The Dallas Cowboys have had some disappointing seasons and missed opportunities lately, but one thing is sure. They win the "Great Off-Season Headline Race of 2016."

Two big stories came out this week that put the Cowboys in the spotlight, and one of them gives fans a lot to be excited about.  The other one just means anything Cowboy-related will keep costing a lot of money.

Forbes Magazine released its list of the Most Valuable Sports Franchises this week, and the Cowboys are #1.  And with a value of about $4 billion, they've almost doubled the value of the next high-ranking NFL team.  There are several soccer teams in Europe that have a value in the $3 billion range, but no other NFL teams even come close to the Cowboys.

Love him or not, Jerry Jones knows what he's doing.  And the fact that the Cowboys are holding their value and increasing leaps and bounds every year means that as fans, we'll keep paying hundreds of dollars for an outing to AT&T Stadium on a Sunday afternoon.  And maybe more.  Parking alone costs about a hundred bucks, then there's the price of the ticket, and twenty-five bucks or so for a couple of beers.  If the Cowboys win, it's worth it right?  At least that's what you tell your wife.

The Cowboys also have one of the best fan bases in the NFL.  The Patriots are #1, and the Cowboys are #2.  A college professor came up with a formula, and took things into consideration like community support, attendance, money spent, and social media following.  The Jacksonville Jaguars have the worst fan base, according to this, and the Patriots and Cowboys have the best.   The Houston Texan fan base ranks #14, ahead of the San Diego Chargers and behind the Seattle Seahawks.

So far so good for the Cowboys this season, at least off the field.  The first game is September 11th against the NY Giants, and then we'll see how the rest of it goes!

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