They say that everything is bigger in Texas and to some degree that maybe true.  It certainly looks that way because of the sheer mass of the thing. While in land size Texas is ranked second only to Alaska, many of its residents like to think they're second to none when it comes to everything that matters including it's football. 

 Two years ago the The Cowboys/Eagles Monday Night Game on ESPN drew the largest ratings ever to that date for a cable broadcast. So how did it become that the Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular sports franchises in the world in such a short amount of time? The answer comes down to two words, former Cowboys GM Tex Schramm. The Dallas Cowboys have only be in existence for only 50 years but in that span of time have built a worldwide fanbase.  At the time of the Cowboys inception, the Washington Redskins were the only NFL team below the Mason Dixon line which is technically considered the dividing line between the North and the South.  Former Redskins owner George Marshall had to acquiesce to the wishes of then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the pressure of Clint Murchison, Jr for expansion rights in Texas.   Cowboys owner Clint Murchison Jr, who made his money in oil, then hired Tex Schramm, a pivotal figure in the history of the franchise.

Schramm, who came over from the Los Angeles Rams, was handpicked by Murchison to run the team. Schramm not only chose the name he hired Tom Landry as his coach and Gil Brandt as head of scouting. 

It would take only five years for the Cowboys to become competitive on the field but Schramm wanted to make the Cowboys special.  He wanted to market them in a way that would build a nationwide brand.  The fact that the Cowboys are so popular is no accident. 

Schramm's attention to detail was unmatched.  He purposefully wanted their helmets to glisten when the sun shone on them so as to display the star however the key factor that solidified the Cowboys standing worldwide came down to three things.

Television

Schramm wanted to get the Cowboys on TV as much as humanly possible so the country could see them.  Schramm jumped as the chance to have the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving Day and they have every year since 1966.  The Cowboys benefitted greatly over the years from constant media coverage.

The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders

Another Tex Schramm innovation.  Looking for a way to boost attendance, Schramm recruited a choreographer to recruit and train a whole new set of cheerleaders who could dance and were attractive.  The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders took the field in 1972. The Cowboys cheerleaders went on to become one of the most popular brand names in entertainment.

NFL Films

It was Bob Ryan, Vice President and editor in chief of NFL Films who gave the Cowboys the name "America's Team" when editing their highlights after the 1978 season.

Ryan was quoted as saying he was looking to come up with some different for their highlight tape.  He noticed how passionate the Cowboys fans were.  He said he also noticed that the Cowboys were on national television quite a bit but the key was he noticed fans in away stadiums.  He then came up with the term "America's Team" because it seemed like they were loved everywhere they went.

The following season a CBS announcer introduced the Cowboys as America's Team before their first game and the name stuck.

Of course it didn't hurt that the Cowboys performed well on the field.  One reason for this is Cowboys director of scouting Gil Brandt who along with Schramm came up with computer scouting to uncover gems from the college ranks.  The Cowboys scouting system was recognized as one of the best around.  

The Cowboys are currently the most valuable franchise in all of sports with the exception of The Manchester United Soccer Team. The Cowboys are currently valued at over 1.65 billion dollars and earn the most revenue of any professional football team.

Love or hate em' the Dallas Cowboys are an American success story in that they rose from humble beginnings to worldwide fame and success.