SkinsHokieFan;3085093 said:
Rivalries are made in the playoffs
The last time these 2 teams played in the playoffs was 1983.
Still a great rivalry, but I can't say the greatest in the history of sports
It's not even the greatest rivalry for Cowboys fans, at this point in time. I think most fans would say the Giants or Eagles were a greater Cowboy rival. The Eagles have been good most of this decade, and the NYG have been far more often than either Dallas or Washington. I think the Cowboy players have some genuine dislike for the NYG for example, while very little if any of that animosity exists towards the Commanders.
Washington hasn't been a serious contender since the 80s, and Dallas only once since the mid-90s. It's hard to have a rivalry when the games often don't have a lot of real meaning other than bragging rights or draft position, and the teams aren't really relevant. Further, the Commanders have sort of been without personality for several years, a team without a real identity, while the Eagles obnoxious fans and McNabb give ample reason to hate them, and the NYG have had enough loathsome (from an nfl fan perspective) guys to fill a church choir (I'll never forget the Monday Night jumpshot game, and the sweet revenge of beating them later that year).
Just like this year's game. Dallas is a contender - or a pretender, in some fans' opinions - while the Commanders' season is essentially over. Even as someone who can recall the games of the late 70s and early 80s against the Skins, this week doesn't have a lot of special meaning for me. At least not like it used to. I think for most, it's just a divsion game against a bad team that the Cowboys probably have to win if they're going to win the division.
