For a team with the moniker of “America’s Team,” there may not be a team that draws more levels of hatred nationwide than the Dallas Cowboys. Ask any NFL fan and they are sure to have some opinion on the Cowboys. You may hear “overrated” or that they “can’t win a Playoff game.”
Whatever your opinion may be, the negativity and hatred surrounding the team is motivating to one of Bid D’s biggest stars, Dez Bryant.
“I feel like the greatest thing about being on the Cowboys is that people love to hate the Cowboys,” Bryant told that Dallas Morning News. “That makes [me] work 10 times harder. They put a big target on us or whatever, and it doesn’t bother me. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t bother a lot of other guys either. They like that kind of pressure and it makes us want to work hard and get back into the big game.”
That’s just your average media day out of Bryant’s camp. If you recall, the Dallas wideout made off-season remarks about wanting to be the NFL’s first 2,000-yard receiver.
It is encouraging to see a player who is consistently scrutinized for his maturity seemingly rising above his childish behaviors to defend his teammates, something that is often addressed by the team quarterback. Tony Romo is probably still busy celebrating the massive contract given to him by owner Jerry Jones, and understandably so. Still, it is disheartening to not hear the Cowboys team leader talk about his hunger to return himself and his teammate back into top-form.
Dallas’ star-wide receiver is trying to turn a negative stereotype about his team into something more positive. With the team’s recent struggles, Bryant is trying his hardest to motivate his team back to their winning ways with an improved workout regiment in the off-season.
Bryant’s comments might not lead the team to a miraculous comeback for the 2013 season, but they might unite a team that has lacked consistency in recent years. Whether or not other Cowboys players are taking the hatred of the team to heart remains to be seen, but they could certainly rally around these negative comments and turn around their string of disappointing seasons.
For Bryant, he should focus on staying healthy for a full season; otherwise Dallas might just continue to be the team everybody loves to hate.
