CFZ How important are division rivalries?

[zrinkill]

They got rid of our biggest rival for the stupidest of reasons.

 

[IceBowler]

All you have to do is look at what the League did through all the realignment efforts. Look at how there were many moves to place teams in a more geographic setup. Now look at the NFCE. Everyone with the exception of the Cowboys is an East Coast team. The reason Dallas remained there was the old time ancient and fierce rivalries with all of those scumbags.

.. that time when Harvey Martin threw a black funeral wreath into the Skins locker room during halftime of a Thanksgiving day game ..

 

[IceBowler]

This is exactly right. For the most part, the only team now that I despise are the Eagles. I feel no great hatred for any other team. There simply isn't enough time to build a rivalry before teams become something else.

.. hence my Signature line ..

 

[erod]

Rivalries have been dead for some time among players.

Hatred used to be common. Jordan v Isiah. Cowboys v Commanders. Yankees v Red Sox. Lakers v Celtics. Etc. Our players hated the Eagles, Giants, 49ers, and Steelers. Now they're all friends, and it's a big social club.

Now it's truly ONLY about money. Winning is kinfa cool and cute, but way down the list of priorities.

Only fans care about this stuff now.

 

[TexasBacon]

Considering beating our hated division rivals is typically all we can brag about in any given Cowboys season for the last quarter century, I'd say they are incredibly important.

 

[jazzcat22]

All you have to do is look at what the League did through all the realignment efforts. Look at how there were many moves to place teams in a more geographic setup. Now look at the NFCE. Everyone with the exception of the Cowboys is an East Coast team. The reason Dallas remained there was the old time ancient and fierce rivalries with all of those scumbags.

.. that time when Harvey Martin threw a black funeral wreath into the Skins locker room during halftime of a Thanksgiving day game ..

Also someone let some white chickens loose at RFK Stadium, as well. It may have been Tex Schramm. Need to look it up. I can't recall the reasoning.

Then Clint Murchinson purchased the rights to "Hail to the Red skins" song in 1960. As the owner was strongly opposed to Dallas getting an NFL team.
So he purchased the rights to that song, so they could not play it at their games anymore. So they made a trade, song rights for the yes vote.

How about Whistlin' Ray vs. Washington Indian mascot, can't remember his name, they always had fun on the sidelines and end zones.

Then the tom Landry American Express commercial. It is on YouTube.


That was some great stuff that fueled the rivalry.

 

[Motorola]

When NYG, Wash and Dallas all represented the NFC in the SB from 90-93, the NFCE rivalries were a true measuring stick of a team's playoff potential because of the overall strength of the division. The Eagles were just as tough too.

Now.
It's practically the opposite. Now its more like whoever wins the division is looked at as more the tallest midget in the room rather than a true championship contender.

Since 2009, only two appearances by the NFC East in the conference championship.
2011-12__ Giants; 2017 -18__ Eagles
Previous 10 seasons - 2000-09, PHL 5 times and NYG twice.
And we all know how well the other two rivals have done in reaching that goal in those same timeframes.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

.. hence my Signature line ..

“Today at 10:48 AM” ??

 

[CouchCoach]

Last season the Cowboys swept their division rivals by an unprecedented 20 ppg and who cared here? Few

The rivalries have dissipated with free agency, parity and shape shifting teams from season to season.

The Niners and Rams rekindled theirs last season and we might see DEN and KC do that this season. And the LAC get into the mix.

The greatest rivalry in NFL history, imo, was DAL-WAS but because of the two HC's. You didn't see George Allen licking his hands, smiling and looking over at any HC but Landry and as best he tried, Landry could not get Allen out of his head. Allen was so effective he had convinced Landry they were going to have one of their 300lb scouts hide in a tree to watch practice. And Schramm could not convince Landry otherwise.

The Eagles' fandom was really responsible for that rivalry and Jaworski and Buddy Ryan tapped into that pure envy/hatred very well.

 

[Flamma]

.. hence my Signature line ..

Yes. It has changed the game to something very different from what it was in the 80s and 90s. Talent is spread so thin so we rarely see great teams anymore. We do on a rare occasion. In the past it was almost every year.