High Kicks and Low Wages: The price of being a NFL Cheerleader.

[Jimmy Higgins]

I don't understand why Cheerleaders are at NFL games to begin with. Huge stadium, hard to see them, and what really matters is on the field.

 

[dismal]

no, it is an illegal wage thing.

There are many more men who can run with a football than there are spots in the NFL, yet starting pay for the lowest, slowest rookie is $390,000 a year.

OK, so if they paid them nothing it would no longer be a wage thing. Problem solved.

Welcome to the world of amateur volunteer cheerleading. Yay, activism.

 

[NobleSavage]

I don't understand why Cheerleaders are at NFL games to begin with. Huge stadium, hard to see them, and what really matters is on the field.

My guess would be that cheerleading started when the sport was not in huge stadiums such as high school football. When it got to huge stadiums it make perfect sense because of TV.

 

[Medicine Man]

We should just get rid of cheerleaders altogether. Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't it wrong to objectify women in the first place?

Makes ya' wonder which would be worse....Life, as a cheerleader....​

....Or, As A More-"Traditional" Wifey!!
February 1, 2015​

 

[Derec]

I don't understand why Cheerleaders are at NFL games to begin with. Huge stadium, hard to see them, and what really matters is on the field.

Frequent interruptions of the play invite that kind of sideshow I guess.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I don't understand why Cheerleaders are at NFL games to begin with. Huge stadium, hard to see them, and what really matters is on the field.

Frequent interruptions of the play invite that kind of sideshow I guess.

Does it? I guess I haven't been to many NFL games. But I don't remember the Cheerleaders doing much at the few games I've attended.

 

[Togo]

I find the US tradition of employing professional dancing girls to be quite bizzare.

 

[thebeave]

Makes ya' wonder which would be worse....Life, as a cheerleader....​

....Or, As A More-"Traditional" Wifey!!
February 1, 2015​

Lol! Shoot, I'd take that deal and I'm a guy. Serving snacks one day a year to a bunch of guys watching TV in exchange for free room and board in a nice house 365 days a year. Where do I sign up?

 

[ZiprHead]

Why is it illegal? Those women agreed to those wages of their own free will.

There are many more men who can run with a football than there are spots in the NFL, yet starting pay for the lowest, slowest rookie is $390,000 a year.

Because even the worst NFL player is in the top 0.01% of all people who can play football. Not necessarily so with the cheerleaders as being in the top is not really needed as cheerleading is a sideshow in NFL games. The quality of the cheerleading squad doesn't determine the success of a team but the quality of the players does.

Isn't even the worst NFL cheerleader in the top .01% of all people who can cheerlead? Just because it's a sideshow and considering the qualities and performance demanded by the NFL of these people, I think they are being exploited.

 

[coloradoatheist]

Why is it illegal? Those women agreed to those wages of their own free will.

Because even the worst NFL player is in the top 0.01% of all people who can play football. Not necessarily so with the cheerleaders as being in the top is not really needed as cheerleading is a sideshow in NFL games. The quality of the cheerleading squad doesn't determine the success of a team but the quality of the players does.

Isn't even the worst NFL cheerleader in the top .01% of all people who can cheerlead? Just because it's a sideshow and considering the qualities and performance demanded by the NFL of these people, I think they are being exploited.

Wouldn't the question be. If Cheerleaders didn't show up to the game, how many people would choose not to go?

 

[ZiprHead]

Isn't even the worst NFL cheerleader in the top .01% of all people who can cheerlead? Just because it's a sideshow and considering the qualities and performance demanded by the NFL of these people, I think they are being exploited.

Wouldn't the question be. If Cheerleaders didn't show up to the game, how many people would choose not to go?

Apparently the league seems to think they need them.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Apparently the league seems to think they need them.

Ya, but the league also seems to think that having a linebacker deck his fiancee on camera merits giving him a short talking-to, until that leads to some bad PR. The league ain't bright.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Isn't even the worst NFL cheerleader in the top .01% of all people who can cheerlead? Just because it's a sideshow and considering the qualities and performance demanded by the NFL of these people, I think they are being exploited.

Wouldn't the question be.

No it would not.

If Cheerleaders didn't show up to the game, how many people would choose not to go?

 

[AthenaAwakened]

AGAIN

The Cheerleaders do more than cheer (the do PR for the teams and the league) and no one should be expected to behave and be treated like as an employee and not get paid legally required minimum wages. the independent contractor designation is a dodge, an excuse to break wage laws.

Read up on the subject

Cheerleaders reach $1.25 million settlement in lawsuit against Raiders

Jiggle Tests, Dunk Tanks, and Unpaid Labor: How NFL Teams Degrade Their Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders' Fair Wage Lawsuits Add To NFL's Problems

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

AGAIN

The Cheerleaders do more than cheer (the do PR for the teams and the league) and no one should be expected to behave and be treated like as an employee and not get paid legally required minimum wages. the independent contractor designation is a dodge, an excuse to break wage laws.

Not just wage, but also the worker would be responsible for the entire FICA contribution.

The problem we have here is if they were to pay Cheerleaders for their complete time spent on the job, they'd need to raise ticket prices by a quarter or maybe a buck, and that'd just destroy the whole system!

 

[coloradoatheist]

Wouldn't the question be. If Cheerleaders didn't show up to the game, how many people would choose not to go?

Apparently the league seems to think they need them.

At the wages they are paying them, the teams have decided it's not worth that much for them there.

 

[Toni]

Apparently the league seems to think they need them.

Ya, but the league also seems to think that having a linebacker deck his fiancee on camera merits giving him a short talking-to, until that leads to some bad PR. The league ain't bright.

But the league does seem pretty consistent with the value it places on women.

 

[Toni]

Why is it illegal? Those women agreed to those wages of their own free will.

There are many more men who can run with a football than there are spots in the NFL, yet starting pay for the lowest, slowest rookie is $390,000 a year.

Because even the worst NFL player is in the top 0.01% of all people who can play football. Not necessarily so with the cheerleaders as being in the top is not really needed as cheerleading is a sideshow in NFL games. The quality of the cheerleading squad doesn't determine the success of a team but the quality of the players does.

Hold on there: how do you know that the women who make the professional cheer leading squads don't similarly represent the top 0.01%?

Personally, I have less than zero use for the NFL and not much for the idea of cheer leading either but the truth is that it takes a great deal of training, skill, talent and athleticism to be able to perform professional cheer leading routines.

Whether performing cheer routines is a worthwhile endeavor is a separate issue. In my opinion, it is no less a waste of time effort and talent than playing pro football.

 

[Axulus]

Why is it illegal? Those women agreed to those wages of their own free will.

Because even the worst NFL player is in the top 0.01% of all people who can play football. Not necessarily so with the cheerleaders as being in the top is not really needed as cheerleading is a sideshow in NFL games. The quality of the cheerleading squad doesn't determine the success of a team but the quality of the players does.

Hold on there: how do you know that the women who make the professional cheer leading squads don't similarly represent the top 0.01%?

Personally, I have less than zero use for the NFL and not much for the idea of cheer leading either but the truth is that it takes a great deal of training, skill, talent and athleticism to be able to perform professional cheer leading routines.

Whether performing cheer routines is a worthwhile endeavor is a separate issue. In my opinion, it is no less a waste of time effort and talent than playing pro football.

The difference is that people pay big bucks to watch the football players live and spend time to watch them play on TV, and more so if the team is a _winning_ team. Not so for the cheerleaders. In other words, there is a _huge_ discrepancy in the demand for football talent vs. cheer-leading talent. Not only that, but weather a cheerleader is in the top .01% or just the top 5% of all cheerleaders makes basically no difference to the spectators. Therefore, there will be minimal increase in pay between the top .01% and the top 5%. Arguably, looks are more important to the spectators than talent.

 

[AthenaAwakened]

Hold on there: how do you know that the women who make the professional cheer leading squads don't similarly represent the top 0.01%?

Personally, I have less than zero use for the NFL and not much for the idea of cheer leading either but the truth is that it takes a great deal of training, skill, talent and athleticism to be able to perform professional cheer leading routines.

Whether performing cheer routines is a worthwhile endeavor is a separate issue. In my opinion, it is no less a waste of time effort and talent than playing pro football.

The difference is that people pay big bucks to watch the football players live and spend time to watch them play on TV, and more so if the team is a _winning_ team. Not so for the cheerleaders. In other words, there is a _huge_ discrepancy in the demand for football talent vs. cheer-leading talent. Not only that, but weather a cheerleader is in the top .01% or just the top 5% of all cheerleaders makes basically no difference to the spectators. Therefore, there will be minimal increase in pay between the top .01% and the top 5%. Arguably, looks are more important to the spectators than talent.

There is no discrepancy so large that it justifies cheerleaders being paid $5.00 an hour when the federal minimum wages is $7.25.