Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

[mKoz26]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

It's nothing agianst cheerleaders in general....but you're stretching the definition of "sport" pretty thin to include it.

The band at football games is just as active (less dangerous though) and has judged competitions...That doesn't make it a sport too does it?

The judges ruling is meant to protect other more sport related woman's teams from cuts so I'm all for it.

Wow. Didn't expect such an ignorant post from you.

Has anyone against cheerleading as a sport actually seen a competition?

[CreatineKasey]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

If stuff like synchronized swimming is a olympic sport, its pretty hard to argue competitive cheerleading isn't. Its not my cup of tea, but its a sport.

Yeah, also figure skating. Basically any competition where the criteria is highly subjective and judges choose winners based on their own perception, not hard rules. I think cheerleading is just as much of a sport as figure skating.

I also do agree that I'd call neither of them sports if I have a choice. I think racing isn't really much of a sport either... nor is fishing or hunting. If we're going to include all this kind of stuff... cheerleading should be allowed.

[Burns11]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

Some of you need to see the Penn & Teller Bull**** episode on cheerleading to see what's really going on here (sadly it's the only episode this season whose topic was at all informative or entertaining, although it was only mildly so).

[slickdtc]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

Yeah, I can see cheerleading competitions as a sport, but when they're leading cheers during a sport (like at a football game), that's not a sport, that's a show.

[deaduck]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

Wow. Didn't expect such an ignorant post from you.

Has anyone against cheerleading as a sport actually seen a competition?

Sorry to disappoint you.

But I've been to a couple of competitions (use to have some friends who were cheerleaders in college)...I have nothing but mad love for cheerleaders and what they do... but the judging of practiced routines just doesn't qualify as a "sport" in my book.

It's not about disrespecting the art form. But that's just it...it's more art than competition. The central problem being that for some reason, beyond Title 9, it has turned into a variety of art forms struggling to have the word "sport" attached to it. You could argue that funding is the major pull towards it but if that were the case you wouldn't see people so passionately upset when you disagree with them.

I look at it this way...As a indy wrestler, the matches I'm in are no less athletic or dangerous than a ton of sports...but our goal isn't to "Win", It's to draw a reaction from the crowd/viewer. How does cheerleading differ from that?

[bill2451]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

I've seen several girls post on FB statuses like "OMG some pig decided cheerleading wasn't a sport! WTF???"

thats just stupid

that same pig just protected the women playing volleyball and the school that was trying to screw them over

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

LOL @ people assuming cheerleading is all WOMEN. There are a lot of male cheerleaders as well. And guess what ? It still isn't a sport.

My mom was a cheerleader, most of my aunts, female cousins, niece and sisters were cheerleaders. They all competed on the national level and none of them consider cheerleading a sport either.

[KG]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

I'm gonna go DC on this and say that Cheerleading is useless and just a way for women to infiltrate a man dominated event.

[MassNole]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

So by definition, Gymnastics is not a sport either. It too is a choreographed routine where the outcome is decided by judges. I don't know that I consider cheerleading a sport, but I don't think the number of injuries sustained in the event should be ignored. What is sad is this will likely make it up to the SCOTUS.....

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

All I know is if they consider cheerleading a sport, then that is going to open up the floodgates for everything else.

Band
Pom pom squad
flag girl squad
chess team
academic debate team
Engineering team (don't laugh, but a lot of schools have robot building and fighting competitions)

[Trevelyan]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

People in this thread are having a very hard time separating cheerleading at a sporting event, and competitive cheerleading.

[deaduck]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

So by definition, Gymnastics is not a sport either. It too is a choreographed routine where the outcome is decided by judges. I don't know that I consider cheerleading a sport, but I don't think the number of injuries sustained in the event should be ignored. What is sad is this will likely make it up to the SCOTUS.....

Yeah, I'll be the first to admit that my list of NOT sports is pretty long and doesn't always mesh with being PC. I really boils down to not wanting to disrespect the participants of these NON sports as most of them have enviable skill sets. But we're approaching ******ation level when Ballroom Dancing is pushing to be a "sport".

I don't mind SCOTUS taking a crack at it since it's less about Cheerleading being a sport and more about the problems of following Title 9 in sports when Football programs are both cash cows and screw up equality in funding due to the size of teams/budgets.

[MassNole]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

For Title IX purposes (I hate that worthless law), we should all want them to find cheerleading to be a sport, because that would quickly equalize numbers football programs cause and could lead to rapid growth in lacrosse and a desperately needed stabilization in wrestling (which itself could be considered a quasi-sport).

[Gotmadskillzson]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

wrestling is already considered a sport.

[MassNole]

Re: Federal Judge Rules Cheerleading is not a Sport

I know that, but the arguments for why cheerleading is not a sport can be used against wrestling as well in that it has a judge based scoring system for competition.