Like every Cowboys fan, Troy Aikman did not think that his third Super Bowl win with Dallas would be his last. However, not only was that the last title for Aikman’s Cowboys, but it also remains the last championship for one of the most recognizable brands in professional sports.

The upcoming season represents the 31st since the Cowboys won the Super Bowl, let alone played in one. Dallas’ 31-year drought without a conference title appearance is the longest in the NFC. For Aikman, a Hall of Fame quarterback and the MVP of Super Bowl XXVII, the fact that the Cowboys haven’t had more postseason success over the past 30 years is incomprehensible.

"It’s hard to fathom," Aikman said on the Dallas Dialogue with Dale podcast earlier this month. "I mean, it really is. We talk every year about parity and how we’ve seen teams that have gone from last to first and teams that have not been historically very good, and yet they still make a run. They’ll make it to a championship game, or they’ll make it to a Super Bowl. And yet for the Cowboys, that hasn’t happened."

The Cowboys’ Drought

What makes the Cowboys’ drought more perplexing, Aikman said, is that his former team has had considerable success in the regular season over the past 30 years, but that success hasn’t translated into a deep playoff run. "The Cowboys fans, they deserve better," Aikman said. "I do know that. I mean, this is the Cowboys, the flagship franchise, and the fact that the Cowboys in 30 years has not made it to a championship game, let alone a Super Bowl. I mean, it’s hard to fathom."

Every Cowboys fan knows when the franchise took a turn for the worse. It was shortly after Dallas won its second of back-to-back championships when Jimmy Johnson and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones mutually agreed to part ways. Johnson’s departure was fueled at least in part by Jones telling several reporters that "500 coaches could win Super Bowls with this team."

The Cowboys won a record third Super Bowl in four years, a year after Johnson’s departure, but it was clear that there were cracks in Dallas’ championship armor. Although they won it all in 1995, the Cowboys weren’t as good that year as they were in 1994, and they weren’t as good in ’94 as they were in 1993, Johnson’s last season in Dallas.

In addition to Johnson’s departure, many have pointed to Dallas’ drought being a byproduct of Jones’ continued insistence on serving as the team’s president and general manager in addition to being the owner. While Jones deserves credit for the success the Cowboys have had under his watch, it goes without saying that he has also played a considerable role in the team’s ongoing championship drought.

The Role of the Owner

"I think that teams and organizations, whether it’s sports, business, I think it all does start at the top, good or bad," Aikman said. "I think it starts at the top. I don’t think Jerry would shy away from that. I think Jerry would certainly take responsibility. He’ll take accountability if and when they win, and I think then you have to take responsibility when it hasn’t worked out. And it hasn’t worked out."

In defending his decision to serve as president and general manager, Jones has said that there are no guarantees that a new general manager would lead to more success. And while Jones is technically right, Aikman doesn’t feel that that is a legitimate reason to stand pat.

"If that’s your philosophy, then you would never fire the head coach either," Aikman said. "You would never make any changes because there are no guarantees whatsoever. But you know, they’ve been going down this road for so long, and yet it hasn’t translated into success in January, and there has to be a reason for that."

"You know, I’m not in the building," Aikman continued. "Everyone then has their opinion as to what it might be, but it just doesn’t add up. I mean, to me, you have to make changes in how you’re doing it. If for three decades, you’ve been unable to win back-to-back playoff games to get into a championship game, and then when they’ve had the number one seed and a first-round bye, they haven’t gotten out of the divisional round. … There’s been four playoff wins in 30 years, so that’s it’s just unacceptable."

Aikman’s words are a scathing indictment of the Cowboys’ front office and their inability to adapt and change. The fact that the team has been stuck in a rut for so long is a testament to the failure of leadership and the lack of accountability.

Only time will tell if the Cowboys will finally break their championship drought and bring home another title. But until then, the criticism from Aikman and others will continue to ring out, a reminder of the team’s failure to live up to their potential.