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Netflix's latest sports documentary series, America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, rolled out on August 19, 2025. All eight episodes were released on the premiere day, and each of them delves into the Dallas Cowboys' history in the 1990s.
It focuses on the time when the billionaire businessman Jerry Jones took over the Dallas Cowboys. In 1989, Jones brought the team for a whopping $150 million from Bum Bright, who was the previous owner of the Cowboys (from 1984 to 1989).
Jones made a few changes to the NFL team, starting with replacing the coach and instead giving the position to Jimmy Johnson. Using archival footage and rare interviews, the docuseries unravels what truly went behind making one of the most valuable NFL teams. Did you know that under the ownership of Jerry Jones and head coach Jimmy Johnson, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls in four years?
American Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys follows the Dallas Cowboys' golden decade in the NFL, where they dominated the charts with their back-to-back wins.
Continue reading to know more.
America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys Recap
Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys, replaced the head coach, and the controversy that followed
The Cowboys didn't just become America's Team overnight. It took risk, ego, money, and a storm of controversy. After President Kennedy's assassination in Dallas in 1963, the state lost its glory and reputation. The perception changed when the Cowboys won two Super Bowls (1971 and 1977) in a decade. Turns out that the popularity of the Dallas Cowboys soared to such heights that it was labelled as America's team.
Netflix's new docuseries, America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, opens with Jerry Jones' audacious purchase of the franchise and the chaos that followed. Episode 1, titled 'Saturday Night Massacre,' sets the stage for the upcoming chaos and success.
In 1989, when the team was struggling financially, Jerry Jones offered to purchase it from Bum Bright. Initially, Jones offered $150 million, but when negotiations stalled over $300,000, they flipped a coin to decide the outcome. Turns out, Jones lost, and he had to pay $300,000 extra.
The premiere wastes no time tackling one of the darkest moments of the team's history: The replacement of the head coach, Tom Landry. For three decades, Landry was part of the Dallas Cowboys, and under his leadership, the team won two Super Bowls.
But by 1989, the team was floundering. He replaced the previous head coach with his Arkansas friend Jimmy Johnson. What followed was outrage. Fans felt betrayed, and the backlash was brutal- they protested and even sent death threats.
In America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys, Jones recalls being painted as an outsider; however, he did not flinch. The docuseries paints him as a gambler who risked it all, and slowly the gamble paid off.
The beginning of the Dallas Cowboys' Golden Decade in America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys
The Johnson-Jones partnership built one of the greatest roasters in NFL history. Along with players like Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin, the team became unbeatable. The Dallas Cowboys won back-to-back Super Bowls: 1992, 1993, and 1995.
The show delves into the details behind the wins. Johnson's obsession over muddy patches in San Francisco, Aikman's steel under pressure, Irvin's charisma, and Smith's unstoppable drive all contributed to the wins.
The Johnson-Jones rift that changed everything
No story this huge escapes tragedy. America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys dives into the rift between Johnson and Jones. As their ego clashed, the team suffered. Who deserved the credit? The owner or the coach?
The split was ugly; Johnson was gone by 1994, Jones brought in Barry Switzer, and they snagged one more Super Bowl. However, the wins stalled, and the three-peat never came. The Dallas Cowboys haven't lifted a Super Bowl trophy since 1995.
In 2023, Jerry Jones finally inducted Jimmy Johnson into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor. After several decades, the two of them reunited, marking the end of their clash.
Scandal in the locker room and the aftermath in America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys
America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys doesn't shy away from showing the scandals the teammates got involved in. From Michael Irvin's cocaine scandal to Charles Haley's explosive outbursts and Barry Switzer's gun arrest, the Cowboys' reputation was slowly being tainted. They lost sponsorship and several other projects due to these scandals.
It ends on a hopeful note and gives a glimpse of where the individuals are in 2025. Jerry Jones, now 82, remains the general manager of the Dallas Cowboys. Michael Irvin retired after suffering a spine injury and is currently a TV broadcaster. Aikman also retired in 2001 after the end of his contract with the Cowboys, and Jimmy Johnson left his coaching career in 1999 and ventured into television.
The show is not just about nostalgia but a reality check into what goes on inside one of the most valuable teams in the world. It is a reminder that in sports, as in life, success and greatness rarely come without chaos.
America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys is streaming on Netflix.
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