April 7, 2024 • 31 mins
When the Texas sun set on those high-spirited days of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, bonds were forged that outlasted the glitz of pom-poms and stadium lights. Today, my laughter intertwines with Shannon Baker-Worthman's as we revisit the camaraderie that turned teammates into lifelong sisters. From the comic escapades of maintaining the era's defining big hair to navigating the emotional intensity of shared grief, Shannon and I uncover the deep-rooted connections that have anchored us through life's tumultuous waves. Her tales, both humorous and heartfelt, exemplify the unbreakable ties that dance and dedication can create.
Our conversation takes a heartfelt turn, weaving through the fabric of an evolving sports era—where passion intertwined with play and the Dallas Cowboys felt more like kin than competitors. We pay homage to the legacy of the Dallas Doomsday Defense and the familial bonds that once defined the game. As we share the story of rallying around each other during the heart-wrenching news of Dr. Baker's passing, the true strength of our sisterhood shines through. This episode is more than a cheerleading chronicle; it celebrates the resilience and unwavering support found in friendships forged on the sidelines. Join Shannon and me as we shine a light on a lifetime of memories that continue to cheer us on through every high kick and hurdle.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hi and welcome to another episode of Sideline
Legends, in their own words.
I'm Tammy, your host, and youare in for a great time.
This week I sat down withShannon Baker-Worthman.
Shannon is a legend.
For four years, shannonperformed at Texas Stadium and
(00:24):
around the world as one of themost talented and iconic
cheerleaders of all time.
Following her cheer years,shannon was hand-picked by the
infamous Texie Waterman to bethe first cheerleader to become
their choreographer.
Shannon was on posters, afavorite of the photographers on
game day for the televisionaudience and.
(00:47):
I humbly and proudly call her mybest friend and sister.
Shannon and I share our timetogether, our shenanigans and
our bond that has grown andcontinued for the past 45 years.
I can't imagine what my lifewould have been like without her
.
We have so much to share that Idecided to make her interview a
(01:11):
two-part series, which meansyou're going to have to tune in
to part two.
I know you're going to bedazzled and amazed by this woman
who has accomplished so muchand continues to be one of the
bravest, strongest andinteresting women that has ever
worn the Dallas Cowboyscheerleaders uniform.
(01:31):
Okay, hi everybody, this isTammy, a former Dallas Cowboys
cheerleader, and today is themost special day I have been
waiting for.
One of the reasons that I madethe decision to do Sideline
Legends Back in 1977, I met thebestest friend ever.
(01:58):
We are truly sisters in so manyways.
I want to introduce you toShannon Baker-Worthman.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah, BFFs before we knew what BFF was.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
That's right, that's right.
We just, we just knew, yes, butlike I was telling Shannon
right before we started inDecember and and I'm sorry y'all
, my parent in the background issinging O McDonald, but that's
OK, I mean I was telling herthat in December when I was in
(02:37):
Dallas, and of course I gettogether with Shannon and then I
observe, I just observe what wehave as national football
cheerleaders alumni.
It's a family like I've nevermade before.
Friends come, friends go.
(02:58):
Some friends stay a very longtime.
I'm still friends with mykindergarten friends, but this
is different.
This is a connection that lastsa lifetime.
We develop feelings,familiarity and wonderful
(03:20):
memories each and every day ofour lives and it continues to
grow.
So I wanted shannon to come onand we're going to tell you some
of our shenanigans and it'sbeen so yep, we I'll be
perfectly honest with you wewe've kind of decided the top
(03:43):
four or five, because shannonand I could probably be on here
for about four days telling youeverything we've done together
that we could remember that well, yeah yeah, yeah and uh, but I
think we should start with um.
Shannon wants to start with hair.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Okay, so we're Texas, right, we're Texas in the 70s,
in the 70s, tall, big hair whichis coming back.
Have you heard?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Big hair, big hair, oh sure right when mine's
falling out.
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha.
But Shannon, tell me Big hair,big hair, oh sure Right when
mine's falling out.
But Shannon, tell me about yourfirst year, because you were
already a veteran by my rookieyear.
You started in 76.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I started in 77.
So tell the difference betweenjust 76 and then as the hair
grew.
Yes, as the hair grew.
Okay, um, in 76 we were kind ofthe guinea pig um of bcc,
because it was the first time itwas open to the public.
So Texie Waterman, ourlegendary, oh our legendary.
Texie, yes, she had kind ofhandpicked who she wanted, okay.
(05:18):
So I don't even know if she wasready for this public stuff
going on.
I'm sure not, probably not.
So as we came in, there waskind of just getting to know
each other, but they wanted alook for each girl so they could
(05:50):
market them that way, of course, you know, and base for
individual girls, and so thatwas kind of the big marketing
plan.
Um, it really didn't take off,I think too much till 77 though,
since we were the guinea piggroup.
So, um, I would roll my hair inhot curlers the night before a
game ouch, ouch, and then Iwould sit up all night.
(06:16):
I I put my cowboy band on overthe rollers.
I remember, remember seeingthat.
And I would sit up all night andthen I would get up, take it
out, roll it again to get in thecar to go to the game.
(06:40):
And then at the time we had topark really far away from our
tunnel, the cheerleading tunnelthat we'd go down at Texas
stadium.
And I was allowed I guesseverybody was but I would walk
the mile and a half in my hotcurlers and uniform and uniform.
(07:00):
Of course yes, hot curlers anduniform and uniform.
Of course yes, hot curlers,uniforms.
And we were supposed to wearleg pantyhose but I didn't want
to because they were too tighton my legs, so I wore my own um
pantyhose and I would walk allthat way and have my bandana on,
(07:23):
and then I'd get into thelocker room and I would take it
out and Aquanet All weather,extra super hold yes, and it was
a.
You know it's a canister, it'sand it's, it's, it's, it's a
(07:45):
canister and it's it's aerosol,aerosol.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I think you can blame the Dallas.
Cowboy cheerleaders for theclimate change.
Climate change.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
So I would spray it and the whole thing.
When I would bend over to doanything would, as a helmet,
come forward and back and I wastrying to get the Farrah Fawcett
look, that's what they told meto get.
That was going to be my, thatwas you, you were, yeah, that
(08:20):
was me.
So so, everything you know, Ihad to curl individually,
aquanet it and just have it as ahelmet.
I got better when you camealong.
Oh, I have to first.
So, on the field, something Ithought was very funny Taxi
(08:41):
Waterman was the one we reallyknew.
Suzanne, I don't know, shewasn't there yet, she wasn't
there yet.
She wasn't there yet.
She was just a secretary, shewas with SRAM.
So they were conniving behindour backs and Texi, you know fun
, texi, she just said girls,please, if there's one thing I
(09:05):
have to ask you is do not smokeor drink alcohol on the field.
So I'm thinking it was okay inthe tunnel before we went out on
them.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
oh, I know it was okay in the dressing room
dressing Dressing room Becausethere are pictures of girls
smoking in the dressing roomRight.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
In colors With my aerosol going on, so that does
not seem like a greatcombination.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And the dressing room , ladies and gentlemen, had one
stall bathroom, a teeny, tinymirror.
I think we had a couple offull-length mirrors that were
propped against a wall.
They were propped against awall and we had concrete walls
and benches, true?
(09:57):
So you just sat on the floor,the concrete floor, if you
wanted to get in front of themirror the concrete floor if you
want to get in front of themirror.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I sat against this column with my book and I could
stick my head on the columnbecause of my aquanet.
So when you came along, therules had to change, of course,
because they knew that TammyBarber was going to challenge
every rule.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
That is not true.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
It is so true, not true at all, ladies and
gentlemen, and I think they letyou have your own hair for a
little while First year, Firstyear but then you were yeah
rookie year I had.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I felt grown up and pretty and I curled and I
aquanetted and then the hammercame down.
Yes, and I was told by Suzanneyou need a gimmick.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
You're not pretty enough, kind of like Gypsy Rose
Lee yes.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, I need a gimmick.
You're not pretty enough and Ihad mistakenly been wearing
pigtails to practice becauseTexas Studio had no air
conditioning.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And this is Dallas, Texas in the summer and the
field and the field.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Oh what was it?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
140 on the field at some point so they didn't have
it like they do today with noroof no, no, no roof, we had a
hole.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
We had a hole and the water came in and we stood in
water and it was a tortoiseshaped field so that if it
rained the players did not standin water.
But we did up to our ankles inour plastic boots.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
But anyway, you know my toes are still frostbitten.
Oh, I'm sure I take very goodcare of my toes because of the
vinyl boot, the vinyl boots weredivine.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
They were divine and you had to wear knee socks under
them.
And we're going to get back tothe legs, because I love legs.
I was not going to let Shannonwear clothes that started to bag
by halftime Her slickery.
Non-lycra, non-bindingcompression hose.
(12:51):
Legs were the first compressionhose of the world, but anyway,
so there I was.
It was going to be pigtailsforever.
So the pigtails were in.
I was not happy.
Shannon talked to me off theledge and said oh, it's no big
(13:13):
deal, Just wear them.
And so Shannon was in charge of.
Is my part straight?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yes, and you were able to get your hairdo done
pretty quickly.
Oh seconds.
Yes, and you would ask me ifyour part was straight.
And then you did a curling ironand did one and the other and
you were done and I wasaquanetting, aquanetting and
(13:43):
free Farrah Kirk.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
And at halftime all you girls had to curl it again.
That was full of cigarettebutts and aquanet had 20 hot
curling sets cooking on thefield.
Very true, all the good olddays it all so fun.
And the smell of that tunnel,that it had a distinct odor that
just said we're here, we'rehere.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's here.
So it was.
It was a lingering aroma.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yes, and I think it was the many years of sopping,
wet, moldy, astroturf.
That would be in the tunnel too, and sometimes you'd be walking
down the tunnel to the fieldand your I'm sure plastic heel
to your vinyl boot would tip andyou'd slide and you but you had
(15:11):
.
But you had all these othergirls to catch you.
And one of the things thatShannon and I talk about all the
time is how people alwayswanted to say to us oh, y'all
don't really get along.
You hate each other, you're ateach other's throats constantly.
Oh no, oh no.
I lived for these girls to helpme, protect me, save me.
(15:34):
And there well, we didn't.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We just didn't have a sense of humor.
Oh yeah, could have been backin that day.
Yeah, you know?
What do the girls now talkabout?
The enclosed roof, the airconditioning field, the air
conditioned field, the beautiful, everything that they have yes,
the their, oh their dressingroom.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Uh, those of you who've never been to at&t
stadium, if you go you've got todo a tour and you have got to
see the Dallas Cowboyscheerleaders dressing room.
It rivals Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I'd love before and after shots.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yes, yes, and our induction into makeup hair was
somebody else who maybe knew how.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
no makeovers, no makeovers just blue eyeshadow,
which I've also heard can beback in, but bright blue
eyeshadow, very red round.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yes, raggedy end, yes , yes, right and lips.
And then you get on the fieldin August and it's 140 degrees
and you're wilting and we werenot allowed, okay.
So we did a pre-K show.
(17:04):
We got there early, wepracticed, we went back in, we
rolled our hair again, then wecame out, we did a pregame, then
they introduced the players andthen we went to our corners.
So there was 32 of us and wehad four corners, the four
corners.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Oh, I must interrupt a minute.
Guess's coming in is that?
Is that hubby?
This is so.
Not only are we sisters, youare related as well through me
yes, but that was our weddingthat we invited craig to.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
That's true.
It's an actual wedding pictureof Shannon and I at her wedding.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
It looks like a third wheel.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And Craig's off to the side like well, it was nice
of him to come.
I'm good with being a thirdwheel to be around you all, of
course, you always have been.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Love you, craig, love you too, dear we can go walk
the dog.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So we would in our corners.
In our corners, we were notallowed to get a drink.
We had to stand at attentionand do the first quarter and all
our palm routines.
Well, there was some sweat thatcould possibly run down into
your mouth, but as soon as andwhen you're talking, we couldn't
(18:34):
get a drink.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
That's not an alcoholic drink, oh right.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
No, no, no, I'm talking.
They had coolers of Gatorade.
There you go.
Yes, I'm sorry, no water, no,nothing.
And then, finally, the secondquarter, you would switch
corners so that the fans saweach group, and then we could,
one by one, walk up to theGatorade cooler.
(18:59):
Fill a cup.
Yeah, that Dixie cup.
You know the one you garglewith at the dentist, that cup
you filled.
Thatixie cup.
You know the one you garglewith at the dentist, that cup
you filled that.
You got to drink it.
You set it down, you pickedyour palms back up and you
walked back to your spot andthat was your refreshment.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Did anyone tell us that there was waterproof
mascara, or was there not backthen?
Speaker 1 (19:25):
I don't think there was mascara, or was there not
back then?
because there was, so it justkind of mascara as we sweat yeah
, mascara, as we sweat plus itwent in your eyes and burned
your eyes and and every now andthen I, when we would be doing
the introduction of the playersand they were running through, I
would look over at a couple ofgirls and the heat and
(19:46):
everything was getting to themand they were kind of swaying a
little bit, but nobody daredfaint, no way, no way.
If you fainted, the world ended.
And some girls sweat more thanothers, but I think everything.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Can you imagine if the players one at a time, when
you get thirsty, you can go overto the Gatorade one at a time?
Speaker 1 (20:17):
And use your little dentist Dixie cup Get a swig.
Then you go back, you put yourhelmet on and you wait.
I think we've gone a long waysince then, oh yeah, where were
the guys that came out with thelittle squirt bottle that
everybody gets while they're inthe huddle?
(20:37):
I mean, our players didn't evenreally get that much, but we
did have the players.
Whoa, oh, dallas DoomsdayDefense.
Roger Staubach.
Excuse me, you know what wasLandry coach.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
What was so great then, though and, yes, I'm
you're a bigger football fanthan I am now, but what made me
such a huge football fan back inthose days was it felt like a
family.
It didn't feel so much like abusiness that somebody was going
to be traded this and the otherwas.
(21:13):
I mean, I knew we're going tosee these players, yeah, you
know, and I mean we couldn't.
I knew those players, I knewtheir stats, I knew this, you
know, and it was.
It was just, it was a differenttime.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
They came out on the field and you were like, oh,
there they are.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, there's our guys, and you knew they'd be
there the next week.
Oh, yes, yeah, the next week.
You know they.
Yeah it, yes, or the next week.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You know they?
Yeah, it was a totallydifferent world.
I'm grateful that we were therethen.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Well, for one, we got to go to two Super Bowls and we
actually won games, but that'snot right Too soon, and it was.
It was, though it was a family.
There was not a lot of hoopla,there was hard hits, and I think
you and I remember this becausewe were standing next to each
other.
Do you remember when Roger gotknocked out and he was right by
us and they came with thesmelling salts and he opened his
(22:21):
eyes and said did Army get theball?
Yes, do you remember that game?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Yes, well, roger thinks he's in college and they
probably didn't have muchconfession of you know protocol
at that point.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
No protocol for any and he went back in Kind of like
us.
But there was a very specialtime in Shannon's my
relationship that changed herworld Definitely and it brought
(23:03):
us closer together than I thinkanything else could have.
And this has been 40 years agohow many years ago.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Since 78.
78.
, 78.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I don't even remember now.
It might have even been on thenews.
On a Saturday morning I waswatching the news or listening
to the radio and I found outthat Dr Baker of Dallas had been
killed in a car accident andhis son was in critical
(23:43):
condition.
Well, back then there's onlyone Dr Baker.
I do not even remember drivingto Shannon's house.
(24:14):
I'm pretty sure I ran red lights, no stop signs, and when Craig
actually opened the door andShannon came walking down the
stairs out of her room, I sawabsolute silence, devastation,
and my first instinct was I needto fix this.
I was 20 years old 21 maybe andI'd never had anything like
(24:40):
this happen in my life.
But my heart broke and myprotection screen grew like the
Grinch's heart, and during thattime I did grow up a lot.
I know, shannon, you did.
Your entire family was shockedand broken.
(25:06):
Your brother did recover, yourmom lost her world and you lost
your dad, and from that momenton, you could not have pried,
shannon and I apart with acrowbar, and that's where we
(25:28):
still are today.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Shannon go ahead.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
You were the first one and I didn't even know that
at the time that people told meyou were the first one to come
to our house.
That people told me you werethe first one to come to our
(25:55):
house and you were so gentlewith me, and didn't?
You always made me laugh andyou didn't try to bring any of
that to the table, you justlistened and you just held me
and you said you'd be there forme and it.
(26:16):
I didn't want to go back tocheerleading, I didn't want to
do anything, didn't want to goback to SMU, back to
cheerleading.
I didn't want to do anything,didn't want to go back to SMU, I
just wanted to hide.
And you helped put my piecesback together and I will forever
(26:38):
, forever, tammy, be grateful toyou for doing that, because
people don't like to be aroundpeople that are that sad and
depressed and they might bring ameal at first or, you know, go
(26:59):
to the funeral or whatever.
But you were there for yearsafter, helping put these pieces
back together and, as I've toldyou before, no, um, it was a
different puzzle, but I feltthat I could get more control of
(27:33):
my new world if I had you thereto support me to support me and
you know, over time, that'swhat happened and, in turn, in
(27:55):
November of 2020, when I wasdiagnosed with stage 3B ovarian
cancer and not given a 30%chance of survival, my first
call was to Shannon survival.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
My first call was to Shannon Because I knew that I
wasn't going to get a standardrah, rah, rah.
You've got this.
You go, girl.
You're the strongest person Iknew and I was not.
I was not even close to any ofthose things.
I was petrified and I wastraveling across the country to
get to Louisiana for care and Istopped in Dallas and I just
(28:35):
thought, if I can just hear hervoice and maybe I'll process it.
I didn't.
I didn't process it for a verylong time.
You can't, you can't and Ithink that was the same with you
and your dad.
You can't process it.
Your brain won't let you.
You're afraid you'll shatter.
(28:56):
So, after the years we'veshared, I knew I was safe with
you and you have put together mypuzzle and, again, I'm never
going to be the girl I wasbefore that diagnosis.
I'm never going to beabsolutely carefree that it's
(29:24):
not going to take me, becausethat cancer takes you.
No, no discrimination.
You never know.
One day is fine.
The next day it's over andShannon has been my rock.
She has a brilliant son whohappens to do research and I
(29:48):
would get my papers, my chemopapers, my treatment papers, my
papers, papers, papers, and Iwould take pictures of them and
send them.
I probably could have said tomy doctor well, what does that
mean?
But I didn't.
I would just be like, that'sokay, shannon will figure it out
(30:10):
, and Shannon okay.
I told her which doctor I hadpicked, before I even saw the
doctor.
Shannon had investigated herand gave her approval.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I remember that.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
That woman may do your surgery.
That'll be fine.
And here we are, three and ahalf years past that and she
still does it, wow, well, thisis where we'll stop today.
I know there's so much more toour story.
(30:48):
I hope you'll join us on thenext Sideline Legends for the
rest of Shannon's story and moreof the behind the scenes and
we're just getting started.
I have many more NFLcheerleader alumni lined up to
tell their stories this year.
While we wait for football tostart again, it's going to fly
(31:10):
by with the men and women of theNFL.
Thank you for tuning in thisweek.
I know you'll be sitting on theedge of your seat for the rest
of Shannon's story and it's sofun.
Subscribe, share and reach out.
If you have any questions toSidelineLegends at gmailcom.
(31:33):
You can also join the Facebookgroup Sideline Legends.
I'm getting pictures up andmaking sure you meet all the men
and women that I call legends.
Talk to you soon.
You're my people.
Hi and welcome to another episode of Sideline
Legends, in their own words.
I'm Tammy, your host, and youare in for a great time.
This week I sat down withShannon Baker-Worthman.
Shannon is a legend.
For four years, shannonperformed at Texas Stadium and
(00:24):
around the world as one of themost talented and iconic
cheerleaders of all time.
Following her cheer years,shannon was hand-picked by the
infamous Texie Waterman to bethe first cheerleader to become
their choreographer.
Shannon was on posters, afavorite of the photographers on
game day for the televisionaudience and.
(00:47):
I humbly and proudly call her mybest friend and sister.
Shannon and I share our timetogether, our shenanigans and
our bond that has grown andcontinued for the past 45 years.
I can't imagine what my lifewould have been like without her
.
We have so much to share that Idecided to make her interview a
(01:11):
two-part series, which meansyou're going to have to tune in
to part two.
I know you're going to bedazzled and amazed by this woman
who has accomplished so muchand continues to be one of the
bravest, strongest andinteresting women that has ever
worn the Dallas Cowboyscheerleaders uniform.
(01:31):
Okay, hi everybody, this isTammy, a former Dallas Cowboys
cheerleader, and today is themost special day I have been
waiting for.
One of the reasons that I madethe decision to do Sideline
Legends Back in 1977, I met thebestest friend ever.
(01:58):
We are truly sisters in so manyways.
I want to introduce you toShannon Baker-Worthman.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Yeah, BFFs before we knew what BFF was.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
That's right, that's right.
We just, we just knew, yes, butlike I was telling Shannon
right before we started inDecember and and I'm sorry y'all
, my parent in the background issinging O McDonald, but that's
OK, I mean I was telling herthat in December when I was in
(02:37):
Dallas, and of course I gettogether with Shannon and then I
observe, I just observe what wehave as national football
cheerleaders alumni.
It's a family like I've nevermade before.
Friends come, friends go.
(02:58):
Some friends stay a very longtime.
I'm still friends with mykindergarten friends, but this
is different.
This is a connection that lastsa lifetime.
We develop feelings,familiarity and wonderful
(03:20):
memories each and every day ofour lives and it continues to
grow.
So I wanted shannon to come onand we're going to tell you some
of our shenanigans and it'sbeen so yep, we I'll be
perfectly honest with you wewe've kind of decided the top
(03:43):
four or five, because shannonand I could probably be on here
for about four days telling youeverything we've done together
that we could remember that well, yeah yeah, yeah and uh, but I
think we should start with um.
Shannon wants to start with hair.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Okay, so we're Texas, right, we're Texas in the 70s,
in the 70s, tall, big hair whichis coming back.
Have you heard?
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Big hair, big hair, oh sure right when mine's
falling out.
Ha ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha.
But Shannon, tell me Big hair,big hair, oh sure Right when
mine's falling out.
But Shannon, tell me about yourfirst year, because you were
already a veteran by my rookieyear.
You started in 76.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
I started in 77.
So tell the difference betweenjust 76 and then as the hair
grew.
Yes, as the hair grew.
Okay, um, in 76 we were kind ofthe guinea pig um of bcc,
because it was the first time itwas open to the public.
So Texie Waterman, ourlegendary, oh our legendary.
Texie, yes, she had kind ofhandpicked who she wanted, okay.
(05:18):
So I don't even know if she wasready for this public stuff
going on.
I'm sure not, probably not.
So as we came in, there waskind of just getting to know
each other, but they wanted alook for each girl so they could
(05:50):
market them that way, of course, you know, and base for
individual girls, and so thatwas kind of the big marketing
plan.
Um, it really didn't take off,I think too much till 77 though,
since we were the guinea piggroup.
So, um, I would roll my hair inhot curlers the night before a
game ouch, ouch, and then Iwould sit up all night.
(06:16):
I I put my cowboy band on overthe rollers.
I remember, remember seeingthat.
And I would sit up all night andthen I would get up, take it
out, roll it again to get in thecar to go to the game.
(06:40):
And then at the time we had topark really far away from our
tunnel, the cheerleading tunnelthat we'd go down at Texas
stadium.
And I was allowed I guesseverybody was but I would walk
the mile and a half in my hotcurlers and uniform and uniform.
(07:00):
Of course yes, hot curlers anduniform and uniform.
Of course yes, hot curlers,uniforms.
And we were supposed to wearleg pantyhose but I didn't want
to because they were too tighton my legs, so I wore my own um
pantyhose and I would walk allthat way and have my bandana on,
(07:23):
and then I'd get into thelocker room and I would take it
out and Aquanet All weather,extra super hold yes, and it was
a.
You know it's a canister, it'sand it's, it's, it's, it's a
(07:45):
canister and it's it's aerosol,aerosol.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I think you can blame the Dallas.
Cowboy cheerleaders for theclimate change.
Climate change.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
So I would spray it and the whole thing.
When I would bend over to doanything would, as a helmet,
come forward and back and I wastrying to get the Farrah Fawcett
look, that's what they told meto get.
That was going to be my, thatwas you, you were, yeah, that
(08:20):
was me.
So so, everything you know, Ihad to curl individually,
aquanet it and just have it as ahelmet.
I got better when you camealong.
Oh, I have to first.
So, on the field, something Ithought was very funny Taxi
(08:41):
Waterman was the one we reallyknew.
Suzanne, I don't know, shewasn't there yet, she wasn't
there yet.
She wasn't there yet.
She was just a secretary, shewas with SRAM.
So they were conniving behindour backs and Texi, you know fun
, texi, she just said girls,please, if there's one thing I
(09:05):
have to ask you is do not smokeor drink alcohol on the field.
So I'm thinking it was okay inthe tunnel before we went out on
them.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
oh, I know it was okay in the dressing room
dressing Dressing room Becausethere are pictures of girls
smoking in the dressing roomRight.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
In colors With my aerosol going on, so that does
not seem like a greatcombination.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
And the dressing room , ladies and gentlemen, had one
stall bathroom, a teeny, tinymirror.
I think we had a couple offull-length mirrors that were
propped against a wall.
They were propped against awall and we had concrete walls
and benches, true?
(09:57):
So you just sat on the floor,the concrete floor, if you
wanted to get in front of themirror the concrete floor if you
want to get in front of themirror.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
I sat against this column with my book and I could
stick my head on the columnbecause of my aquanet.
So when you came along, therules had to change, of course,
because they knew that TammyBarber was going to challenge
every rule.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
That is not true.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
It is so true, not true at all, ladies and
gentlemen, and I think they letyou have your own hair for a
little while First year, Firstyear but then you were yeah
rookie year I had.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
I felt grown up and pretty and I curled and I
aquanetted and then the hammercame down.
Yes, and I was told by Suzanneyou need a gimmick.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
You're not pretty enough, kind of like Gypsy Rose
Lee yes.
Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, I need a gimmick.
You're not pretty enough and Ihad mistakenly been wearing
pigtails to practice becauseTexas Studio had no air
conditioning.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
And this is Dallas, Texas in the summer and the
field and the field.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Oh what was it?
Speaker 2 (11:32):
140 on the field at some point so they didn't have
it like they do today with noroof no, no, no roof, we had a
hole.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
We had a hole and the water came in and we stood in
water and it was a tortoiseshaped field so that if it
rained the players did not standin water.
But we did up to our ankles inour plastic boots.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
But anyway, you know my toes are still frostbitten.
Oh, I'm sure I take very goodcare of my toes because of the
vinyl boot, the vinyl boots weredivine.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
They were divine and you had to wear knee socks under
them.
And we're going to get back tothe legs, because I love legs.
I was not going to let Shannonwear clothes that started to bag
by halftime Her slickery.
Non-lycra, non-bindingcompression hose.
(12:51):
Legs were the first compressionhose of the world, but anyway,
so there I was.
It was going to be pigtailsforever.
So the pigtails were in.
I was not happy.
Shannon talked to me off theledge and said oh, it's no big
(13:13):
deal, Just wear them.
And so Shannon was in charge of.
Is my part straight?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Yes, and you were able to get your hairdo done
pretty quickly.
Oh seconds.
Yes, and you would ask me ifyour part was straight.
And then you did a curling ironand did one and the other and
you were done and I wasaquanetting, aquanetting and
(13:43):
free Farrah Kirk.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
And at halftime all you girls had to curl it again.
That was full of cigarettebutts and aquanet had 20 hot
curling sets cooking on thefield.
Very true, all the good olddays it all so fun.
And the smell of that tunnel,that it had a distinct odor that
just said we're here, we'rehere.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
It's here.
So it was.
It was a lingering aroma.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yes, and I think it was the many years of sopping,
wet, moldy, astroturf.
That would be in the tunnel too, and sometimes you'd be walking
down the tunnel to the fieldand your I'm sure plastic heel
to your vinyl boot would tip andyou'd slide and you but you had
(15:11):
.
But you had all these othergirls to catch you.
And one of the things thatShannon and I talk about all the
time is how people alwayswanted to say to us oh, y'all
don't really get along.
You hate each other, you're ateach other's throats constantly.
Oh no, oh no.
I lived for these girls to helpme, protect me, save me.
(15:34):
And there well, we didn't.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We just didn't have a sense of humor.
Oh yeah, could have been backin that day.
Yeah, you know?
What do the girls now talkabout?
The enclosed roof, the airconditioning field, the air
conditioned field, the beautiful, everything that they have yes,
the their, oh their dressingroom.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Uh, those of you who've never been to at&t
stadium, if you go you've got todo a tour and you have got to
see the Dallas Cowboyscheerleaders dressing room.
It rivals Hollywood.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I'd love before and after shots.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Yes, yes, and our induction into makeup hair was
somebody else who maybe knew how.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
no makeovers, no makeovers just blue eyeshadow,
which I've also heard can beback in, but bright blue
eyeshadow, very red round.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
Yes, raggedy end, yes , yes, right and lips.
And then you get on the fieldin August and it's 140 degrees
and you're wilting and we werenot allowed, okay.
So we did a pre-K show.
(17:04):
We got there early, wepracticed, we went back in, we
rolled our hair again, then wecame out, we did a pregame, then
they introduced the players andthen we went to our corners.
So there was 32 of us and wehad four corners, the four
corners.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Oh, I must interrupt a minute.
Guess's coming in is that?
Is that hubby?
This is so.
Not only are we sisters, youare related as well through me
yes, but that was our weddingthat we invited craig to.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
That's true.
It's an actual wedding pictureof Shannon and I at her wedding.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
It looks like a third wheel.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And Craig's off to the side like well, it was nice
of him to come.
I'm good with being a thirdwheel to be around you all, of
course, you always have been.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Love you, craig, love you too, dear we can go walk
the dog.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
So we would in our corners.
In our corners, we were notallowed to get a drink.
We had to stand at attentionand do the first quarter and all
our palm routines.
Well, there was some sweat thatcould possibly run down into
your mouth, but as soon as andwhen you're talking, we couldn't
(18:34):
get a drink.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
That's not an alcoholic drink, oh right.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
No, no, no, I'm talking.
They had coolers of Gatorade.
There you go.
Yes, I'm sorry, no water, no,nothing.
And then, finally, the secondquarter, you would switch
corners so that the fans saweach group, and then we could,
one by one, walk up to theGatorade cooler.
(18:59):
Fill a cup.
Yeah, that Dixie cup.
You know the one you garglewith at the dentist, that cup
you filled.
Thatixie cup.
You know the one you garglewith at the dentist, that cup
you filled that.
You got to drink it.
You set it down, you pickedyour palms back up and you
walked back to your spot andthat was your refreshment.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Did anyone tell us that there was waterproof
mascara, or was there not backthen?
Speaker 1 (19:25):
I don't think there was mascara, or was there not
back then?
because there was, so it justkind of mascara as we sweat yeah
, mascara, as we sweat plus itwent in your eyes and burned
your eyes and and every now andthen I, when we would be doing
the introduction of the playersand they were running through, I
would look over at a couple ofgirls and the heat and
(19:46):
everything was getting to themand they were kind of swaying a
little bit, but nobody daredfaint, no way, no way.
If you fainted, the world ended.
And some girls sweat more thanothers, but I think everything.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Can you imagine if the players one at a time, when
you get thirsty, you can go overto the Gatorade one at a time?
Speaker 1 (20:17):
And use your little dentist Dixie cup Get a swig.
Then you go back, you put yourhelmet on and you wait.
I think we've gone a long waysince then, oh yeah, where were
the guys that came out with thelittle squirt bottle that
everybody gets while they're inthe huddle?
(20:37):
I mean, our players didn't evenreally get that much, but we
did have the players.
Whoa, oh, dallas DoomsdayDefense.
Roger Staubach.
Excuse me, you know what wasLandry coach.
Speaker 2 (20:52):
What was so great then, though and, yes, I'm
you're a bigger football fanthan I am now, but what made me
such a huge football fan back inthose days was it felt like a
family.
It didn't feel so much like abusiness that somebody was going
to be traded this and the otherwas.
(21:13):
I mean, I knew we're going tosee these players, yeah, you
know, and I mean we couldn't.
I knew those players, I knewtheir stats, I knew this, you
know, and it was.
It was just, it was a differenttime.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
They came out on the field and you were like, oh,
there they are.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Yeah, there's our guys, and you knew they'd be
there the next week.
Oh, yes, yeah, the next week.
You know they.
Yeah it, yes, or the next week.
Speaker 1 (21:46):
You know they?
Yeah, it was a totallydifferent world.
I'm grateful that we were therethen.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Me too.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Well, for one, we got to go to two Super Bowls and we
actually won games, but that'snot right Too soon, and it was.
It was, though it was a family.
There was not a lot of hoopla,there was hard hits, and I think
you and I remember this becausewe were standing next to each
other.
Do you remember when Roger gotknocked out and he was right by
us and they came with thesmelling salts and he opened his
(22:21):
eyes and said did Army get theball?
Yes, do you remember that game?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
Yes, well, roger thinks he's in college and they
probably didn't have muchconfession of you know protocol
at that point.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
No protocol for any and he went back in Kind of like
us.
But there was a very specialtime in Shannon's my
relationship that changed herworld Definitely and it brought
(23:03):
us closer together than I thinkanything else could have.
And this has been 40 years agohow many years ago.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Since 78.
78.
, 78.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I don't even remember now.
It might have even been on thenews.
On a Saturday morning I waswatching the news or listening
to the radio and I found outthat Dr Baker of Dallas had been
killed in a car accident andhis son was in critical
(23:43):
condition.
Well, back then there's onlyone Dr Baker.
I do not even remember drivingto Shannon's house.
(24:14):
I'm pretty sure I ran red lights, no stop signs, and when Craig
actually opened the door andShannon came walking down the
stairs out of her room, I sawabsolute silence, devastation,
and my first instinct was I needto fix this.
I was 20 years old 21 maybe andI'd never had anything like
(24:40):
this happen in my life.
But my heart broke and myprotection screen grew like the
Grinch's heart, and during thattime I did grow up a lot.
I know, shannon, you did.
Your entire family was shockedand broken.
(25:06):
Your brother did recover, yourmom lost her world and you lost
your dad, and from that momenton, you could not have pried,
shannon and I apart with acrowbar, and that's where we
(25:28):
still are today.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
And.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Shannon go ahead.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
You were the first one and I didn't even know that
at the time that people told meyou were the first one to come
to our house.
That people told me you werethe first one to come to our
(25:55):
house and you were so gentlewith me, and didn't?
You always made me laugh andyou didn't try to bring any of
that to the table, you justlistened and you just held me
and you said you'd be there forme and it.
(26:16):
I didn't want to go back tocheerleading, I didn't want to
do anything, didn't want to goback to SMU, back to
cheerleading.
I didn't want to do anything,didn't want to go back to SMU, I
just wanted to hide.
And you helped put my piecesback together and I will forever
(26:38):
, forever, tammy, be grateful toyou for doing that, because
people don't like to be aroundpeople that are that sad and
depressed and they might bring ameal at first or, you know, go
(26:59):
to the funeral or whatever.
But you were there for yearsafter, helping put these pieces
back together and, as I've toldyou before, no, um, it was a
different puzzle, but I feltthat I could get more control of
(27:33):
my new world if I had you thereto support me to support me and
you know, over time, that'swhat happened and, in turn, in
(27:55):
November of 2020, when I wasdiagnosed with stage 3B ovarian
cancer and not given a 30%chance of survival, my first
call was to Shannon survival.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
My first call was to Shannon Because I knew that I
wasn't going to get a standardrah, rah, rah.
You've got this.
You go, girl.
You're the strongest person Iknew and I was not.
I was not even close to any ofthose things.
I was petrified and I wastraveling across the country to
get to Louisiana for care and Istopped in Dallas and I just
(28:35):
thought, if I can just hear hervoice and maybe I'll process it.
I didn't.
I didn't process it for a verylong time.
You can't, you can't and Ithink that was the same with you
and your dad.
You can't process it.
Your brain won't let you.
You're afraid you'll shatter.
(28:56):
So, after the years we'veshared, I knew I was safe with
you and you have put together mypuzzle and, again, I'm never
going to be the girl I wasbefore that diagnosis.
I'm never going to beabsolutely carefree that it's
(29:24):
not going to take me, becausethat cancer takes you.
No, no discrimination.
You never know.
One day is fine.
The next day it's over andShannon has been my rock.
She has a brilliant son whohappens to do research and I
(29:48):
would get my papers, my chemopapers, my treatment papers, my
papers, papers, papers, and Iwould take pictures of them and
send them.
I probably could have said tomy doctor well, what does that
mean?
But I didn't.
I would just be like, that'sokay, shannon will figure it out
(30:10):
, and Shannon okay.
I told her which doctor I hadpicked, before I even saw the
doctor.
Shannon had investigated herand gave her approval.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
I remember that.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
That woman may do your surgery.
That'll be fine.
And here we are, three and ahalf years past that and she
still does it, wow, well, thisis where we'll stop today.
I know there's so much more toour story.
(30:48):
I hope you'll join us on thenext Sideline Legends for the
rest of Shannon's story and moreof the behind the scenes and
we're just getting started.
I have many more NFLcheerleader alumni lined up to
tell their stories this year.
While we wait for football tostart again, it's going to fly
(31:10):
by with the men and women of theNFL.
Thank you for tuning in thisweek.
I know you'll be sitting on theedge of your seat for the rest
of Shannon's story and it's sofun.
Subscribe, share and reach out.
If you have any questions toSidelineLegends at gmailcom.
(31:33):
You can also join the Facebookgroup Sideline Legends.
I'm getting pictures up andmaking sure you meet all the men
and women that I call legends.
Talk to you soon.
You're my people.
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