In 1960, the Dallas Texans, who would later become the Kansas City Chiefs, introduced a distinctive logo that encapsulated the team's identity and regional pride. The primary logo featured a polished, football-toting gunslinger set against a red silhouette of the state of Texas. The character donned cowboy boots and a hat, carrying both a football and a gun. This emblematic design was the creation of Bob Taylor, a cartoonist for the now-defunct Dallas Times Herald.
Although this logo was prominently displayed on various promotional materials, stationery, and even billboards outside the team's offices, it was never part of the team's official uniform. Instead, the team's helmets featured a white outline of the state of Texas with a yellow star marking the location of Dallas.
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This original logo not only highlighted the team's Texan roots but also captured the cultural essence of the region during that era. The imagery of a gunslinger symbolized the rugged, adventurous spirit associated with Texas, aligning perfectly with the team's identity and the cultural milieu of the early 1960s.
In 1963, when the franchise relocated to Kansas City and became the Chiefs, the logo underwent a transformation. Bob Taylor was commissioned to produce a new logo that retained similarities to his original design. The updated emblem featured a Native American figure running with the same stride and holding the football in the same manner as the original gunslinger, with the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Arkansas serving as his backdrop.
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This evolution of the logo reflects the franchise's journey and its efforts to maintain a visual identity that honors its origins while embracing its new home. The original 1960 Dallas Texans logo remains a significant piece of sports history, symbolizing the team's beginnings and its connection to Texan culture.