y*so*blu Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 (edited) Welcome one and all to the first article of Y*So*Retro, by a Vikings fan and Cowboys sympathizer. I could write a whole book about the 2005 Dallas Cowboys. About their leader Bill Parcells, who remains one of the most conflicted and compelling figures in the history of coaching; about their roster, a mix of P.O.'d veterans gunning for one more shot at glory and young hopefuls who would ultimately surpass them; about how they were on pace for another deep playoff run before falling short of the postseason entirely and trotting slowly, dejectedly into the sunset at 9-7. But I won't. Instead, in honor of your team's swiftly approaching regular season, I will limit my remarks to one of my favorite games of all time: their September 11th opener against the San Diego Chargers, then a formidable team bursting with talent at quarterback (Drew Brees backed up by Philip Rivers) and just about every other position. The Tuna had made big news before the season even started by implementing Dallas' first ever 3-4 defense and backing up the new look with a strong draft; future HOFer DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Marion Barber, and Marcus Spears were among the picks. He also brought in some old friends: Drew Bledsoe from Buffalo, Aaron Glenn from Houston, and Anthony Henry from Cleveland. All of this combined to make the Cowboys one of the most exciting teams in the league, and oh, did the game ever live up to that billing. Let's take a moment to appreciate how long ago this was in football years. Tom Brady had won only three Super Bowls. Patrick Mahomes was celebrating his tenth birthday. Dat Nguyen, Terry Glenn (RIP), Keyshawn Johnson, and Roy Williams were still playing for Dallas. And commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman actually sounded happy and excited to be doing their jobs. THAT'S how long ago this game was. (Hell, can I just go back to 2005?) I hope you all enjoyed this look back at Cowboys history. Feel free to add your own thoughts and memories, and allow me to wrap things up with "Fallen Horses" by Smash Mouth, a song that was directly inspired by the Cowboys' post-90s struggles.* * Actually, that's a lie. It had nothing to do with the Cowboys. But it's an interesting song anyway. Edited September 2, 2019 by y*so*blu 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBoys Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 Whattttt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TVScout Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 The only thing I remember about that season was Parcells losing to the Raiders. He should have been fired for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBoys Posted September 3, 2019 Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) My senior year in high school. The draft with D.Ware was the first NFL draft I ever made a big board for. I think it had only 20 names. I wanted Shawne Merriman. I also joined this site in February of 2005. Although I had always loved football, 2005 was the year I went full nerd with it. I've never looked back. Edited September 4, 2019 by DaBoys 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
y*so*blu Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 10 hours ago, TVScout said: The only thing I remember about that season was Parcells losing to the Raiders. He should have been fired for that. They were a roller coaster team to be sure. Huge letdowns against the Raiders, Redskins, and Broncos on one hand, partly because they couldn't secure a reliable kicker. But then they would come back with huge wins over the Giants, Panthers, and Chiefs (another all-time classic). That they were still playoff contenders late in the season despite losing Flozell Adams in Week 6, allowing good defenses to eat Bledsoe's lunch in the backfield, was the sign of an extraordinary team. But the math didn't go their way. At least they got to sweep the Eagles while T.O. and McNabb's relationship spontaneously combusted in the media. I didn't mind seeing that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nextyearfordaboyz Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 Lots of feelings watching old Parcells era Cowboys. But I think my most visceral reactions is always watching Julius Jones. If you made a list of Dallas Cowboy’s fool’s gold, he’d probably have to be #1. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardHawk Posted September 4, 2019 Share Posted September 4, 2019 8 hours ago, Nextyearfordaboyz said: Lots of feelings watching old Parcells era Cowboys. But I think my most visceral reactions is always watching Julius Jones. If you made a list of Dallas Cowboy’s fool’s gold, he’d probably have to be #1. Oh my lord, this is absolutely true. So frustrating on so many occasions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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