The mystique of the Dallas Cowboys is dead. Heck, unless you’re an old like some of us (myself included), you don’t ever remember the Cowboys being great — just overhyped. It’s gotten so bad that the once-proud denizens of the gridiron, America’s Team, are being totally lapped in success by the likes of the Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers, and Dallas Wings, all of whom have had more recent success that Jerry World.
How ‘bout them Cowboys? The worst sports team in Dallas
The Cowboys aren’t just bad these days, they’re inconsequential.
Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
With the 2024 season on the horizon we’re hurtling towards it being three decades since Dallas had any kind of NFL success.
- 29 years since a Super Bowl win (1995)
- 29 years since an NFC Championship (1995)
- ZERO appearances in the NFC Championship Game since 1995
- A 5-13 record in the playoffs since 1995
For all the talk of the Cowboys’ influence on football, for all the nationally televised games, and year-after-year of promise — this is an organization that has been lapped by the CAROLINA PANTHERS since the mid-nineties. Unquestionably the worst team in football right now, the Panthers have been vastly superior to the Cowboys in every area over the last 30 years.
- Two Super Bowl appearances (vs. zero for Dallas)
- Two NFC Championships (vs. zero for Dallas)
- Four NFC Championship appearances (vs. zero for Dallas)
- A 9-8 record in the playoffs since 1995
If the Cowboys negatively compare to the worst team in the NFL they have no chance of standing up against successful teams in other sports, right? Right.
Dallas Mavericks
- One NBA Championship (2010-11)
- Two Western Conference Championships (2006, 2011)
- Five Western Conference Finals appearances (2006, 2011, 2022, 2024)
Dallas Stars
- One Stanley Cup win (1998-99)
- Three Western Conference Championships (1999, 2000, 2020)
- Four Western Conference Finals appearances (1999, 2000, 2020, 2023)
Texas Rangers
- One World Series win (2023)
- Three AL Pennants (2010, 2011, 2023)
- Seven West Division titles
Dallas Wings
- Three WNBA Championships (2003, 2006, 2008)
- Four Western Conference Championships (2003, 2006, 2007, 2008)
The Cowboys becoming a bit of a laughing stock is par for the course. The general irksomeness of Jerry Jones, paired with “celebrity” fans the likes of Skip Bayless haven’t helped engender goodwill with fans — but it’s so much worse than that. The Cowboys might be the biggest draw in Dallas because of history, but there’s no doubting that they’ve become the most inconsequential team in the city since 1995.
So yeah ... how ‘bout them Cowboys?
