Dallas Sucks!

It must have started at birth. As far back as I can remember I have hated that star logo, hated that city, hated Jerry Jones and absolutely despised "America's Team". The way the team carries themselves just disgusts me, as if they are bigger than the NFL. Their fans in this area are sickening. They run and hide until the team shows signs of life and taunt Eagles fans with their Super Bowl championships and play off the past decade in which the 'Boys have failed to win a single post-season game. It is as if Dallas fans in this area are only supporters of the Cowboys because they know it simply pisses off Philadelphia fans, no other reason. They are the type of people that would rather see everyone around them suffer than enjoy the victory of a team in which they have an emotional and regional attachment.
The Eagles players admit that their greatest on the field rivalry is against the New York Giants. Watch closely the intensity and ferosity of the physicality of any given matchup between these two teams. Look at, for example, the wildcard round playoff game in Philadelphia last season. Hall of Fame sports writer and human football encyclopedia Ray Didinger said he was more-or-less amazed that the Eagles were able to put out the effort they did the following week in their divisional round loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Eagles and Giants have all the ingredients for a classic rivalry: proximity, heated matchups (i.e.: Runyan vs. Strahan), unbelievable history- Bednarik laying out Frank Gifford and sending the Birds to the 1960 NFL Championship, The Miracle in the Meadowlands I & II, McNabb's late TD pass to James Thrash on a Monday Night in the Meadowlands to give the Birds their first win over the Giants in 10 previous attempts, Philly's home opener last season in which Eli Manning lead the Giants back from a 17-point defecit at halftime to win the game in overtime. The list could go on forever. How is it then, that the Dallas Cowboys, a team from half way across the country, are the team that draws so much pure hatred from the fans? Especially when Dallas fans (fans of the Cowboys who have been to a game in Irving, Texas) recognize the Eagles as a divisional foe, but point to the Redskins as their historic rival? Unlike the rivalry with New York, the hatred of Dallas really does not stem from past games played between the teams, but the way the Cowboys (at least since the 1970s) have been represented by the media, the players, the coaches and the NFL in general. The winning tradition, the "America's Team" advertising campaign, the personalities are all so hatable. What makes Dallas even more detestable is the great disparity between themselves and the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles have dominated the NFC for the past decade, they have not been able to capture the ultimate goal, a Super Bowl Championship, something the Cowboys have done five times despite having been in the league 32 years longer than the Cowboys. Yes, the Eagles were the team of the decade in the 40s, making appearances in three NFL Championships and winning two. And yes, the Eagles did hand Vince Lombardi the only playoff loss of his career in the 1960 NFL Championship, but since then there has been nothing, and Dallas has had everything. Superstar Quarterbacks, the career-rushing leader, Superbowl after Superbowl, a few Hall of Fame coaches, and half of the broadcast positions on networks that air NFL games.
I hate the Dallas Cowboys, as does the rest of Eagles-Nation. In a city where underdogs are celebrated far more than the "naturals" the Cowboys truly are the Apollo Creed to our Rocky Balboa. In the 1980 playoffs the Eagles made their first of two Super Bowl appearances, losing to the Oakland Raiders, 27-10. But, unlike the '04 season, the Super Bowl is not the game we remember. We remember Wilbert Montgomery, in the NFC Championship, running for a 42-yard touchdown in the Eagles second play from scrimmage to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Beating Dallas was the Super Bowl, it was all that mattered. Think of the great moments in Eagles history. Except for Chad Lewis' second touchdown in the NFC Championship, 4th & 26 and the Eagles/Giants highlights above, I bet they are all times the Eagles beat up on the evil empire. The '80 NFC title game. The third game of the '91 season when the Birds D (arguably the best ever) sacked Troy Aikman 11 times and shut out the league's top offense. December 10, 1995: Ground Hog Day, The Eagles stuff Emmitt Smith twice after the referees determined the first attempt took place during what should have been the two-minute warning, after the second stop on the exact same play, the Eagles drove down the field and won on a last second field goal. 1996, Eagles leading by three, Dallas has a first down inside the five and all seems to be doomed until James Willis intercepts Troy Aikman's pass and returns the ball out of the end zone to the 10-yard line, laterals to Troy Vincent who ran 90 yards for the game-clinching score. Or how about last year, when Lito Sheppard intercepted Drew Bledsoe in the endzone and ran 102 yards to seal the victory in Terrell Owens' "homecoming" game? Tim Hauck ending Michael Irvin's career? Pelting Jimmy Johnson with snow balls? These are the memories we charrish most. We hate Dallas because they are everything we are not. And, except for the rings, everything we hope to never become. This Sunday night, after the Patriots go to Indianapolis for Super Bowl 41.5 the main event of the evening will be The Dallas Cowboys playing the Philadelphia Eagles. This is the game we circle every year when the schedule comes out. We want to see Dallas because we love watching them lose. This game is going to determine the rest of the season for the Birds. If they can win this division game and be the second blemish on Dallas' first place record it will re-energize this team and, at least for one more week, give us, the fans a reason to love our Eagles. Now I invite everyone (if anybody actually reads my ramblings) to share their favorite Dallas/Philly memory in the comment section.

Now let's start the weekend right: DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS! DALLAS SUCKS!