For almost 50 years, the Dallas Cowboys have been proudly hailed as “America’s Team.”The star on their helmet is not just a logo but a hallmark that symbolizes NFL greatness, pop culture supremacy, and fierce loyalty in any fanbase. But do they still deserve that title?
However, this was not what CNN World Sport anchor Don Riddell thought. In a raging Instagram video this week, Riddell suggested it’s time to pass the crown to a team that better reflects modern NFL dominance: the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Why should the Dallas Cowboys be ‘America’s Team?’” Riddell asked. “Their glory days are a distant memory. Maybe it’s time we pick a new team for America, and I think the people of Dallas might be OK with it.
CNN Sports Anchor’s Case for Change
Riddell’s argument has some bite. The Dallas Cowboys have not lifted the Lombardi Trophy since 1996. They have won just four playoff games in the past quarter-century, a figure that gives much pause for thought even among their hardest fans. On the other hand, the Kansas City Chiefs have become the most prestigious team in the history of the NFL.
With Patrick Mahomes as quarterback and Andy Reid at the helm, the head coach, the Chiefs have entered a modern dynasty. Three Super Bowls played in five years. Two championships. And let’s not forget the cultural clout that’s now enhanced by Taylor Swift’s relationship with Travis Kelce- a crossover appeal that’s drawing millions of non-sports fans to think differently about professional football.
“The Cowboys haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1996, and you know how many playoff games they’ve won in the last 25 years? Four. Don’t you think that a country that likes to think of itself as a winner should give its affection to a team that wins things? Well, the Kansas City Chiefs are that team right now. Three Super Bowls in just five years. Possibly an unprecedented three-peat on the horizon. And they’re a genuine crossover team with Taylor Swift and millions of Swifties cheering them on. That’s surely America’s team.”
Dallas is the ONLY men's American pro sports team WITHOUT A HOME WIN in 2024 🤯
Every other team in the NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, and NFL all have at least one home win this year… pic.twitter.com/WDptfsoHHW
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 19, 2024
“This is a team that wins,” Riddell declared. “Three Super Bowls in just five years, and maybe a historic three-peat on the horizon. Isn’t that what America should root for?”
Dallas Cowboys Fans React to Riddell’s Suggestion For Chiefs to Replace the Cowboys as America’s Team
For the Cowboys, the title isn’t just about recent success. It’s about a legacy that’s deeply ingrained in the fabric of the NFL. The nickname started by NFL Films after the 1978 season turned out to be a team that went beyond the field.
Players like Roger Staubach or Emmitt Smith were perhaps lesser than the enormous characters that became known simply as the Cowboys: Jerry Jones, tradition, spectacle, and drama.
It was not surprising that Cowboys fans wasted no time in discrediting Riddell’s claim. Rival fans even chimed in to defend that accolade. One fan of the Philadelphia Eagles commented: “I hate the Cowgirls as a Birds fan, but I’d rather see them keep the title than let the Chiefs take it.”
Another fan commented: We’ll see if people still watch the Chiefs if they’re bad.
We’ll see if people still watch the chiefs if they’re bad.
— Will Humphrey (@Will_Humphrey63) December 13, 2024
Cowboys games still get higher ratings even when they are terrible. Sorry, Chiefs.
— Jason Turner (@the1101) December 13, 2024
The Cowboys haven’t been America’s team since Emmett Smith. They’re just another mediocre NFL team with a bad GM who happens to be owner JERRY JONES!!
— Ang (@BigAnglind) December 13, 2024
The Kansas City Chiefs Quite Claim
For the Chiefs to even contend to snatch that title, they would need to build up quite a fair record beyond Super Bowl victories and star power. They would need time.
A fan base that stretches generations: Children who grew up watching Troy Aikman are now watching Dak Prescott with their children. It is hard to sever that kind of emotional connection.
Most importantly, though, the Chiefs have a special kind of magic brewing. The exciting, dynamic, and nearly unbeatable style of football appears to have captivated the audience, and Patrick Mahomes is already being whispered about as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. In addition to the glitz of celebrity endorsements, the increasing number of fans have the making of a team that might even change what it means to be “America’s Team.”
Does Dallas Cowboys Still Deserve The American Title?
Don Riddell’s commentary has sparked a conversation that many NFL fans have quietly pondered: Is it time for a new “America’s Team?”
The Chiefs proudly present a record, but the Cowboys have the history, the mythology, and a loyal fanbase solely over decades.
For now, though, it is still the unmistakable bright shining star on the helmet of the Cowboys, which symbolizes “America’s Team.” But the Chiefs keep knocking on that closed door and do not seem to be doing it quietly.
What do you think? Does America require a change of guard, or is the love affair with the Cowboys just too deep?
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