The Dallas Cowboys are back and fans of 'America's Team' are elated

Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys scrambles with the ball within the fourth quarter in opposition to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 17, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Maddie Meyer | Getty Photos Sport | Getty Photos

The Dallas Cowboys have not gained a Tremendous Bowl in over 25 years. They've hardly even been within the dialog, notching solely 4 playoff victories in that span.

But the Cowboys are the most-valuable NFL franchise, topping the New England Patriots, who've gained six Tremendous Bowls since Dallas final took residence the Vince Lombardi trophy. Regardless of a long time of mediocrity, the Cowboys are at all times within the headlines, because of a model that is nearly universally acknowledged.

"They've that slogan that sort of sticks," mentioned former NFL extensive receiver Terrell Owens, who performed for the Cowboys from 2006 to 2008. "They're America's Group."

Followers now have a purpose to get enthusiastic about what's occurring on the gridiron. After an injury-riddled season final yr that noticed the group end 6-10, the Cowboys are 5-1 within the new marketing campaign, driving a five-game win streak and main the NFC East division by three video games.

America's group is again.

"Love them, hate them – they're the largest model within the NFL," mentioned Scott Rosner, the director of Columbia College's sports activities administration program. "They're related it doesn't matter what facet of the query you fall on – whether or not you are on the love facet or hate facet."

Heading into their bye weekend, the Cowboys are the most popular they have been since 2016, quarterback Dak Prescott's rookie season. Via six video games Prescott is among the many league leaders in passing, residing as much as his four-year $160 million deal. Prescott's final season was lower quick after he suffered a compound fracture in his proper ankle in week six in opposition to the New York Giants.

Prescott is getting loads of help from the highest-paid NFL receiver, Amari Cooper, and the most costly working again, Ezekiel Elliott. They make up the Cowboys' new large three, spearheading an offense that is second in speeding yards and fifth in passing.

The protection has additionally held up. Regardless of giving up the third-highest variety of yards, the unit leads the NFL in interceptions with 11, together with seven by cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Followers are downright giddy. The jerseys of Cooper and fellow extensive receiver CeeDee Lamb are two of the highest sellers throughout the league, in keeping with the NFL Store. The group leads the NFL in attendance, averaging 93,335 folks at its three residence video games.

Forbes tasks the Cowboys are price $6.5 billion, essentially the most beneficial throughout all U.S. sports activities. Jerry Jones, who bought the group greater than 30 years in the past, has seen his wealth swell to $10.6 billion, Forbes estimates.

"The Cowboys haven't gained since 1995," mentioned longtime Cowboys beat reporter Clarence Hill, who writes for The Fort Price Star-Telegram. "Jerry purchased the group in 1989, they usually had been within the tank. He would inform you the group was price 50 cents on a greenback, even with the historical past. Since then, they've grown to the richest franchise and nonetheless have not gained something" because the '95-'96 season, Hill mentioned.

There are nonetheless 11 regular-season video games left, and the final word dedication of success will not come till the playoffs. However Jones has followers believing that greatness lies forward.

This is what former Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, who gained three Tremendous Bowls with the franchise within the Nineties, mentioned on ESPN's "First Take" earlier within the week:

"I would like all people on the market, Cowboys Nation, I would like you to know — Go get your Tremendous Bowl tickets. Get them early. I am attempting that can assist you out proper now."

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Deion Sanders hoists the Vince Lombardi Tremendous Bowl trophy as he walks off the sector to the locker room after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 28 January throughout Tremendous Bowl XXX at Solar Satan Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Cowboys gained 27-17.

Vince Bucci | AFP | Getty Photos

Changing into America's Group

The final time the Cowboys made it to the massive recreation was January 1996. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17. The large three consisted of quarterback Troy Aikman, working again Emmitt Smith and Irvin. The identical trio led the Cowboys to Tremendous Bowl wins in 1993 and 1994.

Since their final NFL title, the Cowboys are 213-193. The group is 0-10 in playoff elimination video games and has shuffled by means of six head coaches. The final Tremendous Bowl-winning coach was Barry Switzer, who left after the 1997 season.

Jones has confronted hefty criticism from the fan base for the lackluster efficiency and for maintaining such tight management of the group. He stays president and common supervisor. His son, Stephen, is chief working officer and his "right-hand man," in keeping with the Cowboys web site.

Nonetheless, Jones has stored the Cowboys related and extremely worthwhile, a rarity within the sports activities business, the place few groups are capable of to generate income whereas persistently shedding video games.

It is "as a result of they're America's Group and the intentional advertising and energy of the NFL," mentioned Hill of the Star-Telegram. "All that comes collectively."

The America's Group moniker dates again to 1978, when Tex Schramm, the franchise's unique president, coined it in a retrospective on the season. The Cowboys had a record-setting 20 straight successful seasons from 1966 to 1985, and gained two of their 5 Tremendous Bowl appearances throughout that stretch.

Quarterback Roger Staubach was a famous person, as was working again Tony Dorsett. Head coach Tom Landry, recognized for his trademark fedora and funky demeanor, established an elite offense.

"He was forward of the NFL when it got here to technique," mentioned former linebacker Garry Cobb, who began his profession with the Cowboys in 1979 and returned a few decade later.

Cobb, 64, recalled the times earlier than he entered the league when the Cowboys dominated professional soccer.

"After I was little, the Cowboys had been on TV greater than anyone else nationally," mentioned Cobb. "That they had a successful file yearly. That is the best way they grew to become widespread."

He then received to expertise the celebrity as a participant.

"Once we went right into a resort, the constructing was mobbed," he mentioned. "It was unbelievable. The recognition was already there."

Hill, who's coated the group since 1996, mentioned that environment by no means actually light from the group.

"It is at all times a circus," Hill mentioned. "And coming to the Cowboys as a participant or a coach, you will need to perceive that it comes with the dinner. You should have the ability to navigate that in addition to play soccer."

Huge receiver Terrell Owens #81 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates his third landing in opposition to the Houston Texans on October 15, 2006 at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Texans 34-6.

Ronald Martinez | Getty Photos

Terrell Owens relished within the drama, telling followers to "get your popcorn prepared."

"You discover it, and you're feeling it," mentioned Owens, who spent three of his 16 NFL seasons with the Cowboys. "You need to play to the usual that everyone there expects you to play at. It is totally different while you're taking part in in Dallas versus a Cincinnati or Buffalo."

Owens performed for each groups after leaving the Cowboys.

Cowboys leverage state rights

Neal Pilson, former president of CBS Sports activities, mentioned the community used the America's Group slogan throughout its Cowboys telecasts. CBS, which had NFC rights till the early Nineties, continuously featured the Cowboys.

"We helped construct that label," Pilson mentioned. "And it actually caught."

The Cowboys gained, however the enterprise nonetheless lagged. The league made the massive monetary selections, and group homeowners did little to interact straight with firms and sponsors.

Jones purchased the Cowboys for roughly $150 million in 1989, essentially the most ever paid for a group at the moment. He warned instantly that issues can be totally different.

"I will likely be a part of each resolution," the New York Instances quoted Jones as saying in 1989. "I will not go away something to the soccer folks."

Schramm resigned, and Jones made himself the final supervisor. He employed a school coach, Jimmy Johnson, to exchange Landry, the one individual to teach the Cowboys in its first 29 years. Jones then took on the NFL's 75-year enterprise philosophy.

Most NFL groups weren't worthwhile and the league managed the best way income was generated. Jones discovered loopholes in NFL offers that allowed him to disrupt the league's pacts and generate income for his group.

In 1995, the Cowboys parted methods with league associate Coca-Cola and signed a cope with Pepsi for "pouring rights" at their residence stadium. That settlement was price a reported $20 million over 10 years, and it undermined Coke's NFL deal for $250 million.

The NFL sued Jones for $300 million in damages.

Proprietor Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys welcomes followers to coaching camp at River Ridge Advanced on July 24, 2021 in Oxnard, California.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea | Getty Photos Sport | Getty Photos

"Previous to that deal, you did not have groups participating in actual vigorous native enterprise operations," mentioned Columbia's Rosner "You had been basically promoting tickets and advertisements however not what it's in the present day. Jerry challenged the system."

The perimeters finally settled in a fashion that permit Jones hold his sponsors. Different groups adopted go well with.

"He was exhibiting them generate income," mentioned Cobb. "Now all of the groups do it – they've league sponsors and group sponsors."

In each the 2019 and 2020 NFL seasons, the Cowboys attracted practically $1 billion in income, in keeping with Forbes. Pepsi nonetheless has pouring rights. AT&T owns naming rights to the stadium, a billion-dollar-plus constructing that opened in 2009 and is sometimes called Jerry World. And Ford owns rights to the group's observe website.

Final September, Fanatics signed a 10-year deal to take over e-commerce for the Cowboys. Merchandise income is up 60% this season in comparison with final, and Fanatics instructed CNBC that the Cowboys lead all NFL groups in merchandise gross sales. That is been the case for 5 of the earlier eight years.

"The entire metrics across the Cowboys are greater than another group," Rosner mentioned.

Getting assist from the massive markets

The Cowboys are additionally the beneficiary of a geographical quirk. They're within the NFC East, a division with groups within the large markets of New York, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.

None are inside 1,300 miles of Dallas.

"You may have a group in Texas within the NFC East," mentioned Ed Schauder, who heads the sports activities legislation observe at Phillips Nizer in New York. "It is not sensible, however there are natural nationwide rivalries."

Taking part in twice a yr in opposition to the Eagles, Giants, and Washington Soccer Group offers Jones outsized entry to a number of the high TV markets each NFL season. Whereas Jones did not play a job in creating the divisional setup, he is made certain to benefit from it.

"He in all probability noticed the advertising worth of their common opponents," Pilson mentioned." I believe he noticed that yearly, given the NFL construction, he has two video games into New York and Philadelphia."

Fox Sports activities, which now controls the NFC package deal, says Cowboys video games account for 9 of its 10 most-watched NFL contests because the partnership started in 1994. The largest viewers was on Thanksgiving in November 2016, when a mean 35.1 million viewers tuned in for the Cowboys recreation in opposition to Washington.

This season's opener, a Thursday night time affair in opposition to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attracted 24.4 million viewers on NBC Sports activities. It was the most-watched kickoff recreation since 2015. CBS mentioned the Cowboys contest in opposition to Brady's previous group, the New England Patriots, averaged 23.2 million viewers final week, the most-watched nationwide recreation for the community since 2015.

"In the event that they're in rivalry for the division and make the postseason, collect an even bigger viewers," mentioned Pilson.

The Cowboys' star gamers are cashing in on the publicity.

Prescott took a 20% stake in sports-theme bar and eatery Stroll-Ons earlier this yr, to go together with $10 million in off-field endorsements, third-highest amongst NFL gamers, in keeping with Forbes. He trails solely Tremendous Bowl-winning quarterbacks Brady ($31 million) and Patrick Mahomes ($22 million) of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.

Former quarterbacks Aikman and Tony Romo are lead NFL announcers for Fox and CBS, respectively. Irvin works for ESPN. Smith was with the NFL Community and nonetheless has offers with firms like Marriott.

"They profit from that model," mentioned Schauder. "Sponsors and endorsers search for gamers who get essentially the most publicity."

Then there's actuality TV. The Cowboys had been showcased on HBO's "Laborious Knocks," an annual sequence that follows a group by means of coaching camp and the pre-season. Cowboys cheerleaders even have a present on Nation Music Tv.

"One other group would not get that media deal," Schauder mentioned, referring to the cheerleaders' present.

Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a cross throughout the common season recreation between the Dallas Cowboys and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 09, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Cliff Welch | Icon Sportswire | Getty Photos

Are the Cowboys nonetheless America's Group?

On the sector, the Cowboys nonetheless have the whole lot to show.

In the course of the group's 25-year championship drought, Brady led the Patriots to 9 Tremendous Bowls and delivered seven championships, together with for the Buccaneers final season. The Steelers have gained two titles since dealing with the Cowboys in 1996. The Denver Broncos made 4 appearances and gained three Tremendous Bowls throughout that span.

The Patriots have appeared in a file 11 Tremendous Bowls, adopted by the Cowboys, Steelers and Broncos at eight.

Schauder, who admitted to being a transformed Cowboys fan, says there's nonetheless one thing distinctive about Dallas.

"It is an iconic model," he mentioned. "They're nonetheless America's Group as a result of that is how they had been branded. "Different groups have tried to say it, just like the Steelers."

Following this week's bye, the Cowboys are again in motion subsequent week in opposition to the Minnesota Vikings on NBC's Sunday Evening Soccer. After that, they nonetheless have their annual showcase on Thanksgiving and two extra night time video games in December.

Profitable certain helps, however it doesn't matter what followers throughout the nation tune into watch the Cowboys.

"On the finish of the day, Dallas will nonetheless get extra prime-time spots than another group," Schauder mentioned.

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