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Ten-Gallon War: The NFL's Cowboys, the AFL's Texans, and the Feud for Dallas's Pro Football Future
In the 1960s, on the heels of the “Greatest Game Ever Played,” professional football began to flourish across the country—except in Texas, where college football was still the only game in town. But in an unlikely series of events, two young oil tycoons started their own professional football franchises in Dallas the very same the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, and, as part of a new upstart league designed to thwart the NFL’s hold on the game, the Dallas Texans of the AFL. Almost overnight, a bitter feud was born.
The team owners, Lamar Hunt and Clint Murchison, became Mad Men of the gridiron, locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of the Texas pigskin faithful. Their teams took each other to court, fought over players, undermined each other’s promotions, and rooted like hell for the other guys to fail. A true visionary, Hunt of the Texans focused on the fans, putting together a team of local legends and hiring attractive women to drive around town in red convertibles selling tickets. Meanwhile, Murchison and his Cowboys focused on the game, hiring a young star, Tom Landry, in what would be his first-ever year as a head coach, and concentrating on holding their own against the more established teams in the NFL. Ultimately, both teams won the battle, but only one got to stay in Dallas and go on to become one of sports’ most quintessential franchises—“America's Team.”
In this highly entertaining narrative, rich in colorful characters and unforgettable stunts, Eisenberg recounts the story of the birth of pro football in Dallas—back when the game began to be part of this country’s DNA.
The team owners, Lamar Hunt and Clint Murchison, became Mad Men of the gridiron, locked in a battle for the hearts and minds of the Texas pigskin faithful. Their teams took each other to court, fought over players, undermined each other’s promotions, and rooted like hell for the other guys to fail. A true visionary, Hunt of the Texans focused on the fans, putting together a team of local legends and hiring attractive women to drive around town in red convertibles selling tickets. Meanwhile, Murchison and his Cowboys focused on the game, hiring a young star, Tom Landry, in what would be his first-ever year as a head coach, and concentrating on holding their own against the more established teams in the NFL. Ultimately, both teams won the battle, but only one got to stay in Dallas and go on to become one of sports’ most quintessential franchises—“America's Team.”
In this highly entertaining narrative, rich in colorful characters and unforgettable stunts, Eisenberg recounts the story of the birth of pro football in Dallas—back when the game began to be part of this country’s DNA.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
25 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
John Eisenberg
16 books45 followersJohn Eisenberg is one of the country’s most acclaimed sportswriters. A native of Dallas, Texas and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, he started out covering the “Friday Night Lights” for the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald in 1979. After rising through the ranks to cover pro basketball, he joined the staff of the Baltimore Sun in 1984. For the next 23 years he wrote columns in the Sun about the hometown Orioles, Ravens and Maryland Terrapins, and also covered major events such as the World Series, Super Bowl and Olympics. His honors included several firsts in the prestigious Associated Press Sports Editors’ contest. Since 2012 he has written columns on the Ravens’ website.
John has also authored 10 bestselling sports books, including The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Baseball’s Most Historic Record. Published in 2017, it was a finalist for the Casey Award, which honors the year’s best baseball book, and was shortlisted for the PEN/ESPN Literary Sportswriting Award, which honors the year’s best sports book. John’s most recent title is The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire. John has also written for Sports Illustrated and Smithsonian Magazine. He lives in Baltimore with his wife of 35years. They have two grown children and a grandson.
John has also authored 10 bestselling sports books, including The Streak: Lou Gehrig, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Baseball’s Most Historic Record. Published in 2017, it was a finalist for the Casey Award, which honors the year’s best baseball book, and was shortlisted for the PEN/ESPN Literary Sportswriting Award, which honors the year’s best sports book. John’s most recent title is The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire. John has also written for Sports Illustrated and Smithsonian Magazine. He lives in Baltimore with his wife of 35years. They have two grown children and a grandson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 14, 2014
In 1952 the National Football League started an expansion franchise called the Dallas Texans, but the team was a miserable failure and played only one year there. They were eventually sold and moved to Baltimore where they became the Colts. Only the Colts would later leave Baltimore for Indianapolis, and the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, then Cleveland got an expansion team again named the Browns. In 1960 Lamar Hunt started another team in Dallas and again called them the Texans, but they eventually had to leave town for Kansas City and became the Chiefs. However, there is again a NFL team called the Texans only they play in Houston because they got an expansion team after their Oilers moved to Nashville and became the Tennessee Titans.
Got all that?
OK, let me try to simplify it.
Once upon a time there was a guy named Lamar Hunt who was the son of an uber-wealthy oil tycoon. Hunt was a sports nut who dreamed of owning his own professional football team, but at that time the NFL had no interest in expansion. With the league giving him the cold shoulder, Hunt came up with the idea of starting his own. After rounding up some other rich folks to help him out, Hunt’s vision of the American Football League became a reality with his own Dallas Texans among its teams.
However, the NFL panicked at the idea that a rival league might drive up salaries and attract their fans so they tried to put Hunt out of business by starting another team in Dallas. After recruiting another Texas oil millionaire named Clint Murchison to pay the bills, the Cowboys were born and the war to win the hearts and minds of football fans of Dallas was on.
The two teams fought in courts and the media but oddly enough never on the football field. The Texans managed to win more games in those early years and Hunt was a tireless promoter who worked every angle he could think of to attract fans, but the Cowboys had the backing of the established league as well as the Dallas business community. After winning an AFL championship but playing in a mostly empty stadium, Hunt cut a deal to take his team to Kansas City. He lost the battle but won the war since the league he formed went on to merge with the NFL and become the version of pro football that has gone on to dominate the American sports landscape.
As a Kansas City area resident and Chiefs fan (And do not take that as an invitation to mention that last play-off collapse against the Colts. I’m still not speaking about it.) I was pretty familiar with most of this story, and I’d watched a fun documentary series about the old AFL vs. NFL war called Full Color Football that had tons of interesting history and anecdotes about how the two leagues fought over players and territory. I was hoping that this book would provide more juicy tidbits about the fight to become Dallas’s team, but I’d heard most of this already.
While it gives a decent overview of the situation and the key figures involved, the book spends far more time providing blow by blow recaps of action in individual games the Texans and Cowboys played rather than detailing the war between them off the field. Several lawsuits are mentioned, but few details are provided. Plus, while some effort is made to show how some players and fans hated the other team, there’s no real heat between Hunt and Murchison. In fact, the two men liked each other and would often engage in pranks like Hunt jumping out of a birthday cake at a party to surprise his rival. In the end this feels less like a war than a civilized battle for market share that eventually found both teams thriving.
Another thing that had me scratching my head is that a lot of focus is put on Abner Haynes, a terrific running back for the Texans who was an early AFL superstar. We get a lot of material about what he thought about the situation as well as many accounts of spectacular plays he made on the field. Then he suddenly vanishes from the book, only to get the casual revelation in one sentence that the Chiefs cut him after the 1964 season. It’s really odd that so much time was spent on him as a player, but then have almost nothing about his leaving or what he did after that.
If you don’t know much about the AFL/NFL or Texans/Cowboys feud and are interested in it, then this is an entertaining book, but if you already know the basic story and are looking for something more in depth, it won’t tell you much you didn’t already know.
Although maybe Stephen King should give it a read.
Got all that?
OK, let me try to simplify it.
Once upon a time there was a guy named Lamar Hunt who was the son of an uber-wealthy oil tycoon. Hunt was a sports nut who dreamed of owning his own professional football team, but at that time the NFL had no interest in expansion. With the league giving him the cold shoulder, Hunt came up with the idea of starting his own. After rounding up some other rich folks to help him out, Hunt’s vision of the American Football League became a reality with his own Dallas Texans among its teams.
However, the NFL panicked at the idea that a rival league might drive up salaries and attract their fans so they tried to put Hunt out of business by starting another team in Dallas. After recruiting another Texas oil millionaire named Clint Murchison to pay the bills, the Cowboys were born and the war to win the hearts and minds of football fans of Dallas was on.
The two teams fought in courts and the media but oddly enough never on the football field. The Texans managed to win more games in those early years and Hunt was a tireless promoter who worked every angle he could think of to attract fans, but the Cowboys had the backing of the established league as well as the Dallas business community. After winning an AFL championship but playing in a mostly empty stadium, Hunt cut a deal to take his team to Kansas City. He lost the battle but won the war since the league he formed went on to merge with the NFL and become the version of pro football that has gone on to dominate the American sports landscape.
As a Kansas City area resident and Chiefs fan (And do not take that as an invitation to mention that last play-off collapse against the Colts. I’m still not speaking about it.) I was pretty familiar with most of this story, and I’d watched a fun documentary series about the old AFL vs. NFL war called Full Color Football that had tons of interesting history and anecdotes about how the two leagues fought over players and territory. I was hoping that this book would provide more juicy tidbits about the fight to become Dallas’s team, but I’d heard most of this already.
While it gives a decent overview of the situation and the key figures involved, the book spends far more time providing blow by blow recaps of action in individual games the Texans and Cowboys played rather than detailing the war between them off the field. Several lawsuits are mentioned, but few details are provided. Plus, while some effort is made to show how some players and fans hated the other team, there’s no real heat between Hunt and Murchison. In fact, the two men liked each other and would often engage in pranks like Hunt jumping out of a birthday cake at a party to surprise his rival. In the end this feels less like a war than a civilized battle for market share that eventually found both teams thriving.
Another thing that had me scratching my head is that a lot of focus is put on Abner Haynes, a terrific running back for the Texans who was an early AFL superstar. We get a lot of material about what he thought about the situation as well as many accounts of spectacular plays he made on the field. Then he suddenly vanishes from the book, only to get the casual revelation in one sentence that the Chiefs cut him after the 1964 season. It’s really odd that so much time was spent on him as a player, but then have almost nothing about his leaving or what he did after that.
If you don’t know much about the AFL/NFL or Texans/Cowboys feud and are interested in it, then this is an entertaining book, but if you already know the basic story and are looking for something more in depth, it won’t tell you much you didn’t already know.
Although maybe Stephen King should give it a read.
February 15, 2016
This is a story for you if you're interested in the history of the NFL, AFL, Dallas Cowboys, or Kansas City Chiefs. Centering around Dallas' two pro football franchises that began playing in 1960, Eisenberg focuses on the late 50's up to the late 60's and the NFL/AFL merger, but also hits on relevant events before and after. So many names and faces are familiar from documentaries, old news footage, and NFL Films, it was fascinating to learn more about what they were like. I definitely have a better handle on how my Dallas Cowboys got their start and developed into one of the most storied sports teams on the planet.
March 28, 2020
Eisenberg tells the fascinating story about how Dallas, deemed unfit for professional football after a disastrous single season of the Texans in 1952, reestablished not only an AFL team but an NFL team at the same time. Lamar Hunt, scion of the H.L. Hunt oil fortune, was a visionary. He wanted to establish a new professional football league after being rebuffed by Bears owner George "papa bear" Halas and former Commissioner Bert Bell. Along with Barron Hilton, Bud Adams and Ralph Wilson, he did, For “his” team, Hunt settled on Dallas, a burgeoning city that did not have an NFL team. After a last-minute effort to stop Hunt from establishing the AFL, Dallas suddenly found itself with two football teams. The Cowboys had Tom Landry prowling the sidelines after successfully working as a defensive coordinator for the Giants opposite Vince Lombardi as the team's OC. The Cowboys also had Don Meredith under center. Although the team initially struggled, going 0-11-1 in its inaugural season, Landry's coaching prowess and better drafting eventually turned the team into a winner. Meanwhile, although the Texans had the superior team on the field, led by Hank Stram, Abner Haynes, Curtis McClinton, but fans did not embrace the team as its owner and league founder, Lamar Hunt, had hoped. The Texans won an AFL Championship in 1962. The AFL is often credited with bringing more innovative offense to professional football; particularly the aerial game. The AFL also was ahead of the NFL in collectively selling its broadcasting rights collectively to ABC. The AFL was far more open to black players than the NFL. The AFL also changed the NFL for good. Worth a look.
September 30, 2025
More of a 3.5 than a 4 if I am being honest. There’s some really great stories in here about the way the (then) Dallas Texans and Dallas Cowboys fought it out to see who would stick in Dallas. I kept wanting to get into the larger context of the AFL and get more in the weeds of the merger with the NFL, using the two franchises as the backdrop, but it is (as the title indicates) pretty locked in on Lamar Hunt, the Dallas Texans, and the Dallas Cowboys.
I am, sadly, a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan and any change I can get to read about the team’s history is a treat. I even walked away with some new stories and information, which can be rare.
Eisenberg is a good writer, but I felt like there were times that things felt a little dry. Probably a little meat left on the bone, but that was kind of inevitable given that it clocks in at less than 300 pages. Overall, this is a good look the launch of pro football in Dallas!
I am, sadly, a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan and any change I can get to read about the team’s history is a treat. I even walked away with some new stories and information, which can be rare.
Eisenberg is a good writer, but I felt like there were times that things felt a little dry. Probably a little meat left on the bone, but that was kind of inevitable given that it clocks in at less than 300 pages. Overall, this is a good look the launch of pro football in Dallas!
November 20, 2021
I loved the book. John Eisenberg , along with Michael Holley, are my favorite sports authors. This book is pure brain candy!! Meticulous research including hundreds of hours of the author's interviews with the people who played leading roles in the battle for professional football in Dallas. Many excellent books are in print devoted exclusively to the founding of the AFL, but Mr Eisenberg's book specialized specifically on the battle between the NFL's Cowboy's and the AFL's Texans (now Kansas City Chiefs). The AFL founding is only tangential to the main story line. Am important book in the genre of professional sports history in the US, in that it synthesizes many sources into one tome. I highly recommend to football fans.
August 27, 2022
(3.5 stars) This work looks at the history of pro football in Dallas. At one point, Dallas had two pro teams, the Cowboys, and the Texans. No, not those Texans. This was the original team of Lamar Hunt, and it was part of the AFL. Oddly enough, the Texans were better at first, but the Cowboys, under the tutelage of Tom Landry, would evolve into the force of the NFL. The Texans would not stay in Dallas, moving to Kansas City in 1962, and becoming the Kansas City Chiefs.
This is a typical sports writing book, but there is as much drama off the field as on. Worth it for a football fan, but not sure a non-sports fan will like it.
This is a typical sports writing book, but there is as much drama off the field as on. Worth it for a football fan, but not sure a non-sports fan will like it.
July 6, 2017
Finally got around to finishing this book, but not because of a lack of exciting material. This book proves the case that this feud was not only for the future of pro football in Dallas but was instrumental in creating the NFL as we know it today. The Dallas football war created the competition that allowed the AFL to be created and then thrive and its reconciliation was brokered by the men who fought the war and created the Super Bowl. Riveting backstories throughout, especially Abner Haynes a forgotten All Star during this era.
August 25, 2018
So good it almost made me empathize with Dallas fans. All kidding aside, a very detailed, very amusing look into the dawn of the modern NFL, the birth of the AFL, and the franchises that would eventually become "Americas Team" the Dallas Cowboys and (spoiler alert) the Kansas City Chiefs. It doesn't delve into the darker side of football even when it almost touches upon it (Jim Tyrer was a HOF caliber player, but was also the Jovan Belcher of his day), but it's a great resource for understanding how the narratives we use to downplay the negatives of football came to be.
January 4, 2019
Great light reading for any football fan.
I found John Eisenberg didn't have as many nutty stories for this book as he had in The League, so I felt there was some padding.
That said, it's fun to hear about the AFL's start, and how Dallas was divided between the two teams. There were many endearing sections that make pro football come alive.
Definitely recommended for any fan of the NFL.
I found John Eisenberg didn't have as many nutty stories for this book as he had in The League, so I felt there was some padding.
That said, it's fun to hear about the AFL's start, and how Dallas was divided between the two teams. There were many endearing sections that make pro football come alive.
Definitely recommended for any fan of the NFL.
December 3, 2021
An interesting look at how the now-Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys waged war over the heart of Dallas. Eisenberg does a great job showing both sides of the war, as the AFL rose to prominence and the NFL tried to keep course. A great read for the autumn season as football games play every Sunday.
February 4, 2019
A great book !
If you like Dallas History, the Dallas Cowboys, and pro football !
Pick the book up , I highly recommend it !
The book is quite insightful in the creation of the AFL and the beginnings of modern football.
If you like Dallas History, the Dallas Cowboys, and pro football !
Pick the book up , I highly recommend it !
The book is quite insightful in the creation of the AFL and the beginnings of modern football.
April 28, 2020
This book was a great look into the mind and drive of Lamar Hunt and made me appreciate him as a businessman, entrepreneur, and most of all owner of the Chiefs. The game recaps did get a little stale after awhile.
April 29, 2021
I was interested in reading this book because I love football, and liked the AFL. I was interested in how football had played out in the two-team Dallas area as I was familiar growing up knowing that the Chiefs had started in Dallas.
October 22, 2025
A solid read especially for unlimited. For folks interested in the history of the AFL told generally though the lens of the Dallas AFL and NFL teams. Decently written, can get a bit bogged down in gameplay chronology.
August 13, 2017
A fast, detailed, sometimes funny read of the battle between the NFL and AFC. Would have given it 4 stars but there was too much game detail and only a chapter devoted to 4 years in the league.
July 6, 2019
An interesting look at the foundation of the 'modern' NFL (modern meaning once it started to expand). Be forewarned that there are a lot of game recaps, but it doesn't detract from the story.
November 22, 2022
I knew the general outline of the story but the details provided a very amusing and very Texas story.
May 28, 2023
This was one of the best sports books I have ever read
January 17, 2025
Solid history of both Dallas teams… trying to save my fandom of the next year’s champions off of life support.
May 4, 2015
Much has been written about the early battles between the fresh-faced American Football League, and their rivals, the long-established National Football League. Readers with an interest can find texts dedicated to the founding of the AFL, the AFL in the early years, the AFL/NFL merger, and all of the various subcategories that pertain to both leagues. However, it wasn’t until just recently that fans could easily find the story of one of the greatest battles within the AFL/NFL war, the fight between the Cowboys and Texans for the love and support of the Dallas football fan.
Author John Eisenberg grew up in Dallas in the 1960s, and early on pledged his allegiance to the Cowboys, a story that he shares in his memoir, Cotton Bowl Days. In his newest effot, Ten-Gallon War, Eisenberg moves out of the genre of fan chronicle, and instead gives a wonderfully detailed account of the founding of Dallas’s two professional football teams in 1960, their equally shaky beginnings, and the consequences that led Lamar Hunt to move his Dallas Texans north to Kansas City to become the Chiefs.
For those that have not heard the story before, Lamar Hunt started the American Football League after being rebuffed in his efforts to bring an NFL team to his hometown of Dallas. He had unsuccessfully tried to purchase the Chicago Cardinals, and also inquired into possible NFL expansion. When he learned that neither situation had any chance of coming to fruition, Hunt found other interested team owners and formed the AFL. In an effort to thwart the new league (though they hotly denied Hunt’s new league as their reason for expansion), the NFL quickly reversed their earlier stance, and decided to form a new expansion team in Dallas. Businessman Clint Murchison was given the franchise. Murchison hired the soon-to-be-legendary football man, Tex Schramm, to build the team, and the battle for the loyalty of the Dallas football fan began.
John Eisenberg is an award-winning author, and as such it comes as no surprise that Ten-Gallon War was such an enjoyable read. Eisenberg did a great job of getting inside this story and telling it from the perspective of both teams. Eisenberg outlines the marketing strategies the both teams employed to draw fans, a game-by-game status of who was winning the battle, and ultimately, why the Cowboys were successful in capturing Dallas’s heart.
While telling the tale of two teams, Ten-Gallon War also introduces individual players. Of particular importance in this book are Abner Haynes, Chris Burford, Sherrill Headrick and Tommy Brooker, all of whom made long and important contributions to the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs.
I have now read two of Eisenberg’s books, and have thoroughly enjoyed them both. He is a skilled researcher, and his writing style is very smooth and easy to sit down to. I hope that he has more AFL material in his future efforts, as I will certainly be looking forward to his future works.
Author John Eisenberg grew up in Dallas in the 1960s, and early on pledged his allegiance to the Cowboys, a story that he shares in his memoir, Cotton Bowl Days. In his newest effot, Ten-Gallon War, Eisenberg moves out of the genre of fan chronicle, and instead gives a wonderfully detailed account of the founding of Dallas’s two professional football teams in 1960, their equally shaky beginnings, and the consequences that led Lamar Hunt to move his Dallas Texans north to Kansas City to become the Chiefs.
For those that have not heard the story before, Lamar Hunt started the American Football League after being rebuffed in his efforts to bring an NFL team to his hometown of Dallas. He had unsuccessfully tried to purchase the Chicago Cardinals, and also inquired into possible NFL expansion. When he learned that neither situation had any chance of coming to fruition, Hunt found other interested team owners and formed the AFL. In an effort to thwart the new league (though they hotly denied Hunt’s new league as their reason for expansion), the NFL quickly reversed their earlier stance, and decided to form a new expansion team in Dallas. Businessman Clint Murchison was given the franchise. Murchison hired the soon-to-be-legendary football man, Tex Schramm, to build the team, and the battle for the loyalty of the Dallas football fan began.
John Eisenberg is an award-winning author, and as such it comes as no surprise that Ten-Gallon War was such an enjoyable read. Eisenberg did a great job of getting inside this story and telling it from the perspective of both teams. Eisenberg outlines the marketing strategies the both teams employed to draw fans, a game-by-game status of who was winning the battle, and ultimately, why the Cowboys were successful in capturing Dallas’s heart.
While telling the tale of two teams, Ten-Gallon War also introduces individual players. Of particular importance in this book are Abner Haynes, Chris Burford, Sherrill Headrick and Tommy Brooker, all of whom made long and important contributions to the Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs.
I have now read two of Eisenberg’s books, and have thoroughly enjoyed them both. He is a skilled researcher, and his writing style is very smooth and easy to sit down to. I hope that he has more AFL material in his future efforts, as I will certainly be looking forward to his future works.
July 13, 2022
When I first picked up this monograph on the "war" between the NFL expansion team Dallas Cowboys and the upstart AFL Dallas Texans I did not have high expectations. After all, what more could really be said about the history of the maverick AFL and its eventual merger with the longer tenured NFL?
Well, I dare say I was wrong because Eisenberg has written a very interesting account of how Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Dallas Texans and founder of the AFL, and Clint Murchison, another oil magnate who finally received a chance to own and expansion team because of the AFL, waged a battle within the city for football supremacy.
First off let's be clear that the Dallas Cowboys, despite being in the NFL, did have some clear advantages being in the older league, but these advantages were evened out because it was an expansion team, and as such, a losing team. And fans don't want to root for losing teams. The Texans, on the other hand, had creative owner in Lamar Hunt but also a roster that included some local stars that made it an attraction as well. But the Texans did not have the advantage of having well known NFL teams to play home games against. So all things being equal, the competition was pretty even.
This book recounts how both teams tried to recruit local talent and be the team to draw the most fans to games. Lamar Hunt here was a bit of genius and while a nice fellow, manipulative. He made sure he got a stadium lease that disadvantaged the Cowboys in their first year, gave away tickets to make it appear the gate receipts were a lot larger than they really were, and the battle to sign college players was comical. Hunt also staged halftime shows to try to draw fans in and make professional football both sport and spectacle.
And for the most part Hunt succeeded. And despite their sometimes bitter competition, Hunt and Murchinson maintained a respect for one another. For example, Lamar Hunt jumped out of a birthday cake at Murchinson's birthday bash.
All the nitty-gritty details of the throw down between these two teams is here, and told in very lucid prose.
So why did Hunt and the Texans ultimately leave? Part of it was simply he got a deal too good to refuse from Kansas City and he started to realize it would be hard for two professional football teams to be successful in Dallas. Another reason too was likely he had more than his own team to worry about; he had the survival of an entire league on his mind. And thus the Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you like football history and are interested in the American Football League and Lamar Hunt, this is a great place to start. Because here you have the rivalry between the two leagues played on mostly even terms in one city. I highly recommend it.
Well, I dare say I was wrong because Eisenberg has written a very interesting account of how Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Dallas Texans and founder of the AFL, and Clint Murchison, another oil magnate who finally received a chance to own and expansion team because of the AFL, waged a battle within the city for football supremacy.
First off let's be clear that the Dallas Cowboys, despite being in the NFL, did have some clear advantages being in the older league, but these advantages were evened out because it was an expansion team, and as such, a losing team. And fans don't want to root for losing teams. The Texans, on the other hand, had creative owner in Lamar Hunt but also a roster that included some local stars that made it an attraction as well. But the Texans did not have the advantage of having well known NFL teams to play home games against. So all things being equal, the competition was pretty even.
This book recounts how both teams tried to recruit local talent and be the team to draw the most fans to games. Lamar Hunt here was a bit of genius and while a nice fellow, manipulative. He made sure he got a stadium lease that disadvantaged the Cowboys in their first year, gave away tickets to make it appear the gate receipts were a lot larger than they really were, and the battle to sign college players was comical. Hunt also staged halftime shows to try to draw fans in and make professional football both sport and spectacle.
And for the most part Hunt succeeded. And despite their sometimes bitter competition, Hunt and Murchinson maintained a respect for one another. For example, Lamar Hunt jumped out of a birthday cake at Murchinson's birthday bash.
All the nitty-gritty details of the throw down between these two teams is here, and told in very lucid prose.
So why did Hunt and the Texans ultimately leave? Part of it was simply he got a deal too good to refuse from Kansas City and he started to realize it would be hard for two professional football teams to be successful in Dallas. Another reason too was likely he had more than his own team to worry about; he had the survival of an entire league on his mind. And thus the Dallas Texans became the Kansas City Chiefs.
If you like football history and are interested in the American Football League and Lamar Hunt, this is a great place to start. Because here you have the rivalry between the two leagues played on mostly even terms in one city. I highly recommend it.
November 4, 2012
I am from Kansas City. I am a "die-hard" Chiefs fan. As I write this review, the team is 1-8 and they have not been in the lead AT ALL for the ENTIRE season - they won their one and only game in Overtime on a field-goal... It is NOT a good time to be a Chiefs fan!
I really enjoyed this book! It is amazing the think that the only reason that "America's Team" (The Cowboys) came into existence was because the NFL didn't want the Chiefs/AFL to corner the Dallas market. Lamar Hunt would have been happy to put an NFL team in Dallas, in fact he tried diligently to get the NFL to grant him the rights to a franchise in that market. When the NFL wouldn't grant it to him because they thought Dallas wasn't ready for the NFL, he decided to start the AFL... And the rest of the story is well-known to all of us. The Texans won the AFL title in 1962. Then they moved to KC the following season. The Cowboys were not very good at the onset, but they went on to be one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
I just wish that the current Chiefs ownership cared half as much about their team on the field than Lamar Hunt did! The 2012 Kansas City Chiefs are an embarrassment to the rich history of the team that started out as the Dallas Texans in the early '60s; the team that Kansas Citians have been so passionate about for so many years.
I really enjoyed this book! It is amazing the think that the only reason that "America's Team" (The Cowboys) came into existence was because the NFL didn't want the Chiefs/AFL to corner the Dallas market. Lamar Hunt would have been happy to put an NFL team in Dallas, in fact he tried diligently to get the NFL to grant him the rights to a franchise in that market. When the NFL wouldn't grant it to him because they thought Dallas wasn't ready for the NFL, he decided to start the AFL... And the rest of the story is well-known to all of us. The Texans won the AFL title in 1962. Then they moved to KC the following season. The Cowboys were not very good at the onset, but they went on to be one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
I just wish that the current Chiefs ownership cared half as much about their team on the field than Lamar Hunt did! The 2012 Kansas City Chiefs are an embarrassment to the rich history of the team that started out as the Dallas Texans in the early '60s; the team that Kansas Citians have been so passionate about for so many years.
January 16, 2013
As a big KC Chiefs fan for the last 20 years this was a entertaining book to read. The fact that Lamar Hunt created the AFL makes me even prouder to be a Chiefs fan in spite of this dismal season we just experienced. Showtime did a documentary on the AFL on the 50th anniversary back in 2009 which was very good but it also covered a lot of this story. Ten Gallon War did a great job of filling in the gaps where the showtime documentary didn't cover. The descriptions of the football games was also good and provided a players perspective in a book about rich oil men fighting to create a sports league that would one day combine and make billions of dollars. If you are a fan of the KC Chiefs or Dallas Cowboys you should read this book. This story would also be good for the general football fan that wants to brush up on the league's history.
May 14, 2022
This book tells the story of Lamar Hunts efforts to bring an NFL team to Dallas. When the NFL repeatedly tells him that they are not interested in expanding he creates the AFL. When the NFL realizes that he can pull this off they offer him an NFL franchise. Having already committing to the other investors of the AFL he declines. The NFL then finds another owner to bring an NFL franchise to Dallas. For the first three years of the AFL's existence Dallas went from no professional football team to two. After three years Lamar moves the Texans to Kansas City and renames them the Chiefs. A few years later with both leagues finding broad success they agree to merge and create the current NFL. This story drags in a few spots but does a good job of explaining the football environment in Dallas in the late fifties and sixties.
March 27, 2014
This topic might have made a good magazine article or a chapter in another book (and in fact the author admits in his afterward that one of his earlier books did cover the subject in a chapter) but there's not enough material here to sustain a full-length book. Eisenberg pads his page count with tedious recaps of virtually every game (including exhibitions!) that the Texans and Cowboys played during the three years they both called Dallas home and extends his narrative well beyond its logical endpoint when the Texans decamped for Kansas City. Even his account of Lamar Hunt's adventures in forming the AFL lacks drama; Michael McCambridge tells the same story far better in his classic America's Game. Skip this one.
October 6, 2023
A great book about the Cowboys vs the Texans. Where is Lamar Hunt when you need him? I enjoyed this book and encouraged all Dallas Cowboys and Lamar Hunt fans to read and learn. This guy writes a good book. This one touches on my childhood- I loved the Dallas Cowboys growing up in Morristown. The Country Club of Morristown had an employee whose brother was a member of the Cowboy coaching squad, Henry Allen and his brother Ermal Allen- Ermal was the head of R&D- research and development and scouting.
February 5, 2015
I am a huge football fan and this book was a great book if you are interested in how the AFL began and how the Dallas Cowboys began. The wheeling and dealing by NFL legends like George Halas and Tex Schramm is fantastic. I once shared a limousine with Lamar Hunt when I was 10 years old and I didn't know at that time that he was the father of the AFL. It's hard to believe that the Cowboys once had a hard time drawing 15,000 people to their home games. A terrific book for every football fan.
February 25, 2015
This was a very interesting read. Growing up near Dallas, I had know lots of history on the Dallas Cowboys but did not know much about how they began as well as how the Dallas Texans, now the Kansas City Chiefs, and AFL began. I knew many of the places and drove by many on days to and from work but getting to hear the stories and how much both teams fought to call Dallas home was interesting. A highly recommended book for any football fan, much less a Dallas football fan.
October 20, 2015
A great historical sports read.
Anyone who loves football and has a sense of history should read this book. A great tale about founding of the AFL and how the Cowboys slowly but surely morphed into America's Team. Plus you will pick up little facts like how the Vikings were originally an AFL team that jumped ship, Buffalol's beloved Ralph Wilson was almost Miami's beloved Ralph Wilson, and how close the Cowboys came to be known as the Dallas Rangers.
Anyone who loves football and has a sense of history should read this book. A great tale about founding of the AFL and how the Cowboys slowly but surely morphed into America's Team. Plus you will pick up little facts like how the Vikings were originally an AFL team that jumped ship, Buffalol's beloved Ralph Wilson was almost Miami's beloved Ralph Wilson, and how close the Cowboys came to be known as the Dallas Rangers.
December 10, 2012
Really good storyline weaving in the rivalry among the Cowboys/Texans with the story of the early years of AFL/NFL. I had no appreciation for how fast the Texans/Chiefs put together such a great team. Or how long it took for the Cowboys to become the legends that they are. I highly recommend this book for anyone how likes reading about the early years of the what is now the modern day NFL
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