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Former Cowboys Cheerleaders Talk About How Squad Is ‘Farthest Thing From Being Outdated’

(Photo: YouTube/Screenshot: Public User: CMT's Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Former Cowboys Cheerleaders Judy Trammell and Kelli Finglass explained why they feel the squad in 2020 is “farthest thing from being outdated.”

“We’re used to critics and that’s fine — nobody likes a good debate or a critique more than me,” 55-year old Finglass, who joined the Dallas team in 1984 and now serves as director, told Fox News in a piece published Tuesday. She was addressing critics who have called the group “sexist tools,” per the New York Times. (RELATED: Jerry Jones Plans On Having Fans At Dallas Cowboys Home Games In 2020)

“I think that actually, it’s the opposite right now,” she added. “I think we are all starved for entertainment… This show lets our audience kind of in on the competitive part of what dance really is and performing. If they watch the show, they’ll see that the ladies are the farthest thing from being outdated.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

“This year, in particular, we’ve got some really compelling stories of overcoming adversity. Judy [Trammell] and I just watched a couple of the episodes and it really brings us to tears just to see and hear it again,” Finglass continued. (RELATED: Photos: Miami Dolphin Cheerleaders Hit The Beach For Their 2018 Calendar)

Trammell joined the team in 1980 and now at 62 years old serves as the head choreographer. She noted how cheerleader tryouts for the Cowboys this year due to the pandemic “were so different” but have resulted “in one of the most diverse and talented casts to-date” with worldwide auditions going virtual for the first time, according to the Fox report.

“We wound up having 1,545 applications submitted virtually from 45 states and eight foreign countries,” Finglass added. “We wound up inviting 29 ladies into our ‘bubble’ at training camp here in Texas. But they were much further down the judging process this year before they got to Texas because we did so much judging online.”

Fans can check out the auditions for this year’s squad in Season 15 of the CMT reality series “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team,” which airs Tuesday night.