The Rich History of America's Team

The Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team”. Year after year their popularity soars. They are known the world over as a great National Football League franchise and as the team that is cheered on by “America’s Sweethearts”, the world famous Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. It is due to their success on and off the field that the team has such a legion of loyal fans and that the Dallas Cowboys history is so rich and storied.

The city of Dallas, Texas, was granted an NFL franchise on January 28, 1960. The start of a sports dynasty had begun. The team, first known as the Dallas Steers, then the Dallas Rangers, settled on the nickname the Cowboys. The formation of the Texas NFL expansion team didn’t get off to a very smooth start. The owner of the Washington Redskins had, for several decades, enjoyed a monopoly in the Southern States of the US a monopoly he wasn’t ready to give up. So the soon to be owners of the Texas expansion team went out and bought the rights to the Redskins fight song, "Hail to the Redskins". The Redskins owner quickly changed his mind and the Texas expansion team came into being. This early confrontation sparked a rivalry between the two franchises which continues to this day.

Tom Landry was hired as the first Dallas Cowboys coach of the the new team which ended their first season winless. The following year, the Cowboys selected Bob Lilly in their first NFL draft selection and in this year as well the the Cowboys' tasted their first victory. The Dallas Cowboys continued to improve and by 1966 they had their first winning season and their first playoff appearance, the first of eight straight playoff appearances (which they would later surpass with nine straight appearances in 1983). By the mid point of their first decade the Dalls Cowboys had become a powerful force in the NFL and sent eight players to the Pro Bowl. For the next 30 years the Cowboys would show their dominance in the NFL.

The 1970s got off to a great start as the Cowboys made it to their first Super Bowl, Super Bowl V. Unfortunately their first appearance ended in defeat. The 1971 season marked the teams move from the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas to their newly built home, Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. The legendary Roger Staubach was named starting quarterback for the Cowboys midway through the season and the team found themselves making their second Super Bowl appearance. Super Bowl VI would be different as the team led by an MVP performance by Dallas Cowboys quarterback Staubach would become Superbowl Champions for the first time.The Cowboys were now beginning to grow in popularity not just in Dallas, but nationwide.

In 1974 the Cowboys stumbled and missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years. The next year they made some good draft choices and with their new talent found themselves in Super Bowl X. They went down to defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Super Bowl victory would come again to the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 as they defeated the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII to once again become Superbowl Champions. It was at this point in Dallas Cowboys history that the team was dubbed "America's Team" by an NFL films editor. It is a title that has stuck through all the team’s ups and downs despite opposition from non-Cowboys fans. The 1970s glory days for the Cowboys would end with one final trip to the Super Bowl, Super Bowl XIII. . Again the team would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the 1980’s the Dallas Cowboys returned to the playoffs 5 times and won 2 Division Championships. The team however failed to claim a single Conference Championship in the 1980s, despite playing in the NFC championship game 3 consecutive years. They did not return to the Super Bowl in this decade. As the decade came to a close the ownership of the Cowboys changed, Tom Landry the only coach in Cowboys history was fired, Jimmy Johnson became the new Dallas Cowboys coach and Troy Aikman was drafted.

The Cowboys drafted running back, Emmitt Smith in 1990, and the trifecta of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin was set. In 1991, the Cowboys made the playoffs for the first time in six years. In 1992, the Dallas Cowboys went on to victory in Super Bowl XXVII and the following year were Superbowl Champions again in Super Bowl XXVIII.The Cowboys sent an NFL record 11 players to the Pro Bowl in 1993. After a falling out, Jimmy Jones was fired and the days of glory would soon draw to a close but not before one more Super Bowl victory. The Cowboys would get their revenge and defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XXX.

In the new millenium the woes of the Dallas Cowboys were being attributed to its owner Jerry Jones and his refusal to hire a strong coach. In 2003, however, he did just that as Bill Parcells was lured out of retirement to coach the Cowboys. November 2004 saw a vote that determined the Dallas Cowboys new stadium in Arlington, Texas would be built and ready for play in 2009. The Cowboys finished an up-and-down 2005 season in 3rd place in the NFC East. After five games into the 2006 season Tony Romo took over as the starter Dallas Cowboys quarterback. The team made it to a wild card matchup but their efforts fell short in a crushing loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
At the conclusion of the Cowboys’ season Bill Parcells resigned.Wade Phillips, former San Diego defensive coordinator will take over the coaching duties for the Cowboys as they put this season behind them and strive to move forward. Based on the Dallas Cowboys history they will no doubt rise again to glory, they are afterall, America’s Team.

Rick Bedard, a lifetime fan of the Dallas Cowboys, has decided to take his love for "America’s team" to the next level. Visit Rick’s online creation Dallas-Cowboys-Apparel.com

This site filled with Dallas Cowboys Merchandise and Information is a dream comes true for Rick… http://www.dallas-cowboys-apparel.com

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2008

There is no greater individual honor in professional football than being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame located in Canton, Ohio. The greatest football players of all time have been so honored and memorabilia from the greatest games of all time reside inside the walls of the Hall of Fame. Each year there is a new class of hall of fame inductees that have been voted in based on the impact they have made on the game of pro football. The Hall of Fame class of 2008 included some of the great players from a variety of different eras.

Fred Dean

San Diego Chargers (1975-81)

San Francisco 49ers (1981-85)

After a stellar season at Louisiana Tech University, Fred Dean spent eleven seasons in the NFL, six and a half with the San Diego Chargers and five and a half with the San Francisco 49ers. Dean was a solid defensive tackle while with the Chargers but really came into his own with the 49ers. He would go on to rack up 93 sacks during his career and be named to four Pro Bowl teams. Winning two Super Bowl rings with San Francisco was the nice end to a great career.

Darrell Green

Washington Redskins (1983-02)

One of only two players ever to play twenty seasons with the same team, the other being fellow Hall of Famer Jackie Slater of the Rams, Darrell Green showed he was truly one of the best defensive backs to ever play the game. Known widely for his speed, having won the NFL's Fastest Man competition on numerous occasions, there were few quarterbacks that looked forward to going up against the Redskins and their start cornerback. He would be named to the Pro Bowl seven different times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997) and would win two Super Bowl rings. Darrell Green would retire from football in 2002 the holder of many records including: Most consecutive seasons with an interception (19), oldest NFL cornerback (42), oldest player to return an interception for a touchdown (37), most games played by a defensive player (295), and the fastest 40 yard dash time of any player in NFL history (4.09 seconds in 1986).

Art Monk

Washington Redskins (1980-93)

New York Jets (1994)

Philadelphia Eagles (1995)

Art Monk was noted for his amazing consistency over the course of his career as a wide receiver in the National Football League. He made his greatest impact with the Washington Redskins in the early 1980's catching passes from quarterback Joe Theismann. He would go on to win three Super Bowl rings and be named to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team. Monk was the first player to catch a touchdown pass in 15 consecutive seasons, the first player to catch more than 900 career receptions, and at the time of his retirement was the all time pass receiving leader.

Emmitt Thomas

Kansas City Chiefs (1966-78)

Emmitt Thomas was a long shot to become an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame considering he graduated from Bishop College in 1966 and was not drafted by any team in either the National Football League or the American Football League. Thomas would go on to be named to five Pro Bowl teams, win a Super Bowl championship, and retire as the Chiefs' team leader in career interceptions (58). He would go on to have a long career as an assistant coach in the NFL and two of the players he coached while with the Washington Redskins, Art Monk and Darrell Green, were also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

Andre Tippett

New England Patriots (1982-93)

Ranked consistently as one of the best linebackers in the league during the 1980s, Andre Tippett was a true force to be reckoned with on the football field. He would finish his career with an even 100 quarterback sacks and had been voted onto the Pro Bowl team on five different occasions. He is a member of the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team and was named the 1985 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has also been honored as a member of the Patriots' 35th Anniversary Team and was also inducted into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame.

Gary Zimmerman

Los Angeles Express (1984-85)

Minnesota Vikings (1986-92)

Denver Broncos (1993-97)

Gary Zimmerman is in rare company as one of the few people to have been members of the now-defunct United States Football League to also be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (joining Reggie White, Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, and Sid Gillman). Zimmerman was selected to be on the Pro Bowl team seven times during his career and named an All-Pro at his position on 9 different occasions. As an example of Gary Zimmerman's ability to play consistently at a very high level, he holds the distinction of having been named to both the 1980s NFL All-Decade Team and the 1990s NFL All-Decade Team.

Being named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the highest individual honor a football player can achieve. Membership in this elite group means just that, that the player is truly elite in terms of their football ability and the impact they had on the game. These six members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted in 2008 have all shown that they are truly worthy of such an honor. Congratulations is indeed in order for Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett, and Gary Zimmerman.

Mark owns and maintains http://iqfb.com which contains a ton of football information about players, teams, and leagues that you just may not know. IQFB strives to provide a healthy dose of "hey, I didn't know that" type of football information on a regular basis. IQFB.com - Get Football Smart

Top 10 Dumbest Things Pro Athletes Do

There seems to be an endless stream of idiotic things professional athletes do. I guess if you put a bunch of young men together, give them a boat-load of money and lots of free time, what can you expect? When beautiful women, the media and the luxuries of life are thrown at them, their cockiness and stupidity are only amplified. Here are my top ten, but of course there are lots more. However, we must always remember, they are only human too.

1. Me Make Good Play!

Ever see NFL players beat their chest like a gorilla after they just made a good play? I guess it’s a Tarzan thing or something, but they look kinda ridiculous. Maybe if I was out there on the field and I was a 170-pound kicker watching a defensive lineman beating his chest after a sack, I may be a little intimidated, but overall, they look really silly doing it. (I attended a professional all-women’s football game this year and saw a 350-pound woman do this, which was particularly scary.)

2. The God Factor, Part I

I hate it when players point up to Heaven and thank God after a good play too. Bear in mind however, that I am not criticizing religion or anyone for having faith in God. But this just looks lame. It happens a lot in MLB for some reason. A strikeout will cause Pedro Martinez to do the chest-touch and double-index-finger-point to God as if he and God were chatting earlier about possible pitching strategies in the locker room, and the strategy they chose together worked, so he had to personally thank God using his direct line.

3.The God Factor, Part II

Locker rooms, sidelines, dugouts, bullpens, and court sides are often full of praying men. One question: “If you are praying to win, and your opponent is praying to win, who does God choose?

4. Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha Gonna Do When They Come For You?

Why do pro jocks get arrested for drug and/or gun possession so much? Of course, lots of people do this one unfortunately, we just happen to hear about the famous athletes who do. C’mon guys, keep the drugs at home, stop driving while high, and for crying out loud, stop packin’! You don’t need a gun. Who’s going to harm you? You’re six six and weigh 275 pounds!

5. It Wasn’t Me!

Telling Congress you don’t do steroids, then getting caught doing steroids is pretty dumb. I loved watching the clips where Rafael Palmero sat pointing a finger at the Congressional hearing stating with disgust and confidence, “I do not take steroids.” And then the next clip showing him apologizing profusely for taking steroids.

6. I Love You To Death

Murdering ex-lovers doesn’t happen very often fortunately, but my list wouldn’t be complete without at least mentioning O.J.

7. Rabbits

It seems that there are a lot of NBA players out there who use the phrase, “My baby’s mom” a little too often. And there’s too many pro athletes’ offspring introducing their buddies as “My brother from another mother.” Ever hear of a condom?

8. How Much Bling Bling Do You Need!?

It’s fascinating to watch professional athletes blow through all their millions in their first year or two and then have nothing left at retirement, which is usually only a few years later. How many fifty-year-olds are still playing pro sports? Not many (minus golfers of course, who will drag their canes and oxygen tanks with them on the fairway). So why don’t pro athletes save a couple of bucks?

9. Love My Hog

It’s not too smart to get injured off the job when you’re a pro athlete. Cleveland Browns Kellen Winslow Jr. crashed his motorcycle recently and will now miss the 2005 NFL season. Jay Williams, a number one draft pick of the Chicago Bulls, also got into a motorcycle accident and has not played since. What’s with motorcycles anyhow? Talk about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

10. “When You Come To a Fork in the Road, Take It” – Yogi Berra

Saying really dumb things in the media seems to be a particularly easy thing to do if you’re a professional athlete. I looked in a lot of places online to come up with a good list here. My problem was that there were so many good ones, I wasn’t sure which ones to pick. But here are a few gems:

a. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."

b. Baseball player Tito Fuentes, after getting hit by a pitch: “They shouldn't throw at me. I'm the father of five or six kids."

c. Football coach Ray Malavasi: "I don't care what the tape says. I didn't say it."

d. Baseball player Dizzy Dean, after a 1-0 game: "The game was closer than the score indicated."

e. Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious."

f. Soccer commentator: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."

g. Bill Cowher, Pittsburgh Steelers coach: "We're not attempting to circumcise rules."

h. Jim Wohford: "Ninety percent of the game is half mental."

i. Joe Theismann: "Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein."

j. Charles Shackleford of the NCSU basketball team: "Left hand, right hand, it doesn't matter. I'm amphibious."

k. Shaquille O'Neal, on his lack of championships: "I've won at every level, except college and pro."

As I already asked before, what can we expect from professional athletes? They often reflect society as a whole. Too much time, money and fame at a really young age can augment stupidity, simple as that. We all say and do dumb things, but thankfully, we don’t have microphones and video cameras pointed at us all the time. As Norman Einstein used to say, “Really smart athletes stay away from problems because they can predict the future with their ESPN.”

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Jason OConnor runs http://www.BestShowTicketsLasVegas.com where you can buy cheap online tickets to the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA & NASCAR Tickets for NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NCAA & NASCAR.

Big Blue Gears Up For Giant Test

They are eight games into the season, hold a 6 - 2 record, are coming out of the bye and are staring first place right in the face. No these aren't your 2006-2007 NY Giants, these are the 2007-2007 Giants. An all too familiar scene from a year ago that the players know they can`t afford to repeat. A lot has changed since a year ago, a lot of players have since departed, head coach Tom Coughlin is a nicer coach, and for the first time in as long as I can remember, the Giants team is relatively healthy. A problem that has plagued this team since Coughlin took over.

Riding a 6 game winning streak the NY Giants will go for number 7 as they face the first place Dallas Cowboys, who themselves are coming off of a thrashing of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tom Coughlin knows all too well the importance of this upcoming game. "It is no doubt a big game," Coach Tom Coughlin said. "It is in the division, it has all of the excitement of a divisional game that certainly does have a lot at stake." Eli Manning, who two weeks ago, had the worse game of the season in London, has put that game behind him as he prepares for the challenge ahead.

"I think it is a big game for us," quarterback Eli Manning said. "We are coming off an off week, so we should be rested and ready to go. We know we are going to have to come out and play our best football. They played a great game on Sunday night, so it is going to be a tough test. But I think that is what it is all about. You look forward to these types of games."

This is of course not the same Giants team that Dallas saw in week 1 when Tony Romo and the high powered Cowboys offense put up 45 on the Giants defense What many experts fail to remember is that the Giants offense put up 35 points on the Dallas defense. Week 1 seems like an eon ago, and everyone knows you can throw that game out, as both of these teams have matured and have played much better since their first meeting in Dallas.

As well as the Giants are playing, no one is playing better then Giants defense, especially the front four, who potentially have 3 pro bowl players in Osi Umenyiora, Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck.

"I think the bye week came exactly when it needed to," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Right in the middle of the season, giving us a chance to rest, and we were pretty healthy before the bye week. With the injuries that we did have, the bye week gave us an opportunity to work on those things, too. We are looking forward to what the second half presents and we know it is a challenge. But we'll take it one game at a time."

Nothing could be more true with the old cliche, one game at a time. The next game is against Dallas at the Meadowlands with a 4:15pm EST start.

About the Author:
Michael C. Podlesny is the co-host of the Big Blue Review, a weekly podcast featuring the latest news on The New York Giants. The podcast can be downloaded from Michael's blog at http://BigBlueReviewPodcast.Blogspot.com.

Frank Gore - 2001 Draft Day Picks

Frank Gore was born on May 14, 1983 in Coral Gables, Florida. Gore has all of the physical tools that it takes to be a success at the NFL level, as well as all of the intangibles. Not only is he considered to be a breakaway threat every time he touches the ball, but he is also powerful enough to run the ball on the inside and pick up the tough yards.

Coming out of Coral Gables High School, Gore was one of the most highly recruited players in the United States. During his senior year in high school Gore set a Dade County record by rushing for 2,953 yards. In addition to all of these yards, he also found the end zone 34 times. Throughout his high school career Gore showed college coaches that he not only had the athletic ability to be a great runner, but that he also had great vision.

After a hotly contested recruiting battle, Gore wound up choosing the University of Miami. As a true freshman he got off to a good start by rushing for 562 yards on only 62 carries. This led to him being honored as the Sporting News Big East Freshman of the Year. Unfortunately, before the 2002 season got underway he suffered a torn left ACL. This led to him missing the entire year. In 2003 he got off to a hot start, but once again tore his ACL; this time in his right knee.

Finally during the 2004 campaign he stayed healthy enough to play the entire year. This led to him rushing for almost 1,000 yards.

Gore was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers with the 65th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. By 2006 he had established himself as one of the best running backs in the league. He did this by rushing for 1,695 yards, and being selected to his first Pro Bowl.

Bob writes for DraftDayPicks.com and AllProZone.com. Where you can purchase a Frank Gore Jersey or get information about a Frank Gore Jersey [http://www.fanfrenzyzone.com/nfl/frank_gore_bio.html]

The 1985 Chicago Bears Were Truly Amazing

The 1985 Super Bowl winning Chicago Bears were an amazing group of players that performed at a very high level of excellence. Some of the key players on the team are well known names, even today: Walter Payton, Mike Singletary, Jim McMahon, Willie Gault, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton, William "Refrigerator" Perry, and more. But, this team was more than the star players on the roster, coached by Mike Ditka, the Bears also featured quality role players like Dennis McKinnon, Gary Fencik, Matt Suhey, Dennis Gentry, Kevin Butler, Jay Hilgenberg, Steve McMichael, Otis Wilson, Wilber Marshall, and more.

Some interesting facts about the Super Bowl Champion 1985 Chicago Bears:

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  Regular season record: 15-1
  
  
  

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  Combined score of all three playoff games: 91-10
  
  
  

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  Individual Awards: Walter Payton (Offensive Player of the Year), Mike Singletary (Defensive Player of the Year), Mike Ditka (Coach of the Year)
  
  
  

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  The defense allowed a paltry 11.5 points per game throughout the regular season, then 3.3 points per game in the postseason.
  
  
  

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  In the Super Bowl, the Bears defense allowed the Patriots offense to only gain positive yardage on 4 of the 21 plays they ran during the first half, in fact the Patriots total yardage gained in the first half was negative 19 yards.
  
  
  

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  During the Super Bowl, the Bears held the Patriots starting running backs Craig James and Tony Franklin to minimal yards. James rushed the ball 5 times for 1 yard with 1 fumble, while Franklin gained 4 yards on 3 carries.
  
  
  

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  The Bears scored every way possible during their Super Bowl victory: Touchdown, Extra Point, Field Goal, and Safety (there was no two point conversion at this time).
  
  
  

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  In the 15 wins by the 1985 Bears, only four games were decided by less than ten points.
  
  
  

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  The 1985 Bears defense was the third highest rated defense against the pass and the #1 defense against the run.
  
  
  

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  The 1985 Bears sent nine players to the Pro Bowl, including five defensive players.
  
  
  

The 1985 Chicago Bears were an amazing team that performed at an amazing level for one season. The Bears would not return to this level of dominance, but the 1985 team will go down in history as one of the best - if not, the best - ever.

http://iqfb.com combines its passion for football with its love of trivia to bring you tons of "Hey, I didn't know that" type of information. IQFB.com - Get Football Smart!

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