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Troy Aikman: Many Cowboys fans attend games just 'to be seen'

Troy Aikman says the fans who go to Cowboys game are there just to be seen, and that there is very little home-field advantage for the Cowboys.

Chris Graythen - Getty Images

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman had some harsh words for fans who attend Cowboys games, saying many of them go just to be seen. Aikman also said that the home-field advantage was not there when he played in Texas Stadium, and it also is not there in the new Cowboys Stadium.

This topic was brought up as a result of a burst of cheers occurring during last week's home game against the Bears. The cheering happened not on a Cowboys score, but when Chicago's Brandon Marshall scored a touchdown.

Aikman brought his comments to the public in an interview with KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket:

"I don't think Dallas has ever really had a great home field advantage," Aikman said. "What I've heard is that, 'Wow, they really lost home field advantage when they left Texas Stadium.' Texas Stadium really wasn't that different. Having played playoff games in Texas Stadium, that stadium was rocking, it was great. ... But when we would play in Philadelphia, New York and walk out of the tunnel, I would have to be yelling at the top of my lungs for guys to hear me. [...] And yet in Texas Stadium, teams did it all the time."

So what's the reason for the Cowboys' quiet crowds? Aikman says it's simply the culture of Dallas sports fans.

"I think for a large part - and the fans don't want to hear this - a lot of the people that attend sports in this town, they're there because it's kind of just a place to be seen," Aikman said.

Aikman know his stuff as he played over 90 home games for the Cowboys, as well as calling the big games for FOX, which included calling more games in Dallas.

Photographs by jamesbrandon, jdtornow, phlezk, flygraphix, mcdlttx, tomasland, and literalbarrage used in background montage under Creative Commons. Thank you.