The reigning Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to open their title defense on September 9th against the Dallas Cowboys. After the NFL released the official schedule for the 2021 season, the 7-time Super Bowl champ trolled Dallas with a rather sarcastic jab at the Cowboys' nickname as “America's Team.”
Brady posted a story on his Instagram to respond to Dallas being their first opponents for the new campaign. He expressed excitement and looked forward to facing “America's Team,” while including the famous WandaVision meme on the side to show his sarcasm.
Of course, when the GOAT speaks, everybody is going to listen. Could there be some truth behind Brady's dig? Some may side with the Buccaneers quarterback with his claim. However, he probably isn't on point with this one. The Cowboys are still in fact America's Team.
To begin, where exactly did the Cowboys get the moniker as “America's Team?” The nickname originated from the squad's highlight film from 1978, back when they were still one of the most dominant teams across the NFL. Dallas has kept the tag as large media outlets have also called them as such ever since.
The term grew further in popularity during the early 1990's, where they won three Super Bowls in four seasons between 1992 and 1995. Dallas has been largely mediocre since. Brady definitely has a point with his joke, as the Cowboys have not seen much success over the last quarter of a century. Considering his standing as the greatest winner in NFL history, his words may have a lot of weight.
Since defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers at Super Bowl XXX, Dallas has failed to make an appearance at the big dance. In fact, they have not even made it to the NFC championship. Meanwhile, Brady has made 10 Super Bowl appearances, winning seven of them, including six with the New England Patriots.
Nevertheless, despite their lack of success over the past 25 years, the Cowboys are still clearly the most popular team in the NFL. Apparently, it doesn't matter if they're bad or not. Dallas fans have remained loyal over the years and it does not seem like their allegiance to the Cowboys will waver any time soon.
The numbers do not lie either. In fact, they are stronger than ever. According to Forbes, the Cowboys once again ranked no. 1 on Forbes' list of most valuable sports teams in 2021. This marked the sixth straight year that Jerry Jones' squad finished at the top of spot with a value of $5.7 billion. If this isn't proof that Cowboys Nation is stronger than ever, then I don't what is.
Yes, the franchise's popularity hinges mostly on the team's success from the past. But it just goes to show just how dedicated Cowboys fans are to their squad. So, Tom Brady can take as many jabs as he wants, and he probably has the right to do so with all the success he has had over his Hall of Fame career. Nonetheless, the Cowboys are still definitely “America's Team.”
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