The reason the Cowboys lost yesterday, despite coming back from a 23-point Giant’s lead? You probably thought it had something to do with the six turnovers, right? No, turns out the Cowboys probably lost to the Giants for the same reason they lost to the Bears: the fans.
After several Bears players thanked their fans for being so loud in Arlington, and after noticing a rather mediocre home record (14-12 since the stadium opened), the Cowboys organization sent out an email to season-ticket holders, explaining how to cheer better. The email, part of the “Stand Up and Shout” campaign, reportedly suggests: “When you see the video graphic playing on the video board, get on your feet and get LOUD! Together, we can make opposing teams dread coming to Cowboys Stadium.”
Snark aside, this is a real conundrum for the team. The stadium is so big that the sound disperses. It’s also filled with distractions (especially if you’re the kind of person who might be distracted by women’s underwear). Tickets are expensive, and the people who can best afford them aren’t exactly the paint-your-face-and-scream-your-lungs-out types. Some barely follow the game. Also, the players and coaches seem to regularly make the kinds of small mental mistakes that make fans want to claw their own eyes out. (And sometimes the players have the cops called on them after they hit their moms, which doesn’t help.)
But, yes, fans could probably cheer better.
