The Dallas Cowboys are in offseason mode, their players and coaches having returned from the Pro Bowl and scouting department from the Senior Bowl. Failing to remain in the news and create stories is never something the Cowboys should be accused of, though coaching criticisms following the NFC's loss in the Pro Bowl may have them reconsidering this position.
For writers and fans like myself, the Cowboys permanent status as a larger-than-life entity deserving of constant attention is a great thing. It's also part of the reason why I'm taking this time to formally sign off from Inside The Star. Though being a member of Cowboys Nation will always define me, serving them on these pages daily has come to an end for me.
I couldn't possibly thank everybody that's helped get me to this point. There's a good chance I don't even know whoever you are reading this right now. Perhaps we've exchanged a tweet or comment along the way.
What I can do is proudly say I tried to allow our readers and fans to get to know me. A New Jersey native that takes a lot of pride in flying Cowboys colors in Giants/Eagles territory, the reality that my words about a team in Dallas have impact is something I cherish.
Through a ton of late nights, four years of college ending with the completion of a Sports Journalism degree, my first Cowboys game at the Cleveland Browns in 2016, and first NFL event covered when I attended the 2018 Draft, Inside The Star will always represent everything I hope Cowboys Nation continues to strive for in their coverage of America's Team.
The aspiration to try new things and learn from practical experience are both ways the daily grind of focusing on one team for 365 days a year remains entertaining. So too are the fans that genuinely care, through the good and bad.
On my way out of Dallas today.
– Been to Texas ✔
– Been to AT&T Stadium ✔
– Credentialed for @CowboysNation ✔
– Covered an NFL Draft ✔
– Tried @Whataburger ✔That's a lot of "firsts" in one weekend, and for that I thank you all! Let's keep this thing going back in Jersey. pic.twitter.com/HPULvBNDjs
— Sean Martin ✭ (@SeanMartinNFL) April 29, 2018
There is one personalized thank you I'd like to write before wrapping up, and that's to this site's Managing Editor Bryson Treece. For seeing something in me that I didn't know I'd ever have, Bryson brought me on near the beginning of Inside The Star's emergence. Though I signed on with the rather bold claim that I was here to cover the Cowboys winning a Super Bowl, as they proceeded to go 4-12 in my first season on the beat, I'm immensely proud of what this staff has achieved with Bryson at the helm despite falling short of this.
The consideration to stop writing about the Cowboys here came up between Bryson and I a few times before the most recent confirmation, and each time his guidance assured me I should stay – as did my readers.
With so many talented writers and media personalities devoting their time to this team, I won't waste any more of yours reading about me when your time is best spent absorbing Cowboys content. If you previously took any time at all, be it five minutes over the last four seasons, to interact with my work at Inside The Star, know that not even this last collection of words can thank Cowboys Nation enough.
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Feel free to follow me on Twitter @SeanMartinNFL for further coverage and updates on the next chapter. Thank you for making this job fun, I wouldn't want it any other way!
