First, I want to thank the editors for such a great site. I hope my writing will prevent others from making the same mistake.
A long story short - growing up in Louisiana I was always a Cowboys fan (sorry Saints!). Well, I decided when I turned 19 to try out for The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. I made the trip and tried out but got cut. But I made some wonderful friends that I kept in touch with.
One of them, I'll call her "Shelly, " made the team for 2 years. Let me add at this point that you don't do this for the money, I mean, the pay is ridiculously low, and the organization INSISTS you keep a regular job. I think it was paying around 35 dollars a game at the time I tried out (plus you sometimes get paid for promotional appearances).
"Shelly" was engaged at the time and thought that for a year or two it would be a fun experience with great contacts (she wanted to get into the entertainment field). Free travel, tons of promotional opportunities, the chance to meet lots of famous people and be one of America's Sweethearts.
Unfortunately, that's what the promo brochures show you. The truth is, although they SAY you're not supposed to date the players, during the offseason they hit on the girls like you wouldn't believe. One star player even showed up at her house. She of course let him in and offered him a drink (he was a big time player back in the 80s - that's all I want to say). Well, they start drinking and he starts 'moving in for the kill, ' feeling all up on her and she literally had to throw him out of her house she was so mortified (remember, she was engaged). Before she tossed him, he asked if she "wanted to have some more fun." when she asked what he meant, he made a snorting sound and said "ya know, some blow (cocaine)." (this player was one of many the Cheerleaders knew had a drug problem but were told to keep quiet and look the other way about).
When the Cheerleaders travel on promotional events they presumably have 'chaperones" to make their husbands feel better about letting them travel without them. Wrong. "Shelly" told me they're practically pimped out - they're told to flirt with and sit next to season ticket holders and other high rollers who often are vacationing at the same resorts where the Cheerleaders are staying (gee, wonder how they knew exactly which hotel to stay at?). They're told with a wink of the eye "now remember, you can't date the players, but season ticket holders and fans... Well, that's another story" (wink, wink).in other words, whore yourself out to keep the big spenders happy. If they're happy and the luxury suites at the stadium are filled, that's all we care about.
Remember, a team can lose and lose and lose and still be profitable as long as plenty of luxury suites are sold and season tickets are renewed. So keep the buyers happy.
Many of the girls on the team talked about sexual assaults by players, just like what happened to "shelly." and one girl, Kelly, who is now a bigwig in the organization, used to literally drive home with 1 of the star players every year after the last game. When "Shelly" asked the other girls about it (since it was presumably against the rules), she was told that technically the season was over and that Kelly could do whatever she wanted because of who she was sleeping with. YOu don't piss off your star player or his girlfriend over silly "rules" the other girls have to follow, is basically what she was told.
This is just a warning to all the girls out there... I don't know if other cheerleading squads are run the same way. Maybe they are, maybe they're not. And I don't know if the DCC have cleaned up their act, but if the same Kelly who whored around when she was a cheerleader is now running the squad, I highly doubt it.
Just be careful and realize that there are people who will prey on young girls' dreams of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
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