Denver Broncos Cheerleaders humble beginnings
Need to change the way we cheer
This guy tries out for the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders today. Now, you got to give the guy some credit for being the first. Anyone who is the first. Because they had to muster more guts than the second, the third, or fourth and so on. The first female astronaut. The first person to land on and step on the moon. As if it weren't incredible enough to be walking on another object in outer space they did it utilizing 1960's technology. That's some crazy brave space cowboy stuff. The first male nurse. He is probably still being called a 'male nurse' instead of just a nurse. You know some people are still flinching when they go to an ER and someone calls the on-duty nurse and into the room comes this guy named Jed who body builds three times a week and has a tattoo of the American eagle on his right arm with a flaming sword piercing the name "Candy". The first female firefighter is still dragging guys bigger than herself out of burning buildings. The first male figure skater, the first female doctor, first male model...all widely accepted. But what about the first male ballet dancer? I'm sure he never caught flak. No one knows who he is. No one really wants to think about who that guy could be, like he is some cultured outcast. He was probably in high school, had a dream, and was very, very secure with himself. And had no problem wearing tights in every sense. Male or female, we live amongst some pioneers and they deserve some credit.
Although this guy failed to make the cheerleading team cut, it really forces a more important related and obvious topic - do we really need cheering coaches in an event that rivals the hoopla from something out of the Roman Empire? Maybe to cheer up after watching a 4-hour pre-game show or the 2-hour post-game review. Is anyone feeling they are getting "cheered up" by watching cheerleaders at a football game, or, do we all agree they are merely NFL-endorsed eye candy? They cause more distraction than cheer if you can find them on the field behind the mob of press and security. In a basketball game, it makes sense. The court is small and the cheerleaders are noticeable, energetically responding in perfect timing to each moment. You can see them easily (less so if intoxicated) visible, enthusiastic leadership bouncing around in your line of sight with the action. They remind you, "hey, it's time to jump up, get on your feet and make some noise fools." In contrast, the football cheerleaders role seems kind of pathetic. They blend in with the press and security, at the end zones aside from the action. There are so many focus points in a game. So many distractions abound within a stadium including that verbal sparring match with Keith the under-dressed, war-painted diehard Bears fan who managed to scalp a seat in upper center section of season ticket holders at Lambeau Field. If you are stuck watching the game on TV, you get maybe 5 or 7 seconds of panoramic smiling and pom-shaking just before cutting to the 12th commercial in a row for the Ford Focus.
Cheerleaders need to come out after any seriously tanked play by the home team. Pause the game. Cheerleaders run out to the 50 yard line. Cheer everyone up. Run off the field. Resume the game. Be there in our emotional time of need or just go home.
Although this guy failed to make the cheerleading team cut, it really forces a more important related and obvious topic - do we really need cheering coaches in an event that rivals the hoopla from something out of the Roman Empire? Maybe to cheer up after watching a 4-hour pre-game show or the 2-hour post-game review. Is anyone feeling they are getting "cheered up" by watching cheerleaders at a football game, or, do we all agree they are merely NFL-endorsed eye candy? They cause more distraction than cheer if you can find them on the field behind the mob of press and security. In a basketball game, it makes sense. The court is small and the cheerleaders are noticeable, energetically responding in perfect timing to each moment. You can see them easily (less so if intoxicated) visible, enthusiastic leadership bouncing around in your line of sight with the action. They remind you, "hey, it's time to jump up, get on your feet and make some noise fools." In contrast, the football cheerleaders role seems kind of pathetic. They blend in with the press and security, at the end zones aside from the action. There are so many focus points in a game. So many distractions abound within a stadium including that verbal sparring match with Keith the under-dressed, war-painted diehard Bears fan who managed to scalp a seat in upper center section of season ticket holders at Lambeau Field. If you are stuck watching the game on TV, you get maybe 5 or 7 seconds of panoramic smiling and pom-shaking just before cutting to the 12th commercial in a row for the Ford Focus.
Cheerleaders need to come out after any seriously tanked play by the home team. Pause the game. Cheerleaders run out to the 50 yard line. Cheer everyone up. Run off the field. Resume the game. Be there in our emotional time of need or just go home.
