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An NFL without the Cowboys almost came to be

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As we discovered in Sunday’s post about the 1960 season, the Dallas Cowboys almost never existed. An NFL without America’s Team?

If both Washington and Pittsburgh had gotten their way back in 1960 that’s exactly what would have happened. If not for a move that would make my Mafioso great-grandfather proud Dallas doesn’t get a franchise in 1960.

Buying the rights to the Redskins’ team song, Clint Murchison Jr. basically told the Redskins: “Nice team song y’all got there. Be a shame if something happened to it.”

In exchange for letting the Redskins play their own song at their home games in D.C., Dallas got an NFL franchise.

In An Alternate Universe

The science fiction writer in me thinks a time-traveler went back and warned both franchises against letting the Cowboys torment them over the years.

But I also like to play the “What If” game in my writing. So let’s do that here.

What if Pittsburgh and Washington had gotten their way prior to the 1960 season and blocked the Cowboys from joining the NFL as an expansion team?

A lot of the NFL’s history would never have been made for one. No Ice Bowl in 1967. No Hail Mary in 1975.

Cowboys Draft - Beyond the Clock: Cowboys Undrafted Wonder, Drew Pearson
ORG XMIT: S11A73571 Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson (88) catches Roger Staubach’s “Hail Mary Pass” during the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Vikings. Nate Wright (43) said there was no interference on the play. [ AP file photo ] # 22 is Paul Krause 11062011xSPORTS
No Texas Stadium with the hole in the roof so God could watch His team play on Sunday. No Tom Landry prowling the sidelines in his trademark fedora, at least as Dallas’ head coach.

No 90s dynasty team. No Triplets. No “How ‘Bout Them Cowboys!”

No Jerry Jones buying the team and building Jerry World in Arlington after blowing up Texas Stadium.

Hmmm. Wait a sec. I think I just found a pro to the alternate universe…

The NFL Without The Cowboys

In truth, who knows where just about all of the names up on the Ring of Honor would have ended up if the Cowboys didn’t exist.

Mr. Cowboy, Bob Lilly, would likely have ended up in Dallas as he was picked by the Dallas Texans in the 1961 Draft. He probably falls out of the first round of the NFL draft that year and might have gone with his hometown team.

rpaolinelli cowboys news these cowboys belong on the ring of honor
Bob Lilly’s name on the Ring of Honor inside Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas.

But Bob Hayes, Roger Staubach, Chuck Howley, Don Meredith, Tony Dorsett, Randy White and all the others? Who knows where they would have landed.

Where would Tom Landry have gone for his first NFL head coaching job? Would he have been as successful somewhere else?

Gone would be the eight Super Bowl appearances and the five Lombardi Trophies and all of the other moments — good and bad — that have made the franchise what it is.

We Could Have Been Texans

With no NFL expansion team granted, the AFL’s Dallas Texans would have been kings in Dallas. The roster probably wouldn’t have changed much over the years.

Instead of packing up and moving to Kansas City after winning the 1962 title, they’d likely still be in Dallas. Especially after the two leagues merged in 1970.

1960: Inaugural season began with hope and theft, ended in despair for Dallas 1

The Texans would have three AFL Championships in the 1960s and Dallas would have its first Super Bowl appearance four seasons earlier.

Dallas would be celebrating its first Super Bowl two years earlier as the Texans would have beaten the Vikings.

The Texans would have three fewer Super Bowl appearances, and two fewer Lombardis however.

Instead of The Man In The Fedora, we’d have Hank Stram matriculating the ball downfield. Len Dawson would be our Roger Staubach.

And having Patrick Mahomes at quarterback in Dallas? He’d be the second coming of Staubach (assuming somehow that Staubach managed to play for the Texans).

Mauricio's 2019 NFL Power Rankings: 100th Season Edition
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 7: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs drops back to pass during the second quarter of the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Arrowhead Stadium on October 7, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)

The Cotton Bowl would have remained home to the NFL well beyond the 1971 season. At some point a new stadium would have been built.

It might not have been a Texas Stadium. But at least it wouldn’t have been JerryWorld.

And Dallas would have an ownership in the Hunt family that is serious about winning, not just making money.

I love the Blue Star as much as the next guy. But, sometimes I wonder if that cowboy in with the gold star on his boots might not have been the better alternative.

Richard Paolinelli

Staff Writer

Richard Paolinelli is a sports journalist and author. In addition to his work at InsideTheStar.com, he has a Substack -- Dispatches From A SciFi Scribe – where he discusses numerous topics, including sports in general. He started his newspaper career in 1991 with the Gallup (NM) Independent before going to the Modesto (CA) Bee, Gustine (CA) Press-Standard, and Turlock (CA) Journal -- where he won the 2001 Best Sports Story, in the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest. He then moved to the Merced (CA) Sun-Star, Tracy (CA) Press, Patch and finished his career in 2011 with the San Francisco (CA) Examiner. He has written two Non-Fiction sports books, 11 novels, and has over 30 published short stories.

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