NFL is Full of Sissies

via Feministing, we learn that NFL teams have been told to "control their cheerleaders." Apparently, their suspicion is that various cheerleading teams have been deliberately warming up in certain locations before the game, with the intent to distract the other team.

Wha?

Ok, even if this is true, there's two big problems with this response.

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First of all, since when is enganging in mind games considered to be not ok?

While my experiences with professional sports is admittedly limited, I did play JV soccer in high school. Let me rephrase that, I played JV soccer in SB Co., home of Landon Donavon, Shannon Boxx , and Heather Aldama. And all four of us are about the same age so, yes, while needless to say all three are eons ahead of me in talent and skill, making it to the JV team around the same time that they were playing varsity was nothing to sneeze at.

Do you know what our coach had us do every pre-game warm-up? Do our damnest to psyche out the other team. Our uniforms were to be perfect and, well, uniform. (We all had our team jackets on, or none of us did.) We ran as close to their side as we could. We ran in step like a fucking army. I don't know if it worked, but I do know that this was accepted. Strikers would go up and shake the goalies hand before a penalty kick in order to psyche them out. The game was as psychological as it was physical.

Now, I'm fairly certain the handshake isn't allowed in professional soccer - for various reasons, but I have limited sympathy for professional players of any sport who accuse the other team of "cheating" because they engage in mind games.


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Most of all though, it's a stupid response by the NFL because it reinforces the idea that men are unable to help themselves around pretty girls - 'cause they're men you know! That's the basis for most rape apology arguments. The boys just can't help themselves.

Bullshit.

The fact that the NFL consistently and constantly uses the cheerleader's sexual appeal to make money off of them - and get people to come to the games, which gives the home team a psychological advantage - just makes it even worse.