In 1979 the editor in chief of NFL Films Bob Ryan reached out to Doug Todd, the Dallas Cowboys director of public relations. Ryan wanted to float out some names for the highlight film he’d just finished editing of the teams previous season. Of all the titles that were considered two stood out above the rest. “The New National Team” and “America’s Team”.
“Doug loved "America's Team." Tex Schramm (OG GM and President of the Cowboys) loved "America's Team" and adopted it for all things Cowboys….” Ryan told the Dallas Morning News back in 2016.
Understandably, the name was divisive and contentious.
“It caused a storm of controversy.” Ryan continued. “Cowboys' fans loved it but a lot of people wanted to know what gave the Cowboys the right to be called "America's Team." They thought the Cowboys were arrogant to use it.”
45 years later and with a total of five Super Bowls (good enough for 3rd all time) the Dallas Cowboys are still considered “America’s Team”.
And as much as I hate to say it, they’ve kind of earned it. They are the most popular team in America’s most popular professional sport. They’re the most popular NFL team in their home state but also Alabama, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. According to Yahoo, they also carry South Carolina and Utah.
I know that just because something is popular that doesn’t make it good. Being good makes you good. And historically, the Cowboys are pretty good.
You can’t win in the NFL without great players and the Dallas Cowboys have had that in spades. Ten percent of the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team played for the Cowboys. Of the 10 coaches named to the team, Cowboys legendary coach Tom Landry was one. In terms of hall of farmers, the Cowboys have 32 which is good enough to tie the Washington Commanders (formally Redskins) and the New York Giants for third all time. Only the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have more, 34 and 39 respectively. However when considering the age of the franchises ahead of and tied with Dallas, the Cowboys are by far the youngest franchise having been founded in 1960. The Bears, Packers, Giants and Commanders were all founded in 1932 or prior.
All that talent translated into a whole lot of wins. 562 to be precise, 11th all time. But again, they are younger, by far, than those teams ahead of them. They have the highest regular season win percentage at 57.6, have made the playoffs an NFL record 36 times, advancing to the big game eight times and have won that game 62.5% of the time.
All of that success has translated to mucho mucho bucks with an estimated worth over $10 billion making them the most valuable team in the United States.
I’m going to pretend that none of that matters when the Browns play the Cowboys this coming Sunday. Why? Because 340 days ago I watched my Cleveland Browns beatdown the ‘boys to the tune of 49-38. It was Cleveland’s third straight win. The next week the Browns would knock off the Colts, improving to 4-1 on the season earning their fourth consecutive win, a feat that they hadn’t achieved since 2009. The team would go on to win 11 games, earning themselves a playoff spot where they would make Ben Roethlisberger literally cry, I repeat literally not figuratively, literally, cry. If not for the worst missed helmet to helmet call in Browns, dare I say NFL, history the dawgs would’ve likely made the AFC championship game. But it was not to be, the Brownies would lose in the divisional round ending the 2020 season on a rather low note.
But the Browns head into the 2023-2024 season with high expectations, looking to make the playoffs in consecutive years since the late 80’s. And they’re going to want to start the season off right, beating one of the league's most storied franchises.
In the last 20 years the two teams have only squared up 5 times (today will be the 6th). And despite winning the last outing the Browns are only 1-4 losing every presidential cycle up to 2020.
But the overall head to head record surprised me as the Browns actually lead the series 18-14 all time. From 1960 thru 1969 the Browns dominated Dallas amassing a 14-5 record including a stretch going 11-1. But since 1980 the Browns have struggled against the boys going 4-9.
But as the former NFL Commissioner, Bert Bell, said in 1952, “On Any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team.”
After last year's week one win, the Browns have won back to back season openers for the first time since their return to Cleveland in ‘99. Three in a row is very much a possibility.
I mentioned above that the Cowboys have 562 wins but I didn’t mention how many losses (pause for dramatic effect) because I think today they earn their 414th loss.
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