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Minnesota Vikings Defends 2 Male Cheerleaders From NFL Fan Backlash
Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn are the first male cheerleaders on the Minnesota Vikings roster since the 1990s as part of a trend with one-third of NFL teams adding male cheerleaders in 2025.
- The Minnesota Vikings added two male cheerleaders, Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn, to their 2025 roster and debuted them at the Aug. 9 preseason game in Minneapolis.
- The team selected the men amid a broader trend, with about one third of NFL teams including male cheerleaders this season, reflecting a longstanding tradition in collegiate and professional cheerleading.
- Shiek, from Fargo, and Conn, from Bettendorf, Iowa, both have deep dance backgrounds, with Conn drawn to the Vikings cheerleaders' technique and style and Shiek aiming to be a role model for youth.
- The Vikings issued statements supporting their cheerleaders as ambassadors, while social media backlash, including from conservatives, contrasted with widespread messages of support emphasizing cheerleading's historical male roots.
- This development signals increasing male participation in NFL cheer squads but also suggests ongoing cultural tensions around gender roles within sports entertainment.
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Brainerd Dispatch+13 Reposted by 13 other sources
Trailblazing male dancer from North Dakota earns spot on Vikings cheer squad
FARGO — A dancer who was the only male on his high school and college dance teams in Fargo has earned a spot on an exponentially larger stage. Blaize Shiek was selected for the Minnesota Vikings cheerleading squad, making his debut during the NFL team’s preseason opener at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Aug. 9. He and Louie Conn, of Bettendorf, Iowa, are the first male cheerleaders on the team since the 1990s, according to the Vik…
·Brainerd, United States
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Minnesota Vikings field two male cheerleaders, joining other NFL teams
The Vikings aren’t the only football team adding male cheerleaders. At least 10 NFL teams have male cheerleaders in their 2025 rosters. In 2019 the Los Angeles Rams had two male cheerleaders with their squad during the Superbowl game.
·Walnut Creek, United States
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Total News Sources28
Leaning Left2Leaning Right15Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution65% Right
Bias Distribution
- 65% of the sources lean Right
65% Right
C 26%
R 65%
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