Breakthrough 'Boys The Story of the 1971 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys

by Aron, Jaime

• ISBN13: 9780760340394
• ISBN10: 0760340390
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-10-07
• Publisher: Mvp Books

Summary

The Dallas Cowboys of the 1970s were one of the most dominant teams in pro football history, appearing in five Super Bowls and claiming two championships in a nine-year span. But during the late 1960s, the Cowboys were known as the team that couldn#x19;t win the big one, getting close to the top but failing to seal the deal-they were perpetually #x1C;next year#x19;s champions.#x1D; That all changed in 1971 when the Boys rallied to capture their first-ever title and put the franchise on its way to becoming #x1C;America#x19;s Team.#x1D; In Breakthrough 'Boys, Jaime Aron gets the inside stories from former players, coaches, and other key figures to explore the fascinating and tumultuous road the Cowboys took to their first championship in 1971 under coach Tom Landry. Eight years after the assassination of JFK and seven years before the arrival of J. R. Ewing, this team gave the city of Dallas the new identity it needed and changed the face of football forever.

Author Biography

Jaime Aron has been covering the Cowboys for The Associated Press since becoming Texas Sports Editor in 1999. He has also covered the Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup Finals, the Final Four, and several Summer and Winter Olympics. He was named the AP\u2019s Sports Writer of the Year in 2001 and has written several books, including one about former Cowboys coach Tom Landry. Aron grew up a Cowboys fan in Houston and then earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas. He lives in Dallas with his wife, Lori, and three sons.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 9
Setting the Stage
Tex & Tom: A Foundation for Greatness	p. 17
The NFL in 1971: Year Two ofthe Merger	p. 29
The Birth of Texas Stadium	p. 33
Black Dallas, White Dallas	p. 39
Roster Maintenance	p. 43
Duane, Calvin & Walt	p. 53
Mr.Cowboy & Killer	p. 65
Craig vs. Roger	p. 73
Flawed Perfection
And So They Gathered	p. 89
Duane Goes Off the Deep End	p. 97
Heroes & Zeroes	p. 109
Coaching Brilliance or Sheer Confusion?	p. 123
Ready or Not	p. 131
A QB Decision- Sort Of	p. 139
False Start
The Early Calm	p. 149
First Fissures	p. 157
Uh-oh	p. 171
Texas Stadium Is Open for Business	p. 177
A Grand Debut	p. 183
The Shuttle & More Trouble	p. 189
Righting the Ship
The Turning Point	p. 201
Paybacks & Momentum	p. 213
Problem Solving	p. 227
Chemistry	p. 239
Breaking Through
Another Ice Bowl?	p. 245
Not Satisfied	p. 255
Getting Ready in Dallas	p. 261
Getting Ready in New Orleans	p. 267
Champions at Last	p. 279
Afterword: The Legacy	p. 291
Acknowledgments	p. 295
Bibliography	p. 297
Index	p. 299
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