Minnesota Vikings defend male cheerleaders after fan backlash

Jackie Longo

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Minnesota Vikings defend male cheerleaders after fan backlash image

The Minnesota Vikings have issued a response to fans who have threatened to boycott after the team announced that two male cheerleaders were added to the squad this season. 

The drama unfolded after the NFL team announced that Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn made the Viking's 35-person cheer roster earlier this month. 

"The next generation of cheer," the Vikings wrote on Instagram.

Fans quickly took to the comments section to complain about the NFL team's newest additions, with one fan writing, "I'm not a Viking fan no more." 

"Have the Minnesota Vikings lost their f-ing minds?! These are the two new cheerleaders. They took two jobs from women and put these two feminine men in their place. Somebody save us," another person commented on X.

"I would cancel my tickets. Cheerleading is simply a woman sport. Men don’t need to be in everything. In 10 years men will be the only ones dancing in the field," someone else said.

MORE: Who is on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders roster? Meet the rookies, veterans and group leaders for the 2025 NFL season

Minnesota Vikings stand firm amid ticket cancellation threats

Despite the backlash, the Vikings are standing by their decision to add Shiek and Conn to the team. 

"While many fans may be seeing male cheerleaders for the first time at Vikings games, male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading," the team said in a statement," according to "NBC News."

Approximately one-third of NFL teams now have male cheerleaders, the team stated. 

According to the outlet, no fans have cancelled their season tickets thus far. 

One of the two male cheerleaders, Shiek, has also issued a response to the critics. 

On August 16, Shiek shared a photo of himself and Conn donning Vikings gear and pom poms on Instagram.

He captioned the post, "Wait…did someone say our name?”

 

 

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Jackie Longo

Jackie is a freelance writer and editor with The Sporting News. She has covered sports, entertainment and lifestyle for over a decade. She has written for a number of outlets including Business Insider, The Sun, Travel+Leisure and Heavy. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from West Virginia University and resides in Charlotte, NC.