It's the NFL world's most annoying habit if you ask me and it happens every time this time of the year: Arguing over which team is stripping the Dallas Cowboys from its status of America's Team.
It's annoying on many levels. Firstly, there's a reason why every time it's a different team giving the Cowboys competition for the title. If a team has a popular quarterback, wins often, and becomes a main character in the NFL playoffs, of course they will garner attention like the Kansas City Chiefs have done lately.
But that's not becoming America's Team. I mean, we make fun of the Cowboys for not reaching the NFC Championship Game in 30 years yet they're always among the most watched teams in the NFL and always max out the allowable primetime games.
Secondly, and perhaps even more annoying, why do teams even care? I've followed the Cowboys very closely ever since I can remember and I can guarantee you any fan would trade that nickname—despite its historic relevancy—for success in the postseason.
And last but not least in the annoying factor rundown, it's the fact that it's always wrong. Before the Chiefs, it was the Patriots. For shorter whiles in between it was the Seahawks and the Broncos. So on and so forth. None of them stick. Because being America's Team isn't about short-term popularity because of recent success, it's about the size of a fanbase combined with brand popularity. And in that sense, let's be honest, the Cowboys have the field beat.
NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North even recently said "The Chiefs have almost, kinda surpassed the Cowboys as the bell cow," but even that he didn't say definitely. Not to mention, the Cowboys still landed the max six primetime games plus Christmas and Thanksgiving fresh off a seven-win season.
Ticket prices do the talking to reaffirm Cowboys as America's Team
Don't let me convince you of anything. TV ratings will and ticket prices, as the Cowboys just led the NFL for the highest rating in a single game in 2024 (regular season) even though it was a Cooper Rush vs. Drew Lock matchup. In 2022, it set the record for the most-watched regular season game in NFL history.
Following the 2025 NFL schedule release though , ticket prices are leaving no doubt, either: Per Field Yates, the Cowboys make up five of the top 10 games ranked by average purchase price.
Keep in mind, four of those games are road showdowns for Dallas, a sign of how big of an impact they have on other teams' prices. That's because the Cowboys fans usually travel very well around the country or because of how many fans there is regardless of where you are in the country.
America's Team stuff, you know?
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