Sports
January 14, 2022
Very Well, I Shall Coach the Houston Texans
The most dysfunctional franchise in pro sports has a vacancy, and I have some time to kill.
Sports
Vital analysis and news unpacking the world of Texas sports
Sports
January 13, 2022
Can the Cowboys Make It Back to the NFC Title Game for the First Time in 25 Years?
Days before Dallas faces the San Francisco 49ers in the first round, Jerry Jones is already talking Super Bowls.
America's Girls
January 13, 2022
Inside the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ Decades-long Fight for Fair Pay
Dana Presley Killmer joined the squad at the peak of its popularity, but the $15 game rate hadn't changed, and wouldn't for many years.
Sports
January 11, 2022
Chris Beard, Who? Mark Adams Has Texas Tech Playing Like World-beaters
The number nineteen Red Raiders are among the biggest surprises in NCAA basketball, with hopes of springing another upset Tuesday against Baylor.
America's Girls
January 11, 2022
America’s Girls, Episode 7: All-American Sexy Girls
From honey shots to swimsuit calendars, sex has long been part of the cheerleaders’ brand. But is the provocative tease a relic of another era?
Sports
January 8, 2022
How Frisco Turned Itself Into Sports City USA
The Dallas exurb has built its tourism program around bringing big-time sporting events, like Saturday's FCS title game, to North Texas.
Sports
January 6, 2022
That Was Quick: How Baylor Climbed Right Back to the Top of College Hoops
After losing the top three scorers from last year's title team, the Bears are 14–0, ranked No. 1, and eyeing another NCAA championship run.
Libations
January 5, 2022
Troy Aikman’s Light Beer, Eight, Is Available Only in Texas
We cracked open a cold one with the former Cowboy to learn about his latest business venture, a beer aimed at the calorie conscious.
Sports
January 4, 2022
For Texans, No Memory of Dan Reeves Sticks Out More Than His Ice Bowl Touchdown Pass
The NFL coach, who died last week, left behind a rich football legacy. But for Cowboys fans, his heroics against Green Bay in 1967 always come first.
America's Girls
January 4, 2022
America’s Girls, Episode 6: The Perfect Look
It’s not just about being the right weight. It’s about having the right hair, the right skin, the right boobs, the right legs. Only a very particular kind of beautiful woman gets to wear that uniform.
Art
December 31, 2021
Our Favorite Photos of 2021
From Leon Bridges’s home in Fort Worth to a vibrant coral reef near Galveston, this year took our photographers to some truly unforgettable places.
Sports
December 31, 2021
A Silver Anniversary for the Dallas Stars’ Silver-tongued TV Analyst
For 25 years, sportscaster Daryl "Razor" Reaugh has been the verbose, bombastic, grandiloquent voice of Texas's lone NHL franchise.
America's Girls
December 31, 2021
The Photo the Dallas Cowboys Never Wanted the Public to See
One former Cowboys cheerleader tells the story behind her epic encounter with Danny White, in a picture that was quashed for 25 years.
Sports
December 29, 2021
COVID Gave Texas A&M a Reason to Skip a Bowl the Aggies Didn’t Want to Play
Don't overlook the role of injuries, NFL draft opt-outs, and players leaving via transfer in the decision to withdraw from the Gator Bowl.
America's Girls
December 28, 2021
America’s Girls, Episode 5: The Rules
Being a Cowboys cheerleader has always meant living by a long list of rules. But do those rules help protect the cheerleaders or control them?
America's Girls
December 23, 2021
The Women Who Created the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
A dynamic professor, a feisty seamstress, a firebrand dancer, and the other underappreciated architects of the phenomenon that transformed the NFL.
Sports
December 22, 2021
Will the Astros Be Able to Re-sign Carlos Correa After the MLB Lockout?
How a flurry of free-agent signings before baseball’s work stoppage could help Houston retain its All-Star shortstop.
Sports
December 21, 2021
A Guide to All Sixteen Texas Bowl Games
From Baylor’s top-ten matchup in the Sugar Bowl to Texas Tech’s reunion with Mike Leach, here’s what college football fans need to know.
America's Girls
December 21, 2021
America’s Girls, Episode 4: The Uniform
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform is iconic, a symbol of Texas culture for half a century. But its origin story remains remarkably unsettled.
Sports
December 20, 2021
A Storybook Ending for Westlake Football Coach Todd Dodge’s Legendary Career
In his last game before retirement, Dodge led the Chaparrals to a third straight state championship with a win over Denton Guyer High School.
Sports
December 17, 2021
The “Other” Baylor Gears Up for a Shot at the National Championship
Head coach Pete Fredenburg runs the most dominant college football program in Texas at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.
America's Girls
December 17, 2021
The Cowboys Cheerleader With the Pigtails Shaves Her Head
Tami Barber became a sweetheart of the seventies-era cheerleaders. But she also had—and still has—a rebel streak.
Sports
December 15, 2021
Can Quinn Ewers Haul UT Football Out of the Gutter?
The quarterback transfer, originally from Southlake, has the talent, pedigree, and mullet to make the next few years special for Longhorn fans.
America's Girls
December 15, 2021
In Search of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Who Posed for Playboy
They were at the center of a scandal that rocked the NFL. More than forty years later, would they finally tell their side?
America's Girls
December 14, 2021
America’s Girls, Episode 3: Naked Ambition
A group of former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pose topless in Playboy, and the Cowboys go to court to protect their brand.
Sports
December 13, 2021
Dave Campbell Made Texas Football the Juggernaut It Is Today
The legendary sports journalist and founder of the indispensable magazine that bore his name died last week at the age of 96.
Sports
December 10, 2021
Can Eric Schmid Lead Sam Houston to Two FCS Championships in One Year?
Thanks to the pandemic-delayed 2020 season, the Bearkats and their star quarterback are 21–0 in 2021 and three games away from making history.
America's Girls
December 9, 2021
Dancing With the Poster Girl of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ Golden Era
Shannon Baker Werthmann got more fan mail than any woman on the seventies squad. We talk sexiness, fair pay, encounters with Roger Staubach, and getting fired by Kelli Finglass.
America's Girls
December 8, 2021
Meet the First Woman to Wear the Cowboys Cheerleaders Uniform
Vonciel Baker still holds the record for most years on the squad.
Sports
December 7, 2021
The Lone Star State College Football Report Card
Grading the season performances and outcomes for all twelve FBS programs in Texas. You already know who's getting an F.
America's Girls
December 7, 2021
America’s Girls, Episode 2: All That Glitters
The cheerleaders enjoy the glamour of sudden fame, while grappling with low pay and the dangers that celebrity brings.
America's Girls
December 7, 2021
America’s Girls, Episode 1: The Rise to Fame
The modern Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders launch in 1972 and rocket to national fame.
Sports
December 6, 2021
A Masterpiece Season for Baylor Football and Coach Dave Aranda
After last year’s 2–7 campaign, the Big 12 champions are sitting pretty thanks to their coach’s low-key, high-character style.
Sports
December 3, 2021
Texas Monthly Recommends: A Game of Spikeball
The only limit to where it can be played is your imagination.
Sports
December 3, 2021
The Hidden All-Texas Flavor in Tonight’s Conference USA Championship Game
Officially, UTSA faces Western Kentucky in Friday's title matchup. But the Hilltoppers' high-octane offense is fueled by transfers from Houston Baptist.
America's Girls
November 30, 2021
Announcing Our New Podcast, ‘America’s Girls’
Inside the wild, glamorous, and complicated saga of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, an institution that changed sports, entertainment, and countless childhoods of boys and girls like me.
Sports
November 30, 2021
561 Million Reasons to Believe the Rangers Are Committed to Winning
With the blockbuster signings of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the woeful Texas Rangers just fast-tracked their franchise rebuild.
Sports
November 26, 2021
The First-Ever All-Texas College Football Playoff Matchup Is Here
Season got you down? (Not you, UTSA.) Why not spend Saturday watching the first-round FCS game between Stephen F. Austin and Incarnate Word?
Sports
November 23, 2021
Texas Longhorns Football Is in Free Fall, and It Still Hasn’t Hit Rock Bottom
Clumsy administrators. Meddling boosters. Blown double-digit leads. A six-game losing streak. And a home loss to lowly Kansas. What's next?
Sports
November 18, 2021
The Guy Who Asked Steve Sarkisian That Endless Question Explains Himself
Terry Middleton of ‘Horns Illustrated’ tried to be positive during Monday’s Longhorns press conference. He didn’t know he’d get dragged for it.
Sports
November 17, 2021
Get Ready for the Best College Hoops Season in Texas History
With six top-25 teams among the state's men's and women's programs, there's never been a better time to be a basketball fan in Texas.
Sports
November 15, 2021
Curl Austin’s Bet: If You Freeze It, They Will Come
The boozy winter pastime that Senator John Cornyn once deemed “the most obscure Olympic sport” is on the rise—even in Texas.
Sports
November 10, 2021
Westlake High School Football Coach Todd Dodge Might Be the Best Who Ever Did It
Good luck finding a Texan who’s lived a more complete football life than Westlake High School coach Todd Dodge. Now in his final season before retirement, the six-time state champion is looking to add one more trophy to his mantel.
Sports
November 9, 2021
Can New Texas Tech Coach Joey McGuire Build a Winner in Lubbock?
The Red Raiders’ hire is beloved by former players at Baylor and Cedar Hill High School and is known as one of the top recruiters in Texas.
Sports
November 8, 2021
How Did All Three Texas MLS Teams End Up Stinking This Season?
It was a rough campaign for FC Dallas, Austin FC, and Houston Dynamo FC, but there's good reason to hope that next year will be better.
Sports
November 3, 2021
After World Series Loss, Houston Faces the Possible End of an Era
Five straight winning seasons, three trips to the World Series, one title—but can the Astros keep it up if Carlos Correa leaves town?
Sports
October 29, 2021
The 6–1 UTEP Miners Are the Surprise of the College Football Season
Fourth-year head coach Dana Dimel's team has won more games this season than it did over the previous three years combined.
Sports
October 28, 2021
Meet the Media Upstarts Behind Those “H-Town vs. Everyone” Shirts
How Apollo Media won over Astros fans by embracing hometown pride and telling Houstonians there's no shame in supporting this team.
Sports
October 27, 2021
How Mattress Mack Pays For His Sports-Related Mega Giveaways
If the Astros win the World Series, buyers win free mattresses—and Mattress Mack cashes the biggest winning ticket in sports-betting history.
Best Thing In Texas
October 26, 2021
A Divine Presence Could Propel the Astros to a World Series Title
Houston is 2-0 in the MLB postseason with local furniture magnate Mattress Mack's "Rally Nuns" in attendance.