FanSided 250: Dallas Cowboys inexplicably ranked below 8 NFL teams

In FanSided’s infamous top-250 list, the Dallas Cowboys finished ninth in the NFL and 80th overall – well below expectations.

People everywhere look forward to this time of the year. The Holiday season is here. It’s presence traditionally means spirits are high, loved ones are “loved”, healthy diets abandoned, the NBA, NFL, and NHL are in full swing, and the FanSided 250 list comes out – often providing Dallas Cowboys fans with validation for their loyal fandom.

But this year something happened and I’m not just talking about COVID-19 and the cluster-fudge that has accompanied it. I’m talking about the shockingly low ranking the Dallas Cowboys finished in the FanSided top-250.

For years, fandom rankings have praised the Dallas Cowboys faithful for their steadfast allegiance. Emory’s annual fan equity ranking has basically given the Cowboys the ultimate crown in four out of the last five years.

The Cowboys typically dominate anything that measures equity, be it social, financial, or loyalty over expectation (factoring team record which filters out bandwagon fans). As one of the least successful sports franchises this millennium, it’s safe to say there isn’t a single fair-weather fan left in Cowboys Nation, at this point.

As one of the least successful sports franchises this millennium, it’s safe to say there isn’t a single fair-weather fan left in Cowboys Nation

The fact that America’s Team is still the most valuable and beloved franchise in the entire world truly says something about this unparalleled fanbase. So you can imagine the outrage when the 2020 FanSided 250 didn’t have the Cowboys in the top spot…Or even the top NFL spot…barely in the top-10 in the NFL and barely in the top-100 overall!

For Dallas sports fans, some peace was found with the upward-trending Dallas Mavericks coming in 33rd and their star player, Luka Doncic, coming in 12th. But the proper respect for the Mavs doesn’t explain the utter disrespect to the Cowboys, does it?

Diving into the FanSided 250 deeper, we can see this makes more sense than what we initially thought. This isn’t a list of the best teams/organizations or of the best/most loyal fanbases even. It’s a list of the “hottest” fanbases.

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The Dallas Cowboys and their fans are already top dogs. They can’t really be the hottest because they’re essentially the Mount Everest of sports already. To get any higher they’d have to exceed their through-the-roof expectations. And my friends, we all know which side of those expectations the Dallas Cowboys have fallen this year.

The Dallas Cowboys are in full tank mode this year. Jockeying for that top-5 pick at a time most of us expected them to be competing for homefield advantage in the playoffs is a significant disappointment. Combine this season with last two seasons, Dallas actually has a 3-year losing record – despite having, what many consider to be, one of the most talented rosters in the NFL.

The Dallas Cowboys are terrible so the fact they’ve made any list that measures heat level is shocking. It’s actually a testament to the brand and the amazing fanbase.

Do the Dallas Cowboys deserve to be higher on the FanSided 250 this year? Of course not, they’re one of the most disappointing franchises of the year. It just goes to prove we have the best fans and most bulletproof brand in all of sports.

• Published on 12/08/2020 at 13:53 PM
• Last updated at 12/08/2020 at 15:57 PM