Reflecting on an Addiction

Hostile

The Duke
Messages
119,565
Reaction score
4,544
Living in Southern New Mexico or Texas for all of my school years made it certain that I got to see every game Dallas played. Even so, becoming a Cowboys fan was anything but natural in my family.

My Grandfather played for the Packers and even did some time as a scout for them. Everyone in my family loves the Packers. In January 1971 The Baltimore Colts were playing the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. I was 6 years old and football wasn't my addiction yet. We were at my Grandparent's house and my uncle was there with my Grandpa and Dad to watch the game. The 3 men I looked up to most in the world.

At some point Johnny Unitas was replaced by Earl Morrall and this really seemed to tick off my relatives. I think that Unitas got hurt, but at this point I really don't remember. Wanting to impress them I said, "well then the Cowboys are my team." It did impress them and all 3 shouted their approval. I found out years later the reason they approved was because my Dad was a big fan of Craig Morton. I didn't learn this until Super Bowl XII when the Broncos faced the Cowboys.

The excitement of the game was hypnotic. Right away I knew that the Cowboys really were my team. I got addicted to football that day. I got addicted to the Cowboys. They were my first love. I admit I love my wife and kids more, but I loved the Cowboys first. (Don't worry, they've heard that joke.)

My family sort of figured I'd grow out of my love for the Cowboys and join them in Packers land. Not a chance. If Super Bowl V didn't draw me in forever, then 1971 and watching Roger Staubach certainly did. Staubach was amazing, and 34 years ago today he led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl win over Miami in SB VI.

To this day no player has ever impressed me as much as Roger did. He was simply magical. I don't know how else to describe it.

During his career in Dallas I felt like we would win every game. Even when I knew the other team was better I felt like Roger could win the game. Year after year he produced his magical comebacks. As I watched him I grew more and more fascinated with the game. Not just watching it, I wanted to play it all the time. I used to get ticked when the neighborhood guys didn't want to play.

Whenever we did play I literally lived a line from a Mark Wills song, 19 Something. "I was Roger Staubach in my back yard." If only I could have played like Roger. I wanted to play professional football more than anything in the world. I was so addicted to the game that when the guys didn't want to play I had a unique way of "training."

My home town is in the desert and there are lots of mesquite and greasewood bushes. So I'd lace up my running shoes, tuck a football under my arm and run through the desert dodging the bushes who of course were the tacklers. If a bush touched me it meant I was tackled. This training regimen came to a screeching halt one day when as I was running through the desert I turned a corner around a bush and encountered a 6 foot long rattlesnake. I was always fast and could jump high, but jumping far was not my forte' at all.

That day I set the unofficial long jump record because I took off way too soon and should have landed right on the snake if I had been operating under my normal athletic ability. Scared out of your wits provides a great adrenaline boost. I still remember looking down and seeing the snake go from stretched out to coiled up. When we went back later (after I changed my shorts) and measured my take off point to my landing point. It was an impressive jump. Like I said, without the motivation of the snake, I couldn't have come close.

After Staubach's amazing last regular season game, a comeback for the ages against the Commanders, I could feel the hard times coming. It didn't change my passion for the Cowboys one bit. I looked forward to every summer when pre season would start again and I could see the new players.

One Summer I was at my Grandma's. She hated football because Grandpa was so absorbed with it. The Cowboys were getting ready to play the Steelers. Grandma enjoyed bourbon and she'd had a few. She came in the living room and asked me to tell her about this "damned game." I did my best between laughter at her to explain the game. By the end of the game she had joined me as a Cowboys fan. I'm pretty sure Grandpa rolled over in his grave. It was a bond between us.

In 1988 the Cowboys were awful. I got a phone call to come home because Grandma was dying. One by one the grand kids went in to see her and say goodbye. I was the last to go. She said, "oh Mike, what are we going to do about our Cowboys?" I told her, "don't worry Grandma, we're going to draft Troy Aikman and win a couple of more Super Bowls with him." She smiled and squeezed my hand. It was the last thing we ever said to each other.

After Super Bowl XXVIII when we repeated as Super Bowl Champs I went outside and looked up towards heaven. I needed to be alone with my memories of her and that night.

It was great to see the Cowboys back so dominant. They've given me so many heroes and memories over the years. It's been a great addiction.

As Emmitt Smith approached the all time rushing record I went looking for a forum to share in the memories with fellow Cowboys fans. Eventually I found my way over here. My addiction took on a new form. I've enjoyed almost every minute of rapping about football with all of you here. I never could have imagined how much fun I'd have. 20,000 posts later a theory I've had for a long time is just as true as it was long before the Internet was around.

That theory is simply this, being fans of the Dallas Cowboys is a brotherhood. If you see someone wearing a Cowboys cap or T-shirt all you have to do is say "nice hat, or nice shirt" and you can strike up a conversation.

Thank you all for particpating in my addiction. Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to return to an old habit and write a novella.

I can't wait until we're all celebrating again.
 

lane

The Chairman
Messages
13,178
Reaction score
5,557
beautiful...you are an accomplished writer.

i think we will be celebrating real soon hos.
 

Juke99

...Abbey someone
Messages
22,279
Reaction score
126
Thank you for recounting some great memories, Hos.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate your 20,000th post.

Proud to call ya a friend.

:D
 

choachip05

Member
Messages
56
Reaction score
0
was also brainwashed into diamonds are forever (as i call them, they are also known as the Dallas Cowboys). thanks for your story, one day i will print my history w/ dem Boys here, not as long as yours but it is filled w/ crazy turns, (thanks to Tony D.) depressing moments (Rogers last pass),and the awesome times , ring 2,3,4,5. i wasnt there for #1.
 

Cbz40

The Grand Poobah
Messages
31,387
Reaction score
39
Can't wait to see the swagger back........those sleepless nights before the playoff games......Those week long fourth quarters when our boys have the lead in the Super Bowl.

Oh Hos it is way past time.
 

Cajuncowboy

Preacher From The Black Lagoon
Messages
27,499
Reaction score
81
The best commemeration of a milestone post I have read yet. Beats my 5,000th all to heck. (I can't remember if it was the argument over Henson's playing time or what LOL!)

Great post from a great poster.

And thanks for your contributions to this forum as both a poster and a mod.
 

Hostile

The Duke
Messages
119,565
Reaction score
4,544
choachip05 said:
was also brainwashed into diamonds are forever (as i call them, they are also known as the Dallas Cowboys). thanks for your story, one day i will print my history w/ dem Boys here, not as long as yours but it is filled w/ crazy turns, (thanks to Tony D.) depressing moments (Rogers last pass),and the awesome times , ring 2,3,4,5. i wasnt there for #1.
Hey, I'd be very interested in reading that.
 

marsbennett

Mars Man
Messages
1,075
Reaction score
4
Posts like this are why I told Dale that I thought you would make a good mod while in chat one night....shortly after the move from thecowboys.net. You haven't written like that in a while. That's what I remember from those DMN days, as well.

Nice read. God Bless Roger Staubach.
 

Hostile

The Duke
Messages
119,565
Reaction score
4,544
marsbennett said:
Posts like this are why I told Dale that I thought you would make a good mod while in chat one night....shortly after the move from thecowboys.net. You haven't written like that in a while. That's what I remember from those DMN days, as well.

Nice read. God Bless Roger Staubach.
There are people who will never forgive you for that. I'm sure you know where.

:wink2:
 

Dough Boy

Seldom Seen
Messages
2,147
Reaction score
0
Hostile said:
That theory is simply this, being fans of the Dallas Cowboys is a brotherhood. If you see someone wearing a Cowboys cap or T-shirt all you have to do is say "nice hat, or nice shirt" and you can strike up a conversation.

.
To your point, this just happend to me today. At the Dr.'s office with the Mrs and another Boyz fan said to me, "nice sweatshirt". He, I, and our wives must have chated for the next 30 mins while waiting. We made fast friends.

The only thing we had in common, the love for Dallas and the passion to withstand the low tide. The best thing about it, I live right outside of DC. Must have been 4 or 5 other skins fan there. But for those 30 min, the only talk was about Dallas.

Nice read.
 

sbuscha

king****
Messages
1,173
Reaction score
30
great post hos.... from a fellow die hard Cowboys fan in Arizona

in 2006 we're breaking in Cardinal stadium with a win....
 

MapleLeaf

Maple Leaf
Messages
5,207
Reaction score
1,598
Hostile said:
I was the last to go. She said, "oh Mike, what are we going to do about our Cowboys?" I told her, "don't worry Grandma, we're going to draft Troy Aikman and win a couple of more Super Bowls with him." She smiled and squeezed my hand. It was the last thing we ever said to each other.

...loved this part. Now she's ragging on me why I don't share watching the games with my two boys.

I've told her I'm too wrapped up in the game to give a damn about the kids, the cat or supper.:eek::

The kids watch at home and I watch at the Vet Hall. My wife has either her poetry reading club or her Japanese flower arranging group over and my daughter is listening to Britney Simpson Aguilera Duff.


There's peace throughout the household for three and a half hours.

I'm a terrible father. But there's peace in our home.
 

Hailmary

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,117
Reaction score
1,870
Juke99 said:
Thank you for recounting some great memories, Hos.

I can't think of a better way to celebrate your 20,000th post.

Proud to call ya a friend.

:D

How does one find the time to reach 20,000 posts????
 

Zaxor

Virtus Mille Scuta
Messages
8,406
Reaction score
38
Hos you and I started around the same time and around the same age....

but there was some major differences my folks had 9 kids and I am 2nd to the youngest...

My Dad liked the Skins,
My Mom liked the Vikes,
than amongst the kids

there was a like of Philly, Miami, NYG, NYJ, KC etc..some have switched alliegence.. due to getting a home team like Seattle, Titans..

I went with the Cowboys cause as you know Westerns were big at that time and Cowboys were Cool... the arguements and discussions in the family was always lively and fun
 

Hostile

The Duke
Messages
119,565
Reaction score
4,544
Zaxor said:
Hos you and I started around the same time and around the same age....

but there was some major differences my folks had 9 kids and I am 2nd to the youngest...

My Dad liked the Skins,
My Mom liked the Vikes,
than amongst the kids

there was a like of Philly, Miami, NYG, NYJ, KC etc..some have switched alliegence.. due to getting a home team like Seattle, Titans..

I went with the Cowboys cause as you know Westerns were big at that time and Cowboys were Cool... the arguements and discussions in the family was always lively and fun
Sounds fun Zax. I like everything about cowboys. I grew up on a ranch. I love John Wayne movies and westerns in general. I like country music. I like rodeos. I love History and my favorite era of it is the Old West. Nothing else would fit in my life and keep it balanced but loving the Cowboys.
 

BrAinPaiNt

Mike Smith aka Backwoods Sexy
Staff member
Messages
78,651
Reaction score
42,995
CowboysZone ULTIMATE Fan
I think you copied this from a readers digest story Hos.

Just kidding...very nice read and I am sure others will find ways to give you big props for your grandfather playing with the packers.;)
 

DallasDomination

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,791
Reaction score
6,205
Hostile said:
Living in Southern New Mexico or Texas for all of my school years made it certain that I got to see every game Dallas played. Even so, becoming a Cowboys fan was anything but natural in my family.

My Grandfather played for the Packers and even did some time as a scout for them. Everyone in my family loves the Packers. In January 1971 The Baltimore Colts were playing the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V. I was 6 years old and football wasn't my addiction yet. We were at my Grandparent's house and my uncle was there with my Grandpa and Dad to watch the game. The 3 men I looked up to most in the world.

At some point Johnny Unitas was replaced by Earl Morrall and this really seemed to tick off my relatives. I think that Unitas got hurt, but at this point I really don't remember. Wanting to impress them I said, "well then the Cowboys are my team." It did impress them and all 3 shouted their approval. I found out years later the reason they approved was because my Dad was a big fan of Craig Morton. I didn't learn this until Super Bowl XII when the Broncos faced the Cowboys.

The excitement of the game was hypnotic. Right away I knew that the Cowboys really were my team. I got addicted to football that day. I got addicted to the Cowboys. They were my first love. I admit I love my wife and kids more, but I loved the Cowboys first. (Don't worry, they've heard that joke.)

My family sort of figured I'd grow out of my love for the Cowboys and join them in Packers land. Not a chance. If Super Bowl V didn't draw me in forever, then 1971 and watching Roger Staubach certainly did. Staubach was amazing, and 34 years ago today he led the Cowboys to their first Super Bowl win over Miami in SB VI.

To this day no player has ever impressed me as much as Roger did. He was simply magical. I don't know how else to describe it.

During his career in Dallas I felt like we would win every game. Even when I knew the other team was better I felt like Roger could win the game. Year after year he produced his magical comebacks. As I watched him I grew more and more fascinated with the game. Not just watching it, I wanted to play it all the time. I used to get ticked when the neighborhood guys didn't want to play.

Whenever we did play I literally lived a line from a Mark Wills song, 19 Something. "I was Roger Staubach in my back yard." If only I could have played like Roger. I wanted to play professional football more than anything in the world. I was so addicted to the game that when the guys didn't want to play I had a unique way of "training."

My home town is in the desert and there are lots of mesquite and greasewood bushes. So I'd lace up my running shoes, tuck a football under my arm and run through the desert dodging the bushes who of course were the tacklers. If a bush touched me it meant I was tackled. This training regimen came to a screeching halt one day when as I was running through the desert I turned a corner around a bush and encountered a 6 foot long rattlesnake. I was always fast and could jump high, but jumping far was not my forte' at all.

That day I set the unofficial long jump record because I took off way too soon and should have landed right on the snake if I had been operating under my normal athletic ability. Scared out of your wits provides a great adrenaline boost. I still remember looking down and seeing the snake go from stretched out to coiled up. When we went back later (after I changed my shorts) and measured my take off point to my landing point. It was an impressive jump. Like I said, without the motivation of the snake, I couldn't have come close.

After Staubach's amazing last regular season game, a comeback for the ages against the Commanders, I could feel the hard times coming. It didn't change my passion for the Cowboys one bit. I looked forward to every summer when pre season would start again and I could see the new players.

One Summer I was at my Grandma's. She hated football because Grandpa was so absorbed with it. The Cowboys were getting ready to play the Steelers. Grandma enjoyed bourbon and she'd had a few. She came in the living room and asked me to tell her about this "damned game." I did my best between laughter at her to explain the game. By the end of the game she had joined me as a Cowboys fan. I'm pretty sure Grandpa rolled over in his grave. It was a bond between us.

In 1988 the Cowboys were awful. I got a phone call to come home because Grandma was dying. One by one the grand kids went in to see her and say goodbye. I was the last to go. She said, "oh Mike, what are we going to do about our Cowboys?" I told her, "don't worry Grandma, we're going to draft Troy Aikman and win a couple of more Super Bowls with him." She smiled and squeezed my hand. It was the last thing we ever said to each other.

After Super Bowl XXVIII when we repeated as Super Bowl Champs I went outside and looked up towards heaven. I needed to be alone with my memories of her and that night.

It was great to see the Cowboys back so dominant. They've given me so many heroes and memories over the years. It's been a great addiction.

As Emmitt Smith approached the all time rushing record I went looking for a forum to share in the memories with fellow Cowboys fans. Eventually I found my way over here. My addiction took on a new form. I've enjoyed almost every minute of rapping about football with all of you here. I never could have imagined how much fun I'd have. 20,000 posts later a theory I've had for a long time is just as true as it was long before the Internet was around.

That theory is simply this, being fans of the Dallas Cowboys is a brotherhood. If you see someone wearing a Cowboys cap or T-shirt all you have to do is say "nice hat, or nice shirt" and you can strike up a conversation.

Thank you all for particpating in my addiction. Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to return to an old habit and write a novella.

I can't wait until we're all celebrating again.

Nice read:starspin

The grandma part was very touching.
 
Top