Dallas Cowboys

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{{NFL team|name = Dallas Cowboys|logo = Dallas_Cowboys.svg|founded = 1960|city = [Irving, Texas|owner = [Jerry Jones|nicknames = America's Team, The Boys|stations = The Ticket (KTCK-1310 AM) & The Bone (KDBN-93.3 FM)|announcers = Brad Sham (play-by-play), Charlie Waters (color commentary), and Kristi Scales (sideline)|hist_yr = 1960|NFL_start_yr = 1960|division_hist =

Northern Conference (1960)
Eastern Conference (1961-1966)

Capitol Division (1967-1969)

National Football Conference (1970-present)

NFC East (1970-present)

NFC: 1970 NFL season, 1971, 1975 NFL season, 1977, 1978 NFL season, 1992, 1993, 1995

|stadium_years =

Cotton Bowl (stadium) (1960-1971)
Texas Stadium (1971-present)
Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (scheduled to open in 2009)

-->

The Dallas Cowboys are a team in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League. They are based in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving, Texas. The team currently plays their home games in Irving, TX but they are scheduled to move to a New Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington, Texas in 2009. The Cowboys joined the National Football League (NFL) as a 1960 expansion team. The team's national following might best be represented by its NFL record of consecutive games in front of sold out stadiums. The streak of 160 sold-out regular and post-season games began in 1990, and included 79 straight sellouts at Texas Stadium and 81 straight sell-outs on the road.

An article on Forbes Magazine's website, published September 13, 2007, lists the Cowboys as the most valuable sports team in the world, with an estimated value of approximately $1.5 billion, ahead of the Washington Redskins ($1.467 billion) and the New England Patriots ($1.199 billion). They are also one of the wealthiest teams in the NFL, generating almost $250 million in annual revenue.

The Cowboys are one of the most successful teams of the modern era (1960 and beyond.) The Cowboys have more victories (40) on the ever-popular Monday Night Football than any other NFL team (Miami is 2nd with 39 and the 49ers are 3rd with 38). They hold NFL records for the most consecutive winning seasons (20, from 1966 to 1985) and most seasons with at least 10 wins (24). The team has earned the most postseason appearances (28, which includes another league record of 54 postseason games, winning 32 of them), the most appearances in the NFC Championship Game (14), and the most Super Bowl appearances (8), two more than any other NFL team. The Cowboys also played in 2 NFL championship games before the NFL-AFL merger. The Cowboys became the first team in NFL history to win 3 Super Bowls in just 4 years (a feat that has been matched only once since, by the New England Patriots). They are also tied with the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers for having the most Super Bowl wins (5).

Franchise history Originally, the formation of an NFL expansion team in Texas was met with strong opposition by Washington Redskins owner, George Preston Marshall. This was no surprise, because despite being located in the nation's capital, Marshall's Redskins had enjoyed a monopoly as the only NFL team to represent the Southern United States for several decades. This came as little surprise to would-be team owners, Clint Murchison, Jr. and Bedford Wynne. To ensure the birth of their expansion team, the men bought the rights to the Redskins fight song, "Hail to the Redskins" and threatened to refuse to allow Marshall to play the song at games. Needing the song, which was a staple for his "professional football team of Dixie", Marshall changed his mind, and the city of Dallas, Texas, was granted an NFL franchise on January 28 1960. This early confrontation between the two franchises no doubt triggered what would become one of the more significant rivalries in the NFL, which continues even to this day.

1960s thru 1970s The team was first known as the Dallas Steers, then the Dallas Rangers before settling on the name "Cowboys" for the 1960 season. As their popularity grew beyond the borders of Texas, however, they became known as "America's Team", which was the title of the team's 1978 NFL season highlights film. When that nickname was used by a sports announcer the following year, it stuck, and they've been referred to as such by sportscasters every year since then, including being introduced as "America's Team" during the opening of the October 9, 2007 Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills.

The new Dallas owners, Murchison and Wynne, immediately hired Tex Schramm to be the general manager and Tom Landry to be the head coach. http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=9 Although the Cowboys finished winless in their first season with a 0-11-1 record, they made their first NFL draft selection the following year, selecting Bob Lilly with the 13th pick in the draft.

During the 1960s, the Cowboys continued to build their team. Quarterback Don Meredith and running back Don Perkins joined the team and, by 1966, the Cowboys had their first winning season (10-3-1; which began a record-setting streak of 20 straight winning seasons, unmatched by any other NFL team) and their first playoff appearance. Although the playoff game was a 34-27 loss to the Green Bay Packers, it marked the start of a record-setting eight consecutive playoff appearances. (From 1975 until 1983, the Cowboys would later match and extend that record, raising the bar to an NFL record nine straight playoff appearances.) By the mid-60s, the Cowboys had become a powerful force in the NFL, appearing in the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. The team also sent eight players to the Pro Bowl, including Cowboy legends Bob Hayes, Chuck Howley, "Dandy" Don Meredith, Don Perkins, and future Pro Football Hall of Famers Bob Lilly and Mel Renfro.

Similarly, the Cowboys were becoming a staple in the Dallas community. The Cowboys competed for the affections of the people of Dallas with Lamar Hunt's Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League. Although the Dallas Texans (in the AFL) had a far better record than the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, the popularity of the Cowboys drove the Texans out of Dallas to Kansas City, Missouri in 1963, where they became the Kansas City Chiefs. By 1969, ground was being broken on a new stadium for the Cowboys to replace the Cotton Bowl. Texas Stadium in Irving, a Dallas County, Texas suburb, would be completed for the 1971 season.

Although Meredith and Perkins retired in 1969, many new players joined the organization in the 1970s, such as Cliff Harris, Lee Roy Jordan, and Dan Reeves, plus Pro Football Hall of Fame players Rayfield Wright, Mike Ditka, Herb Adderley, and Roger Staubach. Led by quarterback Craig Morton, the Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl, a mistake-filled Super Bowl V, where they lost 16-13 to the History of the Indianapolis Colts courtesy of a Field goal (football) by Colts' kicker Jim O'Brien with five seconds remaining in the contest. The Cowboys then moved from the Cotton Bowl Stadium to Texas Stadium in week six of the 1971 in sports season, won their last seven regular season games, and advanced through the playoffs to defeat the upstart Miami Dolphins, 24-3, in Super Bowl VI. Behind an MVP performance from Staubach and 252 yards passing, that game as of 2006 the only Super Bowl where a team has held their opponent without a touchdown.

During the rest of the 1970s, the Cowboys grew in popularity, not just in Dallas, but nationwide. The Cowboys drafted well too, adding new legends like future Hall of Famers Randy White (American football) and Tony Dorsett. The fresh influx of talent helped the Cowboys to advance to win Super Bowl XII, and make appearances in Super Bowl X and Super Bowl XIII.

1980s thru 1990s Danny White became the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 1980 after future Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach retired. White led the Cowboys to the playoffs five times and won two Division Championships. However, despite playing in the NFC championship game three consecutive years from 1980-1982, the Cowboys did not reach the Super Bowl during that decade. In 1984, Bum Bright purchased the Dallas Cowboys from Murchison, leading the team to progressively worse seasons (1985: 10-6; 1986: 7-9; 1987: 7-8; 1988: 3-13). Bright became disenchanted with the team, telling the media that he was "horrified" at Landry's play calling during an embarrassing home loss to Atlanta in 1987. Bright sold the Cowboys to Jerry Jones on February 25 1989.

Jones promptly fired Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry, the only coach the Cowboys ever had, and replaced him with University of Miami head coach, Jimmy Johnson (football coach). With the first pick in the draft, the Cowboys selected UCLA future hall of fame quarterback Troy Aikman and Herschel Walker Trade veteran running back Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five veteran players and eight draft choices. Although the Cowboys finished the 1989 season with a 1-15 record, the worst record since the team's inception, they were able to draft a number of impact players, including running back Emmitt Smith, to rebuild the team.

In 1992, three years after their 1-15 season, the Cowboys finished with a 13-3 record (second best in the league) and went on to beat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII, 52-17, forcing a Super Bowl record nine turnovers. Coach Johnson became the first coach to claim a National Championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football. The following season, they again defeated the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII, 30-13. The Cowboys sent an NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl: Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Thomas Everett, Daryl Johnston, Russell Maryland, Nate Newton, Ken Norton Jr, Jay Novacek, Mark Stepnoski, and Erik Williams. Johnson and owner Jerry Jones had a falling-out, so Johnson left the organization prior to the 1994 season. Jones hired former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer to be the team's new head coach. The Cowboys would finish 12-4, but failed to win a third consecutive Super Bowl in a loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, 38-28. In 1995, Jones lured All-Pro cornerback Deion Sanders away from San Francisco and Dallas once again posted a 12-4 regular season record. The Cowboys eventually defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 27-17 at Sun Devil Stadium, in Super Bowl XXX. Coach Switzer became the second, and only other coach, to claim a National Championship in college football and a Super Bowl victory in professional football.

However, the glory days of the Cowboys were again beginning to dim as free agency, age, and injuries began taking their toll. The Cowboys went 6-10 in 1997, with discipline and off-field problems becoming major distractions. As a result, Switzer resigned as head coach in January 1998 and former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey was hired to take his place. Gailey led the team to a 10-6 record in 1998 and an NFC East championship, but was let go after an 8-8 playoff season in 1999, becoming the first Cowboys coach who did not win a Super Bowl.

Present era Defensive coordinator Dave Campo was promoted to head coach, but he could only post three consecutive 5-11 seasons. Many fans and media were beginning to blame Jerry Jones for the team's ills, noting that he refused to hire a strong coach, preferring to hire coaches who did not want to be involved with personnel duties so that Jones himself could manage them. Jones then lured Bill Parcells out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. The Cowboys became the surprise team of the 2003 season, posting a 10-6 record and a playoff berth by having the best overall defense in the NFL. However, during the next two seasons, the Parcells-led Cowboys missed the playoffs. The Cowboys then finished an up-and-down 2006 season with a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance, but after a last second loss in the Wild Card Game against the Seattle Seahawks, Parcells retired and was succeeded by Wade Phillips.http://www.cowboysplus.com/classic/recordbook/coaches/123102campo.html

Team colors The Dallas Cowboys white home jerseys have royal blue (PMS 661) solid socks, numbers, lettering, and two stripes on the sleeves outlined in black. The home pants, according to the Dallas Cowboys official media guide, are a unique metallic silver-green color (PMS 8280) that help bring out the blue in the uniform. The navy (PMS 282) away jerseys (nicknamed the "Stars and Stripes" jersey) have white lettering and numbers with navy pinstripes. A white/gray/white stripe are on each sleeve as well as the collared V-neck and Cowboys star logo was placed upon the stripes. The away pants are a pearlish metallic-silver color (PMS 8240) and like the home pants, enhance the navy in the uniforms. The Cowboys use a serifed font for the lettered player surnames on the jersey nameplates.

PMS - Pantone Matching System

Uniforms When the Dallas Cowboys franchise debuted in 1960, the team's logo was a simple blue star adorned atop white helmets. The team wore blue jerseys with white sleeves and a small blue star on each shoulder for home games and the negative opposite for away games. Their socks also had two horizontal white stripes overlapping the blue.

In 1964, the logo would later be modified to include a white border outlining the blue star and in 1967 the team changed the star once more by making the white a pinstripe. This would be the team's present logo to this day.

In 1965, the Cowboys opted for more of a simple look and changed their jerseys/socks to one solid color with three horizontal blue stripes on the sleeves. A year later in 1966, the team narrowed the stripes to two per sleeve/sock and this version of the uniform has seen little change to the present day. The only notable changes in the last 40 years to the jerseys were:

from 1970-1973 when the "TV" numbers were moved from the shoulders to the sleeves above the stripes
the removal of the indented serifs on the front and back jersey numbers in the early 80's (seen currently on the throwback jerseys)
the 1996 addition of the word "Cowboys" in the center of the neckline which lasted until 1998 on the white jerseys but currently remains on the dark ones.

In 1994, the NFL celebrated their 75th Anniversary and the Dallas Cowboys celebrated their back-to-back Super Bowl titles by unveiling the white "Double-Star" jersey on Thanksgiving Day. This special jersey was used on Monday Night Football and throughout the season's playoffs.

During the 1995 season, the team wore the navy "Double-Star" jerseys for games at Washington and Philadelphia. These jerseys were not seen again until the NFL's Classic Throwback Weekend on Thanksgiving Day 2001-2003

In 2004, the Cowboys went further back into their illustrious history and donned the 1962 era dark jerseys including white helmets and pants. This would be the team's present alternate or 3rd jersey.

The Dallas Cowboys were the first NFL team to primarily wear their white jerseys at home, as it was an unofficial rule that teams wear their colored jerseys at home. This tradition started in the 1960s by then-general manager Tex Schramm, who wanted fans to see a variety of opponents' colors at home games. Since then, a number of other teams have worn their white uniforms at home such as the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins.

Image:white Double-Star uniform.jpg|The white Double-Star jersey worn during the 1994 NFL 75th anniversary season.Image:Navy Double-Star uniform.jpg|The navy Double-Star jersey worn during the 1995 season and Thanksgiving Day 2001-2003.Image:Thanksgiving Throwback uniform.jpg|The Thanksgiving Day throwback worn 2004-present.

Rivalries The Cowboys' most heated rivalry is with the Washington Redskins. Although Dallas has mostly dominated Washington since its last Super Bowl victory, (17-5 record dating back to the 1996 season), Washington currently enjoys a 3-1 record over Dallas since 2005, including a season sweep in 2005, Washington's first in a decade, when Dallas won their last Super Bowl. However, the Cowboys also enjoy a rivalry with their fellow NFC East teams, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. Some consider the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans rivals as well; the Panthers because of the contests that, one way or another, impacted the losing team's postseason, and the Texans, obviously because of the in-state affiliation.

The 1982 NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers helped form a rivalry between those two teams. That game is most notable for Joe Montana's game winning pass to Dwight Clark, now known as The Catch. San Francisco went on to win their first of five Super Bowls. During the 1992, 1993, and 1994 seasons, both Dallas and San Francisco faced each other in each season's respective NFC Championship game. Dallas won the first two match-ups, and San Francisco won the third. In all three years, the NFC champion went on to win the Super Bowl, thus building upon their dynasties.

The Cowboys also enjoy a minor rivalry with the Green Bay Packers, which also began in the 1990s. Dallas defeated Green Bay in NFC divisional playoff games during the 1993 and 1994 seasons, and again during the 1995 NFC Championship and went on to win their third Super Bowl in four seasons (1992, 1993, 1995).

Season-by-season records |-|1960 || 0 || 11 || 1 || 7th West || --|-|1961 || 4 || 9 || 1 || 6th East || --|-|1962 || 5 || 8 || 1 || 5th East || --|-|1963 || 4 || 10 || 0 || 5th East || --|-|1964 || 5 || 8 || 1 || 5th East || --|-|1965 || 7 || 7 || 0 || 2nd East || --|-|1966 || 10 || 3 || 1 || 1st East || Lost NFL Championship Game, 1966 (Packers) 34-27|-|1967 || 9 || 5 || 0 || 1st Capitol || Won NFL playoffs, 1967 (Cleveland Browns) 52-10
Lost NFL playoffs, 1967 (Packers) 21-17|-|1968 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st Capitol || Lost NFL playoffs, 1968 (Browns) 31-20|-|1969 || 11 || 2 || 1 || 1st Capitol || Lost NFL playoffs, 1969 (Browns) 38-14|-|1970 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1970-71 (Detroit Lions) 5-0
Won NFL playoffs, 1970-71 (49ers) 17-10
Lost Super Bowl V (Indianapolis Colts) 16-13|-|1971 || 11 || 3 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1971-72 (Vikings) 20-12
Won NFL playoffs, 1971-72 (49ers) 14-3
Won Super Bowl VI (Dolphins) 24-3

|-|1972 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1972-73 (49ers) 30-28
Lost NFL playoffs, 1972-73 (Redskins) 26-3|-|1973 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1973-74 (St. Louis Rams) 27-16
Lost NFL playoffs, 1973-74 (Vikings) 27-10|-|1974 || 8 || 6 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --|-|1975 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1975-76 (Vikings) 17-14
Won NFL playoffs, 1975-76 (L.A. Rams) 37-7
Lost Super Bowl X (Steelers) 21-17] (L.A. Rams) 14-12|-|1977 || 12 || 2 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1977-78 (Chicago Bears) 37-7
Won NFL playoffs, 1977-78 (Vikings) 23-6
Won Super Bowl XII (Denver Broncos) 27-10|-|1978 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1978-79 (Atlanta Falcons) 27-20
Won NFL playoffs, 1978-79 (L.A. Rams) 28-0
Lost Super Bowl XIII (Pittsburgh Steelers 35-31)|-|1979 || 11 || 5 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 1979-80 (L.A. Rams) 21-19
|-|1980 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1980-81 (L.A. Rams) 34-17
Won NFL playoffs, 1980-81 (Falcons) 30-27
Lost NFL playoffs, 1980-81 (Eagles) 20-7|-|1981 || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1981-82 (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) 38-0
Lost NFL playoffs, 1981-82 (49ers) 28-27|-|1982 Dallas Cowboys season || 6 || 3 || 0 || 2nd NFC Conf.+ || Won NFL playoffs, 1982-83 (Buccaneers) 30-17
Won NFL playoffs, 1982-83 (Packers) 37-26
Lost NFL playoffs, 1982-83 (Redskins) 31-17|-|1983 Dallas Cowboys season || 12 || 4 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 1983-84 (L.A. Rams) 24-17|-|1984 Dallas Cowboys season || 9 || 7 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|1985 Dallas Cowboys season || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 1985-86 (L.A. Rams) 20-0|-|1986 Dallas Cowboys season || 7 || 9 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --|-|1987 Dallas Cowboys season || 7 || 8 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|1988 Dallas Cowboys season || 3 || 13 || 0 || 5th NFC East || --|-|1989 Dallas Cowboys season || 1 || 15 || 0 || 5th NFC East || --|-|1990 Dallas Cowboys season || 7 || 9 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|1991 Dallas Cowboys season || 11 || 5 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1991-92 (Bears) 17-13
Lost NFL playoffs, 1991-92 (Lions) 38-6|-|1992 Dallas Cowboys season || 13 || 3 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1992-93 (Eagles) 34-10
Won NFL playoffs, 1992-93 (49ers) 30-20
Won Super Bowl XXVII (Bills) 52-17

|-|1993 Dallas Cowboys season || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1993-94 (Packers) 27-17
Won NFL playoffs, 1993-94 (49ers) 38-21
Won Super Bowl XXVIII (Bills) 30-13

|-|1994 Dallas Cowboys season || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1994-95 (Packers) 35-9
Lost NFL playoffs, 1994-95 (49ers) 38-28

|-|1995 Dallas Cowboys season || 12 || 4 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1995-96 (Eagles) 30-11
Won NFL playoffs, 1995-96 (Packers) 38-27
Won Super Bowl XXX (Steelers) 27-17

|-|1996 Dallas Cowboys season || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Won NFL playoffs, 1996-97 (Vikings) 40-15
Lost NFL playoffs, 1996-97 (Panthers) 26-17

|-|1997 Dallas Cowboys season || 6 || 10 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|1998 Dallas Cowboys season || 10 || 6 || 0 || 1st NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 1998-99 (Arizona Cardinals) 20-7|-|1999 Dallas Cowboys season || 8 || 8 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 1999-2000 (Vikings) 27-10|-|2000 Dallas Cowboys season || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|2001 Dallas Cowboys season || 5 || 11 || 0 || 5th NFC East || --|-|2002 Dallas Cowboys season || 5 || 11 || 0 || 4th NFC East || --|-|2003 Dallas Cowboys season || 10 || 6 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost NFL playoffs, 2003-04 (Panthers) 29-10|-|2004 Dallas Cowboys season || 6 || 10 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --|-|2005 Dallas Cowboys season || 9 || 7 || 0 || 3rd NFC East || --|-|2006 Dallas Cowboys season || 9 || 7 || 0 || 2nd NFC East || Lost National Football League playoffs, 2006-07 (Seahawks) 21-20] || 5|| 1 || 0 || -- || --|-!Totals || 437 || 323 || 6|colspan="2"| (1960-2007, including NFL playoffs)

* = Current Standing+ = Due to a strike-shortened season in 1982, all teams were ranked by conference instead of division.

Players of note Current roster Pro Football Hall of Famers

Troy Aikman Class of 2006 (QB 1989-2000)
Tony Dorsett Class of 1994 (RB 1977-87)
Michael Irvin Class of 2007 (WR 1988-1999)
Tom Landry Class of 1990 (Head Coach 1960-88)
Bob Lilly Class of 1980 (DT 1961-74)
Mel Renfro Class of 1996 (S/CB 1964-77)
Tex Schramm Class of 1991 (Pres/GM 1960-89)
Roger Staubach Class of 1985 (QB 1964-79)
Randy White Class of 1994 (DT 1975-88)
Rayfield Wright Class of 2006 (OT 1967-1979)

Due to the rich history of the Cowboys from the 1960s, 1970s and 1990s, one would assume that the Cowboys would have a large number of inductees to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, they do not. Many have raised strong arguments asking why many Cowboys legends have been snubbed by the Hall's induction committee, especially those who played during the decade of the 1970s. On the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 1970s all-decade team (selected by the same group as the one charged with picking the inductees), there are six Dallas Cowboys (Drew Pearson (football player), Rayfield Wright, Roger Staubach, Harvey Martin, Bob Lilly, and Cliff Harris) and eight Pittsburgh Steelers (Lynn Swann, Mike Webster, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, L.C. Greenwood, "Mean" Joe Greene (football player), Jack Ham and Jack Lambert (American football))*. Of those, only three Cowboys have been inducted (Wright, Staubach and Lilly) versus seven Steelers (all but Greenwood). Not including the two kickers and one punter on the team, the three Cowboys are among only eleven players on the forty-five man roster not in the Hall.

Others point out that many of the teams ahead of Dallas in number of inductees have been around much longer. The top five teams (the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins, respectively) were all founded in 1933 or before. The Cowboys were founded in 1960. Others argue that the defensive players for the Cowboys in the 1970s operated under an ingenious system devised by Head Coach Tom Landry (see above) which inflated the public's perception of their supposed skill. The debate over an anti-Cowboys bias still rages today.

(*)The NFL does not officially identify players with the team with whom they played most of their career. All teams for whom a player played are recognized equally.(**)Numbers do not include players who played a minority of their career with the Cowboys or other teams. For example, Lance Alworth played for the San Diego Chargers from 1962-1970, and with the Cowboys from 1971-1972. He is not included for the Cowboys, nor is Mike Ditka, who played for 8 years with the Bears and Eagles before ending his career with a four-year stint with the Cowboys.

Super Bowl MVPs Although the Cowboys are tied with the 49ers and Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories with 5, Dallas actually holds the record for the most Super Bowl games played (8) and the most Super Bowl MVPs with 7:

Linebacker Chuck Howley - Super Bowl V - Howley was named the MVP for Super Bowl V despite the Cowboys' loss to the Baltimore Colts. He is the only member of a losing team to win the award. In recording two interceptions and a fumble recovery during the game, Howley was the first defensive player to win the honor.

Quarterback Roger Staubach - Super Bowl VI - Staubach became the fifth quarterback overall to be awarded the MVP trophy after Dallas' win over the Miami Dolphins. He completed 12 out of 19 passes for 119 yards, threw 2 touchdown passes, and rushed 5 times for 18 yards.

(Tie) Defensive tackle Randy White and defensive end Harvey Martin - Super Bowl XII - Super Bowl XII marked the first time that two players won MVP honors. White and Martin, who helped the Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos, became the first defensive linemen to win the award.

See #3

Quarterback Troy Aikman - Super Bowl XXVII - Aikman became the second Cowboys quarterback to earn the MVP honor as he led the Cowboys to victory against the Buffalo Bills. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also rushing for 28 yards.

Running back Emmitt Smith - Super Bowl XXVIII - Smith's 30 carries for 132 yards, 4 receptions for 26 yards, and two touchdowns led Dallas to a victory over the Buffalo Bills. In that same year, Smith became the first player to win the Super Bowl, the NFL rushing title (i.e. lead the league in rushing), the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and the Super Bowl MVP all in one season.

Cornerback Larry Brown (cornerback) - Super Bowl XXX - Brown became the first cornerback to be named Super Bowl MVP, recording two interceptions for a total of 77 return yards. The Cowboys sealed the victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers by converting both of Brown's interceptions into touchdowns.

Retired numbers/"Ring of Honor" Unlike many NFL teams, the Cowboys do not retire jersey numbers of past standouts as a matter of policy. Instead, the team has a Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, which is on permanent display encircling the field at Texas Stadium in Irving. The first inductee was Bob Lilly in 1975 and by 2005, the hallowed ring contained Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor, all former Dallas players except for one head coach and one general manager/president.

The Ring of Honor has been a source of controversy over the years. Tex Schramm was believed to be a "one man" committee in choosing inductees and many former Cowboys players and fans felt that Schramm deliberately excluded linebacker Lee Roy Jordan because of a bitter contract dispute the two had during Jordan's playing days. When Jerry Jones bought the team he inherited Schramm's Ring of Honor "power" and immediately inducted Jordan.

Jones also had controversy. For four years he was unsuccessful in convincing Tom Landry to accept induction. Meanwhile, he refused to induct Tex Schramm (even after Schramm's induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame). In 1993, thanks in part to the efforts of Roger Staubach as an intermediary, Landry accepted induction and had a ceremony on the day of that year's Cowboys-Giants game (Landry had played and coached for the Giants). In 2003, Jones finally chose to induct Tex Schramm. Schramm and Jones held a joint press conference at Texas Stadium announcing the induction. Unfortunately, Schramm did not live to see his ceremonial induction at the Cowboys-Eagles game that fall.

However, some numbers of retired players, such as Roger Staubach #12 and Bob Lilly #74, are unofficially kept "inactive" to prevent them from being worn by current or future players. Troy Aikman #8, and Emmitt Smith #22, are other examples of this unofficial "rule."

The most recent inductees were: Troy Aikman, All-Time NFL leading rusher Emmitt Smith and Michael "the Playmaker" Irvin, known as "The Triplets". The Cowboys waited until Smith had retired as a player before inducting Aikman and Irvin, so all three could be inducted together, which occurred during half time at a Monday Night Football home game against the arch-rival Washington Redskins on September 19, 2005.

Although the team does not officially retire jersey numbers, it is uncommon to find any current players wearing the number of one of the "Ring of Honor" inductees. The numbers of inductees Aikman (8), Staubach (12), Hayes and Smith (22), Perkins and Harris (43) and Lilly (74) were not worn during the 2006 season.

Other notable alumni The following is a list of players who also made valuable contributions to the Dallas Cowboys, but are not in either the Pro Football Hall of Fame or the Ring of Honor:

Larry Allen (OG 1994-2005)
George Andrie (DE 1962-72)
Brian Baldinger (OG 1982-87)
Bill Bates (S 1983-97)
Bob Breunig (LB 1975-84)
Larry Brown (cornerback) (DB 1991-1995, 1998)
Dexter Coakley (LB 1997-2004)
Larry Cole (DE 1968-80)
Doug Cosbie (TE 1979-88)
Pat Donovan (American football) (OT 1975-83)
Michael Downs (DB 1981-88)
Billy Joe Dupree (TE 1973-83)
Dave Edwards (OLB 1963-75)
Kenneth Gant (DB 1989-97)
Walt Garrison (FB 1966-74)
Peter Gent (WR 1964-1968)
La'Roi Glover (DT 2002-2005)
Cornell Green (DB 1962-74)
Charles Haley (DE 1992-96)
Craig Morton (QB 1971-76)
Alvin Harper (WR 1991-94)
Mike Hegman (LB 1976-87)
Dale Hellestrae (OL 1990-2000)
Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson (LB 1975-79)
Calvin Hill (RB 1969-74)
Tony Hill (American football) (WR 1977-86)
Raghib Ismail (WR 1999-2001)
Jim Jeffcoat (DE 1983-94)
Daryl Johnston (FB 1989-99)
Ed Jones (American football) (DE 1974-78, 1980-89)
D.D. Lewis (LB 1968-81)
Leon Lett (DL 1991-2000)

Eugene Lockhart (LB 1984-90)
Harvey Martin (DE 1973-83)
Russell Maryland (DT 1991-95)
Robert Newhouse (RB 1972-83)
Nate Newton (OL 1986-98)
Dat Nguyen (LB 1999-2005)
John Niland (football) (OL 1966-74)
Jay Novacek (TE 1990-95)
Ken Norton Jr. (LB 1988-93)
Drew Pearson (American football) (WR 1973-1983)
Jethro Pugh (DT 1965-78)
Tom Rafferty (OL 1976-1990)
Dan Reeves (FB 1965-72, asst coach/OC 1972,1974-81)
Deion Sanders (CB 1995-1999)
Mike Saxon (P 1985-1992)
Herbert Scott (OL 1975-84)
Kevin Smith (DB 1992-1998)
Mark Stepnoski (OL 1989-1994, 1999-2000)
Fred Strickland (LB 1996-1998)
George Teague (DB 1996, 1998-2001)
Jerry Tubbs (LB 1960-67; LB coach 1967-89)
Mark Tuinei (OL 1983-97)
Herschel Walker (RB 1986-89, 1996-97)
Everson Walls (DB 1981-89)
John Warren (P 1983-84)
Charlie Waters (DB 1970-81)
Danny White (P/QB 1976-88)
Erik Williams (OT 1991-2000)
Darren Woodson (DB 1992-2004)

All-time first-round draft picks {|class="wikitable"!Year!Player!College!Position|-|1961 NFL season|Bob Lilly|No Selection|||-|[1963 NFL season|Lee Roy Jordan|[Scott Appleton|[Craig Morton|[John Niland|No Selection|||-||[1968 NFL season|Dennis Homan|[Calvin Hill|[Duane Thomas|[Tody Smith|[Bill Thomas|[Billy Joe Dupree|[Ed Jones (American football player)|Tennessee State|Defensive end|-|1974|Charley Young|[Randy White|Langston|Linebacker|-|[1976 NFL season|Aaron Kyle|[Tony Dorsett|[Larry Bethea|[Robert Shaw|No Selection|||-|[1981 NFL season|Howard Richards|[Rod Hill|[Jim Jeffcoat|[Billy Cannon, Jr.|[Kevin Brooks|[Mike Sherrard|[Danny Noonan|[Michael Irvin|[Troy Aikman|[Emmitt Smith|[Russell Maryland|Tennessee|Wide receiver|-|1991|[Kelvin Pritchett|[Kevin Smith (American football)|Texas A&M|Defensive back|-|1992|Robert Jones|No Selection|||-|[1994 NFL season|Shante Carver|No Selection|||-|[1996|[David LaFleur|[Greg Ellis|[Ebenezer Ekuban|No Selection|||-|[2001 NFL season|No Selection|||-|2002 NFL season|Roy Williams (safety)|Oklahoma|Safety|-|2003 NFL season|Terence Newman|No Selection|||-|[2005 NFL season|Demarcus Ware|Louisiana State|Defensive end|-|[2006 Dallas Cowboys season|Bobby Carpenter (American football)|Ohio State|Linebacker|-|2007 Dallas Cowboys season|Anthony Spencer|Purdue|Linebacker|}

Coaches of note Head coaches The following table shows each coach's record while with the Cowboys. (Since some coached other NFL teams, their overall record may differ.){|class="wikitable"!Year!Coach!Record!Notable Wins|-|1960-1988|Tom Landry|(51-37)|2 Conference Championships, 2 Super Bowl victories.|-|1994-1997|[Barry Switzer|(18-14)||-|2000-2002|[Dave Campo|(34-32)|2 Playoff Appearances|-|2007-present|[Wade Phillips|(5-1)||}

Current staff Radio and television As of 2007, the Cowboys' flagship radio stations were KDBN-FM (93.3 The Bone) and KTCK (1310 The Ticket). Both are owned by Cumulus Media. Brad Sham returns as the team's longtime play-by-play voice. Working alongside him in 2007 is former Cowboy quarterback Babe Laufenberg, who returns after a one-year absence to replace former safety (football position) Charlie Waters. The Cowboys, who retain rights to all announcers, chose not to renew Laufenberg's contract in 2006 and brought in Waters. However, Laufenberg did work as the analyst on the "Silver Star Network," which televises Cowboys preseason games not shown on national networks. The anchor station is KTVT, the CBS owned and operated station in Dallas. Previous stations which aired Cowboys games included KVIL-FM and KRLD. Kristi Scales is the sideline reporter on the radio broadcasts.

During his tenure as Cowboys coach, Tom Landry co-hosted his own coach's show with late veteran sportscaster Frank Glieber and later with Brad Sham. Landry's show was famous for his analysis of raw game footage and for he and his co-host making their NFL "predictions" at the end of each show. Glieber is one of the original voices of the Cowboys Radio Network, along with Bill Mercer, famous for calling the Ice Bowl of 1967 and both Super Bowl V and VI. Mercer is perhaps best known as the ringside commentator of World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980s. Upon Mercer's departure, Verne Lundquist joined the network, and became their play-by-play announcer by 1977, serving eight years in that capacity before handing those chores permanently over to Brad Sham, who joined the network in 1977 as the color analyst and occasional fill-in for Lundquist.

Other broadcasters with Cowboy ties Additionally, several former players and coaches for the Dallas Cowboys picked up the broadcast microphone:

Don Meredith - became a color commentator for American Broadcasting Company Monday Night Football beginning in 1970. For years, he was paired alongside Frank Gifford and Howard Cosell. Meredith retired from sportscasting after the 1984 season, one year after Cosell's retirement. Meredith's last game for ABC was Super Bowl XIX, ABC's first Super Bowl broadcast. Meredith was also a color commentator for Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI while at National Broadcasting Company.
Drew Pearson - has worked exclusively as a sportscaster for such networks as CBS, HBO and NBC5 in Dallas/Ft. Worth since his retirement in 1983.
Daryl Johnston - aka "Moose" is a color commentator for the NFL on Fox telecasts, teaming with Kenny Albert and Tony Siragusa on the sidelines.
Troy Aikman - joined Fox's NFC telecasts as a color commentator for the 2001 season. A year later, he was named to the network's lead announcing crew, teaming with Joe Buck and Cris Collinsworth. Aikman received an Emmy Award nomination for his television work in 2004, and worked Fox's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXIX in January 2005. Aikman also hosts a weekly sports radio show which airs on Thursday from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. ET on Sporting News Radio along with Brad Sham, who was instrumental in starting Aikman's broadcasting career.
Michael Irvin - co-hosted NBC Sports studio coverage of Arena Football League games in 2003. Irvin co-anchored the widely-viewed Sunday football pre-game show Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown on ESPN from 2003 through the 2006 season. Irvin retired in 1999 after 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
Emmitt Smith - signed on to serve as a studio analyst on the NFL Network show, NFL Total Access in August 2005. Smith was hired by ESPN in March 2007 to replace Michael Irvin.
Deion Sanders - worked as a sports pre-game commentator for CBS Sports The NFL Today after retiring from the NFL in 2001. He remained with CBS until 2004 when contract negotiations failed. Sanders frequently made guest appearances on ESPN, especially on the ESPN Radio Dallas affiliate, and briefly hosted a show called The New American Sportsman. In 2004, he returned to professional football, playing for the Baltimore Ravens before retiring again after the 2005 season. He has returned the broadcasting working as an analyst for the NFL Network on NFL GameDay (NFL Network show).
Jimmy Johnson - became a TV analyst for Fox Sports after retiring from coaching in 1999, and (as of 2006) he is part of their pregame show.
Butch Davis - after a stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, the former Defensive Coordinator and coach of the Dallas Cowboys Defensive Line was seen on NFL Playbook, an NFL Network program, until his hiring on November 14, 2006 as coach of the University of North Carolina football program.
Darren Woodson - worked as a color analyst for two NFL Europe games in the summer of 2004, before signing on as an occasional studio analyst with ESPN.
James Washington - co-host of one of fastest growing Sports Talk Radio programs (Out of Bounds) available on Fox Sports Radio
Keyshawn Johnson - retired in May 2007 after 11 years in the NFL (2 seasons with the Cowboys) to join the ESPN crew of Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown as an analyst. He will also contribute to a new weekly ESPN Radio NFL show hosted by Chris Mortensen and former Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells.