New Books Network David Fleming, "A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1952 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History" (St. Martin's Press, 2025)
Dec 21, 2025
David Fleming, a Peabody-nominated correspondent and longtime ESPN writer, dives into the wild tale of the 1952 Dallas Texans, the NFL's first franchise in Texas. He reveals how the Texans' integration efforts and financial struggles set the stage for future teams. Fleming shares hilarious training camp stories, from rattlesnakes to volleyball practices. The discussion includes the team's chaotic rise and fall, culminating in a miraculous Thanksgiving victory over the Bears, and their overlooked legacy that paved the way for the Dallas Cowboys.
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NFL Before Television Was A Wild West
- The 1950s NFL was chaotic and financially fragile, relying almost entirely on gate receipts before TV revenue arrived.
- David Fleming argues this Wild West era allowed risky, colorful ownerships like the Dallas Texans to emerge and fail spectacularly.
Giles Miller: The Naive Millionaire Owner
- Giles Miller, a young millionaire and enthusiastic football fan, bought the Texans despite being unprepared to run a pro franchise.
- Fleming shows Miller as charmingly naive, a man who failed upward thanks to family wealth and poor judgment.
Progressive Team In An Unforgiving City
- The Texans were socially progressive for 1952: first NFL team in the South, integrated roster in Texas, and included female ownership.
- Fleming contends Dallas and the NFL later downplayed this because the city rejected the team's racial and cultural stance.