Cheerleaders

Cheerleaders are young men and women at the high school or collegiate level, who perform synchronized, athletic moves during sporting events, primarily football and basketball. Most cheerleaders have tumbling and/or gymnastic skills. Their duty is to entertain the spectators and motivate the home team towards victory. The first American cheerleader was a student at the University of Minnesota named Johnny Campbell, and as of November 2, 2008, cheerleading was 110 years old.

Besides game cheering, organized cheering competitions have risen in popularity and are governed by the United States All Star Federation (USASF). In the 1960s and ‘70s professional sports teams (mainly the NFL) began to organize cheer squads. In 1976, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders gained national attention during the airing of Super Bowl X with their professional dance moves and provocative uniforms.

Although the symbolism of cheerleading is that of the fresh-faced, all American good girl (or boy), the typical connotation of cheerleader in the high school realm has typically been that of the elite of teen social hierarchy. Depictions in television and movies are often of vapid or scheming young women who engage in petty rivalries and join a cheer squad for the vanity factor instead of community good-will.

by Mary K. Williams Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “Cheerleaders”

• The Nuggets Dancers did Maxim too

  
  Epic Carnival — Authority: 663
  Not content to just take awesome pics of NFL cheerleaders, the fine folk over at Maxim have jumped on the start of the new NBA season and taken some sweet shots of their cheerleaders as well beginning with the Nuggets Dancers. So I share...Even more pics here. View this post in its entirety at EpicCarnival.com.
  3 hours ago

• The Sea Gals are very photogenic

  
  Epic Carnival — Authority: 663
  Last year when I did a Who is the Hottest NFL Cheerleader contest the Seattle Seahawks cheerleaders were well represented. And that was in no small part to how great the photos were that appeared on their Web site. Well, 2009 is no different as they have come out with new pics and they are just as special as you will ...
  5 hours ago

• 15 of the best slow-motion videos of all-time

  
  Epic Carnival — Authority: 663
  This is something I have wanted to do ever since I saw the video of bullets striking steel at 1,000,000 frames per second. Many times in the past I have said that the invention of slow-motion video is one of the greatest inventions ever (for obvious reasons if you know my sites) and so Ive been wanting to compile a ...
  8 hours ago

• Photos of Ladies Playing Football in Lingerie

  
  The700Level.com - Philly Sports & Minutiae — Authority: 677
  Strange day in the Philly sports world with pretty bad news coming out of the Eagles camp and then the story of Scott Boras wanting $27 million a year for Cliff Lee on the open market. Thought we needed to change the flow up a bit. Philly.com has a photo gallery of the Philadelphia Passions loss to the Miami ...
  1 day ago

• This is Exactly Why I Love Ohio State’s Cheerleaders

  
  http://UnCoached.com — Authority: 671
  Well this guy is awesome. As if I really need reason to love any college cheerleading squad.  Well I have to admit, the Ohio State Cheerleaders are especially enjoyable because they have this dude up top.  As if the outline of his penis isn’t funny enough.   This guy’s just awesome, period. But on to real ...
  1 day ago

• NFL Week 10 Locks - Happy Holidays Through Sports Gambling

  
  Buzz Pirates — Authority: 113
  Despite the worst economic decline since the Great Depression, wives and girlfriends will still expect gifts this holiday season.  If you really want that threesome you’ve been wishing for all year, you better come up with something really good (read expensive).   How does an underemployed, underpaid office drone ...
  1 day ago

• Vikings cheerleaders in pink

  
  The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog — Authority: 585
  The Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders donned pink attire for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bonus pics after the jump… Photo from fOTOGLIF
  1 day ago

• Soccer Babe Gallery: Isabel Madow – Mexico Soccer Fan / Una Fanática del Tri

  
  Football Fashion — Authority: 481
  To celebrate the launch of the brand new Mexico adidas 2010 World Cup shirt last night, we’re bringing you an El Tri (that’s the nickname for the Mexican national soccer team) inspired Soccer Babe – Mexican actress and model Isabel Madow.Those of you in Latin America or viewers of Hispanic soap operas elsewhere ...
  2 days ago

• The Hottest Cheerleaders in College Basketball

  
  Tasty Booze — Authority: 605
  Sure, the college football season is heating up for the stretch run… but we all know it’s going to be Florida vs. Texas in the BCS Championship, so we should just go ahead and fast forward two months and just watch them play. Now, the real excitement is that college basketball will soon be center stage. Pre-season ...
  2 days ago

• Broncos and Colts cheerleaders wear pink…

  
  The Scores Report - The National Sports Blog — Authority: 585
  …for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bonus pics after the jump… Photos from fOTOGLIF
  2 days ago

• A Los Angelista Giveaway: We Cheer 2 for Wii

  
  Los Angelista's Guide To The Pursuit Of Happiness — Authority: 425
  Things Ive never been able to do: the splits, a back flip, a cartwheel. However, despite my athletic deficiencies, I somehow ended up being a varsity cheerleader during my junior year in high school. You know how it is - one day youre nerding it out with the chess club and writing letters for Amnesty ...
  2 days ago

• Ready For Take-Off [Snap Judgment]

  
  Jezebel — Authority: 819
  [Atlanta, November 8. Image via Getty ] ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 08: An Atlanta Falcons cheerleader performs during the game against the Washington Redskins at Georgia Dome on November 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
  2 days ago

• Ready For Take-Off [Snap Judgment]

  
  GossipMax — Authority: 157
  [Atlanta, November 8. Image via Getty ] ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 08: An Atlanta Falcons cheerleader performs during the game against the Washington Redskins at Georgia Dome on November 8, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
  3 days ago

• Eavesdropping Is What Guests Do Best…

  
  Guest of a Guest - NYC People, Places, Parties & Nightlife — Authority: 689
  Is Tom Cruise buying up property for the advancement of Scientology ? [ Gawker ] It only took 800 years, but Cambridge University finally got some cheerleaders . [ DailyNews ] After getting fired from Melrose Place, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz decides to try Broadway. [ People ] Man faked (and filmed) his ...
  3 days ago

• Tiffany In Throwbacks

  
  Bucstats.com — Authority: 136
  That is all. (Actually, no it’s not. There are a bunch more cheerleader pics after the jump.)
  3 days ago

• And the #1 reason why guys aren’t cheerleaders…

  
  Guyism sports — Authority: 138
  I’m not sure what kind of stunt Northwestern is trying to pull here. In fact, I’m not even sure I want to understand. I’m just glad that these kinds of stunts are strictly for women.  Because out there somewhere, a male cheerleader doubles as a eunuch for trying this.
  3 days ago

• Soccer Babes – Mexican Primera Apertura Week 16 Cheerleaders

  
  Football Fashion — Authority: 481
  It’s Monday somewhere! That means it’s time for is our extremely popular weekly look at the weekend’s Mexican Primera cheerleaders. As usual, we’ve got a ton of them for your viewing pleasure again.Check this space every Monday for more of these chicas. If we run into more of them during the week, we’ll ...
  3 days ago

• Gotta love the Luvabulls

  
  Epic Carnival — Authority: 663
  So I was looking for something good to start the week out with when I came across the cheerleaders section of the Chicago Bulls Web site. And unlike most cheerleader sites there was actually something really good there. As in videos of the Luvabulls doing their poster shoot... Happy Monday...BONUS: The 2008-2009 ...
  3 days ago

• Rookie QB leads Bucs to First Victory

  
  Free INFO — Authority: 449
  TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers saluted their past, then rookie Josh Freeman gave the struggling franchise hope for the future. Freeman passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, including a 7-yard throw to Sammie Stroughter on fourth-and-4, leading the previously winless Bucs to a 38-28 ...
  3 days ago

• Josh Freeman Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB WINS! (VIDEO)

  
  Bitten and Bound — Authority: 657
  Josh Freeman was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (17th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft.  He started his first professional game at home on Sunday, November 8th, and pulled off a win against the Green Bay Packers. It was the team’s first win this year, putting them at 1-7.  With losses in ...
  3 days ago

Comments about Cheerleaders