The Pain Of Being A Cowboys Fan - 5 Things Cowboys Fans Know All Too Well

It's been 20 years since the Dallas Cowboys have been to a Super Bowl. While the early 1990s featured some of the greatest NFL teams in history, the early 2000s were a disaster. For the true, die-hard Cowboys fans like myself, there's plenty of pain involved with cheering for Dallas.

It's not always easy being a Cowboys fan, but it's absolutely worth it. With that in mind, here are 5 Things Cowboys Fans Know All Too Well:

5. Others Love To Hate Us

The rest of the NFL world doesn't want to admit it, but the Cowboy's are still America's Team. That moniker remains for the Cowboys because they are both the most popular team in the NFL and one of the most hated. It's understandable for division rivals to not like the Cowboys, and it's expected. But for random fans across the nation to love to hate Dallas is a testament to the Cowboys' ability to be one of the most notable NFL franchises. 

4. The 90s Dynasty Could Have Been So Much More

The alternative title for this is "Jerry Jones." The Cowboys have done some wonderful things with him as owner, led by the team winning three Super Bowls in the early 1990s. But true Cowboys fans know that Jimmie Johnson deserves most, if not all, of the credit for those Super Bowl championships. Johnson was essential the team's GM as well as coach. Sure, the Cowboys won their third Super Bowl in the 90s with Barry Switzer, but that team was loaded. Had Johnson stayed as head coach, the Cowboys would have won at least one more Super Bowl, likely the 1994 one. The 90s Cowboys were one of the greatest dynasties in all of sports, but it could have been better if Jones had just let Johnson remain in charge. 

On the bright side, Jerry Jones is taking a smaller and smaller role within the organization. His son, Stephen Jones, has a bright future and seems to understand how to succeed where Jerry Jones failed. 

3. The QB Search

Troy Aikman is one of the greatest QBs in Cowboys history, but the team was unprepared for his retirement. The years following Aikman is a dark time in Cowboys history. The team stared the likes of a washed up Randall Cunningham, Anthony Wright, Quincy Carter, Clint Stoerner, Ryan Leaf, Chad Hutchinson, Vinny Testaverde and Drew Henson in the five years following Aikman's last game. The team turned to Drew Bledose in 2005, but he was benched in 2006. Those years were nothing short of terrible for the Cowboys. 

But in 2006, the Cowboys started undrafted free agent Tony Romo. He's been the starter ever since, although injuries have forced the team to turn to several poor backups at time. While Romo is more Danny White than Roger Staubach, he's given the team the franchise QB it lacked without Aikman. But Romo is aging and one hit away from suffering another season-ending collarbone injury. The team needs to find his replacement soon, or the Cowboys will be doomed to another dark age. 

2. Dez Caught It 

I apologize for putting my fellow Cowboys fans through this again. But Dez caught it. The NFL catch rules don't make any sense and they cost Dallas a win. This catch parlays right into my next point. 

1. The Promise Of "Next Year"

Had Dez caught the ball, the Cowboys could have very well won the Super Bowl that season. The offense was borderline unstoppable. But even without DeMarco Murray, the team was set up for another great 2015. But then Bryant broke his foot. And then Romo went down and the season was lost thanks to awful QB play by the backups. It seems that with the Cowboys, there's always the promise of "next year."

After getting bounced in the 2009 playoffs, the general feeling was that the Cowboys would be back next year. But that feeling didn't come true until 2014. The promise of next year can be a frustrating one. But hopefully, next year actually is the Cowboys year and they can break the 20-year long Super Bowl drought. 

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