FRISCO -- The NFL awarded Clint Murchison a franchise in 1960 as a counter punch.
Lamar Hunt had announced the formation of the American Football League in 1959 and was going to place a charter franchise -- his franchise -- in his hometown of Dallas. Pete Rozelle and the NFL owners were not about to concede the state of Texas to the AFL, so an expansion franchise was promptly awarded to this deep-pocketed oil man.
Under Murchison, the Cowboys survived the AFL war, winning Dallas for the NFL, and went on to build a model franchise that would post 20 consecutive winning seasons with 17 playoff berths, five NFC titles and two Super Bowl championships.