Battle Royale Recap: Mark Holmes Says Cowboys Are Headed in a Better Direction

The Claim That Started a War

It's Wednesday, which means it's Battle Royale on The National Football Show. This week's free agency edition delivered the fireworks fans expect — and then some. Cowboys fan Mark Holmes walked in and dropped the bomb: "Without a doubt, we are headed in a better direction than the Philadelphia Eagles."

Let that sink in. A Cowboys fan. Claiming Dallas — winners of zero playoff games since 1996 — is headed in a better direction than the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Philly.500 Was Not Having It

Philly.500 showed up fashionably late — "You're keeping me back in there on purpose to make it look like I'm scared" — and immediately went to work. His best shot of the day? "He gets real quiet in December, don't he? Real quiet when it matters."

That's the fundamental problem with the Cowboys' offseason optimism. Every March, Dallas fans convince themselves this is the year. Every January, reality sets in. Thirty years of the same cycle, and Holmes is still buying in.

Holmes Defends Jerry Jones

When asked point-blank if Jerry Jones is a good owner, Holmes actually said yes. His reasoning? The Cowboys are popular, AT&T Stadium is incredible, and Jones makes more money than anyone. By that logic, the Knicks' James Dolan is a great owner too — Madison Square Garden sells out and the franchise is worth billions.

Popularity and revenue aren't the same as winning. Cowboys fans have been watching their team print money while printing losses for three decades.

The Verdict

Is Dallas making smarter moves this offseason than Philadelphia? Maybe. Are the Cowboys "headed in a better direction"? Ask again in January when they're watching the Eagles in the playoffs — again.

Credit to Holmes for showing up every Wednesday and defending the indefensible. That takes a special kind of loyalty. Or delusion. In Philly, we call it the same thing.