If you are a sports fan like myself I am sure you watched coverage of the NFL Divisional playoffs over the weekend. You noticed that the game that led most shows off and definitely was in the block was the 4pt underdog Dallas Cowboys losing to the 49ers in the closest game of the weekend. Those of you that don’t watch TV saw plenty of memes on your social feeds. Was the coverage about how the Cowboys were in the game on the road with a team many considered to be the best in the NFL? No, it was all about how bad the Cowboys played or even choked. Thing is you loved it because you hate the Cowboys, or do you?
The New York Yankees, L.A. Lakers, Duke Blue Devils and of course the Dallas Cowboys are teams people love to hate. Their sustained success over multiple generations and iterations draw fans from all over the country; except the Cowboys have no such actual pedigree. They haven’t won a Superbowl in almost 30 years, so why do they still draw such a large fan base? Probably because the Cowboy fans are the contrarians the haters claim to be. Of course there are some that don’t hate the Cowboys, they hate the fans.
Let’s look at why you don’t like the fans.
“Oh Cowboy fans just talk about their past”; you don’t hate Bulls fans for the same thing do you? Nope you join in that Jordan was the GOAT conversation. We are still ok with Commander fans; their last championship was prior to the Cowboys but the dirt around that franchise is thick. I know the 49ers have made it to the big game a couple of times since their last win. You know the year before the last Cowboy win.
Cowboy fans get over-hyped every year and think they are going to win it all. Since 2005 their starting QB has been a pro bowler. Starting with Bledsoe (coached by Parcells) thru Romo and Prescott. Bledsoe was a pro bowler going into the season and Romo and Prescott each made the pro bowl their first season as a starter. If your team’s starter is a Pro Bowler you better feel like you have a chance. Were any of those guys all time greats no, but we have seen teams win with less. I’m looking at you Trent Dilfer and Nick Foles.
Maybe you hate the fans because they are bandwagon fans. What bandwagon? We already discussed that they are not winning anything. The hate of the Cowboys is the bandwagon. Many people hate the Cowboys more than they like the team they root for. Case in point: Last season (2021) was drawing to a close the Boys were playing against Washington. The Eagles controlled their own destiny to make the playoffs, however if the Cowboys beat the WFT the Eagles could lose to the Cowboys and still make the playoffs. The number of people that called preferring to see the Cowboys lose to Washington as opposed to basically securing the wild card was nearly 30%. That’s incredible almost 1 out of 3 Eagles fans prioritized hating the Cowboys over loving the Eagles. The Eagles did lose to the Cowboys in the season finale, probably a good thing the Cowboys beat the WFT.
Do the big Sports networks promote the Cowboys, yes but it’s probably because you love to watch them lose. The Cowboy haters imagine the bandwagon fans squirming as Stephen A Smith giggles. Truth is you should be proud of those 30 year Cowboy fans that have stuck with the team through disaster after disaster the way people appreciate the Bills Mafia. No you say you only hear from Cowboys fans when Cowboy fans are winning, well unless you live in Dallas when would you hear from them, when you all are at the local dive rooting for the home team?
Let’s face facts, the Cowboys biggest sin is that they haven’t one lately, justifying your hate. Honestly Cowboy haters are the real Cowboy fans; they need the Cowboys to win more than Cowboy fans do.