Time’s Up
Over the last five
years, a number of NFL cheerleaders have accused teams of various misdeeds,
from sub-minimum-wage pay to near-total control of on- and off-field
behavior. For example, players can be
seen with whomever they want, but God help the cheerleader seen with an NFL
player.
Right now, two former
cheerleaders have offered to drop their EEOC complaints in exchange for a
sit-down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell; the women are hoping to set up a
work agreement of some sort. Good luck
with that. Nobody should get the short end
of the stick at work, but cheerleading may be work that’s headed for the ash
heap of history.
What exactly is the
connection between scantily-clad young women cheering and sports? None that I can think of, outside of having
to do with the testosterone levels of male fans and players. I know that, in high school and college,
cheerleaders do incredible routines that risk injury, but, again, what’s the
connection to the game being played? Or,
put another way, can the game be played without the presence of
cheerleaders? Give me one example where
the answer is No.
We never entertained
the notion of Clare cheering on the sidelines as boys played. Yes, other parents feel differently. But I’d argue the times, they are a’changin’. Pom-poms and human pyramids may be going the
way of “Ladies Day” at the ballpark. I’d
say that’s a good thing.
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