound of it. Quite possibly, you may need more friends or anger management but that is obvious so there’s probably no need for me to point that out to you. Maybe if you had been invited to T.O.’s birthday party you would feel better – but there is always next year.

I hope to be able to post some more on here when something comes up. The players treat it like a business decision & I will start to do so as well. Sometimes watch the game sometimes do something else. It’s all good. I do feel better for having gotten it off my chest & that is one purpose of a forum such as this & I even had some unexpected fun provided by SayNo - what a worthy adversary to joust with! I see that one of us has to be the bigger man & put an end to this affair plus I have grown weary of you & will be moving on or else I would get my 1000th post here sparing with you. But before I go I have one last thing for you to ponder on: Where on earth do you live that produces such an unnecessary, angry response & childish name calling on a public sports forum over something that is ultimately irrelevant. I’ll take “where on earth I live” to “where on earth you live” any day. That is all.


p.s. here in paradise the movies are actually even less than that on Sunday matinees.