Black Folks: It’s Time to End Your Dallas Cowboy Lovefest!

I told y’all that the Dallas Cowboys were problematic before the season even started. But apparently, some of y’all needed more evidence before breaking up with this franchise. Well, the 2026 season has arrived, and now I have receipts. The Cowboys are 2–4 after losing to Green Bay, and the defense looks like straight cheeks.

At this point, rooting for Dallas is less a football decision and more like choosing a toxic relationship. Jerry Jones keeps getting richer, the team keeps losing, and y’all are still buying the merchandise and asking anybody who will listen, “How ’bout them Cowboys?”

I’ma say this one mo’ gin because I love y’all and want better for Black folks. Especially since we’re some of this team’s biggest and most loyal fan base.

The Cowboys Are the Drake of the NFL

Yeah, I said it. Stop me when I’m lying. Drake can drop an album, get clowned on social media, and still have folks checking his streaming numbers. The Cowboys can lose embarrassingly, miss the playoffs, and still get more preseason hype than teams that deserve it.

Every August, Cowboys fans convince themselves that they’re going to make a deep playoff run. Then January arrives, and they’re back to watching somebody else compete for a championship. I can’t help but think of Drake when I think of the team in big D.

Both have figured out how to make the hype bigger than the product. The difference? Drake has Grammys to show for his career. What do the Cowboys have besides a highlight reel from the Clinton administration?

Related: 3 HBCU Football Classics to Watch in 2026: Bayou, Magic City, Florida

Jerry Jones Has Built a Billion-Dollar Excuse Factory

I gotta give it to that geriatric white man. Jerry Jones has figured out the ultimate hustle. Even if the Cowboys lose on Sunday, he will still win on Monday. The franchise is the most valuable in the NFL, worth $17 billion; the merchandise keeps flying off the shelves, and fans stay convincing themselves that next year will be different. Meanwhile, bump the Super Bowl; Dallas hasn’t reached an NFC Championship Game since 1995.

That’s not a slump. That’s a lifestyle. There are folks who own homes and have children who have never seen the Cowboys play in an NFC Championship Game. And yet, every August, here y’all come with the ‘this is our year’ tomfoolery. At this point, Jerry Jones could sell y’all tickets to watch paint dry.

Black Folks, You Can Love Your Family Without Inheriting Their Football Trauma

Maybe your daddy loved the Cowboys. Maybe your granddaddy and his kinfolk loved the team. That’s beautiful. Family traditions matter. Especially Black ones. But so does knowing when a tradition has become a burden.

You can appreciate the dynasty of the 1990s without pretending the current team deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith. Your grandpappy’s Cowboys jersey is an heirloom, not a legally binding contract. And no, you don’t have to become an Eagles fan. I am trying to help you, not ruin your life.

The Cowboys have earned their place in NFL history. That doesn’t mean they’ve earned your unconditional loyalty. At some point, we have to stop confusing a famous football team with a good one. Black folks, we have enough things in this country trying to take our money and our peace. We don’t need to volunteer for another one every Sunday.