Being a Dalls Fan in New Jersey isn't always easy
Rich Shultz/Getty Images
loading...

Let me start this by saying, I was born and raised right here in the great Garden State. When I was growing up in Hoboken and West New York, if you were into football, you were a die hard Giants fan, a Jets fan or maybe if you lived  down past Brick or Seaside, you were an Eagles fan. If you weren't one of those three, you were just known as one of those 'other' fans.

Those 'other' fans were made up of kids rooting for the classic NFL dynasties such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and even one of my buddies was an L.A. (before St. Louis) Rams fan. All those fans were tolerated and accepted. Then there was a small group of fans that weren't looked as highly upon. Those were the kids who were Dallas Cowboys fans. Welcome to my hell.

Ever since seeing the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day 1979, I've been a die hard fan. My first memories of pro football were with names like Tony Dorsett (still my favorite player), Randy White, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, 'the guy with the cool hat' Coach Tom Landry and of course, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Normally when I talk football with people, I always get "How the heck did you become a Cowboys fan?" Or, "Where did you go wrong?" Well, there's your answer in case you were wondering.

I don't think there are many rivalries that match the intensity of a Cowboys/Giants game. I've had the great fortune to go to see some great matchups between my Cowboys and the New York Giants over the years at the old Giants Stadium including the game in 1993 in the blustery cold when Emmitt Smith separated his shoulder and still helped the Cowboys win the division and go on to a Super Bowl win later that season. I was also on hand when Emmitt Smith busted a long run on the opening drive of the 1995 season as well. I remember how you could almost feel the air come out of the lungs of the Giants fans in the stands that night.

Fast forward to the more recent games in the past few years and it has definitely shifted in the Giants favor including watching the Giants winning the Super Bowl, not one, but twice. Ugh. With winning also comes the trash talking and abuse. So when I've headed into MetLife Stadium Stadium in the last few years to watch the Cowboys/Giants game, it is all too common to hear someone call me an off-color name that rhymes with Dallas' quarterback's last name, Romo. Sigh. Yeah, I never heard that one before but apparently it never gets old to a Giants fan. Or otherwise, I get the usual "HEY COWGIRL! YOU SUCK!" Fantastic. Even now, working at New Jersey 101.5, I not only get abused by Giants fans like my good buddy Steve Trevelise but I also have to deal with working around a bunch of Eagles fans as well.

But with the start of another season springs the hope of success. I'm optimistic this season that the Cowboys, with rookie quarterback Dak Prescott at the helm, put it all together and the talent finally translates into some wins, starting on Opening night versus those same New York Giants, the team that has tortured me one way or another since I was a kid.

The trash talking starts all over again this weekend for the  Opening Kickoff of the NFL season with the Giants taking on the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Texas at 4:30.

More From New Jersey 101.5 FM