They appear on television so often that their faces are as familiar to the public as presidents and movie stars. They are the Dallas Cowboys, “America’s Team”
NFL Films narrator, John Facenda, said it best because when you think of the Dallas Cowboys, you think of more than football.
A couple of months ago, SportsCenter made an Instagram post detailing the critical win of Tom Brady over the New Orleans Saints. A post that made Dak Prescott resurface back onto the internet to tag Ezekiel Elliot in saying “Hold my Crutches”. What’s the common ground between that singular Tom Brady win and the Dallas Cowboys?
Nothing. That’s the problem. Or the reason.
NFL fans around the world bring up the question of why are the Dallas Cowboys the embodiment of “America’s Team”, and it’s frequent posts like this that always answer the question. Keep in mind that SportsCenter wasn’t the first, and won’t be the last, to do this. There have been various and plentiful teams who have this same narrative, so why does the Dallas Cowboys steal the spotlight? To ask that question in a clearer way would be why are the Dallas Cowboys America’s Team?
The Dallas Cowboys are arguably the most notable name in American football. Originally, it had everything due to their wins and success. The five Super Bowl wins added to the gesture only coming in behind the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers. Along with Super Bowl wins, actually have the record for the most game wins in a team’s season history. Success may be a little out of the picture now, but the history of success cannot be pushed aside. So there is a good reason for the nickname. A nickname that came from Bob Ryan who noticed when he took a look at fans in road games that there were Dallas Cowboys fans overtaking the stands. No matter the location of the stadium, there stood a proud Dallas Cowboys fan rocking blue and silver. Speaking of stands, the Dallas Cowboys pack it in both at home and everywhere else. No matter the city, no matter the state, or no matter the team, Dallas was represented. That’s when the nickname America’s Team began.
The controversy is understandable. No fan wants another team associated with their home team. Not even indirectly. But being America’s Team is a lot more than that. Networks thrive with the Dallas Cowboys. Sports media become dull without them. You could even say some analysts wouldn’t have prominent careers without them (cough, cough). Football wouldn’t be the same without the notoriety of the Dallas Cowboys. Every morning, you find out what’s going with the team whether you want to or not. It’s simple: The team brings views. Whether it’s a 13-3, Super Bowl-bound season or 3-13, tanking season, the Dallas Cowboys are threading the headlines
The popularity is unmatched.
