About Inside The Star
Inside The Star is a fan-operated publication dedicated to smart, analytical Dallas Cowboys coverage. Since 2008, we’ve grown from a small two-man blog into a respected destination for insight, opinion, and real Cowboys conversation.
We don’t chase clicks or engage in clickbait (defined as an article’s content not fulfilling the promise made by its title); we focus on depth, context, and discussion.
Every article comes from people who watch, study, and genuinely care about America’s Team and the sport of football.
Editorial Independence
Inside The Star is completely independent. We have no affiliation with the Dallas Cowboys, the National Football League, or any specific sponsor or advertiser. What we cover, how we write it, and the opinions we express are solely decided by us.
Programmatic ad placement provided by Mediavine comes without any say over the content we write. We don’t take payment, favors, or incentives to influence content from anybody. Our writers have full freedom to praise, criticize, or question as they see fit.
That independence isn’t negotiable. It’s the foundation of our mission and credibility.
Sourcing and Attribution
Accuracy and transparency matter. Whenever we cite stats, quotes, or information from elsewhere, we link directly to the original source, whether it’s a national outlet, official league document, or fellow independent creator.
If someone else did the reporting, we give them credit. Integrity comes before traffic, always.
Accuracy and Corrections
We strive to get it right the first time. Every piece is fact-checked against trustworthy sources before publication. Still, mistakes can happen and sources can be wrong.
When that happens, we own our mistakes and do our best to provide a better experience for the next reader. Small edits like typos or grammar fixes are corrected quietly, but any factual change or update that affects context is clearly noted within the article.
Being first doesn’t matter if we aren’t accurate, and our readers deserve information they can trust.
Advertising and Sponsored Content
Inside The Star doesn’t use affiliate programs or commission-based models. We display ads placed by Mediavine and occasionally run sponsored content, but every sponsored article must:
- Be relevant to Cowboys fans,
- Meet our editorial standards, and
- Be reviewed and approved by our team before it goes live.
We do our best to not run sponsored material that feels forced, off-topic, or misleading. However, there is some give and take in any relationship, including marketing relationships.
Part of that give-and-take requires that sponsored content is not marked, though it’s likely we can all tell.
Our Writers
Every article at Inside The Star is signed and credited with the author’s name.
Each writer has a public bio detailing their background, experience, and body of work, so readers always know who’s behind the words. Each author has at least one link to a social networking site where they can be followed, verified, and contacted.
No content here is anonymous, because accountability matters. To see the full organizational structure of ITS, visit our Meet Our Team page.
Comment Policy
We value open conversation and enjoy hearing from readers, even when they disagree with us.
Comments are moderated only when necessary to prevent harassment, hate speech, or personal attacks, particularly towards other commenters. Otherwise, have at it.
Debate ideas, share opinions, call us out when you think we’re wrong; just keep it about football and do not attack other commenters.
Content Updates
Sports content is tied to a specific moment. We don’t go back and rewrite old articles to reflect later developments (outside of those referenced in the Corrections section above), no matter how much Google, our overlords, wants us to; that’s what new articles are for.
If a correction is needed, we make it regardless of the article’s age. Otherwise, older posts remain as originally published to preserve historical context. We have more than 15,000 articles over the last 17 years that are still online and publicly available.
Contact Us
Questions, corrections, or feedback can be submitted through the Contact link in the footer of every page. We read everything (unfortunately…).
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Our Position
Inside The Star exists to give ordinary run-of-the-mill Cowboys fans a national voice, complete with all the authenticity of a real person, for better or worse, not to replace it with a digital one.
Our readers come here for honest opinions, third-party insight, and genuine passion for the team, written by real people with a real passion for the game and the team. AI can’t replicate that enthusiasm or perspective, and we have no interest in trying to make it do so.
That said, we do use responsible tools where they make sense, and never where they compromise trust.
What We Allow
AI is permitted only for purely mechanical, non-creative assistance:
- Proofing: Spellchecking, grammar correction, and light formatting; never tone or content changes.
- SEO Research: Keyword ideas and formatting guidance to strengthen visibility and impact, with final writing always done by the author.
- Topic Ideation: Identifying trending subjects or potential angles. Using AI to find what to write about is fine. Using it to decide what to say is not.
- Technical Uses: AI is used to write first drafts of non-content website copy, such as this page, or to optimize author bios to satisfy our overlords (Google).
What We Don’t Allow
AI does not write, rewrite, or “assist” with our articles. It doesn’t create quotes, generate analysis, or make creative decisions. Every article on this site is written by a human who stands behind their words.
This rule is without exception.
Why It Matters
For nearly two decades, Inside The Star has earned the trust of Cowboys fans by being real; real voices, real opinions, real ownership of every word. Our credibility comes from human authenticity, not algorithms or automation.
We started as a fan-driven site, and that’s exactly how it stays. Inside The Star is, and always will be, powered by people.