Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson makes bold claim, calls for NFL expansion

Eric Johnson, the mayor of Dallas, made a bold claim on Thursday afternoon, saying he believes his city should host two NFL teams if expansion comes on the table. In responding to a hypothetical tweet from CBS, he set off a big reaction in the area and around the country.

In making the case for a second NFL franchise to join the Dallas Cowboys, Eric Johnson makes an interesting case using population data and the success of other comparable cities.

“The answer is Dallas,” posted Johnson. “Why? We are about to pass the Chicago metro and become the No. 3 metro in the U.S., which would make us the largest U.S. metro without two teams. Football is king here. Dallas needs an expansion team and we would be able to sustain two NFL teams better than (Los Angeles) or (New York.)”

Johnson makes the case for Dallas to get a second NFL franchise to compete with the Cowboys in the same way the Giants and Jets do, or the Chargers and Rams have started in recent years. Although those two host a pair of professional teams in nearly every major sporting league the United States has to offer, few other cities have ever attempted to pull it off.

Dallas is one of the short list of cities which hosts a team in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS. All of it’s teams receive great fan support throughout the season and into the playoffs, with FC Dallas and the Dallas Mavericks providing the most recent championships in 2016 and 2011 respectively.

More on NFL expansion

While the NFL already hosts 32 teams, with eight divisions of four teams split into two conferences, expansion and relocation have happened throughout the league’s history. While Dallas looks to make its case in these talks, the hottest talk since Las Vegas landed the Raiders has centered on international expansion.

Whether discussing a move to Toronto, London or Mexico City, multiple rumors have linked the NFL to international fan hubs as they continue to host games across the world in the regular season. Among the most recent moves came this season when they announced the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play in Munich, Germany.

Whether league expansion comes on the table in the near future or not, it is now clear the city of Dallas is looking to further stamp its footprint on the sports world.