Team Tank VS Team Hope: Dallas Cowboys legends speak up

To tank or not to tank? That is the question Cowboys fans have been debating intensely recently. Proponents of team tank argue that the season is lost and the best possible draft position will benefit the team long term. Those who refuse to give up on the season point out that the division is well within reach and anything can happen in the NFL. Which side is right? Recently, two Dallas Cowboys legendS shared their thoughts on the topic and may have swayed me, a conflicted fan sitting on the fence, towards one side of the argument.

Those two Dallas Cowboys legends are none other than Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. Two of the famed triplets (along with Troy Aikman) who helped lead the Cowboys to 3 Super Bowl victories in the 90’s. Needless to say, their opinion carries a lot of weight amongst Cowboys Nation. On an interview on The Michael Irvin Podcast which is available on PodcastOne, the two Dallas Cowboys legends and former teammates discussed their opinions on the Dallas Cowboys 2020 season, on those who suggest the team should throw in the towel, shared some memories from their playing days, and dove into various other topics including one close to my heart; Settling the debate between which running back is better Emmitt Smith or Barry Sanders. The episode will be released on Thanksgiving day, the same day our Dallas Cowboys will take on division rival Washington with the winner taking over first place in the NFC East.

READ MORE: WHAT ARE THE DALLAS COWBOYS CHANCES OF WINNING THE NFC EAST?

Before I share what the two Dallas Cowboys legends had to say, I do want to point out that coaches and players don’t tank. To suggest that the players and coaches actively try to lose is not what Team Tank is suggesting. Team Tank may hope that the head office makes certain decisions like playing and developing younger players and resting injured players instead of letting them play. To suggest the team actively try and lose is not within the scope of this argument. With that out of the way, let’s quickly review the merits of the main arguments for both sides. First Team Tank.

TEAM TANK

• Team is so bad and so banged up, they are not good enough to make a playoff run and will get embarrassed in the postseason.
• Without Dak Prescott and both starting offensive tackles, the team has no shot to win the Super Bowl.
• Higher draft pick, not only in round 1 but in every single round.
• The potential to parlay a high draft pick into several top picks by leveraging the loaded 2021 QB class against the lack of top tier talent at other positions in the draft. (In short trade down potential highest it has been in years)
• General lack of faith in current roster at several positions and tanking improves the chances of addressing those holes with better players in 2021.
• Concern that backing into playoffs in a weak division will give a false sense of hope and ownership will not respond accordingly thinking the team/coaches are less flawed than they actually are.
• Momentum DOES NOT carry over from season to season. Each season is a fresh start.
• Wanting to be eliminated from contention as soon as possible to be put out of their misery.

With the exception of the last reason listed, Team Tank has a fair argument. If there is any year to want a premium draft pick it would be this year due to the potential for a trade back with one of many QB desperate teams. It is also hard to argue that this team has not looked like a contender. Especially earlier in the year when the defense was playing historically bad. Let’s take a look at the other side of the argument and what I like to call Team Hope.

TEAM HOPE

• The Cowboys have a legitimate chance to win the division and make the playoffs and anything can happen in single game elimination.
• The team has played respectably the last few weeks, so assuming they can’t compete in the playoffs is flawed reasoning.
• Losing is contagious and so is winning. The team, specifically the young players, will benefit more from winning games than getting blown out.
• Reaching the playoffs and playing in a playoff game is valuable experience for the players and coaches that will remain on this roster.
• Momentum DOES carry over from season to season when most of your core players and the coaching staff remain.
• The draft is a crap shoot and many of the Cowboys best players such as Dak Prescott, DeMarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, CeeDee Lamb, Leighton Vander Esch, etc. were drafted outside the top 10 or outside of the first round.
• The top QB prospects Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are projected to be selected with the number one and number two overall selections. Thanks to teams like the Jets and Jaguars, the Cowboys have no shot at either of those picks so hoping for a trade back is unrealistic.
• Real fans DO NOT hope their team loses.

Team Hope has a number of very valid arguments as well. The only one I oppose is the last one which states Real fans do not hope their team loses. I can respect both sides here. Both sides have valid arguments and both are real fans. They simply disagree on what is best for their team. One side is thinking long term and the other is thinking short term. One side is more optimistic and the other more pessimistic. However, the love, loyalty, and support for their team is equal on both sides. What side of the argument are you on? I have myself leaned towards Team Tank on most days but then I am pulled back towards Team Hope on game days. On game day the inner die hard, never say quit, hardcore fan always prevails. Still, I am very much a conflicted fan and it took a couple of Dallas Cowboys legends to sway me in the direction of one side of the argument…at least for now that is. Here is what they had to say.

Emmitt Smith was quick to point out that the team is improving. He stressed that “the defense is starting to fly around like they did before” and he is encouraged by the how the offense has looked the last two games. In response to the likelihood that the team gets knocked out immediately in the playoffs he said “Even if they get knocked out, they prove to themselves that they were much better than they shown all along”. Emmitt added that he feels that if the Cowboys lose out and not give everything they possibly can, it is equivalent of quitting. He feels that the team is working towards something and overcoming the mental obstacle presented by their poor performance is important for the development of the team going forward and having the right mentality. Michael Irvin chimed in and shared his thoughts on the topic as well. Irvin, who experienced playing on Dallas Cowboys teams that won only 3 games his rookie year and 1 game in his second season, made an excellent point about the losing mentality. He said “People don’t realise how hard it is to get the stench of losing off your back”. He added “the aroma of losing lingers.” Coming from a couple of Hall of Famers, a couple of Dallas Cowboys legends, and a couple of players who experienced the growth from a losing team into a championship team, that is a powerful message.

Those are wise words coming from these two Dallas Cowboys legends. Words that resonated with my inner fan and got me thinking. This team is not in rebuild mode. There is a core of talented players and leaders that Cowboy fans hope will be around next season and beyond. What is the point of drafting a bunch of talented young players if they are going to be brought into a team with a losing culture amidst a group of veteran leaders who have a losing mentality. It would be much better to bring in a crop of young players, regardless of when or where they are drafted, into a winning environment amongst a group of players that believe they can overcome obstacles and prevail when there is little to no hope. Thank you Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin for allowing me to see the light. Those two Dallas Cowboys legends have pointed me in the right direction and given me purpose as a Dallas Cowboys fans once again. I am no longer conflicted and I forsake Team Tank to join Team Hope once and for all….that is unless they lose on Thursday. 😉

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