Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Encyclopedia
The Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

 Cheerleaders
(DCC) is the National Football League cheerleading
National Football League Cheerleading
National Football League Cheerleading, or simply NFL Cheerleading, is a professional cheerleading league in the United States. Twenty six of the 32 NFL teams include a cheerleading squad in their franchise. Cheerleaders are a popular attraction that can give a team more coverage/airtime, popular...

 squad representing the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...

.

1960s

The original cheerleading squad was a made up of a male-female group called the CowBelles & Beaux. The group made its sidelines debut in 1960 during the Cowboys' inaugural season. Local high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 students made up the squad, which was typical of other high school and college cheerleading squads throughout the 1960s, rarely getting much attention.

During a game between the Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

 at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...

 during the 1967 season, the scantily clad, well-endowed Bubbles Cash, a stripper
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...

 by profession, caused a tremendous stir in the crowd that turned to cheers when she walked down the staircase stands on the 50 yard line carrying cotton candy in each hand. She became an instant public sensation in Dallas, and Cowboys General Manager Tex Schramm
Tex Schramm
Texas Earnest "Tex" Schramm, Jr. was the original president and general manager of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys franchise. Schramm became the head of the Cowboys when the former expansion team started operations in 1960.-Early life and career:Despite his name, Schramm was not born...

 noted all of this. Understanding the importance of the entertainment industry to the Cowboys' profitability, Schramm was inspired to form a cheerleading squad dressed in similar fashion to Cash.

In 1969, it was decided that the cheerleading squad needed a new image and the decision was made to drop the male cheerleaders and select an all female squad from local high school cheerleaders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It was at this period that the CowBelles & Beaux became the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

1970s

Preparing for the 1970 season, Schramm decided to change the Cheerleaders' image to boost attendance. At first the main change was to create an all-female squad and change the uniforms and style of cheerleading routines to be more primarily dance and less like traditional acrobatic routines like that of high school or college cheerleading squads. The ten local high school cheerleaders that were selected for the 1970 season were also involved in the task of totally redesigning the uniforms and creating new dance style cheer routines under Dee Brock's direction and with the help of a choreographer. In 1971, the qualification rules changed to allow not only local female cheerleaders to compete for a spot on the squad, but also high school drill team officers. Then in 1972, Texie Waterman, a New York choreographer, was recruited and charged with auditioning and training an entirely new female squad which would all be over 18 years of age, searching for attractive appearance, athletic ability, and raw talent as performers. And since the 1972 squad consisted of adults, this allowed the possibility of again redesigning the uniforms to introduce a more revealing, sexier look closer to what we see today. This modified squad first appeared on the sidelines during the Cowboys' 1972 season.

Even greater national attention came in 1978 when the squad appeared on two network TV specials, NBC Rock-n-Roll Sports Classic and The Osmond Brothers Special on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

. In 1978, the Cheerleaders had their own one-hour special, The 36 Most Beautiful Girls in Texas, which aired on ABC prior to the season opener of Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...

 (which coincidentally was a game that the Cowboys hosted).

On January 14, 1979, the made-for-TV movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...

 The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (1979
1979 in film
The year 1979 in film involved some significant events.- Major events :* March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.* May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released....

) aired. Starring Bert Convy
Bert Convy
Bernard Whalen "Bert" Convy was an Emmy Award winning American actor, singer, game show host and panelist known for his tenure as the host for Tattletales, Super Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.-Early life:...

 and Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...

, it had a 48% share of the national television audience.

1980s

On January 13, 1980, a sequel to the original TV movie called The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II (1980
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....

) aired. Throughout the years that followed, the Cheerleaders have made many other TV appearances; and their likeness has been featured on various merchandise, such as posters, T-shirts, bubblegum cards, calendars, and the like.

The Cheerleaders have also toured throughout the US (on and off field) and overseas. Included in this are regular appearances in United Service Organizations
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...

 (USO) tours. This started in the Christmas of 1979, for US troops stationed in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

. Since then, it has remained a regular function for the squad.

1990s–present

The Cheerleaders release an annual swimsuit calendar.

Former DCCs Kelli McGonagill Finglass
Kelli Finglass
Kelli McGonagill Finglass is the current director of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. She is also a former member of the squad. She appears in the CMT reality series Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team. Finglass also played herself in the film Dr. T & the Women.-Early life and...

 and Judy Trammell are the squad's director and choreographer, respectively.

Since 2006, the Cheerleaders have had their own reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 series, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is an American reality television series that premiered in 2006 on Country Music Television. The series follows the auditioning process and the making of the annual Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad...

, which airs on Country Music Television/CMT
Country Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...

. The series follows the auditioning process of the annual squad.

Uniform

The uniform itself is a carefully guarded trademark and may not be duplicated in any way without the written permission of the DCC. The internationally recognized ensemble of blouse, vest, and shorts was originally designed by Jody Van Amburgh.

Modifications

Since first introduced with the formation of the squad in 1972, the basic uniform has been modified only six times:
  • In May 1989, the original "go-go
    Go-go boots
    Go-go boots are a low-heeled style of women's fashion boot worn since the mid-sixties when fashion silhouettes focused on accentuating the leg...

    " boot had gone out of style, and a more western oriented design was selected.
  • In 1991, the large buckled belt was left behind in favor of shorts with a more flattering cut.
  • In 1992, a cowboy-style boot was introduced to the uniform
  • In 1993, crystals were added to outline the fifteen stars on the vest and shorts.
  • In 1994, a more western shape to the blouse lapels was incorporated.
  • In 1999, crystals were added to the fringe line of the vest.
  • In 2002, a western styled belt with a large buckle was added to the shorts.


Each modification has been approved by Director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and implemented by Leveta Crager, who for twenty-four years made and hand tailored every uniform worn by a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. Upon her retirement, at the start of the 1996 season, designer Greg Danison was selected to continue the tradition of individual craftsmanship.

Off-field television appearances

The squad has appeared on variety of TV shows and specials, as performers, guest acting roles, and game show contestants. Some of the shows they have appeared on are:
  • The Love Boat
    The Love Boat
    The Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...

     – Episodes #62 and #63 – One cheerleader has an unwanted admirer follow her on the ship. Another is hit on by her mom's fiance. As a group, the Cheerleaders perform their signature routines.
  • Family Feud
    Family Feud
    Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...

     – Five of the Cheerleaders participated as a team on a celebrity special for charity against the five of the Cowboys players on the week of 30 June – 4 July 1980.
  • Harry and the Hendersons
    Harry and the Hendersons (TV series)
    Harry and the Hendersons is an American sitcom based on the film of the same name, produced by Amblin Entertainment for Universal Television. The series aired in syndication from January 13, 1991 to June 18, 1993, with 72 half-hour episodes produced...

     TV Series – Made guest appearance on show.
  • Billy Bob's New Year Special for CBS
    CBS
    CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

    .
  • Nashville Palace Show (1981) – The Cheerleaders appeared as guests alongside the Oak Ridge Boys.
  • Hardknocks 2002
  • Saturday Night Live
    Saturday Night Live
    Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...

    .
  • The Tonight Show
    The Tonight Show
    The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...

     with Jay Leno
    Jay Leno
    James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...

    .
  • Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman
    Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...

    .
  • Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team
    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team
    Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team is an American reality television series that premiered in 2006 on Country Music Television. The series follows the auditioning process and the making of the annual Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad...

     (Their own reality TV series, 2006 – Present)
  • Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
    Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? (U.S. game show)
    Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is an American quiz game show on Fox. It is produced by Mark Burnett and is hosted by Jeff Foxworthy. The show premiered as a three-day special which began on February 27, 2007 with the first two shows each a half-hour in length...

    - Participated on a celebrity special for charity in 2008.
  • The Cheerleaders have also appeared on a number of country music awards shows and specials since the late 1970s.

Sources

  • Shropshire, Mike. (1997). The Ice Bowl. New York, NY: Donald I. Fine Books. ISBN
    International Standard Book Number
    The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering code created by Gordon Foster, Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H...

     1-55611-532-6
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