“America’s Team” wasn’t always so popular.
The Dallas Cowboys playing on Thanksgiving Day has become almost as much of a tradition as the Thanksgiving Day parade, or eating too much turkey and passing out on the couch. The Cowboys have played in a Thanksgiving Day game every year since 1978, and in all but two years since 1966. Over time, they have gained a reputation as “America’s Team” and become the most popular and most valuable franchise in the NFL.
But the origin of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving appearances comes from a simpler time, when they were regarded as one of the NFL’s more obscure teams. In just its seventh season, Dallas took advantage of an opportunity to gain national television exposure. Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm decided it would be worth it for the team to play a midweek game, which was regarded as a risk at the time, as nearly all NFL games had been played on Sundays.
The NFL had so little confidence in the likelihood of fans attending the game in person that it guaranteed a minimum gate revenue in case the team could not sell enough tickets. The Cowboys proved successful, winning the game against the Cleveland Browns by a 26-14 margin and packing over 80,000 fans into the Cotton Bowl.
Dallas made the playoffs that year and in 17 of the next 19 seasons, including five Super Bowl appearances and two victories. Over that period, the Cowboys became a staple of Thanksgiving Day games. Except for 1975 and 1977 when the St. Louis Cardinals earned the slot, the Cowboys have hosted a Thanksgiving Day game in all of those seasons and have posted a 30-18-1 record in 49 total appearances.
The Cowboys will commemorate the 51st anniversary of their Thanksgiving Day debut at 4:30 ET on Thursday, November 22 when they host Washington in an NFC East matchup.
With their nationwide appeal, Cowboys games will likely remain a Thanksgiving Day tradition.