![]() While the NFL does honorably consider motherhood as a full-time job, the compensation for these women is utterly disgusting. One cheerleader, Time reported, would often work “30 to 40 hours a week after rehearsals, workouts, games and special appearances were added up.” Time stated, “cheerleaders required to have other jobs or be students in college.” However, while they are expected to have other forms of income, they still must dedicate most of their time to the sport. Similar stories include a wage suit from the Oakland Raiders cheer squad, while other teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals were sued for poor pay and lack of reimbursement for makeup, uniforms and transportation.Īccording to a Time article, NFL cheerleaders are not expected to make cheerleading their full-time job. While it is unclear if the other NFL cheerleaders outside of the Saints team must follow similar rules, past incidents suggest that it is likely.Īccording to The New York Times, before the disbandment of the Buffalo Bills cheerleaders over a wage lawsuit, they were told to do jumping jacks during tryouts to “see if their flesh jiggled.” ![]() Players also have no limit on who can follow them on social media while the cheerleaders are left with the challenge of weeding out all the players and blocking them from their already private accounts. If a cheerleader walks into a restaurant and a player comes in afterward, she is required to leave.īut wait, there’s more: the same article explained that Saints cheerleaders “must block players from following them on social media and cannot post photos of themselves in Saints gear, denying them the chance to market themselves.” The male players do not have to follow any of those rules. The New York Times also reported that the cheerleaders are told to not dine in the same restaurants as the football players or speak to them in any capacity. These “rules,” which should be called tools for oppression, only seem to get worse. So, if I understand correctly, the cheerleaders have to have private accounts while the male players do not and they are not allowed to speak or interact at any level with the players, even if the men initiate the interaction. The New York Times reported that “the Saints have an anti-fraternization policy that requires cheerleaders to avoid contact with players, in person or online, even though players are not penalized for pursuing such engagement with cheerleaders.” However, my real frustration was with the other “rules” that Saints’ cheerleaders are expected to follow. For one, the Saints require their social media pages to be private. Now, to really understand why this screams sexism to me, one has to understand the rules these women are expected to follow once they are hired. The New York Times reported that Davis claims the Saints have two sets of rules: one for players and another for the team’s cheerleaders. Her complaint that was filed with the EEOC raises the real question of equality within the NFL. However, The New York Times reported that Davis was accused by Saints officials of “breaking the rules that prohibit cheerleaders from appearing nude, seminude or in lingerie.” Davis posted a photo to her private Instagram account of herself in a one-piece outfit. However, this post was not anything scandalous whatsoever. With debates swirling around kneeling for the National Anthem, it seems the NFL can be supportive of their male players and their freedom of expression, but not their female cheerleaders.Īccording to The New York Times, former New Orleans Saints cheerleader Bailey Davis filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after she was fired for a post on Instagram in January. Many companies have made a valiant effort to shatter the glass ceiling and provide workplaces where women can feel respected and valued, but the National Football League is not one of those companies and I refuse to support an organization that cannot live in the 21 st century. It manifests in the world around us in more ways than people notice. Samantha may be found on Twitter All suggestions and inquiries may be sent via email to. All opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. She is the Opinion Editor for The Seahawk and enjoys concentrating her work on social issues. Editor’s Note: Samantha Durham is a senior at UNCW studying sociology.
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