Can someone please explain to me why the nation is so infatuated with the Cowboys?

They have had, over the course of four decades, the most effective public relations staff in all of sports. This “America’s Team” image is entirely self-manufactured.

It’s been my contention that since Katrina, the Saints are in a unique position to take over from the Cowboys. They enjoy the natural sympathy of the nation for a city struggling to rebuild, the natural support Americans feel for an underdog (boy, does that describe the Saints!), plus the fact that New Orleans has, in cultural terms, more going for it than any other city in the United States (unique history, music, architecture, food, and laid-back charm. In contrast, New York has arrogance and avarice, San Francisco has sodomy and pinheadedness, and everywhere else is Cleveland. Dallas is nothing but Cleveland with enough money to import arrogance and avarice.). New Orleans even has the same sort of ties with the Caribbean and Central America that Dallas has with Mexico, and the potential of a huge geographical fan base outside the United States.

Plus: a team on the rise. A Super Bowl would seal the deal.

And all they have to do to accomplish this, is to hire someone to handle their marketing campaign who understands what’s at stake and how to capture the flag. Someone like…me. Stu, are you going to work on Rita or not? She STILL hasn’t called!

Yeah um, Rita is not taking my calls and mail comes back RETURN TO SENDER. I fear the dreaded restraining order is next.

I"ve posted my feelings about the Cowboys here a couple of times. Like/hate. M-E is absolutely right, the tag is self-manufactured. And perpetuated by the MSM. I don’t want the Saints to become America’s team. We’ve already had some backlash from the 2006 turnaround season. The love/hate, build them up so you can knock them down thing.

Satch, you SHOULD have something against Gil Brandt, he was a Dallas front office guy from the beginning to 1988.

The sick part about the Cowboys is they have all the money and prestige to build another dynasty and they can’t do it. Jerry can’t put it together, gets the blame for the errors (Pacman Jones) and little credit for the scores (Tank Johnson?). Jason Garrett and his brother and dad are overrated. Romo (straight up homo) really is a talented quarterback. But he has to PRACTICE and he didn’t this year, and none of the coaches made him do it. TO has to be reined in. Roy E. Williams needs to be cut. All kinds of problems (Pacman Jones) are not being dealt with. They can still contend in 2009 if they clean up the house. It’s an issue for me because my boss is a huge fan, named his son Troy, has a shrine in his office. But I still make him look at my Saints license plate frame when I back my car up and park by his office window every day.

Everyone loves a cowboy or the glorified image therof. THE symbol of the american wild west dream. I see that reasoning in europeans infatuation with the Cowboys. I believe if they were called anything else they never would have become “americas team” regardless whe runs/ran the DFW franchise. i.e. they were not americas team as the Texans only after the name change and Staubach did they become that.
Oh and if the Saints were to start playing to their potential then they could come close to replacing but never would replace the “Cowboys” as americas team. IMO

You all three make good points and I agree that the “America’s Team” label has been skillfully and smartly manufactured by their organization. Plus, the Super Bowls they’ve won plus the big hit TV show “Dallas” of the 1980’s have probably contributed. I’ll be very surprised if they reach the playoffs next year. Very, very surprised. Mark my words though, no matter what they manage to do over the offseason to build their team, the MSM will have them meaninglessly ranked in the top five when next season begins.

The Saints were “America’s Team” in 2006, but it would take at least two Super Bowl wins before they could gain anywhere near the national following the Cowboys have. Considering the Saints dismal history, many would consider the first win a fluke.

  I grew up in Dallas a Cowboys fan, and and sold programs at every Cowboys game growing up.

  Back then, it was the Cheeleaders, Coach Landry, Roger Staubach, the hole in the roof. What’s not to love about a team that was playoff-bound every year and still somehow got Seattle to trade so it could draft Tony Dorsett, Heisman winner and NCAA all-time leading rusher. how does that HAPPEN? The Cowboys win Super Bowl XII his rookie year, in the Dome I believe.

 Today is different. The Cowboys are to the NFL what Lindsay Lohan + Amy Winehouse are to the entertainment industry. Jerry Jones is the devil incarnate and must be stopped at any cost. The signing of T.O. in 2006 was the last straw for me as a Cowboys fan.

 That was the year I got Saints season tickets with a college friend who got flooded out in Katrina. There is no going back, ever. Like John Belushi in The Blues Brothers, I have seen the light. And it is good.

 P.S. I theorize that Jerry Jones has naked pictures of Ed Werder and ESPN’s programming director.

 Sorry if that was too heavy. I’m working late. Can we just go back to stating Caddyshack lines?

 “I’m looking at you. . .”

“Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen. I remind you, the Dallas Cowboys have a brand new sparkling stadium this year with many jumbotron video displays… place your bets.”

Needs to start drinking again, maybe glory daze will return……….

Despite our countries recent accomplishment, I’d like to think that most of the country is very conservative and “patriotic” and I think the Cowboys represent this. It’s definitely a fallacy but people fall for it. I mean sure they won some Superbowls in the 90’s and etc., but if that’s the reason why aren’t the Niners “America’s team” . The Patriots can’t be because they occupy a liberal state. I have a cousin and two friends who love the Cowboys. My cousin live’s in Wisconsin and my friends in Los Angeles. Their crazy!!!