What I Don't Understand About Cowboys Fans?

[DFWJC]

 

[Proximo]

You were being condscending but putting that aside. Jerry isn't the Dallas Cowboys. I was a fan long before he came will be one long after he is gone. The star is bigger than one man. I don't get why someone has to be a fan of the current management to be a fan of the team. Makes no sense.

That's the thing though, I absolutely agree that you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the management to be a fan of the team, but if you absolutely hate and despise the management, doesn't that take away from the amount of enjoyment you get out of cheering for the team in general?

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

I'm a Cowboys fan because I grew up watching the team since 1971 and nothing Jerry does is going to affect my allegiance for the team. A true FAN isn't going to bail on the team they grew up rooting for because they have issues with the owner or the current direction of the team. If you follow a team long enough you're going to endure many highs and lows and a dedicated diehard fan is going to ride it out through the good and the bad. I had issues with Bum Bright and with Tom Landry during the mid to late 80's.

I saw the Cowboys headed down the drain and it was painful after all the winning seasons I enjoyed through the 70's and early 80's. Things went from bad to worse in 89 after Jerry and Jimmy took over. It appeared the Cowboys would be a crappy team for many years to come but I never even considered quitting on them because the Cowboys are in my blood and will always be no matter how bad things get. There's a love/hate for Jerry he means well and does everything he can to improve the team but he continues doing things his own way and it keeps the Cowboys spinning their wheels every year.

The best decision Jerry ever made was hiring Jimmy and allowing him to make all the football decisions. Once Jimmy left and Jerry started making all the football decisions and all the talent Jimmy brought in began fading away by 1997 the Cowboys have not been very successful. Had Jerry not come to Dallas with Jimmy the Cowboys would have never dug out of the hole they were left with and Jerry wouldn't have amounted to anything as an NFL owner. He probably would have been forced to sell the team by the late 90's. Everything Jerry has become as an NFL owner he became because of the Cowboys 3 SB wins in the 90's.



No "fan" is going to enjoy being a fan when their team is 2 games below 500 the past 2 seasons and has missed the playoffs both years. The Cowboys have only won ONE playoff game in 15 years and the team keeps folding in Dec every year. A lot of fans who come to this site have been following the Cowboys since the 70's they've seen the team win 5 SB's so the past 15 years hasn't been easy for those fans. The most critical fans are the ones who've been following the team for decades and grew accustom to the Cowboys winning consistently.

There's a lot of fans who come here who weren't even around when the Cowboys were winning SB's so all they know is the inconsistencies they see with the team every year. There's been no stability with the team since Jimmy left the Cowboys have gone through 5 head coaches since then. Most fans who were around during the Cowboys SB years are going to have high standards and are going to be very critical of the teams performance the past 2 playoff less seasons.

Some of us here are very passionate, demanding, honest fans and it's difficult for us to show the optimism every year that some fans do when the Cowboys keep falling flat on their face every Dec. Being critical of your team or someone in your family who keeps underachieving doesn't mean you don't love them. This site attracts a lot of fans some are very knowledgeable while others are stupid/delusional and are in denial that's what makes it interesting here and causes some of the heated debates. Anyone who visits this site regularly especially during the offseason is a fan. We all come here to support the team but when things aren't going well some are going to vent.

Some fans are able to maintain optimism every year regardless of how inconsistent the Cowboys are. They pump sunshine just to pump sunshine and predict SB's and 14-2 records regardless that the Cowboys haven't been able to break 500 the past 2 seasons. There's different types of fans the intelligent, the dense, the optimistic and the pessimistic but we all have one thing in common we're FANS or we wouldn't invest time posting on boards like this.

Perfectly said. I've been a fan since the 70's and I will always be one. I like Jerry personally but I don't think he's been a great GM. I don't post much here but I do read the threads almost everyday. It just gets tiring. Every year it's the same thing. We're going to the SB and every year the team collapses in December. I just want them to surprise me one year.

 

[JonJon]

I guess I wouldn't expect them to jump ship either, but you get the sense from some of these fans that they're such intense Jerry haters it's hard to see how they even enjoy being a Cowboys fan, ya know? I mean, even if you're not a bandwagoner where do you draw the line? Do you just remain a miserable fan until Jerry's gone? Seems depressing. There's such Jerry hate from our own fans that I seriously think even if we did win the Superbowl, watching him heave the Lombardi over his head would probably make some of these fans mad.

I get your point, and I can tell you that I haven't had a great time as a Cowboy fan as of late. I've had my heart ripped out more times than I can remember over the last 3-4 years, each time in a completely mind-boggling different way. And it has been depressing.

Reading the thread about the 2nd Cowboy/Giants game a few days ago brought back some painful memories. But that is what being a fan is all about. You go through the highs and lows with your team, and show up the next year ready to do it again, hoping that the team finally rights the ship. It is those moments that make the winning years the more enjoyable and fulfilling.

As for the Jerry hatred, yes you will probably see those disgusted by him still even if the Cowboys win another SB under his ownership, but I am sure those fans would still be happy for the Cowboys regardless. I guess the point I am trying to make is that you can still love the Cowboys and hate Jerry Jones at the same time.

 

[Risen Star]

So isn't that what a fan supposed to do....always think...this is the year.....

No. A fan is supposed to hope it but not think it. If you think every year is the year, you are completely clueless about your own team. That goes for any fan of any team in any sport.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't equate arrow pointing up to happy. If you do, so be it.

So you are positive while feeling the team isn't headed in the right direction?

 

[jnday]

That's the thing though, I absolutely agree that you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the management to be a fan of the team, but if you absolutely hate and despise the management, doesn't that take away from the amount of enjoyment you get out of cheering for the team in general?

It doesn't take away the enjoyment near as much as losing.

 

[Ren]

That's the thing though, I absolutely agree that you don't necessarily have to be a fan of the management to be a fan of the team, but if you absolutely hate and despise the management, doesn't that take away from the amount of enjoyment you get out of cheering for the team in general?

Just gonna flip this around on you since your question has been asnwered so many times already. Doesn't you being happy with poor results makes you a crap fan? If you are not happy with the poor results why are you even a fan?

See how stupid your question is?

 

[Eskimo]

Jerry has definitely made some mistakes, in regards to player personnel. But one thing I always admire about Jerry, is he always pays to keep his star players, and is not afraid to spend money to try and better the team.

That is one of Jerry's biggest problems as the GM. He doesn't understand when he should let a player go as their skills are starting to decline. He has tended to give them rich extensions for a large number of years and the player often doesn't even last half of the contract before he is cut and creates a lot of dead cap space.

Jerry needs to learn to extend the young core earlier and to let the other players go as their skills start to decline. We are perpetually handicapped with dead cap money that hinders our roster development.

 

[Proximo]

Just gonna flip this around on you since your question has been asnwered so many times already. Doesn't you being happy with poor results makes you a crap fan? If you are not happy with the poor results why are you even a fan?

See how stupid your question is?

Is there something stupid about attempting to gain an understanding as to why seemingly dissatisfied, unhappy, miserable fans continue to be fans? Especially when the root of their dissatisfaction is the ownership of the team, which will most certainly not change in the near future? And when it does change, it will most certainly land in the lap of the current owner's son? I don't think that's a stupid question.

Now, keep in mind I'm not referring to the fans that are dissatisfied strictly because of the team's lack of recent playoff success. I'm talking about the fans who's dissatisfaction is rooted in their disdain for Jerry.

 

[Kingsmith88]

Is there something stupid about attempting to gain an understanding as to why seemingly dissatisfied, unhappy, miserable fans continue to be fans? Especially when the root of their dissatisfaction is the ownership of the team, which will most certainly not change in the near future? And when it does change, it will most certainly land in the lap of the current owner's son? I don't think that's a stupid question.

Now, keep in mind I'm not referring to the fans that are dissatisfied strictly because of the team's lack of recent playoff success. I'm talking about the fans who's dissatisfaction is rooted in their disdain for Jerry.

Many feel one is closely related to the other in many minds.

 

[AmericasTeam81]

Is the team headed in the right direction?
Will the Cowboys winning a Super Bowl lead people to think we won because Jerry Jones was involved or in spite of him?

 

[Hoofbite]

I've always been told that a hit dog will hollar...and that's what seems to have happened here.

Superfan allegations aside, the one question that the OP has maintained throughout the thread is simple.

For those who tend to lean on the glass half empty side of Cowboys fandom, what makes you continue to be a fan?

The answer seems pretty simple........they want the team to do well.

Isn't that the idea behind being a fan? Wanting the team you are a fan of to do well?

Being pessimistic and wanting the team to succeed are separate ideas that some people seem to lump together. Wanting the team to do well supersedes someone's general outlook.

I'm assuming most everyone on this board wants the team to do well. There are fans of other teams here so can't include everyone but for the most part, I'm guess everyone would like the team to win every week.

If that's the common wish amongst the fans, why does it matter how someone views the shortcomings?

 

[Hoofbite]

Is there something stupid about attempting to gain an understanding as to why seemingly dissatisfied, unhappy, miserable fans continue to be fans? Especially when the root of their dissatisfaction is the ownership of the team, which will most certainly not change in the near future? And when it does change, it will most certainly land in the lap of the current owner's son? I don't think that's a stupid question.

Now, keep in mind I'm not referring to the fans that are dissatisfied strictly because of the team's lack of recent playoff success. I'm talking about the fans who's dissatisfaction is rooted in their disdain for Jerry.

Here's a thought.

Maybe a good number of people unhappy with Jerry have been a fan longer than he has been the owner.

Could they not retain their fan-ship while being dissatisfied with Jerry, in your opinion?

 

[Proximo]

Is the team headed in the right direction?
Will the Cowboys winning a Super Bowl lead people to think we won because Jerry Jones was involved or in spite of him?

I think for sure the team is headed in the right direction. What are your thoughts?

I think if the Cowboys do win a Superbowl Jerry would deserve some amount of credit (even if that credit is for simply hiring the right Head Coach).

 

[Proximo]

Here's a thought.

Maybe a good number of people unhappy with Jerry have been a fan longer than he has been the owner.

Could they not retain their fan-ship while being dissatisfied with Jerry, in your opinion?

Oh they can certainly retain their fan-ship, I was just wondering why these excessively miserable fans would even want to retain their fan-ship. You get the sense that some of these individuals literally have no hope as long as Jerry's in charge. I realize many of the Cowboy's fans were fans long before the Jerry era began, however, I'm wondering when exactly these particular fan's "Jerry-hate" set in (considering the quick turn-around and early success we enjoyed at the beginning of his tenure).

 

[AmericasTeam81]

I think for sure the team is headed in the right direction. What are your thoughts?

I think if the Cowboys do win a Superbowl Jerry would deserve some amount of credit (even if that credit is for simply hiring the right Head Coach).

I feel the team is definitely headed in the right direction. Jerry definitely would be one you could look to as "deserving" credit.

 

[jnday]

Oh they can certainly retain their fan-ship, I was just wondering why these excessively miserable fans would even want to retain their fan-ship. You get the sense that some of these individuals literally have no hope as long as Jerry's in charge. I realize many of the Cowboy's fans were fans long before the Jerry era began, however, I'm wondering when exactly these particular fan's "Jerry-hate" set in (considering the quick turn-around and early success we enjoyed at the beginning of his tenure).

For some, the Jerry hate started with firing Landry. For others, it started when Jimmy left and Switzer was hired. For the rest, it started with stupid decisions that took this team from being the class of the NFL to just another team. Winning three Super Bowls was due to Jimmy. Jerry wasn't given credit by most fans. Year after year of disappointing seasons tend to sour the feelings of fans towards the head decision maker.

 

[Apollo Creed]

We won without a salary cap, bottom line. Jimmy built that team, hand picked most of those guys, and drove them all to greatness. Jerry couldn't stand that he was getting so much credit.

The minute Jerry had to play on a level playing field with the cap and with the other 30 teams in the league, he could have arguably been the worst owner in all of football during that time.

It seems now is the first time he's finally starting to 'get it'. I love the mans drive, ambition, business savvy - but the best leaders are the ones that know when to get outta the way, and its a shame it took till Bill Parcells getting here for him to finally kinda realize that.

 

[rwalters31]

You can expect some negative and positive feedback. I too do not understand why some people do not seem to even like the team they root for. I couldn't be that way with a gun to my head. Most of them are still very loyal fans, just happy to be unhappy it seems. I can't explain it any other way because I just don't understand it.

Hos, we have had this discussion before. The reason is that some of us are older than dirt and remember the Landry days of winning. We also remember the Jim Johnson days of winning and how it felt to be a Cowboys fan. Then Jerry thought he was more talented than any other QMs, scouts, and coaches. So we Cowboy fans have now seen 16 years of losing and it feels bad. We the old timers have seen the trends and have a real good handle on what the Jerry philosophy is and this is why we want to teach this old dog new tricks.