Philadelphia Eagles: Renewing the Hatred for the Dallas Cowboys

It's officially "Dallas week" in Philadelphia, and time to get your hate on!

Eagles fans better bring it this week and remind the Cowgirls, err, Cowturds—darn it, I mean, CowBOYs, how much we still despise them.

Dallas week has somewhat lost its luster over the past decade. Much of that probably has to do with the fact that Dallas just hasn't been that good and Eagles fans are too busy wanting Andy Reid fired.

The hate for Dallas has been replaced by the frustrations of not winning a Super Bowl after getting so close during the Andy Reid era.

However, it's time to put all that aside and re-ignite your passion for beating the Cowboys. There is a lot riding on this week's game, as it will likely determine what direction the Eagles will head in for the remainder of the season.

So, let's remind ourselves why we just can't stand these Dall-arse Cowpukes!

*Much of the following is similar to an article that I wrote back in July. It applies now, with a few updates, so I thought it would be a good way to kick off Dallas week.

What is it about the Cowboys that we can't stand? Arrogance? Pompousness? The "America's Team" label? It has to be more than just a division rivalry, because there is no sweeter victory than beating Dallas, especially when they have a good team.

But what is it about that team that incites Eagles fans so much? Today's Eagles fans probably don't know why they hate them—they "just do."

They have basically been born into a Dallas-loathing environment. They learned from their fathers, brothers, uncles, grandfathers, friends, friends' relatives, other Eagles fans, etc.—that if you're an Eagles fan, one of the requirements is to hate Dallas.

And for diehard fans, make no mistake, it is a requirement.

The best I can discern is that the hate began around 1967, when Dallas went on to win 21 out of 23 games against the Eagles and went to five Super Bowls in the 1970s.

The facts that they were constantly beating us, were a division rival and were getting all kinds of national acclaim must have made Eagle fans of that era just want to go berserk.

The Eagles have been around since 1933 and had three NFL Championships by 1960. After that, winning went into hibernation.

Watching Dallas enter the league in 1960 and have a relatively quick ascension into Super Bowl winners must have really been agonizing.

The Eagles/Cowboys rivalry really started to heat up during the mid 1980s. There were Bounty Bowls I and II, Buddy's Revenge, Jimmy Johnson getting pelted with snowballs, Michael Irvin's injury and, more recently, T.O's Return and the 2009 back-to-back drubbings in Dallas.

However, at times now it seems the rivalry is losing a little steam. Have Eagles fans gone soft on the Dallas hatred? If so, we need to make a list of reminders why the hatred should live on in the hearts of Eagles fans.

Why should we hate Dallas? Let's count thy ways.

1. Their Fans

They are the biggest bandwagon fans you'll ever meet. No team in the history of sports gains and loses fans faster than the Dallas Cowboys.

When they're winning, it seems fans crawl out of the woodwork like cockroaches in the night. They start trash talking and chest thumping and are completely obnoxious.

But when they are losing, not a peep can be heard, as they disappear faster than a hoagie at a Weight Watchers meeting.

2. The National Media

There is no greater love affair in sports than the national media has with the Cowboys.

They're the drivers of the bandwagon and their campaign managers. As soon as there is any hint of Dallas being a playoff or Super Bowl contender, they trade in their suits and briefcases for skirts and pom poms.

They drool over them the same way John Madden would drool over Brett Favre.

3. Jerry Jones

He is the most meddling owner in the NFL. There aren't many owners—if any—who get as involved in the the football side of the business as he does.

Other than Bill Parcells, he has hired "yes men" as head coaches since he and Jimmy Johnson parted ways because they couldn't coexist.

Plus, Jones tries to get his skeletal-looking face in the news as often as possible in order to promote his Cowboys.

4. Their Front-Runner Fans

5. Keith Brooking

Keith Brooking's quote after our back-to-back season ending losses to Dallas in 2009:

"

"The way we dominated them, obviously McNabb didn’t play his best, but they were very predictable," said Brooking of the Eagles offense. "We knew exactly what was coming on every play."

"

The bolded part is what gets me irked about Dallas (but the rest irks me about our play-calling). Brooking sounds just like another cocky Cowboy player.

6. Their New Stadium

It just symbolizes Jerry Jones' huge ego. And to boot, he caused that seating debacle at this past year's Super Bowl just because he wanted to set an attendance record.

He also charged people $200 per ticket just to sit outside the stadium and watch the game on a big screen T.V. Talk about arrogance!

7. Their Fans

8. America's Team?

They still think they're America's Team. Give it a rest already!

9. "How 'Bout Dem Cowboys?!"

I really can't stand that phrase.

10. Their Arrogant Fans

Last but not least—their live-in-the-past "we've been to eight Super Bowls" fans! Have I mentioned the fans yet?

Luckily for us, the Cowboys are just 3-3 right now and haven't been grabbing any national attention—yet. So we've been spared all the rah-rah Dallas media trumpeting thus far.

However, should they beat the Eagles this week, I fully expect the slobbering to begin. Just the thought of that happening almost made me Romo (choke) on my egg sandwich this morning.

Against the Eagles, Dallas will be coming off of a convincing win against the hapless St. Louis Rams. That could bode well for the Eagles, since they may be overconfident and think they're better than they are.

In conclusion, we need to bring back the fun in hating Dallas. Let's get back to giving them a Philly-style greeting when they arrive at Lincoln Financial Field and serenade them with "Dallas sucks" all throughout the game.

Let's make them remember that they're still the most despised team in Philadelphia.

Oh, and by the way, if you have your own reasons for hating Dallas, let me hear them! I'm sure I didn't cover them all. 

And if you're a Dallas fan, let's hear from you before you go scurrying back under your rock.