Editing Dallas Cowboys (section)

===Origins===
Prior to the formation of the Dallas Cowboys, there had not been an NFL team south of Washington, D.C. since the [[Dallas Texans (NFL)|Dallas Texans]] folded in 1952 after only one season. Two businessmen had tried and failed to get Dallas a team in the NFL: [[Lamar Hunt]] responded by forming the [[American Football League]] with a group of owners, which would spur the NFL to expand beyond twelve teams. Oilman [[Clint Murchison, Jr.|Clint Murchison Jr.]] persisted with his intent to bring a team to Dallas, but [[George Preston Marshall]], owner of the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]], had a monopoly in the [[Southern United States|South]] (after the addition of Dallas, the South would see three further teams - NFL teams in Atlanta and New Orleans, and an AFL team in Miami - added in the next six years).<ref name="l020">{{Cite web |last=Sullivan |first=Jeff |date=2020-01-28 |title=How the Dallas Cowboys Were Born in 1960 |url=https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/how-the-dallas-cowboys-were-born-in-1960 |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=DallasCowboys.com}}</ref>

Murchison had tried to purchase the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) from Marshall in 1958 with the intent of moving them to Dallas. An agreement was struck, but as the deal was about to be finalized, Marshall called for a change in terms, which infuriated Murchison, and he called off the deal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 22, 2012 |title=Horn: What if the Redskins had actually moved to Dallas? '50s deal almost made move a reality |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2012/11/22/horn-what-if-the-redskins-had-actually-moved-to-dallas-50s-deal-almost-made-move-a-reality/ |access-date=November 14, 2023 |website=Dallas News |language=en}}</ref> Marshall then opposed any franchise for Murchison in Dallas. Since NFL expansion needed unanimous approval from team owners at that time, Marshall's position would prevent Murchison from joining the league.

Marshall had a falling out with the Redskins band leader Barnee Breeskin, who had written the music to the Redskins fight song "[[Hail to the Redskins]]", and Marshall's wife had penned the lyrics. Breeskin owned the rights to the song and was aware of Murchison's plight to get an NFL franchise. Angry with Marshall, Breeskin approached Murchison's attorney to sell him the rights to the song before the expansion vote in 1959: Murchison subsequently purchased "Hail to the Redskins" for $2,500.<ref name="Snider">{{Cite magazine |last=Snider |first=Rick |date=June 17, 2020 |title=Ol' Ricky's Redskins Tales - Hail to the Redskins + Dwayne's Gain |url=https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/ol-rickys-redskins-tales-hail-to-the-redskins-dwaynes-gain |access-date=November 14, 2023 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en}}</ref>

Before the vote to award franchises in 1959, Murchison revealed to Marshall that he now owned the song, and barred Marshall from playing it during games. After Marshall launched an expletive-laced tirade, Murchison sold the rights to "Hail to the Redskins" back to Marshall in exchange for his vote, the lone one against Murchison getting a franchise at that time, and a [[Cowboys–Redskins rivalry|rivalry]] was born.<ref name="Snider" /> Murchison hired [[CBS Sports]] executive and former [[Los Angeles Rams]] general manager [[Tex Schramm]] as team president and general manager,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wilbon |first=Michael |date=April 18, 1989 |title=COWBOYS' SCHRAMM TO MAKE EXIT |language=en-US |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1989/04/18/cowboys-schramm-to-make-exit/b6249d16-303d-4f7a-b82b-6e793fde3c8e/ |access-date=November 14, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> [[San Francisco 49ers]] scout [[Gil Brandt]] as head of player personnel,<ref name="a557">{{cite web | title=THERE ARE NO HOLES AT THE TOP | website=Sports Illustrated Vault | date=1982-09-01 | url=https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/09/01/there-are-no-holes-at-the-top | access-date=2024-08-24}}</ref> and [[New York Giants]] defensive coordinator [[Tom Landry]] as head coach,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gent |first=Peter |date=October 1, 1981 |title=Tom Landry: The Gamesman |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1981/october/tom-landry-the-gamesman/ |access-date=November 14, 2023 |website=D Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> thus forming a triumvirate that would lead the Cowboys' football operations for three decades.