I’m a life-long Cowboys fan. And that’s it, I’ve had enough.
Not enough of their play, of their fans – the most spoiled, entitled and irrational fans in all of sports.
I’m disgusted by the fair-weather, bandwagon, front-runnin’ fan who cockily picked the Cowboys to beat the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, then denounced them as “losers” and – for the second time in a month – angrily proclaimed the season “over” in the wake of the 45-28 loss.
“That’s it,” the public refrain went last night, “season’s over. I’m sooo done with this team of losers.”
Yes, the prime-time pratfall was hideous and revolting. Nobody’s satisfied – much less happy – with that performance.
The Bears scored on every possession. The Cowboys didn’t force a punt, becoming the second team since 1940 to turn that trick twice in one season. Their defense, the worst in the history of this proud franchise, has surrendered 500 yards five times, while no other NFL defense has allowed even two. And in their last two games on prime-time TV (at the Saints and Bears) they’ve been embarrassed to the tune of 94-45.
Their lows this season are of catastrophic depths. No arguing that.
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But their record is 7-6. If you predicted anything higher than 9-7 for this team back in August you weren’t paying attention. And if you’re waving the white flag of surrender this morning, I pronounce that you’re part of the problem.
The Cowboys, bad as they looked last night, will be favored in their final three games – at home against the Packers, on the road against the Redskins and, yes, even in the Dec. 29 season finale against the Eagles. Since last night wasn’t a must-win game, the gaudy score did nothing to alter their chances of winning the NFC East. Nothing.
And surely you’re not naïve enough to think last week’s performance has a direct correlation to next week’s outcome. If so, may I introduce you to the New Orleans Saints? 27-point losers one week; 18-point winners the next.
With the score 42-14 even Emmitt Smith bailed on his team, Tweeting “This Scheme is garbage.” Like the majority of Cowboys fans, ol’ No. 22 is letting his frustration cloud his logic. As in, um, the Bears play the exact same “Scheme,” 4-3 front with Cover 2 safeties.
Truth is, the Cowboys just aren’t that talented. Never have been in the last couple years. And the injuries to the defensive line have vaporized any hint of a pass rush, further exposing in-over-their-head rookie defensive backs like Jeff Heath and B.W. Webb. Seriously, playing in a third NFC East Championship Game would be a decent goal for this team. It’s still attainable.
It’s just a sick, twisted and harmful game to suddenly place the Cowboys on an irrationally high pedestal, and then fist them into tiny crumbs when they don’t reach those goals. I didn’t predict the Cowboys to win last night, therefore I’m not on the ledge this morning.
Some of us remember 1-15 in 1989. We endured 5-11, 5-11, 5-11 from 2000-02. This, my friends, isn’t rock bottom.
You wrote ‘em off after the ugly loss to the Saints and … they won two in-a-row and made you look foolish. You’re writin’ off again and …
I actually had a reader send me this last night, “Even if they make the playoffs and lose by 28 points, who cares?”
I care. A lot. Because – let’s be realistic – for this franchise in 2013 that’d be a successful season. And it’s still absolutely attainable.
Yes, the Cowboys can be bad. But their fans can be even 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.
