Good Riddance, 2013

Crappy New Year!

Sorry, but to Cowboys fans it’s a familiar refrain as 2014 dawns. Out with the old. In with the same ol’ same ol’.

We all know Jerry Jones won three Super Bowls in four years during Dallas’ ‘90s’ dynasty. But, don’t look now, he’s also in the midst of authoring the least successful stretch of football in the franchise’s proud history.

Last Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Eagles capped another 8-8 season and another year with no post-season. The Cowboys haven’t made the playoffs in four years, since winning the NFC East in 2009.

The four-year playoff drought is the longest of Jones’ tenure, and the second-longest in club history. The only times the Cowboys missed the playoffs five consecutive seasons was the birth of the franchise in 1960-64, and from 1986-90 when the Tom Landry era fizzled and Jones took over.

Unfortunately for Dallas-Fort Worth sports fans, in 2013 there was no acceptable alternative to the Cowboys. The other three major professional sports teams in town – Stars, Mavericks and Rangers – also failed to make the playoffs. That’s right, for the first time since 1989 North Texas didn’t get a chance to watch even a single post-season game.

You want mediocrity? In 2013 the Rangers lost a play-in game after going 91-72 in their regular season. The other three teams all finished .500, going a combined 71-71-4 (Mavs 41-41; Stars 22-22-4; Cowboys 8-8).

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So if you weren’t sad to see 2013 depart. Know that you aren’t alone.  From a sports standpoint, 2014 can’t be any worse.

A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently writes a sports/guy stuff blog at DFWSportatorium.com and lives in McKinney with his fiancee, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.

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