On November 19, 1960, the National Football League awarded a franchise to Dallas, and the group of owners led by the Murchisons chose to name their new football team the Cowboys. Though they struggled in the early 60’s, they were slowly building a contending team.
They would go on to rule the football world for three decades. Their all-time great legendary “Doomsday Defense” led them to five Super Bowl appearances in the late 60’s and 70’s, ultimately winning two titles. They had a winning record for 20 consecutive seasons from 1966 to 1985—an NFL record. In the early 90’s, led by Hall-of-Famers Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith, Big D won three Super Bowls in four years.
Along with team success, they created a huge following in the country with 160 straight sell-outs since 1990, becoming the most valuable sports franchise in the United States at $2.1 billion, according to Forbes.
Throughout their history, the Cowboys have established a winning tradition and an unbridled national following, earning the label “America’s Team.”
The Name:
The Cowboys (1960-present)
The Cowboys were originally called the Steers. The team’s general manager, Texas E. Schramm, decided that having a castrated bovine as a mascot might subject the team to ridicule, so he changed the name to Rangers. Fearing that people would confuse the football team with the local minor league baseball team with which they shared the name, Schramm finally changed his team to Cowboys shortly before the season began.
