We Want Dallas
That refrain was made famous in 1983, after the Redskins defeated the Vikings and were looking down the pike at our most hated rivals. Since then, it's been a rallying cry amongst fans, amplifying the innate hatred any good 'Skins fan feels for anyone crazy enough to be wearing blue and silver. Dan Steinberg has an interesting story on the refrain, most recently heard this weekend after we beat the Arizona Cardinals, and looked forward to heading to Texas Stadium this weekend. But to quote my own dad, "maybe we don't" want Dallas. They're arguably the best team in the NFL this year, with three weeks of wins under their belts and a roster that boasts some of the league's best players.
Which brings us to this picture. dharmabumx saw this spirited fan's license plate and added the shot to our DCist pool. I laughed out loud, and quickly added it as a favorite. Because, you see, it doesn't matter how good the Cowboys are this year. I don't care that Romo's already got 892 yards this season. Because every time we play Dallas is a chance to beat Dallas. And there's nothing better than that. Steinberg's post says that we should rethink the chant, because based on some Googling, he doesn't think the rivalry goes both ways. That's just not true. I know Dallas fans. I know people whose families pray for the Redskins to be defeated at Sunday dinners. The hate is felt in kind, and the rivalry is real. Teams go through tough times; it wasn't long ago that the Cowboys were pretty terrible. And it was just as much fun to hate them then as it is to hate them now.
For people who don't love a sports team in that intense, blind way, it probably seems silly (or insane, militaristic, unintelligent — pick your diatribe, I've heard them all). But to boil it down to a basic level, having a hated rival makes watching sports a lot more fun. As a little kid, my father told me bed time stories about that 1983 playoff game, where the stands were shaking, it was bitter cold, and the chanting was so loud his ears were ringing the whole ride home. It's just plain exciting to support a team, and know that twice a year you're going to have a day that will be either the deepest agony or the greatest elation you'll feel all season. And when you're looking at going head-to-head with Marrion Barber and Jason Witten, with a home field advantage, when Jason Taylor's not suiting up due to injury... well, you need that intensity to push you through the week. So I say yes, we do want Dallas. And yes, F Romo.