Blogging The Boys
If you ever find yourself staring at a painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and thinking that those guys look like they could draw up a mean flea flicker, you are not alone. History and football have a funny way of connecting. The men who wore powdered wigs and the men who wore metallic helmets aren’t all that different when it comes to building dynasties from scratch. To celebrate Independence Day, we thought we’d pay homage to our founding fathers while having a little fun as we match them up with important Dallas Cowboys figures.
George Washington led a ragged band of colonists to victory against the mighty British during the Revolutionary War and then served as our first president. He guided his army through brutal, freezing winters and helped shape a brand new country without any blueprint to follow.
Tom Landry took over the expansion Cowboys in 1960 and led a legendary charge of his own. He dragged the team from the perils of early defeat and transformed them into one of the winningest franchises in football history over a 29-year coaching career.
Both of these men were absolute institutions. They were calm, stoic, and rarely showed a shred of emotion on the sidelines of life. They were also famous for their unmistakable headgear, whether it was Washington’s three-cornered tricorn hat or Landry’s iconic fedora. They set up the long-lasting traditions and values that defined America(‘s Team) for generations.
Thomas Jefferson wrote the words that fundamentally changed our future, challenging the old system and setting a new path for a young nation.
Many, many years later, Jimmy Johnson arrived in Dallas and completely rebuilt the football organization with a house cleaning for the ages. He was a bold innovator who masterminded one of the biggest trades in sports history and authored the famous draft value chart that teams still use today.
Both men were fiery, no-nonsense thinkers who loved to challenge traditional minds to build something dominant enough to stand the test of time. Jefferson served two terms, while Johnson won two Super Bowls. Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the West, and Johnson sent Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith to the muddy confines of Candlestick Park to defeat the West. They even both shared a historic falling-out with a former friend when the differences became too much to overcome. If that’s not enough for you, Johnson actually went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Texas.
Benjamin Franklin used science to help America win its freedom. When the war broke out, Franklin engaged in some elite international scouting by traveling across the ocean to Europe to secure life-saving help from the French military.
Gil Brandt was the football equivalent of that innovative mind in the Dallas personnel department. He was a master at using data and searching the entire world for a hidden advantage. He became the first person to...
