Cheerleaders bring Dallas Cowboys Glitz to Mantown at Shopko Hall in Ashwaubenon
By Nathan Phelps
Greenbay Press-Gazette
It doesn’t take long for Brittany Evans to offer up one of the more common questions she hears when making Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders appearances.
“One of the funniest things to me is when people say ‘Are y’all the real Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders?’” she said. “We are the real cheerleaders and we dance on the field at every game and practice every night. We’re same girls on the field that do appearances.”
Evans and teammate Trisha Trevino were at Mantown 2010 at Shopko Hall Friday and Saturday. And yes, both really are members of the storied Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.
Evans has been with the team two years and Trevino for five.
“A lot of people ask ‘Can y’all get us free tickets?’” Trevino said.
The history of the team and the cheerleaders isn’t lost on current members.
“You have to go through a long audition process and it’s not just about dancing and being a good cheerleader but you also have to know about Cowboys history,” Evans said. “(We) take a written exam where they ask us questions about ‘How many Super Bowls have the Cowboys won ?” about past players and current events.”
For cheerleaders like Evans and Trevino, taking the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders name, brand and history out on the road during the off season is part of the job.
For two hours Friday and Saturday they interacted with fans — a good number wearing some sort of Cowboys apparel — signed autographs and smiled for photos.
“We’ve met a lot of Cowboys fans here, which we’re really surprised about,” Trevino said half way through the signing session Saturday. “It’s neat that we’re not only able to cheer in Dallas but that we can go across America and anywhere in the world and there are Cowboy fans everywhere.”
While there was a line standing around to see Evans and Trevino, those in line weren’t standing nearly as long as a quartet of people — later reduced to a trio — attempting to wait each other out for a chance to win about $2,000 worth of equipment from Heid Music.
The contest was pretty straightforward, participants needed to keep their hands on guitar cases for as long as possible in a 24-hour period. Hold out against gravity long enough and the swag — including a Fender Stratocaster and electronic drum set — might be yours.
The starting field of about 18 participants had been whittled down to three by about 11 a.m. Saturday, with one participant, Steve Awe, succumbing to a judge’s ruling that his had been lifted from the case during the course of the interview.
The last four standing said after 18 hours together — interspersed with a few short breaks — they knew each other’s stories and “life aspirations” pretty well.
Pierce Buchinger of Little Chute, Brianna Collins of Oconto Falls and Jordan Lambert of Pulaski held on through the late morning for the chance to win.
If more than one person withstood the endurance test, a name would be drawn from a hat to determine the winner.
Buchinger, Collins and Lambert vowed to hang on to the end.
Buchinger also vowed to do a few other things when the contest was over.
“I still have some Valentine’s Day shopping to do,” he said. “Then I’m going to go home and take a nap.”
