I tend to think of analytics in sports as a recent invention, but Tom Landry, square-jawed coach of America’s Team–God’s Team, really–the Dallas Cowboys, was apparently a computer-friendly technocrat back in the 1970s. From “Tom Landry Is a Believer: in Himself, His Printouts, His Cowboys and His Lord,” Kent Demaret’s 1977 People article about the laconic leader:

“The process starts on Monday. Game films from the day before are shown, and each player’s performance evaluated and graded. That done, Landry turns to computer printouts—bound into a book the size of the Manhattan phone directory—for a minute analysis of the next opponent. The computer reveals what plays they used under what conditions and how often. As the week progresses Landry and his coaching staff absorb the mass of data, design countermoves and settle on a game plan for both offense and defense. The offense is rarely changed. ‘You don’t spend three days working up a game plan and getting all the players ready, only to change it during a 10-minute halftime,’ Landry says. ‘You just go out there and execute it better than they can execute a defense against it.’ Such intensive preparation motivates the team, he adds, far more successfully than locker room histrionics. ‘Confidence comes from knowing what you’re doing,’ says Landry. ‘If you are prepared for something, you usually do it. If not, you usually fall flat on your face.’

Not all those who now play or have played for Landry admire his push-button approach.”•

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“I’m one of the best-known cowboys in Texas,” 1986: