Michael Irvin isn’t lowering the bar for the Cowboys this season. If anything, he’s raising it all the way back to the top.
With Dallas less than two weeks from opening its season on the road against the New York Giants, the Hall of Fame receiver made it clear he thinks the franchise has to get back into the championship picture fast if it wants to keep carrying the weight of its old nickname.
“We cannot remain America's Team if a whole generation of Americans never see us in a championship game,” said Irvin, per Awful Announcing on X, formerly Twitter.
The timing of that warning is interesting, because the pressure on Dallas has been building for years. A generation of fans has grown up seeing the Cowboys as a team that too often becomes a punchline and only occasionally sneaks into the playoffs, a far cry from the days when Irvin, Emmitt Smith and the rest of that dynasty made the franchise a powerhouse.
Still, there’s reason to think this group could at least be relevant right away. The Cowboys spent the offseason revamping their defense while keeping most of their offense intact, and the expectation is that they’ll be able to win plenty of games if the pieces fit.
Dallas also added some important help on defense, including drafting Caleb Downs with one of its two first-round picks, and it kept Quinnen Williams around for the long haul.
On offense, much of the core remains in place, and if Dak Prescott can duplicate the MVP-adjacent form he showed last season, the Cowboys could make a real push in the NFC East.
For now, the first test comes September 13 in New York. That’s when Dallas finally gets to show whether this group can turn Irvin’s words into something more than nostalgia.
In Other News...
Sebastian Walcott Is Forcing A Tough Rangers Decision On Josh Jung
Sebastian Walcott has pushed his way into the Rangers thinking with a strong run at Double-A, and the organization is starting to treat his timeline like something more immediate than a distant prospect debate. A possible September arrival is now part of the conversation, which matters because Texas already has a young third baseman in Josh Jung trying to hold down the spot while working through defensive inconsistency and a recent injury absence.
Walcotts rise puts the Rangers in a familiar but difficult spot: keep waiting on Jung to settle in, or start thinking about a roster reshuffle if the top prospect is ready to force the issue. If Texas decides the bat and energy Walcott brings can help sooner rather than later, Jung could become a trade candidate as the club looks to fill other needs. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Fans Have A New Reason To Watch Sebastian Walcott Closely
Sebastian Walcott has already given Rangers fans plenty to monitor at Double-A Frisco, and the top prospect is backing up the buzz with a hot stretch at the plate. He has homered in three straight games and is riding a seven-game hitting streak, adding more evidence that his bat is translating quickly as he continues to move through the system.
Walcotts comeback makes the watch even more interesting because he is doing this after an internal brace procedure for a UCL tear, and he may be nearing a return to fielding duties soon. Through 30 games this season, the Rangers No. 1 prospect is hitting .319 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs, a line that only sharpens the anticipation around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
St. Thomas Aquinas Opponent Is Now Pushing Back After Viral Backlash
The season opener between DeSoto High School and St. Thomas Aquinas was supposed to be about football, but it became a bigger conversation when three of DeSotos four captains declined to shake hands with the opposing players before kickoff. The moment, caught on live television, spread quickly and drew widespread criticism, turning a standard pregame routine into the kind of scene that lingers well beyond one Friday night.
DeSotos football program moved quickly to address it, issuing an apology and taking responsibility for the captains actions while framing the incident as a learning opportunity. On the field, St. Thomas Aquinas handled its business with a 38-14 win, but the aftereffects of the handshake moment are still what people are talking about, and now the reaction is becoming part of the story too. [Read more 🡒]