A whole generation of Cowboys fans have no idea the Cowboys used to consistently contend. Their team, of course, hasn’t reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995.
That was the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl season.
In the past 24 seasons, only Dallas, Detroit and Washington have failed to reach the NFC Championship Game.
Yet, the Cowboys remain America’s Team.
They annually have the highest regular-season ratings, which is why the networks fight over them. In 2019, 12 of the 50 most-watched programs on television involved the Cowboys.
In 2020, the Cowboys again have five prime-time games. That means every single season since 2006 when NBC got Sunday Night Football and the NFL began playing Thursday night games, Dallas has had at least five prime-time games.
The Cowboys are the only team in the NFL to claim that 15-year streak, according to Mark Lane of WFAA. (The Patriots, of course, have had more prime-time postseason games the past 15 seasons.)
So how do the Cowboys retain their popularity despite the lack of a Vince Lombardi Trophy since 1995. Mike Florio posed that question to Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones during Friday’s #PFTPM.
“Well my hat’s off to the original owners, the Murchisons [and then] the Brights,” Jones said. “My hat’s off to Tex Schramm and Tom Landry. My hat’s off to Roger Staubach and Bob Lilly. I just think they did such a great job early on with those long extended periods of playoff appearances, Super Bowl wins, Super Bowl appearances. Obviously, great personalities. Captain America, who went to the Naval Academy, Roger Staubach, I think his bust is still the most visited bust in the Hall of Fame in terms of what people have interest in. Certainly they set the foundation. Then, of course you know my father Jerry is nothing short of Barnum and Bailey in terms of not wanting to drop the ball and leave the team in a better place. He certainly has really led our organization in terms of really not wanting to drop the ball there whether it’s the coaches; whether it’s the coaching staff; whether it’s the players. Hiring a Deion Sanders. Bringing him in to play for the Cowboys. I just think we do make it interesting.”