Covering the Dallas Texans, Beautifully

Good Friend of Unfair Park PeterK directs our rapt attention to yesterday's installment of Paul Lukas's UniWatch, which provides a rare glimpse into the inaugural 1960 season of Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans. Long story short: Bob Halford, the Texans' PR man, loaned a longtime UniWatch-er named Billy Quinton his Mayo...

By Robert Wilonsky

March 3, 2011

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Good Friend of Unfair Park PeterK directs our rapt attention to yesterday's installment of Paul Lukas's UniWatch, which provides a rare glimpse into the inaugural 1960 season of Lamar Hunt's Dallas Texans. Long story short: Bob Halford, the Texans' PR man, loaned a longtime UniWatch-er named Billy Quinton his Mayo Brothers-bound collection of debut-season programs, which Quinton promptly scanned and sent to Lukas, who writes:

The net result is an interesting glimpse at how the various teams approached one small but visible detail of their businesses -- program cover design -- during the AFL's first season. It would be fair to say that some of them splurged while others did the bare minimum. ... [An] amazing trove of material."

It's not just a history of the team, but also a loving look-see at the artists responsible for the frame-worthy art -- including University of Texas immortal John Churchill Chase and Dallas Morning News political cartoonist Bill McClanahan. This book would make a fine addition to a certain museum, should it ever get announced.

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