Do we Really need More Professional Cheerleaders?

By the TSB Staff

In recent years, the NHL has introduced “Ice Crews” which are essentially hockey’s version of cheerleaders. And the Florida Marlins and Cincinnati Reds have brought scantily clad babes to baseball now too. What do you think of these developments? blaspheme? or long overdue?

We’ve accepted NFL Cheerleaders and NBA Dance Teams, but do hockey and baseball need them?

Do you we even need them in football and basketball for that matter?

I invite you to voice your opinions on these ideas below, just the TSB staff did.

PAUL M. BANKS:

Here in Chicago there has been a recent growth of D list cheerleaders to accompany the explosion of third-tier pro sports franchises. What’s a bit troubling about that is what I call the “Princeton Rule” Anyone who applies to get into Princeton must conquer 14% acceptance rates. That’s understandable as Princeton breeds the elite ruling classes of this nation.

However, to become a member of the Luvabulls or the Shamrox “Hot Rox” or Storm “Storm Chasers” (if you haven’t heard of these last couple groups, it’s understandable, and proves my point) there is a 8-10% acceptance rate.

You get to dance in a league no one cares about before crowds in 5/6 empty arenas. And work this extra job at 25 hours a week for little or no money- congratulations. Then there’s the Chevy Pride crew at White Sox games which…I’ll pass on commenting on that situation at this time; too easy to make fun of them. At least there, guys also have the chance to work 25 hours a week for no pay.

The Hawks Ice Crew did win an internet poll naming them the NHL’s “Sexiest Ice Girls”. And that, accompanied by a $1.75, could get you a hot dog. But it’s more than I could say about the Bulls dancers, who aren’t aspiring models and actresses like you might stereotype them. I guess it’s all about the dancing and the performances. Or maybe not, because whenever the Ice Crew take the ice to perform the job of eliminating excess ice from the rink surface, we also have fully clothed guys on skates with much better equipment for the duty.

Which leaves the HoneyBears who were canned in 1985, and not likely to return any time soon. I think the Bears should ressurrect them, if not for this reason alone. That would even out the demand equilibrium for holding down these ultra-coveted roster spots. And then it would (rightfully) be harder to get into Princeton than it is to be a dancer at the Sears Centre in Arlington Heights for a team that draws 400 people per game.

But I voice these opinions as a pragmatist with a slight feeling of defeat regarding the way things are for social justice and feminism. These D List cheer squads do-nothing to advance the gender roles of women. (Neither do the A-list squads for that matter) I’d much rather respond to this as an idealist, seeing how we could fight sexism in sports, by eradicating these sophomoric side-show acts. But unfortunately that train left the station a long time ago.

MELISSA S. WOLLERING:

Sex sells and dancers have had their fair share of “T & A” chants over the last 40 years on the sidelines of all kinds of sporting events. However, the caliber of talent widely varies between sport and organization.

In the last 3 years, the Milwaukee Brewers introduced the “Diamond Dancers” to Miller Park fans. The talent has improved each year, with members primarily being full-time kid/teen dance teachers from across the region, college dance team grads and high school pom sensations-turned “this is my second job” members. If a professional athletic organization wants to pay these adult women a measly stipend and comp their hair salon fees, by all means, go ahead.

I don’t know how much fans appreciate them, but that would be a great poll question.  Paul M. Banks is accurate in that these “spots on the team” are coveted and people travel from all over Wisconsin to do this AS THEIR SECOND JOB. Wow.  Princeton theory proven.

On the other hand, why doesn’t the Green Bay Packers organization have a presence that extends beyond the local college talent pool?  I’m serious, they really are UWGB students.  The Packers cheerleaders are still wearing outfits recycled from the late 80′s and to be honest, my last time at Lambeau, I was concerned one of the girls was about to fall to her death due to lack experience on the guys’ part. Could these guys lift weights on campus just once a week?  Please?  Then again, their counterparts weren’t very adept either.

As trivial as it sounds, it does reflect poorly on the Packers organization, which is showcased on national television, on a Sunday or Monday Night Football platform from time-to-time. Is the caliber of the Packers entertainment probably more important than the Brewers’ Diamond Dancers?

When you look at it in ratings and attendance numbers, yep.  Probably. Think about it.  If the Bucks have the Energee Squad and the Brewers have the Diamond Dancers, the Packers should definitely have the Lambeau Ladies. You’re behind the times Green Bay. I don’t know how much you’ll be appreciated, but do you remember how much attention the yellow bikini girls got at Lambeau a year ago? And they were just sitting in the stands…

SOXMAN:

Have you ever gotten sick off of your favorite food  and then the thought of eating it again triggers the vomit experience?  That’s my answer to this question.

The entire point of ice crews, pride crews, or any promotional person is to appeal to the target audience to which a product is being sold.  If a glorified bikini clad ice skater can make a few young males happy, so be it.  Just keep it in the proper perspective and please don’t think that you are more than you actually are.

You can ice skate.  I can’t.  Bravo.

Soxman is a fan’s fan, and I hope most who truly know me, would agree there’s no ego to check at the door because no ego exists.  Without the fans, I’m nothing.

Without promotional sponsors there is no “crew” of any type.  Without fans there are no promotional sponsors.  Get it?

Upkeep of image is up to the team that employ these crews, cheerleaders, or whatever else you want to call them.

One Chicago franchise boasts “most” crew members are college graduates yet, they employ high school drop outs.  They claim fraternizing with players is explicitly denied, yet I’ve heard fans complain when they walk past this group, you can hear certain members boast of players whose numbers they have, or which players supposedly wanted to sleep with them.  Others refuse to participate in a promotion like mullet night because they don’t want to wear a wig.  Seriously?  That’s class!

Who is enforcing the image?

Now that said, I have met many of the cheerleaders and crews from our Chicago teams.  Most of them are humble in who they are and honored to have any tie to a team they love.  I can and do support that.  Stepping out in front of 30,000 or more fans a game and running around like a maniac takes courage.  TRUST ME.  It would be an act of heroism to police yourselves.  Turn in the bad apples rather than look up to them!

Stay humble, do your job and do it well.

The others who think they are better than everyone else?  Who think the fact that they throw out t-shirts with their team’s logos on them or shovel ice shavings on a time out, grants them superiority over the fans whose expensive ticket purchase indirectly employs them?   Enjoy your career pinnacle.  My love of the game or as a matter of fact hatred of the game has no place for you.

Soxgirl recently got sick on bad Chinese food from a specific restaurant.  Now all Chinese food completely turns her off.  Get my point?

DAVID BOUCHER:

You’re right, for the educated, intense sports fan, cheerleaders seem like little more than posters on the wall. But if you look at the audience at every single sporting event, it’s not made up solely of fanatics. In fact, I would say the majority of people at the game aren’t as extremely sports-saavy as TSB staffers. For every guy that’s interested in counting how many defenders are in the box at an NFL game, there are five other people chowing down on a box of popcorn, gawking at cheerleaders, or simply people watching. I know whenever I go to a game with my family, my mom is always more interested in watching the crowd than the game action.

The dance crews and entertainment staff at games put a lot of time and effort into their routines, and they have to hear a ridiculous amount of garbage from the ticket-buyers who were interested in the game, until they had their fourth Old Style. It’d be silly to get rid of them altogether; and come on, you know the Marlins and Reds brought in Cheerleaders just so they wouldn’t have to pay fans to attend.

H. JOSE BOSCH:

Cheerleaders at sporting events are useless. In college they occasionally lead a cheer but in the pros they’re just there as eye candy (unless they’re dudes, then they’re just fat slobs. But that double standard can be saved for another post).

I think cheerleaders are an example of how sports have become entertainment and how franchises are appealing to the lowest common denominator.

What intelligent sports fan thinks to him or herself “Man, this is a great game but the only thing missing is a scantily dressed man and/or woman ass-dancing to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.”?

Not a single one.

Unfortunately many sporting events are filled with half-wits who find flashing LEDs to be entertaining. For cripes sake we’re a sports society that needs an electronic scoreboard to tell us when to get excited at an event. They’re laughing at us in Europe. Granted, cheerleaders aren’t a foreign concept overseas, but it seems like in Europe the game is still the main focus of the day.

Not cheerleaders, or music or mascot races or some lame ass MC who has to give away a prize every damn inning.

Now, cheerleaders aren’t to blame. I’m not one of those people who think it’s easy. In fact, I encourage schools in the high school and college level to continue fielding squads to compete in national competitions. Those are actually pretty cool. But as far as sporting events go, we need to ban cheerleaders from any level higher than high school. They serve no purpose other than to create more distractions and give a select few a chance express themselves through dance.

You know what, sir or ma’am, if you want to express yourself through dance, go to your local gym and take a class.

Stay away from my sporting event.