The Eagles vs. Cowboys rivalry could be compared to the cheesesteak or the Liberty Bell.
The rivalry has deep roots in the city of Philadelphia and has been nationally ranked to be the greatest NFL rivalry of all time. While the past is the past and there are numerous examples of the depth of the hatred in Philly, is the hate still as valid as it was say, even 15 years ago?
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I’ve often wondered if we give the Cowboys too much credit. Do we as fans allow them to occupy space rent free in our heads and is it warranted? Moreover, does the rivalry still have the hype it used to?
Perhaps it’s the Eagles performance over the past few weeks but the callers on 97.5 The Fanatic this week seemed less than enthused for “Dallas Week,” a week that used to bring out the loudest and proudest fans as the countdown was on to the show down. This week, there were some concerns, mostly surrounding the cornerback situation. Some callers even speculated that the lack of hype STILL has to do with the Super Bowl, which leads me to my initial thought, are the Cowboys the threat they used to be?
The last time the Cowboys won the Super Bowl was 1995, 24 years ago. There are people who are now working in sports media in Philadelphia who weren’t even born yet. Hell, the internet was barely invented.
The Cowboys' Super Bowl win highlights are all on VHS tape. While most Philadelphia sports fans are taught to hate the Cowboys, I’d have to guess that the younger generation doesn’t instinctively have the seething anger that an Eagles fan is supposed to have. This doesn’t diminish the rivalry or the reverence for the past.
I think what this proves is that this current generation doesn’t see the Cowboys as a big threat or even care that they were once “America’s team” (as the Cowboys fans so proudly state). The younger generation of fans have witnessed the off the field messes of the Cowboys; the head of officials on the Cowboys' bus, the blatant disregard by the Cowboys organization to even pretend to care about domestic abuse by allowing Greg Hardy to play, those gross pictures of Jerry Jones groping that woman.
The allure of “Jerry's World” is lame to the modern fan. We see right through it and quite frankly, are unimpressed. America’s team? Yeah. Good luck with that.
This is the new era of the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry, the era where we accept that when it comes to the NFC East, despite the current woes with the Eagles and their injuries, the Cowboys are still small. They are the cockroaches we’ve been taught they were. They are our competitor but NOT a direct threat to our success.
You see, recent history simply indicates we are the superior team. We are the superior fan base. For the Cowboys fans in the Delaware Valley who proudly display the star bumper sticker like it’s a badge of honor on your car, you should know that when we see that we laugh at you and wonder if your hairstyle is as dated as the Cowboys last Super Bowl win.
Whatever generation you’re from, whether you’ve witnessed the glory days of the Cowboys first hand or just know that’s how things are here in Philadelphia, heading into Sunday night remember what’s always been true and what will always be true to Eagles fans: Dallas Sucks.
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