Whoah, did I just say that? As a life-long New York Giants fan, there is no love lost between me and the Cowboys. I’ll admit that there were some sour grapes during the 90’s when the Giants struggled and the Cowboys went on a run of championships. That’s on me, though I think that it’s a human reaction. But my biggest gripe about the Cowboys is the whole “America’s Team” moniker being shoved down my throat. Even in California where I grew up, it was impossible to get away from. They may not have appointed themselves to the elevated status, but those Cowboys sure reveled in it. Pure audacity or marketing genius? Perhaps both.
Flash forward to 2014. I live in Texas. My boyfriend Ryan is a diehard Cowboys fan, my boss is a Cowboys fan, friends, coworkers, it’s Texas, you get the point. I still cringe when I hear the phrase “America’s Team”. I don’t even try to hide the exaggerated eye rolls. Because here’s the thing – they’ve won TWO playoff games since their last Super Bowl win in 1995. How exactly does that qualify them? If anything, I’d think that the Green Bay Packers with their heart of America, fan-owned and very storied (and successful) franchise would be a better candidate. For that matter, following the 9/11 events and the surge of Patriotism, the New England Patriots could have made a run at it, Spygate or not. But the Cowboys? Still? Really?
As free agency opened up yesterday, the Cowboys did the unthinkable and released their all-time franchise sack leader Demarcus Ware. We knew this was coming. The Jones’ hinted at it two weeks ago. They have major salary cap issues caused primarily by bad management and bad drafting. As a business decision, they didn’t have a choice, but even for a non-Cowboys fan, it hurts to see a great player, team leader and future Hall of Famer leave like this. Was Tony Romo’s huge payday worth it? I hope that Sean Lee is ready to carry the entire defense on his back because I don’t think that Orlando Scandrick and Anthony Spencer are going to get you there.
The Cowboys have a record of 146-142 over the last 18 seasons. That’s barely over par. America’s Team? Pfft. But then it hit me. Maybe they are more like America than we have realized. Like America, the Cowboys are a former powerhouse and industry-dominator that now struggle to live up to mediocrity. Like America, the Cowboys have mismanaged their finances, blown through their budget and now have to make unthinkable cuts. Like America, the egos of the 1% who believe that the ability to buy their way into an industry (or government) gives them the knowledge to run it. Like America, the Cowboy glorify criminal behavior and diva mentality while nanny policies are put into place. Like America, the Cowboys have ousted one inept coach for one who turned out to be worse (Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett have both coached exactly 56 games and their records are 34-22 and 29-27 respectively). Whether coaches or presidents, does anyone else ever find themselves asking if this is really the best we have to choose from or is it just me? And like America, the health, well being and retirement plans of the Cowboys players are dismissed if it stands to make the executives a few more dollars.
So yeah, the way I see it, the Cowboys represent America – at least everything that’s wrong with it. Both are resting on what’s left of their reputations while scratching their heads, looking back and saying “that used to be us”. If that is something they are proud of, who am I to judge? America, here is your team.