What ever happened to optimism in fans?

[Mansta54]

My first year ever missing a game (pre-season) to attend and record a high school football game.

I still love my Cowboys more than ever, but I'm far from excited, I'm sure I'll be stoked when the real season gets here though, I always am.

Do us all a favor and miss the season too....

 

[DallasDomination]

We'll win the Sb...Book it!

 

[Zaxor]

Great post Cobra & Dadymat & Poke along with others...

Look its fine to point out warts... but if that is all you are ever doing it gets old and your opinion whether you know it or not begins to mean less & less.

I would also suggest if you are going to root for the Cowboys than you might as well enjoy the ride...cause YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT. If for some reason you do not like the direction and just can't stand the way things are and your life is miserable for it....Go root for another team you will be happier for it and your former team's fans will be too.

 

[CliffnDallas]

I am optimistic also. Maybe those are dolphins circling the boat and not sharks.

 

[lspain1]

Good post. However . . . . if anyone wants only good cheer, the Dallas Cowboys Weekly has plenty of it. . . .

Give me a fan site that examines warts and all.
Beneath the cynicism and the pessimism is a wealth of concern and continued loyalty for the Cowboys.

But while this playoff drought continues and Jerra hires mutts like Wade, Chan and Campo, we can and should exercise our right to question and second-guess.

This is an excellent post and recognizes that reservations going into a season and criticism is often a measure of loyalty and concern. For those of you folks who seem to believe that unbridled homerism is the only way to show support, you are......mistaken and badly so.

I bristle when someone comes on here and states my holding some reservations means I won't watch the team or somehow I'm not a "true fan." Somehow, if I'm not "optimistic" then I'm lacking in some way. That's happened to me lately and I resent it when it happens. I've been a Cowboys fan since 1962 and I think I've earned the right to toss a rock or two. I am a distant fan and I pay for Sunday Ticket so I don't miss a play.

Cobra.....you keep your optimism and I think that's fine. But don't sit in judgment of me because I expect excellence from this team and am disappointed when I don't get it. We've all argued about the reasons why, but the bottom line is that last season was NOT excellent. I'm not a rock thrower by nature so I don't start threads about how bad things might be and I'm not going to go into the litany of things that are reasons for concern. But for you, or others, to think that wishing harder is going to make those concerns vanish is a pile of hogwash.

 

[dbair1967]

What ever happened to optimism in fans?

There is a never-ending deluge of posts here trying to identify problems with the team, coaches, and players. It really appears that we are looking for things to be critical about.

Now, I don't care for ridiculous homerism. The Commanders fans who think they are going to the Super Bowl every year are absurd.

But optimism seems to me to be a requirement of being a fan. It can be guarded optimism ("this is going to be rough, but I'm sure hoping we are as good as I think we can be"). But there has to be optimism---certainly before the season even starts.

Life is hard. It can be a grind. We are in a constant struggle with stress, competition, obligations, and lack of time. People get worn down unless there are outlets.

Sports are a release. Being a fan is about enjoying cheering for something.

None of us are employed by this team. None of us are invested in this team. Being a fan is purely optional. And if you are not excited about the team or at least hopeful for the best, why would you be a fan? It makes no sense. No rational person cheers for a bad ending or a car wreck. We cheer for the hope of success.

So where is the optimism? What is with the never-ending, pathetic, and obnoxious constant hand-wringing over every single thing about this team?

In a perfect world, I'd change things about this team. But I enjoy watching them and cheering for them. I am hopeful that everything comes together and this is our season to cross that hurdle. I am eager and excited about our potential.

Again, I am not calling for extreme homerism. But there is an enormous difference between extreme homerism and the extreme pessimism we see here daily.

This is a call to stop it. Stop worrying about this team. Focus on the things to be excited about and get excited about this season. We have the potential to be good. So quit running everything into the ground and look at what we have to be thankful for as we enter the season that gives a chance to be the winner.

This is CZ, we dont do optimism here.

I dont get all the negativity either, especially when the season hasnt even started and the team's starters looked so good during preseason.

 

[LittleBoyBlue]

Going "Rah-Rah" just because you are a fan is silly.

There are a number of problems with this team.

I wont get into details. Everyone knows what they are. Talking about them and pointing them - there is nothing wrong with that.



With that said, come gameday I feel we can't lose. So I am a big fan that when the ball is kicked off I feel the team is invincible.... then it happens. Those problems we haven't corrected come up to bite us in the "end".


go Cowboys.

 

[Doomsday101]

13 years with no playoff wins does suck but this group of players has not been around for 13 years why lay that at their feet? The HC and his staff have not been around for 13 years why lay that at their feet? We have some good young talent on this team I can't say that was the case for all of those 13 years. Yes we have some question marks, hell the Giants and Eagles are predicted to have better records yet they too have question marks. I'm not going to sit here with pie in the sky claiming we are SB bound this season but I do think this is a good team who is going to compete. We can sit here and moan about what we feel they don't have or go out and support what we know we do have which is some quality players on both sided of the ball.

 

[zrinkill]

Look its fine to point out warts... but if that is all you are ever doing it gets old and your opinion whether you know it or not begins to mean less & less.

Thats a great post.

 

[ohiocowboysfan25]

I live in Cleveland and pretty much every year the fans talk about winning the superbowl and they haven't won a playoff game in decades. Last year the Browns motto for the season was "see you at the superbowl". If that fan base can talk about superbowls and they haven't even sniffed one I don't see why we can't. We've had the teams to be contenders the last few years and our fanbase knows what it's like to win and we still ***** and moan. So what we haven't won a playoff game in 12 years every year everyone starts 0-0 and the previous years playoff wins and losses and records don't mean anything.

 

[Monster Heel]

13 years of no playoff wins.
44-6 in a win and in game.
Double J drafting 12 backups.
The same issues plaguing a "talented" team year after year.

etc, etc.

 

[Zaxor]

Thats a great post.

I am glad you liked it my friend I don't often get it right.

 

[RoadRunner]

What ever happened to optimism in fans?

There is a never-ending deluge of posts here trying to identify problems with the team, coaches, and players. It really appears that we are looking for things to be critical about.

Now, I don't care for ridiculous homerism. The Commanders fans who think they are going to the Super Bowl every year are absurd.

But optimism seems to me to be a requirement of being a fan. It can be guarded optimism ("this is going to be rough, but I'm sure hoping we are as good as I think we can be"). But there has to be optimism---certainly before the season even starts.

Life is hard. It can be a grind. We are in a constant struggle with stress, competition, obligations, and lack of time. People get worn down unless there are outlets.

Sports are a release. Being a fan is about enjoying cheering for something.

None of us are employed by this team. None of us are invested in this team. Being a fan is purely optional. And if you are not excited about the team or at least hopeful for the best, why would you be a fan? It makes no sense. No rational person cheers for a bad ending or a car wreck. We cheer for the hope of success.

So where is the optimism? What is with the never-ending, pathetic, and obnoxious constant hand-wringing over every single thing about this team?

In a perfect world, I'd change things about this team. But I enjoy watching them and cheering for them. I am hopeful that everything comes together and this is our season to cross that hurdle. I am eager and excited about our potential.

Again, I am not calling for extreme homerism. But there is an enormous difference between extreme homerism and the extreme pessimism we see here daily.

This is a call to stop it. Stop worrying about this team. Focus on the things to be excited about and get excited about this season. We have the potential to be good. So quit running everything into the ground and look at what we have to be thankful for as we enter the season that gives a chance to be the winner.

There was a poll taken recently, and the vast majority of members were in the 7 to 8 range on a scale of 10 as to how confident we are in the Cowboys this season. I'd say that destroys your entire premise.

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

You mean like the optimism most had last year when Dallas was supposed to win the SuperBowl?

Or do you mean the sort of stick in the mud type attitudes, which are just the good, the bad and the ugly part of life that we all have to face each day.

 

[notherbob]

Great thread...lots of interesting posts.

I will hold off expressing my opinion until December or January, if there is a January. At age 70, I am in no hurry.

 

[landryscorner]

13 years of no playoff wins.
44-6 in a win and in game.
Double J drafting 12 backups.
The same issues plaguing a "talented" team year after year.

etc, etc.

drafts have been pretty bad...yes we have found some diamonds but geez looking back, it has been pretty horrible...Bobby anyone????

 

[Clove]

Do us all a favor and miss the season too....

Why? Because my life doesn't revolve around a game the Owners are starting to make their own instead of the fans game?

You can't root for a player anymore or buy his jersey, because OMG, he may not be here next year and now you're stuck with an expensive Jersey you can't get rid of.

All this parity has virtually put an end to the Cowboys and other teams Dynasty. Pre season is a joke, you really can't play folks because of the fear of hurting someone, obviously because you can't stock pile players anymore because of the parity, again.

So last year I'm pumped up thinking we were going to kick butt, as I was the year before, the year before , you get the drill.

I've been a fan since 5, I'm 39. Excuse me if Jerry keeps turning out crap year after year, and this year, I'm just not buying it. I'll get happy once the season starts, outside of that, you really can't expect too much from fans when you're not doing much to bring a winner to town.

 

[Cochese]

The unlucky ending of the Seattle playoff game.
The loss to the Giants in the playoff game.
The final 65 minutes of game clock from last season.

These were very disappointing events, particularly those last two.

It isn't surprising that the wind has been taken out of some fans' sails.

That describes me. I took a looooong break from this place after our boys rolled over in the last game against the eagles. i am back, so i must be at least slighly optimistic, or just a glutton for punishment.