THC Lives, Dan Patrick Rages, and the Cheerleaders Slay. From The Barbed Wire

Howdy y’all, I’m Brian Gaar, senior editor of The Barbed Wire, and welcome back to Texas, where the THC is (barely) legal, the cheerleaders are national icons, and Dan Patrick is having a full-on edible meltdown.

This week, we’re talking about the future of weed in Texas, the long-overdue reckoning with Austin’s police department, the unsung genius of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and why playing sports is starting to feel like applying to college — if college also made you buy your own cleats.

Let’s dive in, before someone calls a special session.

In an extremely unchill move, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tried to kill Texas’ booming THC industry with a bill that would’ve nuked Delta-8, gummies, and anything remotely fun. But on Sunday night, Gov. Greg Abbott pulled a fast one and vetoed it — saving the hemp-derived party, at least for now.

Abbott said the bill would’ve gone up in smoke in court anyway and hinted he’d prefer actual regulation over Dan’s rainbow-colored fear campaign. Naturally, Patrick lost his mind and accused Abbott of trying to legalize marijuana, which — let’s be honest — would be the most popular thing he’s ever done.

In Austin, a federal civil trial is moving forward over the 2021 police killing of Alex Gonzales Jr., with a judge finding enough evidence that Austin may have a systemic pattern of under-investigating excessive force. 

Meanwhile, thanks to rising costs and the decline of free school programs, youth sports in Texas are increasingly reserved for families who can pay to play. For low-income kids, the barriers are high — and the opportunities are shrinking fast.

Finally, let’s talk about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. They didn’t just happen — they were meticulously crafted into global icons starting in 1972, blending athleticism, beauty, and serious brains. Today’s squad members are nurses, engineers, and students who make dancing in white boots look effortless (it’s not).

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Are Superheroes in Sequins

We talk to the creator of Texas Monthly’s “America’s Girls” podcast and dig into what made the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders global icons.

By H. Drew Blackburn

Ten years ago, when I was the Dallas Observer’s clubs editor, I took an assignment to interview — and dance with — veteran Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and rookie hopefuls on camera. The video’s disappeared from the blog post, and my memory of the night is a bit foggy, but some details stick.

It was the eve of preliminary auditions, and I wore skinny camo pants from ASOS and Doc Martens — hardly the outfit for mastering “sexy hips.” Contrary to what Lauren Smart, the alt-weekly’s then arts and culture editor, wrote, I did need my arm twisted. For one, I don’t want to be an on-camera journalist — I’ve ducked filming TikToks to accompany this column from the start. Second, it was a Friday night; I was far keener on spending time in a dark bar than under fluorescent studio lights. And when one of the cheerleaders explained the audition process, I said that it sounded tougher than getting into Yale. I meant it. 

To don that star-spangled uniform, a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader has to be athletic, gorgeous, sharp on the dance floor — then pass a 100-question written test and be charming through panel interviews. As evidenced on Netflix’s reality show “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” which just premiered its second season, they most likely juggle a day job, too. 

Many are nurses, software engineers, elementary school teachers, or students on their way to becoming speech-language pathologists and lawyers. The bar to becoming a Cowboys cheerleader is sky-high, and the women who clear it are nothing short of remarkable, superheroes even. 

Sarah Hepola, host and creator of a Texas Monthly podcast about the cultural impact of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders called “America’s Girls,” moved to Dallas from Philly in the late ’70s, when DCC’s place in pop-culture began to take root. “They were everywhere,” Hepola, a bestselling author and staff writer at The Dallas Morning News, told The Barbed Wire. “To me, they were the pretty princesses who ruled my new hometown.” 

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