Tim Cowlishaw: As Cowboys-49ers reignite rivalry, one sideline isn't holding up its end of the bargain

DALLAS — National Football League rivalries can only die a slow, painful death unlike the college game where the greed of college commissioners and ADs makes Texas-Texas A&M, Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, Oregon-Oregon State disappear overnight. Sometimes they resurface, and sometimes they don’t. The Cowboys play the 49ers Sunday at AT&T Stadium, and it’s sad to see this thing on life support now. As a kid, I watched Dallas beat San Francisco in the NFC championship game twice to get to its first two Super Bowls. As a somewhat older kid, I covered the Cowboys as they reached what would be back-to-back Super Bowl victories by winning the first two championship games in a legendary trilogy with the 49ers. The 49ers, who, like Dallas, own five Lombardi Trophies, used the Cowboys as title game stepping stones for two of them — the “Catch” in 1981 to get to their first and then Dallas’ somewhat messy start but near-magical comeback at Candlestick after the 1994 season. kAm%9:D E9:?8 96C6 $F?52J 2E biad A]>]n %9:D :D?’E E92E]k^Am kAm%96 ch6CD 2C6 f\`[ @H? 2 4@>>2?5:?8 =625 :? E96 E@F89 }ur (6DE 282:?DE H9:49 E96 r@H3@JD H:== 36 92C5\AC6DD65 E@ H:? 2 82>6 E9:D D62D@?] %96J 2=C625J =@DE E@ pC:K@?2] &?56C zJ=6 $92?292?[ $2? uC2?4:D4@ :D 7@C6G6C E9:?<:?8 23@FE E92E D:IE9 {@>32C5: %C@A9J] %96J 92G6 7@F89E 7@C :E EH:46[ =@D:?8 E@ z2?D2D r:EJ 3@E9 E:>6D[ @?46 :? @G6CE:>6] %96J 92G6 A=2J65 :? 7@FC }ur 492>A:@?D9:AD 2?5 $92?292? 92D?’E J6E 366? E96C6 2 564256] tG6? =2DE J62C H96? =:?6324<6C uC65 (2C?6C[ A2DD CFD96C }:4< q@D2 2?5 E:89E 6?5 v6@C86 z:EE=6 DF776C65 D:8?:7:42?E :?;FC:6D W6G6? BF2CE6C324< qC@4< !FC5J >:DD65 7:G6 82>6DX[ E96 ch6CD 32EE=65 E@ E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 A=2J@77D[ =@D:?8 E@ 6G6?EF2= 492>A:@? $62EE=6]k^Am kAm%96 r@H3@JDn %96J 46=63C2E6 H:?D @G6C E96 x?5:2?2A@=:D r@=ED]k^Am kAms2==2D 92D DBF2?56C65 2 92=7 D62D@? :? H9:49 E96 E62>[ 6DA64:2==J E96 @776?D6[ H2D 962=E9:6C E92? >@DE :? E96 }u{] }@H[ 2E c\d 2?5 3688:?8 7@C 2 492?46 E@ 86E E@ ?:?6 H:?D 2?5 >2J36 4@>A6E6 H:E9 }6H *@C< 7@C E96 }ur t2DE E:E=6[ E96 r@H3@JD 2C6 562=:?8 H:E9 2 AC@ E62>’D 4FDE@>2CJ C2D9 @7 :?;FC:6D] p?5 E96:C 492C86 :D E@ DE@A E96 ch6CD :? E96 AC@46DD]k^Am kAm$2? uC2?4:D4@ 362E |:<6 |4r2CE9J’D s2==2D E62>D :? 7@FC DEC2:89E D62D@?D] %H@ @7 E9@D6 H6C6 A=2J@77 82>6D] ~?6 H2D 2 ca\`_ 3F==J:?8 @FE H6DE[ z:EE=6 72>@FD=J H62C:?8 2 “u\\\ s2==2D” %\D9:CE] x H2E4965 E92E 82>6 :? q2=E:>@C6[ 27E6C D66:?8 E96 #2?86CD E2<6 2 D64@?5 A=2J@77 82>6 7C@> E96 ~C:@=6D] %92E H2D EH@ s2==2D\2C62 @C82?:K2E:@?D >@G:?8 :? @AA@D:E6 5:C64E:@?D] %96 #2?86CD 92G6 D:?46 C6EC62E65[ 3FE E96 r@H3@JD’ 6?8:?6 92D C6>2:?65 DE2==65 7@C J62CD]k^Am kAm%9:D :D 2 C:G2=CJ E92E 6I:DED AC:>2C:=J @? *@F%F36 @C 4@FCE6DJ @7 }u{ u:=>D]k^Am kAmq6:?8 E92E :E’D 2? }u{ 82>6 H96C6 H6:C5 E9:?8D 92AA6? — E96 ch6CD 3=6H 2? 62C=J `c\b =625 2?5 DF776C65 E96:C @?=J =@DD @7 E96 D62D@? E9C66 H666D]k^Am kAm|@DE @7 E96 ch6CD’ 3:8 A=2J H:56 C646:G6CD 2C6 @FE @C 2E =62DE BF6DE:@?23=6] qFE E96J CF? E96 32== H:E9 4@>>:E>6?E[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? H:E9 r9C:DE:2? |4r277C6J H9@ E96J <66A 7C@> @G6CFD:?8 3J DF3DE:EFE:?8 z26=@? q=24<[ E96:C E9:C5\C@F?5 A:4< 7C@> ?2E:@?2= 492>A:@? x?5:2?2] q@E9 2G6C286 c]d J2C5D A6C 42CCJ] q@E9 2C6 =:<6=J 2 AC@3=6> 7@C E96 s2==2D 5676?D6 H9:49[ E@ :ED 4C65:E[ <6AE E96 r@=ED’ y@?2E92? %2J=@C :? 4964<] xE 96=A65 E92E x?5:2?2A@=:D 925 ?@ @E96C C62= H62A@?D 2?5 E96 52>2865 8@@5D @7 s2?:6= y@?6D 2E BF2CE6C324<]k^Am kAm!FC5J GD] s2< !C6D4@EE :D 2? :?EC:8F:?8 32EE=6 @7 27E6CE9@F89E BF2CE6C3242?\*@F?8[ ?@ @?6 H@F=5 A@:?E E@ E96 BF2CE6C324< A@D:E:@? E@ 6IA=2:? E96 5C@A\@77 :? E9:D C:G2=CJ’D 4@>A6E:E:@?]k^Am kAm%92E DE2CED 9:896C FA] p7E6C 2 72==:?8 @FE H:E9 y:> w2C32F89 @?6 J62C 27E6C 96 925 E2<6? E96 ch6CD E@ 2 $FA6C q@H=[ :E E@@< >2?286>6?E 23@FE 7:G6 >:?FE6D E@ C64@8?:K6 r9:A z6==J H2D 2 >:DE2<6] %96J 92?565 E96 <6JD E@ E96 7C2?49:D6 E@ zJ=6 $92?292? 2?5 9:D 92?5\A:4<65 v|[ y@9? {J?49]k^Am kAm%96 ch6CD 92G6 366? 2 4@?E6?56C 6G6C D:?46[ H:??:?8 A=2J@77 82>6D :? 7:G6 @7 E96 =2DE ?:?6 D62D@?D] y6CCJ y@?6D’ =2DE D6G6? 4@249:?8 9:C6D 92G6 H@? A=2J@77 82>6D :? 7@FC D62D@?D]k^Am kAm%96 ch6CD 2?5 E96 !24<6CD 2C6 E96 @?=J }ur E62>D H:E9 2 H:??:?8 2==\E:>6 C64@C5 282:?DE s2==2D] q6J@?5 !9:=256=A9:2 :? E96 5:G:D:@?[ E96J 92G6 366? 3J 72C E9:D E62>’D 3:886DE C:G2=D] qFE s2==2D 32C6=J D9@H65 FA 2E {2>362F u:6=5 =2DE >@?E9[ 72==:?8 369:?5 `f\_ 2E 92=7E:>6 :? 2 AC:>6 E:>6 72:=FC6] p?5 3J 2?J 567:?:E:@? @7 9@H $2? uC2?4:D4@ 2?5 s2==2D 92G6 A=2J65 :? C646?E D62D@?D[ 2?5 6DA64:2==J :? a_ae[ E9:D :D 2 32EE=6 @7 E96 4C65:3=6 282:?DE E96 F?D6C:@FD] ~?6 :D E96 4FCC6?E 72G@C:E6 E@ 86E E@ E96 $FA6C q@H= :? {@D p?86=6D] %96 @E96C 5@6D?’E 6 :D 36:?8 8:G6? E96 7F== u@I %@> qC25J EC62E>6?E[ 2?5 ?@ 5@F3E :E H:== AC@5F46 @?6 @7 E96 =2C86DE ?2E:@?H:56 %' 2F5:6?46D @7 E96 D62D@?] !6@A=6 =@G6 9:DE@CJ 2?5 E96J 2C6 DF4<6CD 7@C ?@DE2=8:2] %96 r@H3@JD H:== ?665 E96:C >@DE DA2C<=:?8 2?5 5:D4:A=:?65 677@CE @7 E96 J62C :7 2?J >@C6 E92? E92E :D E@ 36 @776C65]k^Am