For those of you who didn't get to experience the Cowboys' glory years...

[Hostile]

I grew up with the teams of the seventies, as a season ticket holder. That was a magical time that we will never see again. Tony D, Roger, Drew, Randy, Ed Too Tall, Harvey, Mel Renfro, Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris.

Just to name a few. My mist exciting moment was attending Super Bowl XIII in Miami. The bad part was Jackie Smith. Even so, those were the best times.

http://cowboyszone.com/forums/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2007-1-21&e=213&c=1

That was 28 years ago today.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

I'm 44 and have been a Cowboy fan all my life. I had the privilege of enjoying the dynasty years, twice. However, I still feel cheated the past 10 years or so. Guess I'm spoiled, but you expect the success your team has always experienced. Could be worse. I could be a Cardinal or a Saint fan.

I too am 44 years young, and my dad used to sit me down and make me watch his beloved Cowboys with him as far back as I can remember. I am so happy he did. I remember the loss in the SB to the Colts, and the jubilation just one year later against the Dolphins.

After that the playoffs were expected and the Boys went 20 years in a row with a winning record and missing the playoffs only once, ( or something like that). We fans got spoiled and those of us who remember those days are still spoiled.

That's why some of us can't understand how some fans here are happy that Parcells at least has a winning record in the four years he's been here. Well you know what, to me that is not good enough. We were spoiled by 20 years in a row, 8 SB apprearances, 5 championships. And some folks here argue that BP, (a HOF coach) is doing a good job. Yeah it's a good job compared to Campo..........

 

[trickblue]

I never got to revel in those Cowboys of old. My youngest memories of the Cowboys are of that last SB win against the Steelers, and then years of incompetant coaching, managing and playing. An entire generation grew up hating or loving the Cowboys because they won... every single year.

I'll tell you something Parchy...

In those days, we Cowboy fans didn't park ourselves in front of the 25" TV hoping we would win, we EXPECTED to win, no excuses...

It was a great feeling...

 

[parchy]

I'll tell you something Parchy...

In those days, we Cowboy fans didn't park ourselves in front of the 25" TV hoping we would win, we EXPECTED to win, no excuses...

It was a great feeling...

Rub it in why dontcha!

 

[Hostile]

I'll tell you something Parchy...

In those days, we Cowboy fans didn't park ourselves in front of the 25" TV hoping we would win, we EXPECTED to win, no excuses...

It was a great feeling...

Man is that ever the gospel truth.

I remember losses shocked me. Now I'm almost numb to them. I never thought I could feel that way.

 

[Undisputed]

I know how you feel. I was a kid when we won our last Superbowl. As happy as I was, I don't think I could have ever appreciate it as much as I would now. I wish I could have enjoyed Emmitt, Troy, and Michael with these "adult" eyes. Right now I am just a little tired of watching other teams win the Superbowl every year. Hmph.

 

[TheBeheader31]

I feel your pain parchy. I'm 20 years old and as much as I love being a fan of America's team it sure would be nice to experience some of the greatness firsthand. In the last 10 years I have become a HUGE Cowboys fan but I've yet to witness even a playoff victory.

 

[topdog]

I'm 37, and been living in Sunny San Diego since '77. I remember watching TV on the old b&w set and my earliest memories of football was Monday Nite Football and I always remember Da' Star on the the Helmet and that was my hook I go way back to those monday nite games and having my parents tell me to shut off the Tv and get to bed. Remember, MNF on the east coast (living in Virginia at the time as little boy, Navy family) starts at 9 Pm as opposed to 6pm here on the West coast. Ah, the "Star", the "Star" didn't know what color the uniform was but the love for the "Star" was the hook of course #12, and #33 had alot to do with it. Funny, I've been a 7th grade math teacher here in California for 12 years and I distinctly remember as fellow pre-teacher in student teacher mention it was the "Star" the he admired that also made him a lifelong Cowboy fan. My earliest memories of the Cowboys while living in SD was the Super Bowl win over the Broncos and that awesome catch by Butch Johnson. Hell, I didn't know they were a dynasty, I was just some snot-nosed 2nd grader at the time. For all it worth, this past season has been the most frustrating to watch with that dumb ending against Washington, about to tie up with the Giants(dumb Bledsoe) and that knuckle head play by Romo to lose in the playoffs. The Cowboys probably would've lost the next week in Chicago but thats all's well needless to say. Anyways, thanks for the thread so I can share my Cowboys earliest memories.

Topdog

 

[TtownCowboy]

I do feel lucky Parchy, but there are things about today's fans that just make me shake my head. Not trying to point a finger at anyone or anything, but today's fans are too hung up on stats. They also get hung up on rooting for players over the team. Personally, I can't fathom this.

In particular I'm talking about people who dislike a fellow fan because that fellow fan likes _____________ (fill in the blank). We have people who are unashamed to admit they are Bledsoe fans first, or Parcells fans first, or Owens fans first.

This is a phenomenon that is foreign to me. It's always been about the team. Not anymore, and it seems to be becoming more prevalent. There have always been controversies, but I never saw it get personal between people until recent years. By this I mean that I am quite sure some fans would like nothing more than to meet a fellow Cowboys fan face to face and punch that fan in the mouth.

It blows my mind. I remember when I would be in a strange town and someone would see my Cowboys ball cap (probably on backwards) and want to talk to me about the team. It was like instant friendship. Man, not anymore. Now, you have to state your allegiances. I still can't believe there was a time when someone would come on the forum and announce they were a Q-Dawg, or a Hutch fan. That was the first thing they posted. I could care less. Are you a Cowboys fan?

My motto has become "embrace the hatred" because of the bygone era of fan I come from. I'd very much like to pass this philosophy on to the new generation of fans. It's cool that you've never experienced the incredible hihgs, but I challenge you not to feel that you are a stranger to the pride of the team. For instance, Don Meredith was not the QB when I became a fan, but I still that he is a part of my love for the team.

It's not enough not to have seen Meredith play for me. I needed to find out about the man, and I did. Today's fans don't seem to have the same hunger. Find out why Walt Garrison called him the coolest in the huddle he ever saw. Part of our history is the hatred that other fans feel for the Cowboys.

Many of you note, the fans at Texas Stadium are not loud or boisterous like other stadiums. So, why the hate for Cowboys fans? It has to do with the sheer number of us there used to be and that hatred is being passed from generation to generation. I find that cool. We always had reason to be happy or to jaw. 20 straight winning seasons is an amazing feat. It will never be duplicated again.

Embracing the hatred is about taking pride in the team. Not just saying they are your team, you have to live it. To me that means enjoying the friendship of other Cowboys fans rather than finding reasons to hate them. Creating a brotherhood if possible. That's why I like this forum and try and be friendly.

I know that isn't easy. I am probably the most disliked Cowboys fan on the Internet. I'm visible, opinionated, cocky, and at the root of one forum's split from this one (so they tell me). I haven't got time to hate our own fans. Besides hate takes a lot of energy. No thanks. I find that a waste of time. There are some fans that I don't care for, and two that I do dislike. That comes from them being too personal. I dislike them, but I don't hate them. Never will.

This team is about passion. It's unfortunate to me that some focus their passion on hating a fellow fan. Waste of time. IMO.

Excellent post. I agree w/almost all of it. Mainly about the players. In my opinion when they are signed they become a Cowboy. I hear a lot of talk about I won't pull for the Boys if they sign this guy, or if this guy is our coach, or I quit pulling for them when Jones bought the team. To me the team and the concept of being a fan of the Cowboys is bigger than all of those. Even the owner. Jerry Jones himself is not bigger than the "Cowboys". That's why I'll never quit pulling for this team. Now I may pee and moan about a player or coach or even the owner at times but I'm always gonna be pullin for them in the end.

The difference I think today is the change free-agency and the salary cap has made to the game, and the younger fans who don't remember or didn't have someone to tell them about "the good ole days". Personally I didn't have a chance. I grew up just 15 miles from Dandy Don Meredith's home town. So we took pride that the QB for the Dallas Cowboys was from our area. I started out w/White as the QB. Endured the Pelleur (sp) and Hogebum (sp) eras. And finally revelled in the 90's Dynasty. And we will be back.

I think we could all do better to learn to be like your post talks about and pull for this team irregardless of who's on it, coaching it, or running it. To me that is what being a fan is all about.
:starspin

 

[felix360]

So I was reading Bill Simmons' article today on how the Pats are becoming the Yankees of football (which is absolutely true) and stumbled upon this part:



I never got to revel in those Cowboys of old. My youngest memories of the Cowboys are of that last SB win against the Steelers, and then years of incompetant coaching, managing and playing. An entire generation grew up hating or loving the Cowboys because they won... every single year. I am really the first generation that hasn't experienced that. I've been raised on Rocket Ismail and Vinny Testaverde and Derek Ross and Dwayne Hawthorne and Chan Gailey. Lucky me.

So I ask you, this new generation of Cowboys fans, do you feel cheated that people hate your team for, in your experience, very little? The Cowboys have done nothing in my cognizant lifetime, and that stings. It especially stings now reading how the Pats are like the Cowboys once were. Yeah, it's kinda nice to know that people hate my team for a winning attitude, but that's gone, buried and decayed by now.

For those of you in your 30's, 40's and beyond, feel lucky, because I doubt I'll ever get to experience the Cowboys like you were able to.

Bah humbug.

Hey hey you dont have to be that old to remember the glory days of the 90's im only 26 but i still the remeber those super bowls like they were yesterday.
i lucky to exp. those super bowls but it just makes it harder for us have to deal with the idiot coach we have right now and those that came before him.

 

[crazytown41]

Damn, I miss the good old days! There's no doubt in any Cowboy fans eyes we would've been the 1st team to win 4 straight Superbowls if Jerry's cocky *** had not canned Jimmy.

One of the biggest blunders in Cowboys history.

 

[jackrussell]

What's that quote..."It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved before"?

What ever the heck that means...

Never a big Garth fan...but I've always loved this line:

"I could have missed the pain...but I would have missed the dance."

 

[romo4pres]

Hos probably has a good point but its sort of like the patriots thing only worse because we have won in more than one era.
The other reason i think internet fans hate us the most is because in discussions and trash talking cowboys fans seem like the first fans to refer back to their teams former glory instead of just having some banter about whats actually going on in the season. I could see how that would be annoying cuz it annoys me. Its like..are you a fan of the old cowboys or are you a real cowboy fan? whats the deal?

 

[THUMPER]

I too am 44 years young, and my dad used to sit me down and make me watch his beloved Cowboys with him as far back as I can remember. I am so happy he did. I remember the loss in the SB to the Colts, and the jubilation just one year later against the Dolphins.

After that the playoffs were expected and the Boys went 20 years in a row with a winning record and missing the playoffs only once, ( or something like that). We fans got spoiled and those of us who remember those days are still spoiled.

That's why some of us can't understand how some fans here are happy that Parcells at least has a winning record in the four years he's been here. Well you know what, to me that is not good enough. We were spoiled by 20 years in a row, 8 SB apprearances, 5 championships. And some folks here argue that BP, (a HOF coach) is doing a good job. Yeah it's a good job compared to Campo..........

You got that right Mr Cowboy. I've been a fan since 1963 and I miss those days when we EXPECTED to win every game. We had total confidence in our coaches and front office to get it done and of course with Staubach at the helm we had no doubts that no matter how far behind we might get he could pull us out.

I do feel sorry for the younger fans who never got to see the "glory days" and are stuck with the Switzer-thru-Parcells era. That's got to be like being a Lions fan or something. Terrible. It probably makes it worse hearing from the old folks like me about how great it used to be when we were always in the playoffs and usually in the SB.

 

[Spontae]

Let's be accurate; the Yankees are the Cowboys of MLB...

 

[THUMPER]

You know Parchy, it could be worse... you could be a Raiders fan. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Man, it's gotta suck to be one of them these days. They can't even get anyone to coach that team as another USC assistant turned down a $1.5M raise (4X what he currently makes!) if he would have taken the job.

No one wants to coach the Raiders anymore. At least with the Cowboys we wouldn't have too many problems getting guys to coach here.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Good thread. I think I understand the point of the original post.

I go back far enough to where I think I can give some perspective. My first game to remember well enough to hurt at the memory is Bart Starr's QB sneak that won the Ice Bowl.

The original premise of the post which asked does the past means anything today, is a good question, as long as the Cowboys continue to be stuck in mediocrity. All we can do is wait it out and hope the cycle comes back to us and we can recapture the magic with players like Romo, Ware, etc.

BUT, here is the key, if we DO come back and rise to the top, our past glory immediately becomes relevant again because you then have the arguments of whether we are "America's Team", the greatest franchise, etc. Most of the other teams simply don't have that legacy in their history.

I liken it to the Yankees. My dad was a huge Yankee fan of those 40's and
50's Yankee teams. But as a kid growing up in the late '60s when the Yankees were terrible that didn't mean much to me.
There was a brief time in the late '70s when the Yankees won again, but it really wasn't until the mid to late '90s that the Yankees started winning again that all the Yankee legacy and history of champonships suddenly became relevant again and you heard all the talk about the Yankee dynasty.

Hopefully we can look back one day and see our Cowboys building on the legacy of the '70s and '90s Championship Cowboy teams and we can say we truly are the greatest franchise in the NFL

 

[THUMPER]

BUT, here is the key, if we DO come back and rise to the top, our past glory immediately becomes relevant again because you then have the arguments of whether we are "America's Team", the greatest franchise, etc. Most of the other teams simply don't have that legacy in their history.

That is an excellent point CA, thanks for pointing it out. :starspin

 

[YosemiteSam]

Don't fret over what you never had. Always relish in what you do have. One of the greatest franchises in all of sports. You could be a fan of Cardinals, Texas Rangers (I am) or a whole host of other teams that have a history, but nothing to be proud of. The Cowboys are world renown and you were lucky enough to watch those Cowboys bring home a championship. So many other teams who have fans in their 80s have yet to experience that. You saw it from the beginning of your life as a Cowboys fan.

Remember, people hate what others have that they don't. Don't worry, it's not true hate, it's jealousy, and the biggest compliment.

My hatred of the Yankee's is a compliment to them even though I hate that I'm complimenting them!!!