Your Optimism and Your Pessimism Meet

[Hostile]

The pessimists hate to admit optimism, and the optimists hate to admit pessimism. Yet any rational thinking person realizes we all have a little bit of both inside us. There isn't a pessimist out there who isn't wanting this team to succeed. There isn't an optimist out there who doesn't get up in arms when we make a stupid penalty. Face it fans, we are all basically a little bit schizophrenic when it comes to the team we love.

People want to measure love. I never really have understood that. Some want to feel they love the team more than anyone else because they won't say anything bad about the team. Some feel they know more about the team because they have been "right" for so many years that the team has struggled. No getting around it, we are all fans and we all love the team. We just love them in different ways because we are different people with differing views.

I believe there's a little bit of optimism and pessimism in us all. Are you brave enough to tear down your Internet personas and share both sides? Or will you simply read and post snide comments about your normal sparring partners. Either way, it doesn't matter but the invitation is there for you to open up.

Most consider me an optimist here. I've never quite figured that out, I suppose I lean more optimistic, but I honestly can't remember being all gaga over Wade Phillips, TO, Brad Johnson, Pacman, and a lot of other topics. I pointed out last year that we have not won a season finale this decade and I constantly point out our post Thanksgiving flops. The label still exists, so I'll start with my optimistic side.

I think this team is flying under the radar because last year was so disappointing. It made a lot of the media and experts gun shy to pick us again. There is very real talent on this team. It didn't exhibit itself in 2008, but it exists. Pride is hurt too. Talent and hurt pride is a good mixture for success. I would put the ceiling on this team at 13-3, but think 12-4 or 11-5 is far more likely given the talent in the division. This team will be about field position battles and steady improvement over 2008. Some may not like the Draft this year but this team has good character and if it comes together because of it, good things can happen. I think we finally win in the post season again. I won't say how far until I see something tangible.

Okay, now for the pessimism. The biggest downer of the off season by far for me was the failure to bring Dan Reeves aboard. I've heard all the rhetoric. It still sounds stupid, phony, and ego driven to me. A close second in disppointment for me is that we have this brand new cathedral of a stadium, players worthy of the Ring of Honor, and no one will be recognized in 2009.

On top of this add in the fact that the NFL is honoring the AFL's 50 years and we are getting nothing in our 50th season. Apparently we will honor 50 years next year as we play our 51st season. Utterly frigging stupid on the part of everyone involved in that decision.

I have no faith in Wade. After Parcells left I do think he was the best candidate, but I can't say that now with the plethora of coaches who are currently out of work. Wade has gotten tougher this Training Camp we hear, but I wonder if it is tough enough. This team does not take the ball away from the opponents. We don't cause a lot of fumbles and we don't swipe passes. Ultimately that is a death knell waiitng to peel. If we suffer injuries anywhere close to 2008 and don't show some marked improvement in causing 3 and outs or takeaways this team could finish 8-8 or worse. I never take the NFC East lightly.

Have at it if you dare. Show both sides of your insanity for a change.

 

[Joe Realist]

My thought is we will struggle this year a bit, but the experience will help us do something special in 2010 with a new coach. I am not saying Super Bowl, but Romo will get a playoff win. Now, I would love to be wrong this year, but I can't hope because hope is not a strategy.

 

[Big Dakota]

If this team is truely not a championship caliber team, then please let it show this year so we can blow some things up.

Last thing i want is 10-6, one win in the POs and Wade back in 2010

 

[bayeslife]

If this team is truely not a championship caliber team, then please let it show this year so we can blow some things up.

Last thing i want is 10-6, one win in the POs and Wade back in 2010

I think everyone wants at least A playoff win. :laugh2:

 

[Chief]

I'm optimistic about:

-- The fact that Dallas has three outstanding running backs and will run the ball more this year.

-- Tony Romo is a great football player ... a franchise quarterback. I believe he'll take better care of the ball this year and will be helped by the belief that Dallas will run more this year.

-- Jason Witten is the best tight end in the game.

-- There is no defensive player I would rather have on my team than DeMarcus Ware. He is a dream player. A great pass-rusher, playmaker, who is perfect off the field.

-- I believe Marcus Spears will have a very good year.

-- I believe (at this point at least) that Jason Garrett is a very good football coach and has a bright future.

-- I'm a big fan of Jeremiah Ratliff.

-- I like the added emphasis on special teams.

-- I'm not giving up on Doug Free. Offensive linemen take time to develop and Free may be starting to show something. I have hope.

-- I liked the fact that Dallas drafted so many solid characters last April. Not much flash there, but this draft was filled with guys who were team captains and leaders at the collegiate level. This builds a solid base within your organization. And eventually, it could help this team win games in December and January when the pressure mounts.



I'm pessimistic about:

-- Wade Phillips is a good football coach, but not cut out to be a head coach, in my opinion. He is a co-pilot, a vice-president, a sidekick. He's Ed McMahon. Dallas needs Johnny Carson ... an "A" guy, not a "B" guy. I also think this will be his last year as head coach and his lame-duck status is a cloud that will hang over this team all year long.

-- I'm hopeful that Roy Williams will be a difference-maker, but not confident.

-- There is a depth problem on the offensive line when Cory Procter is such a key member of the second unit.

-- I agree with Hostile. The Dan Reeves fiasco left a bad taste in my mouth. Reeves is a very good football guy who understands the importance of discipline, structure and chemistry. He would have been a great addition to the front office. I firmly believe that Jerry got cold feet and sabotaged Reeves' contract to get him out.

-- I realize it's been only one preseason game, but I saw a lot of the same sloppy tackling and penalties last week that we saw the last two years under Wade.

 

[joseephuss]

My thought is we will struggle this year a bit, but the experience will help us do something special in 2010 with a new coach. I am not saying Super Bowl, but Romo will get a playoff win. Now, I would love to be wrong this year, but I can't hope because hope is not a strategy.

My optimism is why put off until next season what can be done this year? The team has enough experience and talent to make a playoff run this season. They went to the playoffs in 2006 and 2007, so that gives many on the team great experience. There are some depth issues, so injuries can derail the team. I just think they have a good mix of veterans and young players that have faced tough situations.

My pessimism is if they can't learn to win in the playoffs this season then it may be more difficult to do that in the future. Failing to get to the playoffs this season could linger and negatively effect the team in future years. They don't have to win a Superbowl this season, but they at least need to win a playoff game.

 

[AbeBeta]

Optimism -- I believe we have what can be the most dominating 3 RB attack the league has ever seen.

Pessisism -- The first 'Skins game last year made me wonder whether Garrett will ever take a run first approach.

Optimism -- TO's absence promotes a more balanced attack

Pessimism -- We need a guy who wants the ball all the time. BP used to say "I have no problem with someone wanting the ball" - who is that guy?

Optimism -- Martellus Bennett, Felix Jones, and Miles Austin are all good looking young players who should blossom this year.

Pessimism -- We had a hell of a time integrating new players into the O last year.

 

[aikemirv]

I am an optimist but I think last year at the end for the first time ever really changed my "care" level of how the Cowboys do this year.

I still care but I think the performance against Baltimore and Philly really made me rethink the effort and importance I put on the Cowboys as a team.

I am not sure I will ever get back what those two games took from me last year.

Maybe that is for the best because maybe I took things too seriously and let how the Cowboys perform realy effect my day and how I behaved. It could just be that I saw a bit of myself in my 12 year old son and saw how unappealing that was and how silly it was to get upset over a football game, I don't know.

That said

Optimistic that Romo and the offense has no excuse but to perform at a very high level barring more than 1 injury to the Oline.

Optimistic that Ware will have an even bigger year this year with better CB play

Optimistic that Newman,Jenkins and Scandrick will be the best CB group we have ahd in a long time.

Optimistic that Witten,Bennett and Jones will be a great short passing game trio and take tons of pressure and hits from Romo.

Pessimistic

Wade ( I was for getting rid of him),Garrett's play calling ( it was poor last year) and the teams mental makeup (Baltimore and Philly) I was numb after Baltimore so Philly was not as big of a deal.

 

[LucaBrasi]

Optimism:

Felix Jones and Marty B giving the offense 2 more viable options

the usual suspects: Ware, Witten, Ratliff

flying under the radar

Wade Phillips as defensive co-ordinator

Pessimism:

Wade Phillips as head coach

an aging o-line that hasn't played well to begin with

depth

the general underachievement of this group for 3 years really

 

[NorTex]

Optimism: We are 0-0 right now, so we could end up 16-0

Pessimism: We are 0-0 right now, so we could end up 0-16

:starspin

 

[Shake_Tiller]

Optimism: The Cowboys maybe have set the proper tone for success by ridding the team of distractions, both from a personnel standpoint and from the abandonment of the worst of the "Here look at me!" exploits, such as "Hard Knocks." Training camp is business, and I can't imagine that it's a good thing to treat it otherwise. This year, it seemed, the atmosphere was much more conducive to business, and I think that's a good thing.

The Cowboys have talent. If Bennett is 75% of the player being described, Dallas might well have as good a tandem of tight ends as we have seen in the NFL --two big, athletic pass catchers who also block well. That would create a good many mismatches. The WR situation is a bit more tenuous, but I've seen enough of Roy Williams to believe he will be very good. No, he's not Terrell Owens in his prime, but he is a big, athletic target. And I expect Crayton, Hurd and Austin to be at least adequate. The RB depth is as good as there is in the league. The offensive line probably is overrated, but that's not to say it can't be good. Adams has always been up and down, but he is certainly a solid LT, when healthy. Gurode and Davis are top tier interior players.

The defensive line is built to do pretty much what is expected in a 3-4, and Ratliff is a top tier interior pass rusher. Ware is Ware, of course, and James is near Pro Bowl quality. If healthy, Newman is a top tier corner, and the second year guys are extremely promising. The safeties ought to be okay.

Special teams could be a plus, rather than a minus. Folk and McBriar are weapons, and Folk's poor kickoffs won't be an issue. The coverage teams ought to be better given the coaching upgrade.

Pessimism: The OL depth is problematic, at best, and there is some age and injury history. Williams was awful after being acquired at mid-year, so there is no guarantee he will be an adequate number one WR. On defense, Newman's health must be considered an issue until it's proven otherwise. Sensabaugh has looked good at safety, but one wonders why -- if he is so solid against the run and the pass -- Dallas was able to pick him up at a relative bargain price.

Wade Phillips hasn't won a playoff game. Until he gets that done, you have to have some doubts. Ditto Tony Romo, though he has had far fewer chances.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I'm optimistic that we finally got rid of the circus and focused on football this offseason. And because so much of football is about the quarterback, I'm optimistic that we have one of the better QBs in football.

I'm pessimistic that we don't quite have the talent to get it done. I still don't understand why people think we're so overwhelmingly talented, because we aren't. We all know we lack depth on the offensive line, the defensive line, and at linebacker. It won't take many injuries up front to push our talent level down to the point where we have to play perfect games to win, and that's very hard to do week in and week out in the NFL.

If we have a bad year, that will be the reason. Not lack of heart, not soft coaches, not golf or girlfriends.

 

[Rampage]

Optimism - Offense

Pessimism - Defense

Optimism - Playmakers on offense, front 7 on defense

Pessimism - O-line, our secondary not getting turnovers

Optimism - Tony Romo, Witten, Ware

Pessimism - Our whole coaching staff and Owner

Optimism - passion to win shown by players like Witten,Barber & Ware

Pessimism - stupid players making stupid mistakes costing us wins

Optimism - success through out the history of this team

Pessimism - lack of recent success

 

[Gaede]

Optimistic: We're a talented football team with alot to prove
Pessimistic: We're soft, have no heart and will lay down when it matters most

 

[RS12]

I'm pessimistic about:

-- Wade Phillips is a good football coach, but not cut out to be a head coach, in my opinion. He is a co-pilot, a vice-president, a sidekick. He's Ed McMahon. Dallas needs Johnny Carson ... an "A" guy, not a "B" guy. I also think this will be his last year as head coach and his lame-duck status is a cloud that will hang over this team all year long.

-- I'm hopeful that Roy Williams will be a difference-maker, but not confident.

-- There is a depth problem on the offensive line when Cory Procter is such a key member of the second unit.

-- I agree with Hostile. The Dan Reeves fiasco left a bad taste in my mouth. Reeves is a very good football guy who understands the importance of discipline, structure and chemistry. He would have been a great addition to the front office. I firmly believe that Jerry got cold feet and sabotaged Reeves' contract to get him out.

-- I realize it's been only one preseason game, but I saw a lot of the same sloppy tackling and penalties last week that we saw the last two years under Wade.

Yeh, what he said.

 

[RS12]

Optimistic: We're a talented football team with alot to prove
Pessimistic: We're soft, have no heart and will lay down when it matters most

This too.

 

[casmith07]

I'll go with 3 ups and 3 downs...

Optimism

1. Tony Romo will flourish this season, eliminating costly fumbles by becoming more poised, more patient, and less discerning when it comes to throwing the ball around.

2. Finally, after YEARS of mediocrity, we may finally see a defensive backfield worthy of being considered tops in the NFL. Our CBs are top notch, but I believe the addition of Gerald Sensabaugh will finally allow us to be able to cover WRs man-up instead of 10-12 yards off the ball. With Scandrick and Jenkins emerging as tops, and (call me a homer if you like) Newman being better than 90% of corners in the league even while injured, I think we may finally stop seeing those gigantic pass plays from the likes Chris Cooley!!

3. Felix Jones and Martellus Bennett. I think those two names are self-explanitory.

Pessimism

1. I too have concerns about depth, primarily along the offensive line. Sure, we've got a pretty solid backup in Montrae Holland, but outside of that we're looking at another season full of Turnstile Procter.

2. WR depth may also be a concern, not because I don't think Hurd and Austin can get the job done, but because they've had injuries as well. If Roy goes down and Austin and Hurd go down, it'll be difficult to rely on just Crayton and our Tight Ends.....unless Marty B splits out wide....

3. Mat McBriar. Don't break your foot again, ok? Thanks.

 

[reddyuta]

optimism-I really believe we have the offense and the defense to win in the playoffs this year.Our special teams will be vastly improved too(hopefully early in the season)

pessimism-I have a irrational fear that injuries will derail us again.we cannot take any hits on our starting OL or we are in big trouble.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

hos, i have never considered you an optimist. A realist, yes.

As far as my pessimistic side: Wade as HC
The loss of our greatest offensive threat downfield
A line that is held by tape and paper clips
A team that neither fears no respects Wade

Optimism:
Our embarrassment of riches in the RB corps
The development of M. "If He Only Had a Brain" Bennett
A defense led by Ware and Spencer
Pressure on Romo that will make him protect the ball more

Bottom line: we have a HC who will break our hearts every year. Nice guy, poor leader.

Jerra, you got us a team loaded with talent and a billion-dollar stadium and Wade is the best you can do??????

 

[Zaxor]

O: I believe

P: Sometimes just believing ain't enough