In Response to the Just find Another Team Argument

[Runwildboys]

Over the last week, many of us here on the Zone have heard something like this a number of times: “If you don’t like how the Cowboys are run, just go to another team. It’s Jerry’s right as owner to do whatever he wants, and if you don’t like it, leave”. I would like to address this idea.

What is often overlooked in this genre of response to our frustration is that people are not fans of a team for logical reasons. We are not choosing our football team like we would if we were buying a commodity which is the same everywhere you get it. We are emotionally aligned with our team for a number of reasons.

I, and many of us here on the zone, follow the Cowboys because of what they represented in their past. At their best they are quintessentially American. For those of us from North Texas and the surrounding states, the Cowboys are also part of our culture.

My grandmother who lives in the tiny Oklahoma town where Troy Aikman was raised brought me to the Dallas Cowboys. It is quite simply a part of me. I cannot just up and leave and neither can most of us here. The Cowboys are family for many of us and preserve the memories of those long gone who also rode with the star. I’m sure many here have similar stories.

So no, we cannot just go find another team.

What they have become and how this organization is managed is nothing we can be proud to associate with. What it has come to represent in its modern form is disgusting. It is deeply painful to see the franchise we love and its storied history be cheapened and erased by decades of nothing short of a circus directed by a man who cares for nothing but himself.

Do you understand now?

I understand. You're looking for a different team to root for, right?

J/K, I'd just stop watching football altogether before I'd switch teams. That said, I imagine that the people who say these things are saying it out of hurt, that their team is playing poorly, and/or insulted that someone who rags on the team is, in a roundabout way, ragging on them personally, because they're so invested.

 

[Whirlwin]

Some of us got through the late 1980s when the Cowboys couldn't win a game unless they got extremely lucky. We got through the post-Aikman years. We can get through this too. That's doesn't mean we will or should be silent though.

The entire team sucks I hate the organization and the cowboy fans. But I love coming here and complaining about it. Go Cowboys. I’ve never once said go find another team to anybody, but I have said why are you here if you’re so miserable

 

[Whirlwin]

I understand. You're looking for a different team to root for, right?

J/K, I'd just stop watching football altogether before I'd switch teams. That said, I imagine that the people who say these things are saying it out of hurt, that their team is playing poorly, and/or insulted that someone who rags on the team is, in a roundabout way, ragging on them personally, because they're so invested.

I can understand this.

 

[Runwildboys]

Who’s is a conjunction, whose is possessive

Not just directly aimed at you, lots of people get that wrong

Allot of people (did that intentionally) get allot (again) of things wrong.

 

[Whirlwin]

I am an individual, I am not a hater, I am not a homer. I and I alone choose what I like or don’t like. I’m a cowboy fan because I choose to be. I’m not a cowboy fan because someone told me to be.

 

[DallasEast]

That said, I imagine that the people who say these things are saying it out of hurt, that their team is playing poorly, and/or insulted that someone who rags on the team is, in a roundabout way, ragging on them personally, because they're so invested.

It may be a sign of personal maturity. I used to say the same nonsense as well but eventually stopped.

No person can command someone else to 'like' something different. Each individual will stop saying 'go follow another team' if-and-when that realization hits them.

 

[bigE79]

Over the last week, many of us here on the Zone have heard something like this a number of times: “If you don’t like how the Cowboys are run, just go to another team. It’s Jerry’s right as owner to do whatever he wants, and if you don’t like it, leave”. I would like to address this idea.

What is often overlooked in this genre of response to our frustration is that people are not fans of a team for logical reasons. We are not choosing our football team like we would if we were buying a commodity which is the same everywhere you get it. We are emotionally aligned with our team for a number of reasons.

I, and many of us here on the zone, follow the Cowboys because of what they represented in their past. At their best they are quintessentially American. For those of us from North Texas and the surrounding states, the Cowboys are also part of our culture.

My grandmother who lives in the tiny Oklahoma town where Troy Aikman was raised brought me to the Dallas Cowboys. It is quite simply a part of me. I cannot just up and leave and neither can most of us here. The Cowboys are family for many of us and preserve the memories of those long gone who also rode with the star. I’m sure many here have similar stories.

So no, we cannot just go find another team.

What they have become and how this organization is managed is nothing we can be proud to associate with. What it has come to represent in its modern form is disgusting. It is deeply painful to see the franchise we love and its storied history be cheapened and erased by decades of nothing short of a circus directed by a man who cares for nothing but himself.

Do you understand now?

People who say that sound stupid and most likely have a dak poster hanging over their beds...lol

 

[Nova]

And yet somehow you make special time out of your day to come into a Cowboys related site and give up your time so you're saying there's a big difference between time and attention because this is time and attention it may not be direct but indirectly you still have the Cowboys living rent free in your head do you not understand that those people who say they don't care anymore they would not have a special account to speak about the Cowboys they would just tell their friends and family when they're hanging out or someone at the bar they don't like the Cowboys anymore they used to be fans blah blah blah but they come make a special sign in and make special posts about the Dallas Cowboys you are giving your time and attention to the Dallas Cowboys this is not normal for people to sign up for special extra bonus Internet social media sites to talk about the Cowboys that's going an extra mile that is time and attention that is not a casual fan therefore they still do have you...lol

I've been posting here for 15 years, so CZ is just part of my life now.

Even though it's a Cowboys centric forum, I think my value gained from this site is community.

To me, we're just all neighbors, and it's nice to check in from time to time. And yes, we talk about the Cowboys, but the subject matter is not that deep for me.

It's like talking about the weather or some netflix series.

 

[Nova]

Some of us got through the late 1980s when the Cowboys couldn't win a game unless they got extremely lucky. We got through the post-Aikman years. We can get through this too. That's doesn't mean we will or should be silent though.

All I've known was a Jerry Jones regime.

But I was happier after those weeks where we'd beat the Cardinals during our 5-11 seasons than I am now.

To be fair, I was younger then. But also, there was more reason to have hope that this was an actual football organization than a media sideshow.

 

[SoCalBoy]

The problem with this argument is that it's like telling a woman to stay in a broken abusive relationship because what else can she do. Life is too short to be that miserable. That doesn't mean she has to go find another man. She can just go find some other hobbies. If this football team really makes your life that miserable than for your own mental health you should probably just go watch baseball. Or watch Netflix. Or go walk your dog. Take your girlfriend to the movies. I've been rooting for this team for over 30 years and I used to have an unhealthy attachment to it and then I realized it was just a game.

 

[Ranching]

I used to think this was true for me.

I thought I couldn't stop caring about the Cowboys, but the more I distance myself, the less I care.

Jerry Jones does not deserve my time and attention, nor yours.

For me, it's just weird how some put so much stock into it. I hate to lose, but complaining has never got me a win. So, if I can't do anything about it, why bother.

 

[Nova]

For me, it's just weird how some put so much stock into it. I hate to lose, but complaining has never got me a win. So, if I can't do anything about it, why bother.

Pretty fair and healthy approach!

 

[Brax]

The Saints, Browns, Bengals, and Dolphins could use some fans.

Speaking of the devil

 

[blueblood70]

I've been posting here for 15 years, so CZ is just part of my life now.

Even though it's a Cowboys centric forum, I think my value gained from this site is community.

To me, we're just all neighbors, and it's nice to check in from time to time. And yes, we talk about the Cowboys, but the subject matter is not that deep for me.

It's like talking about the weather or some netflix series.

No it's a Dallas Cowboys forum for discussing Dallas Cowboys but good try trying to circumvent the fact that you're discussing the Dallas Cowboys even though you say you don't care anymore if you didn't care you wouldn't be here you would delete this and get the Cowboys out of your mouth it's not cowboy centric it is Dallas Cowboys football that's what we discussed in here not The Mavericks not everything in Dallas just the Cowboys it has its name right in the thread meaning you come here you have not stop caring that's pretty easy to see why waste your time talking Cowboys..

 

[Cowboys5217]

For me, it's just weird how some put so much stock into it. I hate to lose, but complaining has never got me a win. So, if I can't do anything about it, why bother.

You just love to loudly proclaim what a hypocrite you are while being blind to it. You put in more effort into confronting people who are complaining than the people you accuse of complaining.

This is a serious question, have you ever been I.Q. tested?

 

[Cowboys5217]

Pretty fair and healthy approach!

No it isn't. He's a blatant hypocrite.

 

[DandyDon52]

I went from a diehard cowboys fan , to a NFL fan with the cowboys as my main team, to a NFL fan with the cowboys
as a circus that I find amusing.

Jerry has ruined the cowboys, they will never be what they used to be. It will continue to be more of a circus than a football team.

Each year I pick some other NFL teams to actually root for like I used to do with cowboys,....or now they are more the "jones boys"
and they should replace the star with a $ sign, as they are mostly about $ ( and jerry), not football.

And yeah the campo years were more fun and interesting than the garrett years, and now the mm years.

I did enjoy 2014, that was the last good season, and 2016 was ok.

Too much of anything can get old, and what we have got the last 5 years is too much of jerry !, and too much of DAk !
Dak Dak dak lol , I just got wore out during the pre 40 mil contract, way too much talk about him, and I just got sick of hearing about
him because it was just too much talk, jerry loved it but I didnt.

I like coming here to read what other say and think, bad or good, dak or no dak. I try to have fun with it.
But I know cowboys of the past are gone, and it is just a jones boys team wearing a cowboys uniform, so not much to like.

This year I am rooting for Wash lol they are doing better than expected, and then the texans, and thats it, I kinda like KC too.
Better to like them, as they will probably be in SB again. Mahomes is fun to watch like Romo used to be.

 

[Brax]

For me, it's just weird how some put so much stock into it. I hate to lose, but complaining has never got me a win. So, if I can't do anything about it, why bother.

And you never criticize or voice your opinion, what it comes down to is simply so many are so insecure and invested in the team that when they have no answer they just tell you get lost, so what , it’s a forum to talk about and give opinions, no one is forcing you to read or answer but the few people haters have a standard response get a new team, you don’t know football, the old I played I watched film, blah blah blah, who cares either way

 

[blueblood70]

I went from a diehard cowboys fan , to a NFL fan with the cowboys as my main team, to a NFL fan with the cowboys
as a circus that I find amusing.

Jerry has ruined the cowboys, they will never be what they used to be. It will continue to be more of a circus than a football team.

Each year I pick some other NFL teams to actually root for like I used to do with cowboys,....or now they are more the "jones boys"
and they should replace the star with a $ sign, as they are mostly about $ ( and jerry), not football.

And yeah the campo years were more fun and interesting than the garrett years, and now the mm years.

I did enjoy 2014, that was the last good season, and 2016 was ok.

Too much of anything can get old, and what we have got the last 5 years is too much of jerry !, and too much of DAk !
Dak Dak dak lol , I just got wore out during the pre 40 mil contract, way too much talk about him, and I just got sick of hearing about
him because it was just too much talk, jerry loved it but I didnt.

I like coming here to read what other say and think, bad or good, dak or no dak. I try to have fun with it.
But I know cowboys of the past are gone, and it is just a jones boys team wearing a cowboys uniform, so not much to like.

This year I am rooting for Wash lol they are doing better than expected, and then the texans, and thats it, I kinda like KC too.
Better to like them, as they will probably be in SB again. Mahomes is fun to watch like Romo used to be.

Just for the sake of this thread then go find another team..

 

[BleedSilverandBlue]

The problem with this argument is that it's like telling a woman to stay in a broken abusive relationship because what else can she do. Life is too short to be that miserable. That doesn't mean she has to go find another man. She can just go find some other hobbies. If this football team really makes your life that miserable than for your own mental health you should probably just go watch baseball. Or watch Netflix. Or go walk your dog. Take your girlfriend to the movies. I've been rooting for this team for over 30 years and I used to have an unhealthy attachment to it and then I realized it was just a game.

Comparing a physically abusive relationship to having some level of attachment to your local football team and being frustrated by its criminal mismanagement is just a total non-equivalence.

I am pretty detached from the outcomes at this point. The wins and losses don’t get me high or low anymore, I’ve matured, but the Cowboys will certainly always be something I care about and it hurts to see the franchise we all love be relegated to a national laugh factory all because of the owner’s outsized ego.