Looking Backwards at 2008, I Know Why I Was So Disappointed

[Hostile]

They say hindsight is 20/20 vision. I suppose it is, but I've been trying hard to understand why 2008, a 9-7 season is more disappointing to me than even the 5-11 Campo triple header. Today, it finally dawned on me why and it has nothing to do with pre-season expectations as I have been assuming and yet unwilling to accept.

I've told myself that it is missing the playoffs. That isn't it even though that pisses me off. I've told myself it was the distractions that derailed the team. It certainly plays a part but even that isn't it.

It's a whole broad spectrum of disappointment all wrapped up in one giant turd of a season. Let me vent a bit here.

Texas Stadium may pale in comparison to the new palace but I was still damned proud of her. She deserved a better send off than the 2008 Cowboys gave her and I am not just talking about the final game there. I will get to that game in a minute. We didn't send her out with a playoff game either. Even if that game was played on foreign soil she deserved to have hosted a playoff team one last time. We lost our final playoff game and our last Regular season game ever played in her. I can't explain how bad that stings.

Especially in light of the significance of that last loss and I am not just talking about the blow it gave on us missing the playoffs. Our all time regular season record was 196-95, and our playoff record was 18-5.

224-100 all time in Texas Stadium and while that is a record other teams can only dream of, she never should have seen triple digit losses. Yeah he was a good rookie, but it was a rookie QB and we rolled over and handed it to him.

It was great seeing the old players and the tribute to Tommy Loy, etc. but it was so blunted by that haunting fact.

On top of this we have seen what was once our crowning statistics move down the ladder. No longer do we share the record for most Super Bowl wins. Now we share 2nd place. It's better than last place, but damn I still hate staring at the Steelers butts. Worse yet, we were always the kings of the post season. Our record is 32-24 in the post season. We've been stuck at 32 for 13 years. In that time span the Steelers have closed the gap so much thanks to 2 more Super Bowl runs. They now stand at 31-19. No longer can we crow about being the best post season team. Yeah, I know the Steelers have 28 more years of History than we do to compile their stats, but the fact remains we once stood alone at 32 wins and they were a long way back and now they are threatening to go right by us. It's galling.

Add to this the fact that in 2007 we had become the all time winningest team in the NFL based upon winning %. We had overtaken the woeful Miami Dolphins and the Bears to claim the top spot. Then we turned in lousy performances to close our 2008 and gave the top spot right back to Miami and we're tied with Chicago.

Add in injuries and nothing went right in 2008. It was just a year to be forgotten. The thing is, we can't. If this team forgets 2008, they will repeat it. We have to hope upon hope that their pride is pushing them like never before.

Mine's a bit wounded by losing so many prestigious marks. I'm spoiled. I admit it.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Nice post. Great points.

 

[GoCowboysGo]

Hos, that Baltimore game...I travelled from Germany to go to that game, which is the only Cowboys game I've ever been to.

It was such an incredible letdown, but considering how many time the Cowboys have simply quit over the last 5-6 years (Detroit comes to mind), I should've known better. I only have one team, but come on, it's time to end this ***** of a play off losing streak.

This is the team that will do it!!!!

 

[hutru01]

We as Cowboys fans were spoiled like hell in the 90s, but all teams go through rough spots and some teams see nothing but rough spots. Remember back in 89 when we were 1-15? I certainly do, it was brutal being a Cowboys fan back then. But thankfully we turned things around and became the dynasty team of the 90s.

We will be back there again. Will it be this year? Who knows? I sure think we have the talent to do it.

 

[LeonDixson]

That last game at Texas Stadium bothered me more than any other loss last year including the drubbing by Philthy in the final game of the season. There was a thread on the zone before that game asking whether you would shed a tear watching the last game in the history of Texas Stadium. Well I shed a lot of tears, but it wasn't because of it being the last game. 64 years old and I cried like a baby.

I cried because all of our legends were in attendance. The guys who made the team great. The guys who put together a record 20 consecutive winning seasons, etc. And what did our current team do? The gutless, prideless bunch of pansies went out a crapped a turd on the star in the middle of the field and looked to the sidelines where all our heros were gathered, gave them the middle finger and said, "Take that legends! It sure stinks, doesn't it?"

The worthless bunch of sons a *****es!

 

[RS12]

I've told myself that it is missing the playoffs. That isn't it even though that pisses me off. I've told myself it was the distractions that derailed the team. It certainly plays a part but even that isn't it.

It's a whole broad spectrum of disappointment all wrapped up in one giant turd of a season.

Last two games of the year sum up the season. Aren't you one of the guys on hear who keeps saying forget last year, when guys like me cant get over the stench?

 

[Hostile]

Last two games of the year sum up the season. Aren't you one of the guys on hear who keeps saying forget last year, when guys like me cant get over the stench?

No. But thanks for thinking of me.

 

[Mansta54]

That last game at Texas Stadium bothered me more than any other loss last year including the drubbing by Philthy in the final game of the season. There was a thread on the zone before that game asking whether you would shed a tear watching the last game in the history of Texas Stadium. Well I shed a lot of tears, but it wasn't because of it being the last game. 64 years old and I cried like a baby.

I cried because all of our legends were in attendance. The guys who made the team great. The guys who put together a record 20 consecutive winning seasons, etc. And what did our current team do? The gutless, prideless bunch of pansies went out a crapped a turd on the star in the middle of the field and looked to the sidelines where all our heros were gathered, gave them the middle finger and said, "Take that legends! It sure stinks, doesn't it?"

The worthless bunch of sons a *****es!

 

[poke]

so we havent won a playoff game in 13 years and we still have more playoff wins than the steelers ? wow

that last home game disappointed me so much. i thought Jerry did a nice job
of putting that together with all the memories and past players.
i will always be mad at the gutless team that played that day. always. all of them.

good post Hostile , thanks.

 

[NoLuv4Jerry]

that game botherd because Romo did EXACTLY what Ray Lewis predicted during the week Romo would do. And it was so predictable I thought Romo was trying to throw the game....he heaved the ball up like a high school QB. You do NOT do that with Ed Reed on the football field. How do you lose to a ROOKIE QB that was simply trying to NOT lose the game himself? By giving the other team GREAT field position with stupid plays.

I rarley criticize Romo like a lot of people do because I understand the QB position is hard to play...and Romo is a GREAT QB...but I was really upset with him that night.

And then we find out later on that Wade AND Garret warned Romo that week about throwing the ball up for grabs against the Ravens

That confirmed that this lockroom was an animal house and the organization really needed to tighten the reigns.

And I think they have done that....we got rid of the right people...we will run the ball more...and we will try to win football games by doing the little things like cut down the penalties, stop giving up so many yards on kickoff and punt returns...stop the silly turnovers.

This team had gotten so good that we were able to overcome penalties and poor special teams play....but you do not overcome that agaisnt good teams and in tight ball games.

Which is why it burns me when critics point to the 2007 NFC playoff loss to the Giants as proof Romo cannot win big games...he played one of the best games he has EVER played....a Troy Aikman like game...he did NOT lose that game....penalties and poor special teams lost that game. BASIC elements of winnng football that we have not done well because our talent had allowed us to overcome those obstacles

 

[ZeroClub]

The final 65 minutes of game clock from last season was likely the worst 65 consecutive minutes in the history of the franchise.

And, for all practical purposes, the team quit with the playoffs on the line.

It was awful.

 

[Hostile]

so we havent won a playoff game in 13 years and we still have more playoff wins than the steelers ? wow

that last home game disappointed me so much. i thought Jerry did a nice job
of putting that together with all the memories and past players.
i will always be mad at the gutless team that played that day. always. all of them.

good post Hostile , thanks.

I have an excel spreadsheet program on my computer that keeps track of these things. If you go back and look at how many post season games the Steelers have won since 1996 you begin to understand how much of a gap they closed in recent years.

 

[LucaBrasi]

I have an excel spreadsheet program on my computer that keeps track of these things. If you go back and look at how many post season games the Steelers have won since 1996 you begin to understand how much of a gap they closed in recent years.

The Steelers are 11-5 since the Cowboys last post season victory I think.

 

[Joe Realist]

Since we are looking back Hos, I went back to see what I wrote before 2008. I am glad that year is behind us.

06-15-2008 #1 Joe Realist
Senior Member

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Moonwalking with Hostile and his soccer ball to the store to get Moose Tracks
Posts: 1,505

Trepidation for 2008
I know we have a bunch of talented players, some really good coaches and a passionate owner. However, I do have concerns for this year and ask you share your opinion as well.

1. The bar has clearly been raised this year after last year's very suprising 13-3 record and division crowd. How do the Cowboys respond?

2. Pressure. I am still not convinced Romo can handle the heat as the games get more meaningful down the stretch.

3. Distractions - I know we name alot of them in a previous thread (Hard Knocks, outside interests, Greg Ellis and Terry Glenn, etc.)

4. Getting paid - This is the one that concerns me the most. Alot of players got " their money " this year and sometimes it leads to not giving that discretionary effort you saw previously (How many of you have seen someone get a raise, give someone a raise or promotion, yet do not get that same effort or see that same hunger they once have?)

5. Health - The Cowboys really did not miss anyone for an extended amount of time that was critical. What are the chances that happens again?

Thoughts?
__________________

 

[Undisputed]

Good post. It is both depressing and encouraging. We lost a few marks, but we are still in decent shape to regain them over the new few years. We are lucky to still be contenders and not in a "rebuilding process", while helplessly watching the Steelers run wild at the top.



I must say...The Cowboy team that finally manages to end our Superbowl drought is automatically my favorite Cowboy team of all-time.
:laugh2:

 

[HoustonSucks]

Thank you for articulating everything in my heart and head since the season ended. I feel like a freaking ground hog who's scared to pop up onto the surface of the earth and see what the heck is going on.