How Did The Dallas Cowboys Start
🤯🏈 The Hilarious and Wild Ride of How "America's Team" Actually Started: A Super Stretched Saga
Listen up, folks! You might think you know the story of the Dallas Cowboys, that shiny, legendary franchise known as "America's Team." Maybe you picture gridiron gods and perfectly manicured fields from day one. Wrong! The true story of how the 'Boys got their start is less a straight-laced history documentary and more a zany, high-stakes, Texan oil-money brawl sprinkled with a little rivalry-fueled blackmail and a whole lot of confusion. It was a hot mess, a genuine barn-burner, and frankly, a total vibe. Get ready to dive deep, 'cause we're going way back to 1960, when the NFL decided to finally give the Deep South a permanent seat at the table.
Step 1: The 'Brawl for the Ball' - Why Dallas Needed a Team, Like, Yesterday
Back in the late 1950s, pro football in Texas was as scarce as a snowstorm in July. The NFL was cool with its 12 teams, thinking they had the American sports landscape on lockdown. But then, a dude named Lamar Hunt (yeah, that Lamar Hunt, son of an oil tycoon) got utterly snubbed by the NFL when he tried to get a franchise for Dallas. You don't tell a Texas oil heir no without expecting a showdown.
The NFL was feeling a little too comfortable.
Hunt, being the entrepreneurial maverick he was, decided to be a total boss and start his own league—the American Football League (AFL). Naturally, one of the original AFL teams was the Dallas Texans (who eventually packed up and became the Kansas City Chiefs, but that’s a whole 'nother saga). The NFL suddenly realized that a rival league snatching up the lucrative Southern market was a major buzzkill. Time for an emergency expansion!
1.1 The Money Men and Their Veto Problem
Enter Clint Murchison Jr., another oil heir and total big shot. He and his partner, Bedford Wynne, were the guys the NFL tapped to finally bring a team to Dallas. But there was a huge, gigantic, Texas-sized obstacle: George Preston Marshall, the owner of the Washington Redskins (now Commanders). Marshall, whose team was the only NFL team in the South for decades, thought he owned the regional market, and he was being a real pain in the neck, threatening to veto the Dallas expansion, which required a unanimous vote from the other owners. Talk about drama!
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| How Did The Dallas Cowboys Start |
Step 2: The Song-and-Dance Gambit - Blackmail with a Beat
QuickTip: Don’t ignore the small print.
The whole veto situation was getting gnarly. Murchison Jr. and Wynne were scratching their heads, thinking this was a no-go. But then, a totally bonkers twist of fate—something you couldn't make up—dropped right into their laps. Marshall had a nasty fallout with the composer of the Redskins' beloved fight song, "Hail to the Redskins."
2.1 The $2,500 Melody and the Ultimate Power Move
The composer, Barnee Breeskin, was seriously ticked off at Marshall and knew about Murchison's plight. So, in a move that deserves its own Oscar-winning scene, Breeskin sold the rights to the fight song to Murchison's attorney for a cool $2,500.
Pause for dramatic effect.
Murchison now held the intellectual property equivalent of a sports nuclear weapon. He waltzed into the owners' meeting, held up the papers, and basically told Marshall, "You vote for our expansion, or your team plays in silence. No song for you!" Marshall, realizing he'd lose the beloved tune, was checkmated. He begrudgingly caved, and on January 28, 1960, the Dallas NFL expansion franchise was officially approved. And that, my friends, is how a rivalry was literally born out of a musical hostage situation.
Step 3: Finding the Groove - From Steers to Star
Okay, so they had a team! Now what to call it? Turns out, coming up with a catchy, non-cringe-worthy name is harder than nailing a 60-yard field goal. They cycled through a few options that, bless their hearts, were total duds.
3.1 The Steers Fiasco and the Minor League Mix-Up
Tip: Focus on one point at a time.
First up? The Dallas Steers. Now, come on, a steer is a castrated bull! Even for a rough-and-tumble sport, that name just didn't have the oomph or the marketability. It lasted about as long as a snowflake in the Texas summer. Too cringe, too quick.
Next on the whiteboard was the Dallas Rangers. Solid, respectable, Texas history vibe—a real home run... except, plot twist! There was already a minor-league baseball team in town called the Dallas Rangers. Nobody wanted a media headache with two teams sporting the same handle.
3.2 Settling on the Stars
Finally, in March of 1960, they landed on the Dallas Cowboys. It was perfect: rugged, evocative of Texas heritage, and totally available. The name stuck, and their now-iconic single blue star logo—pure, simple, and unforgettable—was born. Talk about a glow-up!
Step 4: The Original Dream Team - Builders and Believers
Getting the team approved and named was only half the battle. They needed talent! Clint Murchison Jr. was shrewd. He put together a foundational "triumvirate" of front-office and coaching talent that would become legendary.
4.1 The Unforgettable Trio
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Tex Schramm (General Manager/President): A former CBS executive and a marketing genius. He’s the guy who later helped coin the term "America's Team" and famously put the Cowboys on national TV every Thanksgiving, making them a household name, whether you loved 'em or loved to hate 'em. He was the razzle-dazzle guy.
Gil Brandt (Player Personnel Director): The scouting savant. Brandt was known for his innovative scouting techniques, looking for talent in places no one else bothered, from small colleges to the track team. He was the ultimate talent whisperer.
Tom Landry (Head Coach): The man with the fedora. Landry was a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants and a future Hall of Famer. He brought a stoic, disciplined approach that would define the team's culture for decades. He was the straight shooter.
These three were tasked with building a roster from scratch without the benefit of the 1960 college draft, which had already happened.
Tip: Skim only after you’ve read fully once.
Step 5: The Inaugural Season - Humiliation and Hope
The first season? Brutal. They had to build their roster with rejects from other NFL teams in an expansion draft, picking up players past their prime or those who were, let’s be real, not exactly Pro Bowlers.
5.1 The 0-11-1 Start and a Single Tie
The 1960 Dallas Cowboys finished their inaugural season with a stomach-churning record of 0 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie. Yes, you read that right. Zero. Wins. They tied the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-27 in their 10th game to avoid the absolute zero, but it was still a tough pill to swallow. It was a total learning curve, a real baptism by fire.
But here's the kicker: despite the dumpster-fire record, the foundation was set. They had the right ownership, the right front-office structure, and a brilliant, patient coach in Tom Landry. They didn't win often, but the hope was there, simmering like a Texas chili cook-off waiting to boil over. They took their lumps, but they kept their eyes on the prize. It would take them five long seasons just to break even, but once they did, the 'Boys would go on a historic run of 20 consecutive winning seasons starting in 1966. And that, dear reader, is how one of the NFL's most valuable and famous franchises, the Dallas Cowboys, literally sang, schemed, and scraped their way into existence. How about them 'Boys?
FAQ Questions and Answers
How did the Dallas Cowboys get the nickname "America's Team"?
Tip: Look out for transitions like ‘however’ or ‘but’.
The iconic moniker "America's Team" originated during the 1978 NFL season. The team’s highlight film, produced by NFL Films, opened with a narrator stating that the Cowboys were seen on TV so often, they had become "America's Team." General Manager Tex Schramm, a marketing whiz, loved it and leaned into the national popularity the team had cultivated, largely by playing a nationally televised Thanksgiving game every year since 1966. It was pure marketing gold, and it stuck.
How did the Dallas Cowboys solve the problem with the Washington Redskins owner?
Dallas oilman Clint Murchison Jr. and his partner bought the rights to the melody of the Redskins’ fight song, "Hail to the Redskins," from the composer who was feuding with Redskins owner George Preston Marshall. Since NFL expansion required a unanimous vote and Marshall was the only holdout, Murchison used the song as leverage, essentially threatening to ban the song from games. Marshall relented and cast the deciding vote in favor of the Cowboys' expansion on January 28, 1960, securing the franchise.
What was the Cowboys' original name before they settled on "Cowboys"?
The franchise first considered the name Dallas Steers, but it was quickly dropped because it wasn't intimidating or marketable. They then tried Dallas Rangers, but they had to change it again to avoid confusion with an existing minor league baseball team, also called the Dallas Rangers, which played in the area. They finally landed on Cowboys, and the rest is history!
Who were the three original key figures who built the Dallas Cowboys?
The franchise was built on the foundation laid by a legendary trio hired by majority owner Clint Murchison Jr.:
Tex Schramm: General Manager and President (the marketing and business brains).
Gil Brandt: Player Personnel Director (the scouting and talent acquisition master).
Tom Landry: Head Coach (the on-field strategic genius and future Hall of Famer).
Where did the Dallas Cowboys play their home games in their inaugural season?
The Dallas Cowboys played their first few seasons at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. For the first three seasons (1960-1962), they shared the stadium with the AFL's Dallas Texans (who later became the Kansas City Chiefs). They later moved to Texas Stadium in Irving in 1971 and then to their current home, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, in 2009.
Would you like to know more about the legendary 20-year streak of winning seasons the Cowboys had under Coach Tom Landry?
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