In 2003, the National Football League (NFL) lost one of its greats with the death of Tex Schramm (1920 - 2003). Not a player, but an owner, a promoter, and an innovator, Schramm created the NFL where the Dallas Cowboys became "America's Team" and football became American fans' sport of choice.
Born in San Gabriel, California, in 1920, and named after his father, not the lone star state, Texas Ernest Schramm ended his football career after high school. The pint-sized-but-almost-150-pound fullback decided that writing about the game was safer than playing it. Attending the University of Texas, Schramm earned a degree in journalism. Then, after a stint in the U.S. Air Force, he began his career as a $30-a-week sportswriter for the Austin American-Statesman.
Early Career
In 1947 Schramm entered the arena of football when he was hired as the then Los Angeles Rams' publicity director. During his five-year tenure Schramm hinted at what would become his unwavering commitment to do what was best for the game and its fans. This included forcing an end to discrimination within the team by signing a player from a black college, Tank Younger, in 1949. One year later, the Rams became the first team to draft a black player, running back Dan Towler. Rewarded for his dedication to the team, Schramm was named the Rams' general manager in 1952. Over the next five years he worked, on a broader level, to increase the NFL's popularity. To assist him in accomplishing this goal Schramm hired Pete Rozelle to replace him as the Rams' publicity director. Rozelle would eventually become the commissioner of the NFL.
In 1957 Schramm left his job as the Rams' general manager and returned to journalism, but not as a sportswriter. During the 1950s the major networks were just beginning to realize that sports - football in particular - could be a moneymaker. Schramm also recognized the potential of the new medium to give a boost to football's popularity. By broadcasting games on the television, more people would have access to the sport, effectively increasing the number of football fans, and increased ticket sales would follow. For the next three years Schramm, as an executive for CBS Sports, expanded the media coverage of U.S. football teams, among them a struggling small-market team called the Green Bay Packers. "I cut the Packers a check for $15,000," Schramm later recalled to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I threw in more money, thinking it would be good for the network in the long run." Television, however, was not the only means used to increase football's audience. Logically, if the league had more teams, then football would have more fans.
Established Cowboys Dynasty
While expanding the NFL to include more teams has become a common occurrence, in 1960 expansion was a rarity. Schramm resigned from CBS Sports and was hired by Clint Murchison, the founder of the Dallas Cowboys, to become that team's president and general manager before the NFL even approved the Cowboy's existence. Once the NFL gave its approval, however, there was no stopping Schramm. In his plans to grow the team he was helped by what he later called "the most important piece of legislation in the history of sports," as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted. That legislation gave all teams in the NFL equal shares of the revenue their televised games generated. The impact of this decision was immediate. No longer would small-market teams like the Packers have to beg Schramm for extra money because their television audience was only a fraction of big-market teams like the Rams. Parity had been created in the NFL.
This new parity helped Schramm and the Dallas Cowboys because the virtually unknown Cowboys now had money to not only attract competent coaches, staff, and players, but also to publicize the fact that a new football dynasty was being built in Texas. As the team's general manager, Schramm spent the team's television money wisely. First, he hired experienced coach Tom Landry and ingenious draft advisor Gil Brant, because he understood that coaching and drafting well would result in an unstoppable team.
For the next five years the Cowboys had a losing record. In 1965 the team began to emerge and reached the. 500 mark, and it was clear that the patience required to build the team through drafting was about to pay off. With notable defensive players like Bob Lilly and Mel Renfro as well as wide receiver Boy Hayes, the Cowboys, in 1966, tackled and ran their way into the championship game. Ironically, they lost to the team Schramm once donated money to: the Green Bay Packers.
Merged the NFL and AFL
For a team to become a dynasty, the bar of competition must be raised. However, within the NFL teams competed only against other NFL teams. There was a rival - the American Football League (AFL) - but teams from this league also played only against other AFL teams. What was needed was a merger of the two leagues. In this step the NFL resisted; it saw the AFL as its ugly stepsister, born off its own success. Schramm stepped in and called Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs. Together the two men negotiated a deal where both leagues could benefit. The first benefit of this merger was a championship game where the two top teams from each league competed. It was called the Super Bowl.
Now that the competition had been raised through the successful merger of both leagues, Schramm refocused his efforts on promoting the Cowboys. He wanted his team to be seen not just as just an expansion team, but as a team all football fans would root for, even over their home team. Throughout the 1970s Schramm established what would become the Cowboy's swagger: the unrelenting confidence that no team, no player, no coach was better. To publicize the team he decided to make another merger. Knowing that, on television as everywhere else, sex sells, Schramm hired professional female dancers. These dancers, as the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, toured around the country promoting the Cowboys as well as performing at the team's games. Schramm's highly successfully marketing campaign was not approved by Coach Landry, however. As noted by the London Times, Landry referred to the Cheerleaders as "porno queens." Schramm responded by forcing "his coach to watch a real pornographic film." Landry never again negatively commented on Schramm's ideas.
Pushed for More Innovations
Once Schramm had the television audience watching the Cowboys' cheerleaders, he came up with another idea to capture the fan's attention, and this time the focus was on the athletes. He would play the team on a national holiday. The Detroit Lions had already established their presence by playing a morning game on Thanksgiving. That changed when Schramm scheduled the Cowboys to play an afternoon game. Football fans, hungry for something to watch as they ate their turkey dinners, tuned in to the Cowboys. As a result, the team's popularity soared; a new stadium was built with its infamous hole in the dome roof where God could watch his favorite team play; and Texas Stadium's box seats were soon filled with Texas oilmen who would freely spend their money. By 1978 the Cowboys had won two Super Bowls. More importantly to Schramm, the Cowboys had also been named "America's Team" by NFL Films. Fans embraced the team's new name while Schramm conjured up another idea to expand the Cowboy dynasty.
Since its inception, football had been seen as an American sport. As the Dallas Cowboys reigned throughout the 1980s, Schramm knew his team, "America's Team" could become the "World's Team" if only the global audience had the opportunity to see them play-not on television, but live. So, in 1986, Schramm packed up the Cowboys and flew them to Wembley Stadium in London, England for a pre-season game against the Chicago Bears. He called it the American Bowl. His risky idea paid off and the Cowboys became even more popular. This influenced other teams to travel overseas including to Japan to expand their fan base.
By 1989 Schramm had, as then NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue told the Los Angeles Times, built "the NFL into America's passion by developing a glamour franchise with national appeal." Yet, this appeal could not stop the decline of the Cowboys. Infamous off-the-field antics and parties that ended in drug busts, as well as on-the-field poor play and the ineffectiveness of Coach Landry eventually overwhelmed "America's Team." New ideas were needed and those ideas came when businessman Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. He surprised Schramm by not only firing Landry, but also firing Schramm.
Although no longer affiliated with the team, Schramm remained a fan of the Cowboys and continued working to promote the NFL through his tenure as president and CEO of the World League of American Football (now known as NFL Europe). His efforts led to the NFL being announced over more than 200 radio stations as well as games being broadcasted in Spanish. "Schramm was Barnum and Bailey all rolled into one," former Cowboy Charlie Waters told the Los Angeles Times. "He was a great salesman."
In 1991 Schramm was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but curiously had not been welcomed into the Cowboy's own Hall of Fame, the Ring of Honor. Jones rarely spoke to his predecessor until 2003, when Schramm's ill health prompted him to announce that Schramm's name would be added to the Ring. "He is going to be recognized as the architect as the man who started and built the Cowboys into America's Team," Jones told the Los Angeles Times. "That's as it should be."
Before the induction ceremony could take place, Schramm passed away on July 15, 2003. However, upon first hearing of his induction into the Ring of Honor during a visit to Texas Stadium, he "literally rose to the occasion … in stubborn rebellion against infirmity," Frank Luksa wrote in Texas Monthly, then "straightened his bent body as best he could and made his way to the stage to bask in forthcoming attention."
Forever Influenced Football
Schramm's influence on football continued after his death. Imagine the game without instant replay, overtimes, microphone-wired referees, the 30-second clock, goal post strips, wild-card playoffs, computerized draft selections, quarterback's wired helmets, and the Super Bowl. All were Schramm's ideas. However, perhaps he will be best remembered for being football's number one promoter who never forgot who mattered most: the fans. Bill "Cowboy" Lamza, president of the Dallas Cowboys Fan Club shared this memory of Schramm with the Houston Chronicle: "Tex was always a fan's fan … any fan could write a letter to Tex … and they'd get a letter back from him, signed personally." This personal touch made fans feel like an important part of the team. However for Schramm it was always the fans, as he once told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who made him feel great, even after he had been out of the public eye for more than a decade. "When I go somewhere, people always come up and say, 'Tex Schramm? All I want to do is say thank you for a lot of great seasons and great memories.'"
Periodicals
Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 4, 1998; January 17, 2001.
Houston Chronicle, July 15, 2003.
Los Angeles Times, July 16, 2003.
New York Times, July 16, 2003.
Texas Monthly, September, 2003.
Times (London, England), August 11, 2003.
USA Today, July 16, 2003.
