L.T. Fan
I'm Easy If You Are
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 21,699
Rays Of Sunshine
________________________________________
Rays of Sunshine
By L.T. (Long Time) Fan - DallasCowboysCentral.com Staff Writer
June 25, 2004
Most sports forums are populated with serious fans that have thoughts and opinions about their team, its players, the management and ownership along with the other trappings and decision-making processes that go along with said franchise.
After all, a large part of the fun of being a fan is to meet with other fans and exchange ideas in person or via the various means of communication. We are all coach and GM materiel, right?
We debate player issues, games played, games to be played and at times even have the audacity to substitute our wisdom for the actual players and decision makers of our favorite team. Not to mention the kudos and criticisms of the various drafts and other personnel acquisition processes.
That’s what the forums are about, right? Well I for one certainly think so and personally I would do little if anything to modify this exchange of dialogue and banter. Although at times, it seems almost uncivilized.
What I would like to interject about this process however is a thought to fans everywhere about another important aspect of being a fan. That being team support.
My message signature states “Since day one” and what that represents is my memory span of the Dallas Cowboys. I actually remember when they were organized and commenced in the NFL. That good fortune just comes with becoming ancient and still being alive.
I also have a memory of an outstanding Dallas Cowboys fan by the name of Ray. Actually there were two Rays. One was known as “Whistling Ray” and the other “Crazy Ray”.
Memory serves me (and correctly I believe) that Whistling Ray was the first of the Rays and he came to the forefront with the Dallas Cowboys team in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s. I cannot recall when he left the scene as “Whistling Ray” but I think it was the mid 1980’s. The other Ray soon took up the banner and continued this mantra until the mid 90’s. Each was a staple of the Dallas Cowboys overall public relations representation. They often got almost as much camera time as the cheerleaders themselves.
As far as I can tell, these Rays were simply Dallas Cowboy fans. They were not officially part of the organization or sanctioned mascots even though they acted as such for decades. They were in attendance to almost every game whether at home or away and could be easily identified by their distinctive but somewhat outrageous cowboy costume. They even toted toy pistols and rode a stick horse along the playing field sidelines. They enthusiastically engaged the rival team’s mascot when the circumstances were right for this to occur and the TV cameras were in place. It was somewhat like a mini WWF, if I may be so bold.
When you least expected it they would appear alongside the fans in the stands urging everyone to get behind the football Cowboys and show their support. It didn’t matter whether the Cowboys were ahead or behind, a contender or in last place, the Rays always let their self-created sun shine toward the team they supported. Their enthusiasm never waned.
I recall over the years the local newspaper (Dallas Morning News) ran a few articles from time to time about the “Rays” but regrettably I remember almost no details about them personally. I tried to do some research but I came up with virtually nothing about their personal lives. It seems a sad situation now to only know of them and know almost nothing about them. In actuality the Rays were one in the same person. To this day I do not know what brought about the name change or who was responsible but both personas were 100% Dallas Cowboys fans.
There is one thing I do have from my impressions of these "Rays of Sunshine" and that is the enthusiasm and support they possessed for their Dallas Cowboys team and the fervor to encourage the fan base to join them in support of the team. If nothing else, I suppose that one thing is a very nice legacy for me to try to pass along as well.
By all means continue to discuss and debate the various aspects of your team, its players, management, ownership and the inevitable predictions that we all hope will bring us our 15 minutes of fame from our peers. But in all of it, remember the "Rays of Sunshine" as well and the credo they tried to instill which is that every fan needs to encourage and support their team even when the circumstances of all the aforementioned topics of debate become a gigantic tidal wave of controversy, disappointment and disapproval to your personal preferences.
In reality every season to a fan should be good season.
Update commentary
Since initially writing this article Ray has passed on but to this day I can still see and hear him going around the stadium with his costume and being glad to be able to cheer on his favorite team in all the land.
________________________________________
Rays of Sunshine
By L.T. (Long Time) Fan - DallasCowboysCentral.com Staff Writer
June 25, 2004
Most sports forums are populated with serious fans that have thoughts and opinions about their team, its players, the management and ownership along with the other trappings and decision-making processes that go along with said franchise.
After all, a large part of the fun of being a fan is to meet with other fans and exchange ideas in person or via the various means of communication. We are all coach and GM materiel, right?
We debate player issues, games played, games to be played and at times even have the audacity to substitute our wisdom for the actual players and decision makers of our favorite team. Not to mention the kudos and criticisms of the various drafts and other personnel acquisition processes.
That’s what the forums are about, right? Well I for one certainly think so and personally I would do little if anything to modify this exchange of dialogue and banter. Although at times, it seems almost uncivilized.
What I would like to interject about this process however is a thought to fans everywhere about another important aspect of being a fan. That being team support.
My message signature states “Since day one” and what that represents is my memory span of the Dallas Cowboys. I actually remember when they were organized and commenced in the NFL. That good fortune just comes with becoming ancient and still being alive.
I also have a memory of an outstanding Dallas Cowboys fan by the name of Ray. Actually there were two Rays. One was known as “Whistling Ray” and the other “Crazy Ray”.
Memory serves me (and correctly I believe) that Whistling Ray was the first of the Rays and he came to the forefront with the Dallas Cowboys team in the late 1960’s or early 1970’s. I cannot recall when he left the scene as “Whistling Ray” but I think it was the mid 1980’s. The other Ray soon took up the banner and continued this mantra until the mid 90’s. Each was a staple of the Dallas Cowboys overall public relations representation. They often got almost as much camera time as the cheerleaders themselves.
As far as I can tell, these Rays were simply Dallas Cowboy fans. They were not officially part of the organization or sanctioned mascots even though they acted as such for decades. They were in attendance to almost every game whether at home or away and could be easily identified by their distinctive but somewhat outrageous cowboy costume. They even toted toy pistols and rode a stick horse along the playing field sidelines. They enthusiastically engaged the rival team’s mascot when the circumstances were right for this to occur and the TV cameras were in place. It was somewhat like a mini WWF, if I may be so bold.
When you least expected it they would appear alongside the fans in the stands urging everyone to get behind the football Cowboys and show their support. It didn’t matter whether the Cowboys were ahead or behind, a contender or in last place, the Rays always let their self-created sun shine toward the team they supported. Their enthusiasm never waned.
I recall over the years the local newspaper (Dallas Morning News) ran a few articles from time to time about the “Rays” but regrettably I remember almost no details about them personally. I tried to do some research but I came up with virtually nothing about their personal lives. It seems a sad situation now to only know of them and know almost nothing about them. In actuality the Rays were one in the same person. To this day I do not know what brought about the name change or who was responsible but both personas were 100% Dallas Cowboys fans.
There is one thing I do have from my impressions of these "Rays of Sunshine" and that is the enthusiasm and support they possessed for their Dallas Cowboys team and the fervor to encourage the fan base to join them in support of the team. If nothing else, I suppose that one thing is a very nice legacy for me to try to pass along as well.
By all means continue to discuss and debate the various aspects of your team, its players, management, ownership and the inevitable predictions that we all hope will bring us our 15 minutes of fame from our peers. But in all of it, remember the "Rays of Sunshine" as well and the credo they tried to instill which is that every fan needs to encourage and support their team even when the circumstances of all the aforementioned topics of debate become a gigantic tidal wave of controversy, disappointment and disapproval to your personal preferences.
In reality every season to a fan should be good season.
Update commentary
Since initially writing this article Ray has passed on but to this day I can still see and hear him going around the stadium with his costume and being glad to be able to cheer on his favorite team in all the land.
Last edited:
