Burning The Cowboys Star Is Un-American Or at Least Bad For Television

Over the last two years the media has taken as much glee in reporting every Dallas Cowboy implosion as Kenny Smith does saying "gone fishing" to any player who is not from New York, played for North Carolina, or the Houston Rockets.

Well I find it shameful to enjoy burning America’s Team Flag.  

Sure I loved the bikini shots of Jessica Simpson pouring over Tony Romo's playbook in Mexico. I was as awed as anyone by the strategic brilliance of Terrell Owens’ publicist’s keeping it real and telling the world, Owens had 10 million reasons not to kill himself. And I chuckle at everyone’s favorite bumbling uncle, Wade Phillips, running the family business into the ground.

But I am rooting for the Cowboys—I just enjoying the circus.

I did not start out life as a Dallas Cowboy fan. My father condemned me raising me a New York Jets fan. While I was wallowing in the swamps of Jersey, the Cowboys were the shining star franchise I envied.

The Cowboys became America’s team because of a string of All-American signal callers. Good-looking, charming guys in the most glamorous position in sports: Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Danny White, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo. That is like having three Joe Namath’s.

So when I moved to Dallas, I was indifferent to the Cowboys. Having no love for the Giants, I had no natural rivalry with the Cowboys. But then I began to watch. And I was hooked.

The Cowboys of the 90 were larger than life. They were a 20 week long showing of North Dallas Forty. Amidst it all they won. Not only did they win, they whooped on people (see Buffalo Bills Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII) and then did things off that field that would make Bambi Woods blush.

Those Cowboy teams had something everyone could love. They had flashy stars in Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders. They had the hard-working  every-men in Jay Novacek and Emmitt Smith. They had the lovable big ol’ boys in Nate Newton and Leon Lett. Troy Aikman was the golden boy. And they had the sunshine boys in Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson. 

They won, they were larger than life, they were entertaining and I loved them for it. And I have rooted for them ever since.

So for those that still want to hate on the Cowboys, I offer this. Be careful what you wish for, because laughing at the circus is fine, but the Cowboys without winning football are the Oakland Raiders.  And that does not make for good television.