The Spark
On August 9, 2025, the Minnesota Vikings posted a 15-second Instagram reel captioned “The next generation of cheer has arrived!” Front and center: Blaize Shiek landing a backflip and Louie Conn spinning pom-poms beside the squad’s veteran women .
Within hours the clip amassed millions of views—and an avalanche of backlash.
Within hours the clip amassed millions of views—and an avalanche of backlash.
The Backlash
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Conservative figures piled on. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) accused the league of “pushing a woke business model” .
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Former kicker Jay Feely claimed male cheerleaders “replace women” and are “unsafe” .
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Antonio Brown hurled a homophobic slur at Conn on X .
Comment sections filled with threats to cancel season tickets—though the team later confirmed no tickets have actually been dropped .
The Team’s Defense
The Vikings issued a concise statement:
“Male cheerleaders have appeared on previous Vikings squads and have long been part of collegiate and professional cheer. Every member—regardless of gender—met the same rigorous audition standard.”
The Numbers
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Eleven NFL teams now roster male cheerleaders, up from seven in 2024 .
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The Los Angeles Rams debuted the league’s first male pair—Quinton Peron & Napoleon Jinnies—in 2018 .
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New Orleans Saints will feature 12 men among 47 performers this season .
The Counter-Narrative
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Presidential pedigree: FDR, Eisenhower, Reagan, and George W. Bush all cheered at university .
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Culture defenders: TV host Meghan McCain and commentator Tomi Lahren praised the move, arguing cheerleading was male-only until WWII .
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Players’ support: Former Cowboy RK Russell wrote, “Let them dance. Masculinity isn’t measured by pom-poms.”
The Soundtrack
Shiek & Conn clapped back on Instagram:
“Wait… did someone say our name?”
Their pinned selfie—pom-poms up, grins wider—has become a quiet rallying cry.
The Takeaway
Backlash has been loud, but the league and its fans are louder: one-third of NFL teams now feature male performers, and the Vikings say ticket sales remain steady. The conversation has shifted from why men are on the squad to when the rest of the league will follow suit.