Cowboys.com goes Gay

[RaiderGirl]

I posted about this on DNF in the DomainGang thread but the owner felt it necessary to have the last word and close the thread as he's done countless times in the past...

From that thread it came to my attention the owners/investors of Cowboys.com have developed it into a Gay dating site, and that some domainers may think it was a brilliant idea as a way of influencing the Dallas Cowboys organization into buying it, needless to say I do NOT share that same thought..

But I'm wondering how many of you do?

I think it goes to ethics, Yes it was unethical for the Dallas Cowboys to back out of the deal, but it is also unethical for it's new owners to use degradation of a famous brand as a means of persuading the owner of that corporation into buying it...

The owners will of course say this was not their intent, but when you look at the history behind this purchase, and consider the Dallas Cowboys have the most interest in the name as well as very deep pockets, and considering that 5 years has passed and no sale, I think the intent is clear.

Your thoughts

 

[DnEbook]

well it seems dallascowboys.com is their site ...........truly .what is all this fuss about


Pretty sure if someone wants to know about the dallas cowboys this will be adequate

Seems they have moved on ........maybe others should as well

 

[mjnels]

The name was parked now it has been developed. How can development be reflected as negativity against the domain owners.

I understand that some people 'hate' domainers when they see domains parked because they don't understand that aspect of monetization, but, building a site also now reflects negatively?

What do you suggest they do? The football team didn't want to buy the name, so they built a site on it.

I've checked out the site. Gay people dating is no reason to be 'disgusted'.

here is why it would be disgusting to the average person: because most people are homophobic.

sheesh, posts like the persons above act like if you acknowledge reality that you yourself are advocating intolerance. you would think people making these posts were actually involved in this by the expected answers given.

let me ask you, besides brokeback mountain what the HELL do cowboys have to do with being gay?? also, calling this site developed is a stretch. its a template. no unique development appears to have been done.

---------- Post added at 04:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:19 AM ----------

so someone buy my domain:

CowboysS.com


and give them some competition!


:tu:

lol.. you actually registered this? why?

 

[m-i-k-e]

here is why it would be disgusting to the average person: because most people are homophobic.

sheesh, posts like the persons above act like if you acknowledge reality that you yourself are advocating intolerance. you would think people making these posts were actually involved in this by the expected answers given.

I think I am the one acknowledging reality. Many people are born gay. They want to be happy and don't hurt anybody along the way. I can acknowledge that ignorance exists and if people are offended by a dating site then I think that is a hilarious bear to poke whether intentional or not.

let me ask you, besides brokeback mountain what the HELL do cowboys have to do with being gay??

Maybe nothing, maybe gay guys like cowboys, I don't know... but what do cowboys have to do with football? It's a brand. simple.

also, calling this site developed is a stretch. its a template. no unique development appears to have been done.

If you read my first post you'll see that that isn't lost on me, but, it's still a usable site.

 

[GiftedDomains]

If i had this domain, i would ONLY make a gay site if i didn't intend to sell it later but instead had a development plan for a gay site from which i would think it could be profitable.

The reason is that with a gay site you are limiting your potential future buyers of this domain, and if the Dallas Cowboys shouldn't be interested AT ALL anymore instead of been pressured, then this tactic (if this should be a tactic at all) could easily backfire at you and you could end up owning a premium domain and a non profitable gay site for the rest of your life.

There could be many other potential buyers with deep pockets out there who wouldn't be interested in this domain anymore, because of the current usage (and therefore the gay history later).

I am not homophobic or something. I simply don't care about these issues.
What i am saying is solely from an economic perspective and therefore (IMO) NOT a wise decision IF the owner intends to sell this domain. But if the owner simply decided to make a gay site and thinks that it is a good idea and profitable, then why not.

Just my 2 cents

 

[npro3]

Exactly


The core issue here is "intent" as serverfm points out, not whether it's a Gay site or they have the right to do what they want, naturally we all have the right to develop any of our domains as we see fit..

Without a doubt I think it was intentional to influence a sale, in my opinion it's dirty tactics like these that give domainers like us a bad rap..

Imagine for a moment how many Dallas Cowboy fans visit Cowboys.com, and leave the site disgusted, and for those who know the story behind the domain, think of how many more people have a negative view of domainers.


I agree 100%... But were talking about a known brand in the US and a domain owned by US buyers who know full well that the most potential buyer for this domain is Jerry Jones, CEO of the Dallas Cowboys.

I agree with RaiderGirl. This is a intentional act to pressure the Dallas Cowboys into paying up for the domain..Period. We all know what name is used to describe those kinds of tactics.

 

[hopkism]

For me it just sounds like an easy buck... I'd sell the name to the party that obviously has an incredible interest in it. Sure developing it works but I would have to think the market is flooded with dating sites, even gay ones. I have no figures or experience with owning a dating site but I would think a cash up front with some awesome perks from the Dallas Cowboys make this a great sale.

I also don't know the financial situation of the parties who own the domain... However, it would be a great opportunity to get some capital to develop several awesome category killer names, then put away some for a rainy day or other business ventures.

 

[DnEbook]

surely if the dallascowboys wanted this name by now they would have acquired it, lots of hot air around here , they have dallascowboys.com and it is a site for this team. Seems everyone else has a problem with them not owning 'cowboys' If the seller could not do a deal then they may have made a wise choice to go down this road as it seems to be talked about a lot and gets free promotion as a result of it all
~
I went to amazon.com .......................expecting to see a river

 

[mjnels]

surely if the dallascowboys wanted this name by now they would have acquired it, lots of hot air around here , they have dallascowboys.com and it is a site for this team. Seems everyone else has a problem with them not owning 'cowboys' If the seller could not do a deal then they may have made a wise choice to go down this road as it seems to be talked about a lot and gets free promotion as a result of it all
~
I went to amazon.com .......................expecting to see a river

what are you talking about?

i dont think many people in this thread have a problem with them not owning the domain. we're talking about domain names, prices, motivations behind buying, multiple meanings of a word, possible controversal strategies for selling, etc..

the group of people that bought this apparently paid 370K - ouch! looking back that sounds like bubble prices to me and i'd say their best (possibly ONLY) chance to break even is hope their strategy of harnessing homophobia actually works - it could, we'll see.

 

[VisionEdger]

here is why it would be disgusting to the average person: because most people are homophobic.

sheesh, posts like the persons above act like if you acknowledge reality that you yourself are advocating intolerance. you would think people making these posts were actually involved in this by the expected answers given.

let me ask you, besides brokeback mountain what the HELL do cowboys have to do with being gay?? also, calling this site developed is a stretch. its a template. no unique development appears to have been done.

---------- Post added at 04:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:19 AM ----------



lol.. you actually registered this? why?

cause im a brainwashed domainer like u!! lol

 

[Kate]

If i had this domain, i would ONLY make a gay site if i didn't intend to sell it later but instead had a development plan for a gay site from which i would think it could be profitable.

The reason is that with a gay site you are limiting your potential future buyers of this domain, and if the Dallas Cowboys shouldn't be interested AT ALL anymore instead of been pressured, then this tactic (if this should be a tactic at all) could easily backfire at you and you could end up owning a premium domain and a non profitable gay site for the rest of your life.

I agree.
I have sold many domains to end users, and they don't care if the domain has been developed in the past or not.
Often, no history is a plus, that means they can start with a clean slate and brand the domain freely.
However, a domain with adult history is a put-off.

 

[alien51]

Often, no history is a plus, that means they can start with a clean slate and brand the domain freely.
However, a domain with adult history is a put-off.

That is one reason i block the Internet Archive crawler from all of my sites.

 

[Keith]

This thread has me

Who cares if they spent $1 or $1 million on this domain? Also, who cares what the Dallas Cowboys think or don't think? Who cares why the owner went the direction he/she did with the domain?

The facts are, it's generic, it's not infringing on any TMs, it's the owners right to do whatever they want with the domain that they spent good money on. If someone in this thread puts up half a million I'm sure it could be yours. Then you could take the gay content down and sell cowboy boots or something. Until then it's worthless to blow smoke here :imho:

 

[mjnels]

This thread has me

Who cares if they spent $1 or $1 million on this domain? Also, who cares what the Dallas Cowboys think or don't think? Who cares why the owner went the direction he/she did with the domain?

The facts are, it's generic, it's not infringing on any TMs, it's the owners right to do whatever they want with the domain that they spent good money on. If someone in this thread puts up half a million I'm sure it could be yours. Then you could take the gay content down and sell cowboy boots or something. Until then it's worthless to blow smoke here :imho:

cause its interesting... i dont think ive heard anyone say they should take the site down.. stuff like this is talked about for the same reason registrars/registries and domain prices and motivations for buying/selling are talked about..

 

[Keith]

cause its interesting... i dont think ive heard anyone say they should take the site down.. stuff like this is talked about for the same reason registrars/registries and domain prices and motivations for buying/selling are talked about..

The discussion would be good if it were not aimed at a specific domain. We would have 100 million threads going if we nitpicked like this... Nobody is talking about cowgirls.com. Why not?

 

[mjnels]

The discussion would be good if it were not aimed at a specific domain. We would have 100 million threads going if we nitpicked like this...

yea but how do you make a thread title out of that? also not sure there are many examples of this unique story along with the high price paid.. its kind of like the new gTLD situation.. sometimes people talk generally about all of them together but the closer we get to em actually being released there will be 100 million threads about specific examples... i say bring it on, the domain forums are dead compared to their former glory days anyway.

Nobody is talking about cowgirls.com. Why not?

it doesnt have the same story behind it..

 

[alien51]

Even outside the Domaining "industry", these kind of tactics are very normal.

For example, Microsoft attempted to kill Netscape by embedding Internet Explorer in Windows. A lot of people cried foul.

Google controls the Android mobile operating system used by many smartphone manufacturers. And then suddenly, Google buys Motorola. A lot of people cried foul.

The Naked Cowboy tried to sue The Naked Cowgirl, claiming the chick was trashing his image and brand.

There are a lot of intimidation going on in business. Cowboys.com going GAY, seems upsetting. But i think it's a clever ploy, if his intention was to intimidate. As some had mentioned here already, he is gambling on the brand being tarnished "un-sellable" goods by going GAY. So it is more interesting than upsetting, to see how this kind of tactic will pan out.

 

[Keith]

yea but how do you make a thread title out of that? also not sure there are many examples of this unique story along with the high price paid.. its kind of like the new gTLD situation.. sometimes people talk generally about all of them together but the closer we get to em actually being released there will be 100 million threads about specific examples... i say bring it on, the domain forums are dead compared to their former glory days anyway.



it doesnt have the same story behind it..

Domains are sold for $xx,xxx on a weekly basis and end up parked. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find 6 figure sales that end up parked as well or offer minimal content.

The real reason for this thread is the attachment to the football team and the attempt by some to paint the domain owner in a bad light...

 

[mjnels]

Domains are sold for $xx,xxx on a weekly basis and end up parked. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find 6 figure sales that end up parked as well or offer minimal content.

okay, but this one was not only $xx,xxx but $370,000 and there is a funny story behind it so it kinda stands out.

The real reason for this thread is the attachment to the football team and the attempt by some to paint the domain owner in a bad light...

probably - and i'd say its just as probable the ENTIRE reason for buying this domain was to antagonize the dallas cowboys into buying it later and make them "realize their mistake" then publish some blog post with the theme of "dont mess with domainers, you only get one chance for a unique property blah blah blah"

would i do this if i owned the name? i dont know. its easy to stand from the sidelines and judge. if the motivation behind this is to antagonize the dallas cowboys that does seem sort of sleezy but oh well - so does backing out of a sale and claiming you thought it was only $275 for Cowboys.com... although possible seems very unlikely and seriously if you are that stupid you may deserve some of whats coming at you.

 

[Keith]

i'd say its just as probable the ENTIRE reason for buying this domain was to antagonize the dallas cowboys into buying it later and make them "realize their mistake"

That's a huge stretch.

Almost all pro teams call themselves a generic term. We have lions, tigers, bears, ravens, cubs, and on and on. To acquire any of the above "generic" names would certainly be 6 figures and cowboys is no different. I don't see how an outsider jumps to the "bad faith" conclusion when these type of domains cost big bucks, football related or otherwise.

 

[mjnels]

That's a huge stretch.

Almost all pro teams call themselves a generic term. We have lions, tigers, bears, ravens, cubs, and on and on. To acquire any of the above "generic" names would certainly be 6 figures and cowboys is no different. I don't see how an outsider jumps to the "bad faith" conclusion when these type of domains cost big bucks, football related or otherwise.

whaaaaaaat? no no.. im not going on the term alone that would be silly. its the story that leads up to the purchase...

the dallas cowboys bid $275,000 for the domain at auction... then backed out saying they thought it was only a $275. then, a couple days when the domain is re-auctioned it goes for $370,000 and they make a blog post talking about how the "dallas cowboys fumbled" and a team of 6 people swooped in to buy a great generic domain.

they were the ones that mentioned the dallas cowboys after they bought the domain and even make a blog post about it with everyone wearing cowboy gear! why is it such a stretch to say the intent of buying the domain is to eventually sell it to the last end user who expressed interest? that seems completely logical to me and the most likely explanation.

 

[Keith]

whaaaaaaat? no no.. im not going on the term alone that would be silly.

the dallas cowboys bid $275,000 for the domain at auction... then backed out saying they thought it was only a $275. then, a couple days when the domain is re-auctioned it goes for $370,000 and they make a blog post talking about how the "dallas cowboys fumbled" and a team of 6 people swooped in to buy a great generic domain.

they were the ones that mentioned the dallas cowboys after they bought the domain and even make a blog post about it with everyone wearing cowboy gear! why is it such a stretch to say the intent of buying the domain is to eventually sell it to the last end user who expressed interest? that seems completely logical to me and the most likely explanation.

Oh, lol I see now!

Yeah the Dallas cowboys were gullible thinking it was $275. The buyer made a mistake if that is truly what happened with the blog post. I wonder why no case was brought against the buyer for obvious bad faith?

 

[mjnels]

Oh, lol I see now!

Yeah the Dallas cowboys were gullible thinking it was $275. The buyer made a mistake if that is truly what happened with the blog post. I wonder why no case was brought against the buyer for obvious bad faith?

whoops.. by cowboy gear i mean like western cowboy gear, not football stuff. they had a picture with the team of domain buyers wearing cowboy hats n stuff. i'd imagine its to distance themselves from the actual sports team but even mentioning them at all seemed risky to me - but im not a lawyer. also im not entirely sure if bad faith is just buying a domain with the intent to sell it for more later - to a specific buyer (if the term is generic)..

i should mention im not rooting for them to lose the domain or anything... its simply a case of making a gamble and calling someones bluff. maybe the dallas cowboys really did think it was $275. tough call to make since they are not domainers - with all the talk the big domainers say about major businesses "not getting it" wouldnt it be plausible that they really thought the price was $275 dollar bills and not $275,000... i mean you cant have it both ways with major companies "not understanding the value of a domain" and at the same time understanding ahahahaa

 

[npro3]

the group of people that bought this apparently paid 370k - ouch! Looking back that sounds like bubble prices to me and i'd say their best (possibly only) chance to break even is hope their strategy of harnessing homophobia actually works - it could, we'll see.

exactly!

 

[ggn]

Um. I never heard of "Dallas Cowboys" until today. Just had a look at the Cowboys.com site. Great. I'm not a cowboy, but the idea to create a website where gay cowboys can date each other is just brilliant. Great the "Dallas Cowboys" didn't take that domain. And yes, when I think at cowboys I think at the Brokeback Mountain movie. Brillant too

 

[DreamZ55]

Just wow