Dallas Delusions: A Look Inside the NFL’s Most Extra Franchise
- Elizabeth MacBey
- Jul 2
- 3 min read
There’s only one NFL franchise that can go 27 years without a Super Bowl appearance and still carry itself like it’s hosting the Met Gala on the 50-yard line — and it’s the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys aren’t just a team. They’re a brand, a soap opera, a lifestyle, and apparently, a personality trait for grown men in white New Balances. They are not the best team in the league. But they are undeniably the most extra.
The Glitz: DCC, Jumbotrons, and Jerry's World
If the NFL were high school, the Cowboys would be the rich kid who throws themed parties, fails math, but still somehow wins Prom King.
Start with the stadium: AT&T Stadium — affectionately known as Jerry’s World — is part football venue, part luxury mall, part UFO. It has a retractable roof, a Victoria’s Secret PINK store, and a jumbotron so big it has its own ego.
Then there’s the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the most iconic dance team in sports. They don’t just perform; they audition, train, and suffer through tear-filled makeup wipes on national TV (shoutout DCC: Making the Team). The cheerleaders are polished, professional, and terrifyingly perfect. Honestly? They’re the only consistent part of the Cowboys franchise.

The Legacy: Rings, Romo, and Regression
Let’s talk about legacy — because Cowboys fans sure will.
Yes, they were dominant... in the ‘90s. And like most men who peaked in the ‘90s, they haven’t shut up about it since.
Every season begins with "this is our year" energy, a phrase so commonly uttered in Dallas it might as well be printed on the team towels. Never mind that recent history is a carousel of heartbreak: dropped passes, questionable coaching, and the occasional playoff choke so spectacular it deserves its own 30 for 30.
They’ve had talent. They’ve had moments. But when your most iconic recent play is Tony Romo fumbling a snap, it might be time to lower the bar.

The Delusion: America's Team and the Art of Denial
The Cowboys calling themselves "America’s Team" is like your high school ex still putting “Most Likely to Succeed” in their bio. Aspirational. But deeply out of touch.
Every training camp, every preseason game, every Dak Prescott hype edit on Twitter feels like the lead-up to a Broadway premiere. And when it inevitably crashes in the Divisional Round, the fanbase gaslights itself into thinking they were robbed. By refs. By God. By karma for cutting Zeke.
You don’t just root for the Cowboys — you cosplay as a dynasty and pray no one remembers the actual scoreboard.

Extra in Every Way -- and Honesty? Iconic for It
And yet...there's something iconic about the delusion.
In a league that tries to play everything safe, the Cowboys give drama. Jerry Jones does press conferences like he’s running for office. The players wear chains that cost more than your tuition. The cheerleaders make kicklines look like war choreography.
Being a Cowboys fan is like dating a walking red flag — chaotic, inconsistent, and always promising to change. But when is it good? It’s really good. And when it’s bad? At least it’s entertaining.

Final Thought
The Cowboys may not win championships. But they’ve mastered the art of the spectacle.
They’re delusional. They’re dramatic. They’re dangerously overdressed for a Wild Card exit.
But they’ll always be... so Dallas.
Comments