Why did America buy into Cowboys?
msn.foxsports.com:
Hopefully, down the road, somebody can scrape together enough funds to launch an investigation into the hypnotism that gripped our nation and caused an unhealthy obsession with the 2006 Dallas Cowboys.
Indeed, something must've happened while we were sleeping, like an alien invasion or one of those mind-erasing flashes that Will Smith uncorked in Men In Black. Or a widespread radon leak in a major media market. Or a hoodwinking crazier than Kim Etheredge that nobody could've seen coming.
Whatever it was — a magic potion or hex — there must've been something that confused everyone into oblivion. There just had to be. What else explains the Cowboys' spontaneous transformation into supposed Super Bowl contenders? Yes, folks, the same Cowboys that went 9-7 last season and have missed the playoffs every year since 2003.
Umm... did I miss a memo? Even with the addition of Terrell Owens, was this team ever as good as advertised?
I think not. So, why did everyone buy into the hype?
Unless you've been sipping Cowboy Kool-Aid out of a squirt bottle, there's a good chance you'll blame the media for its romanticism with "America's Team." You know it. I know it. There's no doubt it exists. You'll say that the media forced the Cowboys down your throat and made you believe in this team. I won't disagree. Hell, you've got a pretty strong point.
But, what else did you expect? The Cowboys are the Yankees, Red Sox, Fighting Irish and Lakers of the NFL -- always in the spotlight with failure never an option. That made for juicy situations, even if some of them felt manufactured. You almost can't blame the media for its infatuation with this team. Terrell Owens and Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe with a side of Jerry Jones and Terry Glenn? New England fishermen don't see perfect storms that intense on the open sea. And it's only gotten stronger since the start of the season. From quarrels with coaches to suicide attempt reports to painkiller overdoses to quarterback controversies to yellow cycling spandex, this team has been anything but dull. At least, off the field.
The funny part is that we were so inundated with Cowboys news that we actually started believing they were a legitimate Super Bowl threat. It's been remarkable to watch; the surrounding storylines have actually overthrown the boring old main plot -- ya know, winning a Super Bowl and all. The other, racier stories have just been more interesting. And when things didn't go as peachy as planned, drama bred more drama, and the Cowboys became the NFL's version of the WWE, intriguing by association, smoke and mirrors, and a lot of assumption.
So, let's just quit the dog and pony show while we can still save face. Admit it, Dallas isn't a real contender.
Of course, Cowboys fans will probably disagree. In fact, they probably read the last couple paragraphs and punched a wall. That's fine. They'll point out Dallas' 5-4 record in a wide open NFC conference and renewed vigor under the leadership of Tony Romo. They'll cite the way that Terrell Owens nearly pushed Philadelphia over the hump in its Super Bowl quest. They'll say its utterly insane to count out the Cowboys so early in the season.
They'll demand the proof behind such outlandish statements. And that's OK, too. Because there's plenty.
The fact remains that this Cowboys team has struggled more than anyone expected, even with the wizardry of Bill Parcells hard at work. Of those five wins, only one -- ONE -- came against a team with a quality record (Carolina). The rest have come against Washington, Tennessee, Houston and Arizona; who boast a collective 9-27 record. This isn't an obscure stat; I'm sure you've heard it before. But it's evidence that Dallas hasn't proven a whole lot so far. Actually, Dallas has showed more by losing to three of the four respectable opponents it's faced — Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and the NY Giants.
There's more. Unimpressive is one thing, but undisciplined is another. Dallas is tied for the league lead in offensive penalties with 68. That's about 7.5 per game. Apparently, the football-viewing public wasn't the only group distracted by the bevy of headlines coming out of Irving, Texas. You just can't shoot yourself in the foot like that and command a ton of respect — it's like Carl Lewis walking into a karaoke bar and demanding a recording contract. You also can't give back a league-high 679 offensive yards, or roughly 20 percent of your total offense, and expect to win. Penalties turn contenders into pretenders all the time.
And above all, you can't dispute the simple fact that has truly dampened the Cowboys' chances all year. Despite the acquisition of Owens in the off-season, the Dallas roster remained virtually unchanged heading into the 2006 season. Even with Romo now at the helm, this team is far too similar to what it was a year ago. Sure, it might make the playoffs, but its tendencies will be exposed long before it has any shot of winning the Super Bowl. Owens or not, the Cowboys still lack consistency.
So, argue until you're blue in the face, but unless the Cowboys upset the Colts this weekend and tear off a 5-2 (or better) record during a brutal second-half schedule, you shouldn't be sucked in by the Dallas Cowboys Hype Machine. Even with the team's recent success, you can't objectively expect anything more than a first-round loss. You never should've to begin with.
Then again, this whole media circus could've been secretly orchestrated by Tony Romo to lure dopes like me into writing pointed columns and giving the Cowboys more fuel for a Super Bowl run. That'd be ironic, now wouldn't it?
Hopefully, down the road, somebody can scrape together enough funds to launch an investigation into the hypnotism that gripped our nation and caused an unhealthy obsession with the 2006 Dallas Cowboys.
Indeed, something must've happened while we were sleeping, like an alien invasion or one of those mind-erasing flashes that Will Smith uncorked in Men In Black. Or a widespread radon leak in a major media market. Or a hoodwinking crazier than Kim Etheredge that nobody could've seen coming.
Whatever it was — a magic potion or hex — there must've been something that confused everyone into oblivion. There just had to be. What else explains the Cowboys' spontaneous transformation into supposed Super Bowl contenders? Yes, folks, the same Cowboys that went 9-7 last season and have missed the playoffs every year since 2003.
Umm... did I miss a memo? Even with the addition of Terrell Owens, was this team ever as good as advertised?
I think not. So, why did everyone buy into the hype?
Unless you've been sipping Cowboy Kool-Aid out of a squirt bottle, there's a good chance you'll blame the media for its romanticism with "America's Team." You know it. I know it. There's no doubt it exists. You'll say that the media forced the Cowboys down your throat and made you believe in this team. I won't disagree. Hell, you've got a pretty strong point.
But, what else did you expect? The Cowboys are the Yankees, Red Sox, Fighting Irish and Lakers of the NFL -- always in the spotlight with failure never an option. That made for juicy situations, even if some of them felt manufactured. You almost can't blame the media for its infatuation with this team. Terrell Owens and Bill Parcells and Drew Bledsoe with a side of Jerry Jones and Terry Glenn? New England fishermen don't see perfect storms that intense on the open sea. And it's only gotten stronger since the start of the season. From quarrels with coaches to suicide attempt reports to painkiller overdoses to quarterback controversies to yellow cycling spandex, this team has been anything but dull. At least, off the field.
The funny part is that we were so inundated with Cowboys news that we actually started believing they were a legitimate Super Bowl threat. It's been remarkable to watch; the surrounding storylines have actually overthrown the boring old main plot -- ya know, winning a Super Bowl and all. The other, racier stories have just been more interesting. And when things didn't go as peachy as planned, drama bred more drama, and the Cowboys became the NFL's version of the WWE, intriguing by association, smoke and mirrors, and a lot of assumption.
So, let's just quit the dog and pony show while we can still save face. Admit it, Dallas isn't a real contender.
Of course, Cowboys fans will probably disagree. In fact, they probably read the last couple paragraphs and punched a wall. That's fine. They'll point out Dallas' 5-4 record in a wide open NFC conference and renewed vigor under the leadership of Tony Romo. They'll cite the way that Terrell Owens nearly pushed Philadelphia over the hump in its Super Bowl quest. They'll say its utterly insane to count out the Cowboys so early in the season.
They'll demand the proof behind such outlandish statements. And that's OK, too. Because there's plenty.
The fact remains that this Cowboys team has struggled more than anyone expected, even with the wizardry of Bill Parcells hard at work. Of those five wins, only one -- ONE -- came against a team with a quality record (Carolina). The rest have come against Washington, Tennessee, Houston and Arizona; who boast a collective 9-27 record. This isn't an obscure stat; I'm sure you've heard it before. But it's evidence that Dallas hasn't proven a whole lot so far. Actually, Dallas has showed more by losing to three of the four respectable opponents it's faced — Jacksonville, Philadelphia, and the NY Giants.
There's more. Unimpressive is one thing, but undisciplined is another. Dallas is tied for the league lead in offensive penalties with 68. That's about 7.5 per game. Apparently, the football-viewing public wasn't the only group distracted by the bevy of headlines coming out of Irving, Texas. You just can't shoot yourself in the foot like that and command a ton of respect — it's like Carl Lewis walking into a karaoke bar and demanding a recording contract. You also can't give back a league-high 679 offensive yards, or roughly 20 percent of your total offense, and expect to win. Penalties turn contenders into pretenders all the time.
And above all, you can't dispute the simple fact that has truly dampened the Cowboys' chances all year. Despite the acquisition of Owens in the off-season, the Dallas roster remained virtually unchanged heading into the 2006 season. Even with Romo now at the helm, this team is far too similar to what it was a year ago. Sure, it might make the playoffs, but its tendencies will be exposed long before it has any shot of winning the Super Bowl. Owens or not, the Cowboys still lack consistency.
So, argue until you're blue in the face, but unless the Cowboys upset the Colts this weekend and tear off a 5-2 (or better) record during a brutal second-half schedule, you shouldn't be sucked in by the Dallas Cowboys Hype Machine. Even with the team's recent success, you can't objectively expect anything more than a first-round loss. You never should've to begin with.
Then again, this whole media circus could've been secretly orchestrated by Tony Romo to lure dopes like me into writing pointed columns and giving the Cowboys more fuel for a Super Bowl run. That'd be ironic, now wouldn't it?
posted by The Gryphon at 6:30 PM
<< Home