S13 E10: The Next Level

[rose711]

13 minutes ago, KimAlly said:

The title said cameos, but that didn't happen - at least not in the show I saw. 

The only explanation for VK still being there is that TK has a lot of dirt on KF and threatened to leak it all if VK doesn't make the team.  VK - weight issue, disastrous media segment, immature, a mess with the dances, and a poor attitude - anyone else would have been long gone (and they are) if they had one of these issues.

At the end of the show Kelli said etiquette training and cameos are coming up. The description has been wrong before. It’s frustrating for sure.

[soapmaniac22]

I feel like Judy gets a little thrill every time she gets to correct VK on something lol. She was so quiet all season but now that she's on Kelli's chopping block, she's correcting her at every turn LOL

[tinabee1967]

2 hours ago, jlc said:

Lauren did not pose for the calendar because of her job.

Yes, this I am previously aware of. ?That being said, I am surprised her employers are OK with her wearing the DCC uniform in front of millions of people each week, because it is not exactly a Sunday church dress.

I am sure Lauren was thoroughly disappointed over not being able to participate in the photo shoot. That had to have sucked on her account. ? It seems like the vets really want every bit of those DCC extra bonuses and if they can't participate, it is disappointing. 

They could have just put Lauren in a non butt floss article of swimwear. Problem solved. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by tinabee1967

[go4luca]

2 hours ago, Mardo2044 said:

I don't think Kelli planned on Victoria gaining weight.  She was too kind rather than clear with her, and that was a mistake.  My DH had to go in and talk to his dad about the marines From ROTC and his dad was in charge of the program...he said it was all yes, sir no sir like a commanding officer to a recruit.  He said the first 2 sentences he was shocked, but then he got it and understood.  I don't think VK is taking this seriously and Kelli should have set the tone from the start...she does VK or the team no favors soft peddling it.

Agree.  Kelli should have set the tone with VK from the get go just like she did with Dayton.

Edited October 5, 2018 by go4luca
clarity

[allirish47]

I've shared my views on VK here in several places, but not at home or with anyone else in person. Last night hubby watched with me for the first time ever & after the media deal he blurted out 'What kindergarten did she escape from? She acts like a five-year old!' He also said that she's twice the size of the other women & wondered why she was even in training camp. All the time I was biting my tongue to keep quiet.

[jlc]

Sorry

Edited October 5, 2018 by jlc
I removed it because it was too snarky.

[Pksbena1]

9 hours ago, Teresa said:

I was guessing that the significance of the number 72 was the Cowboys first Superbowl win in 1972.

I grew up in a Dallas Cowboys household back in the 70’s/80’s. I was thinking ‘72’ represented #72, Too Tall Jones who was a defensive end for the Cowboys back in the late 70’s. How I can remember that but not remember what I did yesterday???.....I just thought, if that was the correct answer, how would these girls know that?

[tinabee1967]

37 minutes ago, allirish47 said:

I've shared my views on VK here in several places, but not at home or with anyone else in person. Last night hubby watched with me for the first time ever & after the media deal he blurted out 'What kindergarten did she escape from? She acts like a five-year old!' He also said that she's twice the size of the other women & wondered why she was even in training camp. All the time I was biting my tongue to keep quiet.

Oh, this is too good. I would have peed my pants absolutely laughing!!!! ???

[lkxydhfinl ghsdv]

5 hours ago, TwopLurker said:

The powers that be really set the TCC up to fail by not prepping them with canned answers to all hot button topics. 

I think if they were given DCC approved answers about CTE, me too, deflate gate, etc and THEN messed up, then there’s a valid criticism and cause for concern. 

Didn’t Brenda ask Taylor if she was familiar with me too? Taylor was screwed either way, if she had just said “yes,” and gotten critiqued for not following up with something. If she had said, “yes, and I am so excited to use my potential platform as a DCC to help other young women smash the patriarchy and send most men to an island somewhere to rot.” Kelly and Judy would have had an aneurism. 

I applaud Taylor for trying to tackle the media training issue with Kelly and Judy, it looked like she had practiced what she wanted to say beforehand even if her nerves got to her in the room.

It's not really "Media Training"...  it's more like "Media Trial by Fire!!"  They let the girls hang themselves and then use it against them! 

I, too, think they should prep them 1st.

[rose711]

Kelli called it “media simulation” when she’s describing it at the beginning of the episode. It’s really a test or evaluation, not a training.

[MrsEVH]

18 hours ago, parrotfeathers said:

GO Brennan!!   And Erin too!!

Has Erin been called in and told she's doing well like they did with Brennan? I remember Kelli did it with Alex Hermes her 2nd time in TC. I know she 's been complimented in the studio and on the field.

[MrsEVH]

4 hours ago, jlc said:

Lauren did not pose for the calendar because of her job.

Do you know if her employer told her not to or it was her choice not to.

[Kate2006]

If I were Christina I would not have posed for the calendar either, especially since that weird shot of beautiful Savannah was picked. You just don't know how far they will push the limits and publish something embarrassing. Christina is a teacher, right? I thought I remember that but maybe I'm confused. 

[tinabee1967]

20 minutes ago, MrsEVH said:

Do you know if her employer told her not to or it was her choice not to.

Either way, sucky situation for Lauren. Why (allegedly) her employer would object mystifies me, because the uniform is skimpy enough to show full cleavage and buttcheeks. 

3 minutes ago, Kate2006 said:

If I were Christina I would not have posed for the calendar either, especially since that weird shot of beautiful Savannah was picked. You just don't know how far they will push the limits and publish something embarrassing. Christina is a teacher, right? I thought I remember that but maybe I'm confused. 

This, exactly. Either that, or TPTB need to tone it down a little bit and quit almost showing total T&A. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by tinabee1967

[EssieMay]

So here’s some advice for any current or future candidates who might read this forum: Being a DCC is a job. For all the talk of the sisterhood, this is not a sorority and it’s not your high school cheer team. You are an essential element of the Cowboys brand and you need to be prepared to represent that.

 

If you screw up on the job and you know it, as in the media simulations, you need to be prepared to get ahead of it. Take ownership and show initiative. The minute your butt hits that chair you acknowledge the seriousness of what you did, don’t make excuses, and propose a plan to correct the problem. For instance, “This afternoon I set up my phone to give me the top headlines which I can read over breakfast and I found the Cowboys podcasts which I started listening to in the car on my way here this evening.” Approach it from a problem-solving perspective instead of a little girl going to the principal’s office for a chewing out and asking them to tell you what to do.

[ElenaFR]

5 hours ago, Hildegard802 said:

Whether or not Amber should've known the answer to her "media" question, why, if "ambassadorship" is extra-super-critical for those on show group, would "is-she-media-ready" testing be done AFTER show group has been selected?   That's just stooopid.  

 

ETA:  And Kelli, just hand them the book that tells them how the Jones' want them to respond to particular questions.  Puh-leez.  

Yes, give them a damn cheat sheet of the approved answers and throw in fun questions to see how they add their personality. 

When the reporter said breakfast to the pet pig discussion, I would have been hard pressed not to mention something about cruelty to animals and being a vegetarian. But that is just me. I am an anomaly in Texas, ha!

[JerseyGirl]

1 hour ago, allirish47 said:

I've shared my views on VK here in several places, but not at home or with anyone else in person. Last night hubby watched with me for the first time ever & after the media deal he blurted out 'What kindergarten did she escape from? She acts like a five-year old!' He also said that she's twice the size of the other women & wondered why she was even in training camp. All the time I was biting my tongue to keep quiet.

My husband said the same thing but episodes ago when VK was called in and then proceeded to pound her head on the table with her hair flying across it in front of Kelli.  That was the only episode this season that I watched with him and he could not believe she wasn't cut that night.  If only he knew all the other times she was called in and not cut.

Edited October 5, 2018 by JerseyGirl

[Kayce]

20 minutes ago, Kate2006 said:

If I were Christina I would not have posed for the calendar either, especially since that weird shot of beautiful Savannah was picked. You just don't know how far they will push the limits and publish something embarrassing. Christina is a teacher, right? I thought I remember that but maybe I'm confused. 

She is a dance teacher and barre instructor.   Per her IG :) 

[DCCme]

13 hours ago, rafibomb said:

I'm still trying to think of a worse answer to the question "Where do you get your news?" than "Instagram." 

Snapchat is about the the only thing worse she could have said. Or I suppose “what is this news you speak of” would have been worse.

[lkxydhfinl ghsdv]

1 hour ago, rose711 said:

Kelli called it “media simulation” when she’s describing it at the beginning of the episode. It’s really a test or evaluation, not a training.

My apologies... I still think they should prep the girls.

Edited October 5, 2018 by Tootie

[Muckypup61]

8 minutes ago, DCCme said:

Snapchat is about the the only thing worse she could have said. Or I suppose “what is this news you speak of” would have been worse.

"What is this news you speak of" comment made me laugh out loud!

[PBSLover]

6 hours ago, rose711 said:

Has anyone had that many and not been cut?

Loni.

6 hours ago, sATL said:

I look at it, the #MeToo movement deals with a very personal and private topic.

Ah, the #MeToo movement is an international women’s movement that has been going on for over two years. Women all over the world are watching what is happening in this country and are seeing the power of women coming together, to make changes in their own countries. I am of the belief that you’d have to be headless not to know what it is. Taylor proved me wrong because she has a head.

[rose711]

5 minutes ago, Tootie said:

My apologies...

Not at all. The girls call it media training and I think Kelli may have even said “media training” later. But they don’t actually receive any training and never have in any of the years I’ve watched. I was just pointing out that Kelli isn’t describing it as a training, compared to the social media training they get, for instance. That’s actual training with advice and directions on how to behave, which it seems the girls need.

It would be much better if they had training first, but I think Kelli wants to use it as an evaluation  technique in her arsenal.

That said, I think Taylor did herself in by saying her news is Instagram. That had to seal her cut with Kelli.

Edited October 5, 2018 by rose711

[jlc]

54 minutes ago, MrsEVH said:

Do you know if her employer told her not to or it was her choice not to.

I think I remember reading earlier on here that it was her choice. Lauren was uncomfortable with the photoshoot because of her job. She discussed it with Kelli, and she was allowed to go with her teammates, and just not do the actual photoshoot.

[Muckypup61]

Dang, this whole episode was a head fake! The teaser from last week's episode made it look like Kelli and Jinelle were really going to have some harsh words for VK, and all we got was some semi-firm warnings from Kelli. I had to admire Jinelle's control, though she spent nearly the whole time responding to VK with a gritted-teeth smile. And VK sticking her head back in and telling Jinelle, "I'm really sorry, Jinelle", in that simpering, fake-sweet, little girl voice made me want to hit her!

[PBSLover]

4 hours ago, Teriyaki Terror said:

I'm not sure either, I think it was one of the seasons where Kyndall Fuller was a casualty. I just remember them cutting two girls and then one of the girls waiting in the studio making a comment about how they just cut two people...most of the time they warn the first ones and cut the last.

Season 1

[sATL]

7 minutes ago, jlc said:

I think I remember reading earlier on here that it was her choice. Lauren was uncomfortable with the photoshoot because of her job. She discussed it with Kelli, and she was allowed to go with her teammates, and just not do the actual photoshoot.

I wonder if this will be a continuing precedent.. I can think of  few occupations where posing their calendar/merchandise (and I didn't know there were 4-5 of them) would make their work environment uncomfortable.

[Grandma Moses]

4 hours ago, rose711 said:

Thanks. I’ve never seen season 2. It’s not on Amazon. I’m going to take a quick look at season 10.

Oh, see if you can get ahold of season 2, like on the CMT free trial or something. It's my favorite season--so worth watching!

[Kayce]

5 minutes ago, sATL said:

I wonder if this will be a continuing precedent.. I can think of  few occupations where posing their calendar/merchandise (and I didn't know there were 4-5 of them) would make their work environment uncomfortable.

especially given the male population that nurses deal with....being seen in the uniform is one thing...being told that you're hanging on the wall in some guys bedroom in a swimsuit...would be disconcerting to me. That's just this nurse's opinion :) 

[Grandma Moses]

Ok, onto this episode:

I was disappointed that Victoria blew Jinelle off, never responding to her texts. I understand it, because I know my own tendency to hide and retreat when I'm stressed or under pressure, but I know it's a weakness--and a bad one in the workplace--so I fight that tendency like crazy. Victoria is young; hopefully she's learned from this how she must learn to communicate with people. And better by phone or in person if possible--not text!

I can't fathom why Victoria turned to "people who have struggled with weight" instead of taking advice from someone who hasn't struggled with her weight. Did it occur to her that maybe Jinelle hasn't struggled with her weight was because she understands how to fuel the body, and she's consistent? She has a lot to teach. And when you need to learn, you go to the master, not the people who perhaps have the same weaknesses you do.

I thought it was brilliant that Jinelle wanted to send Victoria to a doctor/nutritionist. It might help them to see what's going on, to see if Victoria has something going on where it'll be like swimming against the current if it's not resolved. As someone going through perimenopause, I can tell you, hormones have a lot to do with it.

Having worked in media relations, I always enjoy the media relations part of training camp. The questions this year were hard. I have to say, Brianna B. knocked it out of the ballpark with her reply on concussions! Such a smart thing to say. She's intelligent and quick on her feet, and she is going to nail interviews.

I felt badly for Taylor T. Can't really fault them from cutting her, at this point. I like her and I did tear up when she got cut. She had such a sweet disposition about everything. But come on, girl. You get recipes, vacation ideas, outfit ideas, decorating tips, and baby pics on Instagram. You get your news from other sources. Try Drudgereport.com. They have a collection on there that seems to capture the major stories of the day.

Taylor T.'s cut may pave the way for Kelli to make more cuts, I think. Now that it's not 42, you know, they have to whittle it down somehow to make the right formations.

I like the Where Are They Now? segments a lot. Can they do Meredith Oden? She was my favorite legacy of all time.

[CeeBeeGee]

Drudge Report?! Seriously? Not unless she wants to hear about hoaxes, conspiracy theories and rumors. They are not a serious or reputable news source.

Try the Wall Street Journal, the NY Times or the Washington Post. Or heck, as someone suggested, if you have  recent iPhone they all have a native app that aggregates major news stories of the day. Or even go to Google News.

What was the deal with "72....why is that significant?" How could anyone possibly be expected to guess such a random connection with that random number? That was badly executed and badly edited.

I have to say, I so admire the dance capabilities of all of these women. I've been to many sports events and seen many such dance companies, and even worked with some of the dancers. (I did a show years ago with a Washington Wizard dancer.) They're all so talented--it's great that DCC seems to value their dancers but so many of these organizations treat them like crap. They all deserve better.

[Jess14]

I haven’t watched yet, but one girl said that she gets her news from Instagram??? Girl! In terms of social media, twitter actually is a  very good place to get news if you follow a bunch of reporters, major newsite feeds, etc., but instagram,....no mam! 

[go4luca]

5 minutes ago, Jess14 said:

I haven’t watched yet, but one girl said that she gets her news from Instagram??? Girl! In terms of social media, twitter actually is a  very good place to get news if you follow a bunch of reporters, major newsite feeds, etc., but instagram,....no mam! 

At the very least, there are options for when you're busy and need a quick run down of current events.  I get the email blast for  WTF Happened Today.  Not to get political (I avoid politics and religion on discussion boards like the plague), but if tRump is your guy, you probably aren't going to enjoy this site.  But I do like that Matt, the site's curator, offers a capsule summary of the day's political agenda while also providing links to the sources.  From there, you can decide what to peruse and make your own assessment.

[Kayce]

1 hour ago, Maven said:

I like the Where Are They Now? segments a lot. Can they do Meredith Oden? She was my favorite legacy of all time.

yes!

[dccfangirl]

Loved the triangle and seeing them do Thunder on the field - enjoyed seeing more of who went where.

Would have fired Victoria definitely if I'd been her boss. Most Rookies would kill to have an All Star give them one on one help. 

I actually believed that they were at Football 101 even tho I knew about the calendar reveal! Savannah and Gina were fave pics!

Love seeing more of Judy. 

[NoWhammies]

5 hours ago, KimAlly said:

The only explanation for VK still being there is that TK has a lot of dirt on KF and threatened to leak it all if VK doesn't make the team.  VK - weight issue, disastrous media segment, immature, a mess with the dances, and a poor attitude - anyone else would have been long gone (and they are) if they had one of these issues.

I wouldn't say it's the only explanation - I'd say it's an explanation. It could also be that Kelli loves VK like a daughter, and it's hard to do that to your child. 

[Monique]

I  actually have no problem with the media training portion. These women are supposed to be Ambassadors for the Cowboys and are to be up to date on any Cowboys related and that intern means NFL and football related as well. In addition, asking about "Me Too" should not come as a shock, it's a hot topic, it's a serious topic, and one that should be discussed so its fair game.  Not to mention any well-rounded individual should be knowledgeable about what is going on in the world and their country. Being knowledgeable, aware, and well-spoken should not be something that Kelli has to train. These are women, adults, not little girls. 

[Kayce]

28 minutes ago, NoWhammies said:

I wouldn't say it's the only explanation - I'd say it's an explanation. It could also be that Kelli loves VK like a daughter, and it's hard to do that to your child. 

I happen to think the same thing.

[MyFavShows]

2 hours ago, rose711 said:

Not at all. The girls call it media training and I think Kelli may have even said “media training” later. But they don’t actually receive any training and never have in any of the years I’ve watched. I was just pointing out that Kelli isn’t describing it as a training, compared to the social media training they get, for instance. That’s actual training with advice and directions on how to behave, which it seems the girls need.

It would be much better if they had training first, but I think Kelli wants to use it as an evaluation  technique in her arsenal.

That said, I think Taylor did herself in by saying her news is Instagram. That had to seal her cut with Kelli.

Yeah - they aren’t training them but testing them and using their performance on that test as reasons to cut them.  I feel bad that after 7-8 weeks of these late night dance rehearsals, etc. a girl can be done in by such a thing so suddenly.  Maybe they should do it as part of finals or at least much earlier in camp?  If it’s an instant dealbreaker if someone fails, then I think it shouldn’t take place so late.

[hilaryvm]

Didn't Victoria say something like "I'm uncomfortable with the situation I've been put in".  I mean, no one forced you to gain weight at training camp, and she more than anyone should know that weight is a huge issue for the DCC.  I'm sure she's normal person skinny, but this isn't a normal person job.  There are weight standards, and she had to know she was very heavy for a DCC.  Gaining weight seems even worse than starting heavy and just not losing any.

Plus, can someone please fix her makeup?  It seems so heavy and her lashes are so thick that it ages her terribly.  She's 18, and Kashara looked more fresh-faced than Victoria!

[jlc]

2 minutes ago, hilaryvm said:

Didn't Victoria say something like "I'm uncomfortable with the situation I've been put in".  I mean, no one forced you to gain weight at training camp, and she more than anyone should know that weight is a huge issue for the DCC.  I'm sure she's normal person skinny, but this isn't a normal person job.  There are weight standards, and she had to know she was very heavy for a DCC.  Gaining weight seems even worse than starting heavy and just not losing any.

Plus, can someone please fix her makeup?  It seems so heavy and her lashes are so thick that it ages her terribly.  She's 18, and Kashara looked more fresh-faced than Victoria

Never mind.

[MrsEVH]

8 hours ago, soapmaniac22 said:

In season 10. They cut that courtney girl, Kyndall, and two others. 

I think the last cuts were Courtney J, Kyndall, Selina, and Taylor (low kicks)

Edited October 5, 2018 by MrsEVH

[Spunkyyy]

I would be super curious to hear how Kelli would want the girls to answer the #metoo question. 

[PBSLover]

20 minutes ago, Spunkyyy said:

I would be super curious to hear how Kelli would want the girls to answer the #metoo question. 

The question was should it be incorporated into the DCC? How the hell would veteran or TCC answer? "I think we would have to have a conversation with Kelli and find out what the Dallas Cowboys organization would be comfortable with.” Because that is Cowboys culture. Charlotte might have an idea but Jerry Jones?  He’d probably just change the subject and never answer the question.

[tanyak]

22 minutes ago, Spunkyyy said:

I would be super curious to hear how Kelli would want the girls to answer the #metoo question. 

Same here.

I, too, was confused about the flag football question. I know about the concussion issue in football and I know what flag football is. I thought Brenda was saying some folks want the nfl to transition to flag because it’s safer. So in that sense, I got what Amber was saying: I haven’t heard that either and it’s a silly idea. 

What was the “correct” answer?

[parrotfeathers]

Shout out to next year's training camp candidates:  Be sure and learn all about Supreme Court justices--how many there are, maybe their names,  etc. etc.  And learn the key players in the kerfuffle now taking place.  If you get there next year and don't know about it, you are out.

As to news, heck, they could have a TV in there studio and listen while they stretch.

[AAEBoiler]

During the media training when VK kept repeating, "I have no words ... ", I was waiting for Kelli to whisper into her recorder, "Note to self, order more words for Victoria."

Edited October 5, 2018 by AAEBoiler

[EssieMay]

Don’t know what a correct answer to #metoo would be but something simple just saying what it is? Think sound bites.  “It’s a social media movement to bring awareness to the problem sexual harrassment and assault.” It’s not that hard. “So Miss DCC, what do you think of that?” “I hope increased awareness is the first step to solving the problem.”

 

The same thing with flag football. “I know that the NFL and the cowboys are working very hard to improve player safety through rule changes, improved equipment, and detecting brain injuries early.” It’s a mild version of the pivot, you talk about what you do know. A person who is generally well informed won’t be thrown by oddball questions.

[scorpio1031]

18 minutes ago, AAEBoiler said:

During the media training when VK kept repeating, "I have no words ... ", I was waiting for Kelli to whisper into her recorder, "Note to self, order more words for Victoria."

I was thinking "No More Words" by Berlin...……..LOL!!!

[Jess14]

I felt bad for Taylor, but I can't really say that her cut was wrong. If she had made a comment about "MeToo" that Kelii didn't like, that would be one thing, but not knowing? There's no coming back from. I actually think she made it worse when she said that she knew what she was talking about but just didn't know the name. Honey no! Just like you can't say that you know about the movement against police brutality and systematic racism against black people, but you don't know what Black Lives Matter is, not knowing what the MeToo movement is just isn't going to work. 

With that said, I didn't think Amber's response was anywhere near as bad. I didn't watch her interview and think "that dumb cheerleader!" Concussions are a serious matter, but I didn't receive her response as trivializing it.