Bad Week To Be A Cowboys Fan

Let me preface this particular rant by saying that I have been a blue-bleedin’ Cowboys fan since birth. Watching Dallas Cowboys games on Sunday afternoons not only gave me a way to connect with my Dad, but also provided my introverted self something to talk about with my friends at school come Monday morning. The Cowboys have always been a comfort zone for me, whether they were Super Bowl champions or 1-15. However, the week that was is hard to defend even for a hardcore believer like yours truly.

Just a week ago we were blissfully awaiting the Cowboys preseason opener in San Diego and hoping that Rod Marinelli was going to be a miracle worker and bring the Dallas defense back to some semblance of a unit fit to field. Little did we know the chaos that was to ensue before, during and after that God-awful display Thursday night.

Whether we care to admit it or not, most of us have read “North Dallas Forty.” We know that those wearing the Star don’t always act in a way that is as untarnished as the helmet they wear on Sunday afternoons. Scandals, both in the aftermath of the aforementioned book’s release and during the decade of the nineties when a good deal of debauchery by the ‘Boys was brought into the light are nothing new for America’s team. I am certainly not sitting in judgement of Mr. Jones…that is up to his wife and the Man upstairs…or his son, Stephen, who according to media footage is proof that the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree in Big D. However, in light of the mess that transpired against the Chargers Thursday night and the growing span of 8-8 seasons, it would seem that party buses and strippers should be the last thing on the minds of the higher-ups in Dallas.

There was an unusual absence from the glare of the cameras following the release of those naughty images of Jones with a couple of women who looked to be young enough to be his granddaughters. When he finally faced the media, his vague explanation that the photos in questions were a misrepresentation did nothing to clear up the situation. Nor did his characterizing of the weird scenario caught on camera that showed his son Stephen with Dean Blandino, the NFL’s vice president of officiating, on the team’s bus as no big deal. Does anyone else out there suddenly feel the need to get a hose and wash away the slim that is oozing all over our beloved Star?

The only thing that topped the unsavory antics that were coming to light off the field was the realization Thursday about midnight Central Standard Time that our Cowboys defense doesn’t look any better than the one that broke all the wrong records in 2013. Yes, I know that a good many of the starters were riding the pines Thursday night. My biggest concern comes from the fact that some of those guys we saw on the field getting used and abused by San Diego are just an injury away from being the starters…just ask Sean Lee.

In spite of all the bad news that has slapped Cowboys Nation in the face in the past few days, there is always a bright spot. In this case it is that from multiple reports, the many-million dollar arm of QB Tony Romo is looking better as camp rolls along. Like Annie says,” the sun will come out tomorrow” and whether it’s good times or bad we in Cowboys Land will face it like we always have… with a grin and the knowledge that this too shall pass.