The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are part of a tradition in American Football that people from other countries find hard to understand. It is hard for outsiders to appreciate quite how significant the business of being a cheerleader has become, or how much it integrates with business sponsorship which helps to pay some of the huge bills of NFL franchises.
Cheerleading has been a part of American sports for over a century now, and football and basketball have always been at the forefront of this. Only in this century has the cheerleader been integrated into baseball.
The Dallas Cowboys franchise has been part of the NFC now for over 40 years, and the cheerleaders themselves have just celebrated their 35th anniversary. The cheerleaders have become such an institution that they have recently been to the Persian Gulf, as part of an entertainment tour for the military.
They have also been immortalized in a new set of Barbie dolls, as well as the inevitable tour photographs and annual calendar. The trips overseas as part of the USO have been happening for over twenty five years, and this was the 63rd trip. The cheerleaders performed a musical show called "America and Her Music", as well as mixing with the troops and posing for pictures.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have been producing their annual calendar every year since their inception, and in the last two years it has been extended to cover 16 months, starting in September to cover the football season.
But wait, there's more...
The cheerleaders have been down to the Riviera Maya in Mexico to shoot the calendar, which was unveiled to the eager waiting world right on midfield at Texas Stadium. The staff at the cheerleaders had been looking at thousands of potential pictures during months of editing, and the final choices came as a great surprise to many who finally made the cut, and had their pictures included in the calendar.
The cheerleaders also have an annual competition. The bye weekend in the middle of the season gave many of the Cowboys' players, coaches an administrators a well-earned rest, but not the cheerleaders. The cheerleaders take part in a two day competition, which also gives them a chance to interact with the fans, and provide a chance for other dance groups within the city to become involved.
For many of people the Cowboys' competition is the highlight of the year. Some of the better groups in the competition even get to appear in the Cowboys' half time show during their Christmas game on December 16th.
This is the sort of event that the American sports do so well, liaising with the fan base and customers of the future. Anyone who was there will go away with a very positive impression of the organization, and of the professionalism and dedication of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
