Mediocre. Average. Ordinary. Run-of-the mill. Every single one of those words could perfectly sum up not only the Dallas Cowboys 2011 season, but the franchise ever since Jimmy Johnson left. Going 8-8 this year, and 120-120 in the last 240 games, you really can’t get any more mediocre.
An argument about the Cowboys strength of schedule playing a factor into their record would be futile, judging by the fact that it was a measly .473.
Frankly, the Cowboys should be grateful to even be considered a mediocre team. Year after year, fans have had to endure deplorable December’s and appalling play-off performances by the Cowboys, proving time and time again that they simply cannot handle the pressure of must-win games.
And to be considered an elite team, a team must consistently excel under pressure and thrive when faced with adversity. It can be assumed then, that to be considered a mediocre team you must straddle the line between exceptional and pitiable.
However, the Cowboys went 1-4 in the last five games of the season, a stretch in which superior teams conquer and the inferior fall into obscurity. In the final stretch they lost crucial games that could have earned a play-off berth and the division title, and their lone win came against the meager 4-12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Plagued by stupid mistakes, like icing their own kicker, and egotistical personnel, like Jerry Jones, the Cowboys are the only ones to blame for their (less than) mediocre outings and inability to make the playoffs.
Nonetheless, even if by some small miracle they were able to make the playoffs, based on their 1-7 playoff record since 1997, chances are they wouldn’t make it out of the first round.
Honestly, the Cowboys have struggled to meet mediocre standards since their last Super Bowl victory (1996), while the Dallas Mavericks have made it to the Finals twice and won once, the Texas Rangers have made it to the World Series twice, and the Dallas Stars have competed in the Stanley Cup Finals twice, winning once since then. So tell me again why Dallas is allegedly the Cowboy’s town and how they have managed to attain recognition as America’s team? It certainly isn’t because of the success they have achieved on the field in the past 15 years.
