I've been a fan of America's Team all my life. Especially growing up in Texas where football is king everything stops on Sundays when the Cowboys kick off. The Cowboys' dynasty of the 90's not only produced three Super Bowls but it created a fan base that has been blindly living off those victorious years ever since. Not to mention, the DFW media continues to bank on Tony Romo as the savior of this franchise when he leads them back to the promise land. Well, different than many Cowboys die-hards these days, I'm not living in the past anymore. The New York Yankees, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Cowboys. What do these four teams have in common?
They are the handful of sports franchises in America that continue to be hyped and profitable no matter the outcome on their season.
The Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2000, Notre Dame went 15 years without a bowl victory, the Lakers until recently hadn't won a title since 2002 and the Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since 1996.
Yet all four of these teams every season are hyped to win by the media and their merchandise sells more than any other franchise in sports.
Much of this has to do with their enormous fan bases. It makes sense if you think about it. More fans=more demand. The higher demand results in heightened exposure by the media which in turn produces better ratings and more sales.
The problem with the media's infatuation with these caliber teams is that they don't always win. In fact, in the past seven seasons there has only been one title(2009 Lakers) out of these four teams combined. For the Cowboys, this constant attention over the last 20 years has been both a blessing and a curse. But for the last 10 years it has mainly been a curse.
Training camp starts this week and so will the intense media buzz surrounding the Cowboys from now until January. Every time I've turned on the radio this past week, someone here in DFW is breaking down the Cowboys' chances or examining what impact Demarcus Ware will have or if Wade Phillips is going to be fired regardless of the outcome after the season. It's actually very exhausting to listen to. Come find me when when the first meaningful snap happens in September.
It doesn't help that two former Cowboys players, Michael Irvin and Nate Newton have their own radio show. The hype and attention that they direct toward the Cowboys on a daily basis illustrates how much our fans and the media live in the past.
Well, here's the reality Cowboys fans-you can talk about winning with this team all you want this season but it ain't gonna happen. If you'd open your eyes you'd see that your Dallas Cowboys haven't won anything since I was in the 6th grade and this year isn't going to be any different.
So now that I've so boldly blasted the Cowboys, I'll offer up five reasons why this is NOT the year to bet on them to be successful.
5) The Secondary
Last season, the Boys' secondary ranked among the worst in the NFC because of their susceptibility to the deep ball. With the departure of SS Roy Williams and Defensive Coordinator Brian Stewart, the Cowboys' secondary will be tested early and often. Ken Hamlin will have to be the leader of this secondary which is kind of scary. Basically, it could be a field day for a strong offense such as the Giants or Eagles.
4) Wade Phillips
The Cowboys head coach is moving himself to defensive coordinator this season which will leave less time for him to oversee other parts of the team. I've never agreed that Wade is the fit for this team because he lets Jerry Jones run the entire organization. Not to mention that his laid back attitude has at times frustrated players and fans alike who want to win. Whether the Cowboys go 19-0 and win the Super Bowl this year or lose every game on the schedule, Phillips is more than likely going to be let go because his contract is up at the end of the season. Lame duck coaches aren't passionate leaders; which is exactly what this team needs this year.
3) The New Texas Stadium
Jerry Jones' billion dollar project is certainly going to generate a lot of attention this year, but one thing it doesn't guarantee is Cowboys victories. Take or leave this argument but the pressure that will be put on the team this season to succeed on the field will be too much at times. Not only will this season have expectations at home but with the Super Bowl being held here next year success will be nothing short of a Cowboys' victory in the big game.
2) The Rest of the NFC EAST
Bottom-line, the Eagles, Redskins and Giants all added key players to their teams this offseason that undoubtedly make them stronger than they were last season. The Cowboys did nothing. The Giants signed former Cowboy Chris Canty and Rocky Bernard. The Eagles who ended the Cowboys season last year with a 44-6 win in Philly added several key players including rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin. The Redskins may have improved the most by signing free-agent DT Albert Hanynesworth and drafting University of Texas standout Brain Orakpo. Although the Cowboys did sign back-up QB Jon Kitna and ILB Keith Brooking, neither will make a lasting impact this season. Not to mention we had no first-round pick because we traded it for WR Roy Williams last year. Even without these offseason moves by the other NFC East teams, it's still the toughest division in the NFL.
1) The Offense
Last year the Cowboys' high octane offense started off the season as the best in the NFL as they averaged 32 points a game to go 3-0. The rest of the way they would average just over 20 points a game which ranked them 13th in overall scoring at the end of the season. How does a team that had seven returning pro bowlers from the year before tank like that? This season could be even worse.
Even though the Cowboys have three stellar running backs in Tashard Choice, Felix Jones and Marion Barber, their passing game is very suspicious.
The loss of Terrell Owens will hurt the Cowboys tremendously this season. You can't tell me that Roy Williams is going to be the No.1 receiver of this team when he's never led his team in receiving in the past. And how many times can Romo throw to Jason Witten when he's double covered on third downs? We couldn't live with T.O. and now we won't be able to live without him on offense.
Finally, I 'd like to say I'm not a Tony Romo believer. I think he is the most overrated QB in the NFL and always will be. He lives and dies off busted plays which is never good. He may win you a few games here and there with that lucky stuff but when it comes down to winning the big game those plays don't work. In the offseason, he seems more interested in a chance to qualify for the U.S. Open than working with his receivers.He's not a leader in the least bit. He may try and lead by example but at the end of the day he just doesn't have that passion that a starting quarterback needs to have. I believe that if Romo doesn't perform well this year, it may be his last as the Cowboys' quarterback. As he goes, so do the Cowboys.
My 2009 Cowboys Prediction: 7-9
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