No Dallas Cowboys? What Their Name Almost Was Along With the Other 31 NFL Teams
How odd would it have been for you to talk about Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman and call them a Ranger? It almost happened. That was one of the names then-owner Clint Murchison, Jr. wanted for the Dallas Cowboys. So how did all 32 teams get their names, especially the new Washington Commanders? This is how.
According to ESPN, when Dallas was awarded an expansion team in 1959, owner Clint Murchison, Jr.'s first choice was the Dallas Rangers, but a minor league baseball team had the same name, so they went with Cowboys (The Washington Senators relocated to Dallas and changed their name to the Texas Rangers 13 years later in 1972).
The latest team to change its name is Washington. For over 80 years, they were known by a racial slur for Native Americans, but with the ramping up of animosity for racial slurs after the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, Washington dropped their name and went generic for 2 years before calling on citizens to find a new name for the team.
Back in February, the Washington Football Team landed on their final name, the Commanders, after rejecting Armada, Presidents, Brigade, Redhawks, RedWolves, and Defenders. They had been known as the "Washington Football Team" after dropping their former name.
The last team before Washington to look for a name was when the city of Houston was awarded an expansion team in 1999. After many names were suggested, the team brought back a classic AFL team name that was in Texas from 1960-1963, the Texans. Their first year on the field was in the 2002 season.
Check out below how all the teams got their names:
How All 32 NFL Teams Chose Their Name