{"id":22503,"date":"2026-06-09T00:10:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T00:10:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/whats-it-like-to-be-a-cowboys-fan-plus-why-russell-wilson-is-not-a-hall-of-fame-quarterback-the-new-york-times\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T00:10:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T00:10:28","slug":"whats-it-like-to-be-a-cowboys-fan-plus-why-russell-wilson-is-not-a-hall-of-fame-quarterback-the-new-york-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/06\/09\/whats-it-like-to-be-a-cowboys-fan-plus-why-russell-wilson-is-not-a-hall-of-fame-quarterback-the-new-york-times\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s it like to be a Cowboys fan? Plus: Why Russell Wilson is not a Hall of Fame quarterback – The New York Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

NFL
CANTON, OHIO – AUGUST 5: A Dallas Cowboys fan holds up a sign reading "This Is Our Year" after a Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown in the second half during the 2021 NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 5, 2021 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images) Emilee Chinn<\/span>
Corny. It\u2019s the first word that comes to my mind when I think of Russell Wilson, the longtime Seahawks quarterback and 2013 Super Bowl champ. The second word? Basically the same: cringe.
Wilson did himself zero favors. He nicknamed himself \u201cMr. Unlimited<\/a>\u201d and gave us \u201cBroncos Country, Let\u2019s Ride<\/a>.\u201d He did some brutal Subway commercials. High-knees in the aisle of the team plane. He practiced high-fiving non-existent fans during a summer practice.
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It was so bad that Sports Illustrated made a nearly six-minute video ranking every Russell Wilson meme<\/a> and still<\/em> missed plenty.
Quirkiness aside, Wilson has been a Hall of Fame-level human.<\/strong> I can\u2019t think of any quarterback who spent more time in public service than the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and 2022 Bart Starr Award<\/a> winner.
So while he might be cringe-inducing, the world needs more people like him.
As for his playing career, is he a Pro Football<\/em> Hall of Famer?<\/strong> Certainly not, in my opinion. My colleague (and Hall of Fame selector) Mike Sando shared his perspective on Wilson\u2019s credentials<\/a>, which weighs both sides. Most glaring? Wilson\u2019s post-Seattle splits:

Seattle\u2019s Wilson was the equivalent of a Matt Ryan-type quarterback. Post-Seattle, he basically became Justin Fields.
It gets worse. As Mike explains in his story<\/a>, Wilson seems unlikely to receive a Hall jacket for reasons beyond just his historic collapse, such as:
So while he is a great person with an impressive career, significant contributions to meme culture and a Super Bowl ring, Russell Wilson should only enter into the Hall of Very Good. I\u2019d hope Eli Manning is there to greet him.
Next: <\/b>Cowboys fans explain their own experience, plus minicamp stories to watch<\/a>. We\u2019ll start in Dallas.
This article is from The Athletic\u2019s NFL newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive it directly in your inbox. It\u2019s free to subscribe. <\/em><\/strong>
 
A few weeks ago, I asked Cowboys fans to explain how it feels to do something I\u2019ll never experience: cheer for a Jerry Jones-led team.
The poll began with a simple question. Do you want Jerry Jones to sell the team?<\/strong>

I also used the survey as an excuse to hear from Cowboys fans on what it\u2019s like to support this team. They didn\u2019t disappoint (though some got really dark). I\u2019ll start with my favorite:<\/strong>
\u201cLike being forced to watch the three \u2018Star Wars\u2019 prequels (and later sequels) annually. Nowhere close to being as good as the first three, and only made to make money for the owner. It sucks.\u201d \u2014 Chris G.
As for other great submissions:
\u201cBeing a Cowboys fan is like being a Microsoft fan. They both peaked in the \u201990s, have made repeated unforced errors since then and don\u2019t seem to have a plan to get better.\u201d \u2014  Brian M.
\u201cYou may hate the Cowboys, but there\u2019s no chance you hate our team as much as we do.\u201d \u2014 CC
\u201cIts like being a Jets or Browns fan, only even they feel bad for you.\u201d \u2014 Jonathan M.
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Nobody expects the Jets or Browns to be good, meaning fans of those teams can hide from attention. Meanwhile, the mistakes of America\u2019s Team are on full display at all times. Remember that since 2000, the Cowboys have the most regular-season wins among teams without any Super Bowls in that span. <\/strong>
I\u2019ll leave you with this from Meaghan:
\u201cLike riding a roller coaster you\u2019ve been strapped onto for life \u2014 fun at first, hits the highs and lows, and then you\u2019ve been on the same loop for so long that eventually, it feels more like a trip to Dante\u2019s Inferno than an amusement park. But you can\u2019t get off. And sometimes, if you\u2019re lucky, you still get butterflies.\u201d
That said, the Cowboys defense sure does look better<\/a>!<\/strong>
I haven\u2019t covered the Seahawks much this offseason. Some readers, likely centered in America\u2019s Northwest corner, have complained about that lack of coverage.
But what I write next isn\u2019t to appease them. It\u2019ll probably do the opposite, actually.
It\u2019s June, folks, and it\u2019s been mostly downhill for the Seahawks since February. As Mike Jones writes in his story on minicamp storylines to follow<\/a>, Seattle has some big holes to fill, both on and off the field.

Granted, most of those pieces feel like luxury parts. Seattle still has the core of a top Super Bowl contender: head coach, quarterback, star receiver and elite defense.
But that\u2019s missing the point. <\/strong>Luxury talent wins Super Bowls, as illustrated by nearly any recent champion (especially last year\u2019s Seahawks and the 2024 Eagles). Just as crucial is the improvement of division rivals like the 49ers and those Garrett-acquiring Rams.
The most positive thing to say about the Seahawks\u2019 offseason: The champ always gets raided, and this champ didn\u2019t lose too<\/em> much.
However, so much went right for this team in 2025 that I\u2019m confident Seattle won\u2019t repeat.<\/strong> In fact, I\u2019ll personally pay for and ship to 20 fans (who fill out this form<\/a>) a Jon Ryan poster if the Seahawks win the upcoming Super Bowl.
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Regardless, before Seattle fans worry too much about 2026, I\u2019d recommend continuing to bathe in the afterglow of last season. Just ask Cowboys fans about how fleeting the glory days can be.
\ud83d\udc40 Not very. <\/strong>That\u2019s how close Baker Mayfield is to a long-term deal with the Buccaneers<\/a>. The team is 27-24 (plus two playoff wins) with him. He\u2019s still only 31.
\ud83d\ude9a Moving out? <\/strong>The Bears are eying a nearby part of Indiana<\/a> in an ongoing stadium dance. Fans clearly want this saga to just end.
\ud83d\udcd3 Steelers takeaways. <\/strong>Mike DeFabo has 10 things you should know<\/a> about Aaron Rodgers, T.J. Watt and others after minicamp.
\u25b6\ufe0f Thursday\u2019s most-clicked: <\/strong>How the Myles Garrett blockbuster changed sportsbook Super Bowl odds<\/a>.
\ud83d\udceb Enjoyed this read? Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s free NFL newsletter in your inbox. <\/strong>
Also, check out our<\/b> other newsletters<\/b><\/a>.
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today's puzzle<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NFLCANTON, OHIO – AUGUST 5: A Dallas Cowboys fan holds up a sign reading "This Is Our Year" after a Pittsburgh Steelers touchdown in the second half during the 2021 NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall Of Fame Stadium on August 5, 2021 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn\/Getty Images) […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22503"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22503\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}