What was your worst year to be a Cowboys Fan?

[PAPPYDOG]

What was your worst year as a Cowboys fan?

Mine was 1988. In my lifetime, which started in 1965, the Cowboys had never won less than 7 games in a season, except for the strike shortened 1982 season, when they went 6-3 and made the NFL championship game for the 3rd straight season. And they had only 3 seasons of 7 wins (1965, 1986 & 1987) in that time. At the age of 23, I had witnessed 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966-1985. The Cowboys had started 6-2 in 1986 on their way to a 21st winning season, only to crater to a 1-7 finish after Danny White was injured, and Steve Pelleur took over at Quarterback. 1986 was their first losing season since 1964, and the first I had ever witnessed.

To watch Tom Landry suffer through the humiliation of a 3-13 season in 1988 was excruciating. That was BEFORE he got fired in February 1989.

Every year when we don't play in the Superbowl.
The above used to be the Cowboy belief system now we're just happy if and when we beat a team over .500

 

[DallasEast]

Answer: 1989

Off-Topic: I have always debated with myself what were the worst games I have experienced as Cowboys fan. Two immediately top my own list, Super Bowls X and XIII. That said, I was angry and totally frustrated by those losses. On the other hand, the 44-0 1985 regular season loss to the Bears still haunts me to this day. I can think back and clearly recall how that beating stumped the spirit out of my body. It was just a totally humbling beatdown for me.

 

[fivetwos]

Quite simple
Any answer other than the Garrett years is incorrect.

I don't think a coach in history has wasted as much talent as he did during his span here. I utterly despise the man....

Nice!

A few days ago around here I was told he was one of the top 10% best coaches in league history.

 

[unionjack8]

Nice!

A few days ago around here I was told he was one of the top 10% best coaches in league history.

Haha, I swear we have clowns as part of this fanbase

 

[KJJ]

How can 1989 be viewed as an all time low point when we just got a cant miss franchise QB, and had a TON of high draft picks ahead?

See 2000 for very little hope.

If Jimmy and Jerry thought Aikman was a “can’t miss” QB they wouldn’t have taken Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft. There were some that weren’t that high on a Aikman. It took the Cotton Bowl practice for Tom Landry to be sold on him. No college coach had ever had success as an NFL head coach and neither Jerry or Jimmy had any NFL experience. Jerry was a businessman who knew little about the NFL. Both Jimmy and Jerry were laughing stocks after the 89 season, especially after trading away their best player. The forecast by many for the team after that season wasn’t very good. The 89 team was one of the top 10 worst teams in NFL history and was being compared to the Cowboys very first team in 1960.

 

[fivetwos]

What was your worst year as a Cowboys fan?

Mine was 1988. In my lifetime, which started in 1965, the Cowboys had never won less than 7 games in a season, except for the strike shortened 1982 season, when they went 6-3 and made the NFL championship game for the 3rd straight season. And they had only 3 seasons of 7 wins (1965, 1986 & 1987) in that time. At the age of 23, I had witnessed 20 consecutive winning seasons from 1966-1985. The Cowboys had started 6-2 in 1986 on their way to a 21st winning season, only to crater to a 1-7 finish after Danny White was injured, and Steve Pelleur took over at Quarterback. 1986 was their first losing season since 1964, and the first I had ever witnessed.

To watch Tom Landry suffer through the humiliation of a 3-13 season in 1988 was excruciating. That was BEFORE he got fired in February 1989.

88 is an interesting take.

This is where I confess and say that I spent all of 88 rooting for Troy Aikman, and that's all.

Not to say I openly rooted against them. I dont live locally and only saw a few games that year, but I was never broken up over a loss.

In fact without looking it up, I remember a game from December of 1988 at Cleveland I think....

Roger Ruzek kicked a GW FG, but it was called back, and he missed the next try. That's based on memory and could be wrong, but if that penalty doesnt happen, theres no Troy Aikman.

I don't know how many SBs Dallas wins with Steve Walsh.

I want to say the penalty was on Randy White. Again, didnt look it up.

 

[fivetwos]

If Jimmy and Jerry thought Aikman was a “can’t miss” QB they wouldn’t have taken Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft. There were some that weren’t that high on a Aikman. It took the Cotton Bowl practice for Tom Landry to be sold on him. No college coach had ever had success as an NFL head coach and neither Jerry or Jimmy had any NFL experience. Jerry was a businessman who knew little about the NFL. Both Jimmy and Jerry were laughing stocks after the 89 season, especially after trading away their best player. The forecast by many for the team after that season wasn’t very good. The 89 team was one of the top 10 worst teams in NFL history and was being compared to the Cowboys very first team in 1960.

Yeah but as bad as it was week to week that year, there was hope moving ahead, and I trusted who was in charge.

Johnson hedged his bet on Aikman, and it cost him the first pick in the draft to do so, but I personally never had that concern.

So as far as it being the WORST time, no, not for me.

No picks, Campo, Jerry, Galloway, Randall at QB...those were some tough times IMO.

 

[JackOfNoTrades]

for me 2001 was pretty bad. Campo again as coach, another 5-11 record, last place NFCE, no 1st round pick because of Galloway trade. Aikman retired and replaced by Tony Banks who was abruptly cut so rookie Quincy Carter could start. Up and down an ugly draft......just a dismal season and state of affairs.

 

[KJJ]

Yeah but as bad as it was week to week that year, there was hope moving ahead, and I trusted who was in charge.

Johnson hedged his bet on Aikman, and it cost him the first pick in the draft to do so, but I personally never had that concern.

So as far as it being the WORST time, no, not for me.

No picks, Campo, Jerry, Galloway, Randall at QB...those were some tough times IMO.

The only hope the Cowboys had after the 89 season was all the draft picks they got for Walker. Taking Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft cost them the number one overall pick the following year. It’s easy for anyone to say now that they trusted who was in charge but the two people who were in charge had no NFL experience.

 

[Bizwah]

I think 2007 and 2014 were tough. We SHOULD'VE been in the Super Bowl both seasons. We lost to teams we should've beaten. The seasons were fun, but I was destroyed both years.

 

[foofighters]

The 1-15 season ranks up there for years. However, the worst moment was, "The Catch." I don't think I am still over that.

Oh, and I mean the Dwight Clark one not the Dez one...

 

[DallasEast]

Think it is safe saying there have been two general considerations for replying to the OP's question:

1. Recalling how one felt during and within the confines of a single season
2. Reflecting on how one felt beyond what happened in a single season

The OP is a good one but maybe it should have asked When Were Your Worst Times As A Cowboys Fan?

 

[ESisback]

Historically, those 2 close SB losses against Pittsburgh where we SHOULD have won because we were the better team. The Ice Bowl sucked, as did the close loss to Baltimore in the SB, and the futile Garrett years when we had enough talent to compete...

Personally, though, I’d have to go with the past few years. The negativity, the hate, the endless debating and finger pointing and doom and gloom, all getting progressively worse. The escalating salaries and endless litigation and bad behavior, etc. is MADDENING. We’re getting further and further from the game, and the enjoyment it’s SUPPOSED TO bring us.

 

[fivetwos]

The only hope the Cowboys had after the 89 season was all the draft picks they got for Walker. Taking Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft cost them the number one overall pick the following year. It’s easy for anyone to say now that they trusted who was in charge but the two people who were in charge had no NFL experience.

And by the same means they got Charles Haley, who was undebatably the final piece, for nothing of significance.

Johnson knew he was nowhere without a QB so he hedged his bet. It didnt work out but the overall results prove that it was far from debilitating.

 

[JohnsKey19]

for me 2001 was pretty bad. Campo again as coach, another 5-11 record, last place NFCE, no 1st round pick because of Galloway trade. Aikman retired and replaced by Tony Banks who was abruptly cut so rookie Quincy Carter could start. Up and down an ugly draft......just a dismal season and state of affairs.

Agreed. This was at the height of Jerry running amok.

 

[Tussinman]

I think 2007 and 2014 were tough. We SHOULD'VE been in the Super Bowl both seasons. We lost to teams we should've beaten. The seasons were fun, but I was destroyed both years.

Agreed. Knowing you have all-pro caliber players spread across 5+ position and losing is the worst feeling.

I find that to be way more tough then some early 2000s roster with inexperienced players not playing great (it's like we'll duh of course there not going to be good).

I don't find re-built years or weak roster years not playing great really all that tough, if any it's expected.

Stacked 2007, 2014, 2016, 2018 teams not making deep playoff runs is 10x worst

 

[KJJ]

So as far as it being the WORST time, no, not for me.

No picks, Campo, Jerry, Galloway, Randall at QB...those were some tough times IMO.

Those teams were still able to win 5 games. The Cowboys weren’t starting from the ground up with a new owner and a head coach that had no NFL experience. In 89 Jimmy cleaned house including trading away his best player. All those draft picks he got for Walker didn’t guarantee anything. A couple of years earlier the Rams made a similar trade by sending Eric Dickerson to the Colts and it didn’t work out so well for them.

 

[Daillest88]

Any of those 5-11 Campo years. Growing up in DC and being in high school around those times. Brutal

God yes. Those were the years. Especially the year we traded 2 firsts for Joey Galloway

 

[KJJ]

And by the same means they got Charles Haley, who was undebatably the final piece, for nothing of significance.

Johnson knew he was nowhere without a QB so he hedged his bet. It didnt work out but the overall results prove that it was far from debilitating.

They didn’t get Charles Haley until three years later. They certainly didn’t get him for near nothing, it cost the team a second round pick in 93 and a 3 round pick in 94. You’re acting like you had a crystal ball in 89 and knew exactly how everything would play out with Aikman and knew three years in advance the team would trade for Charles Haley. lol

 

[CowboyChris]

1985, right after we lost 44-0 to the Bears at home