Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to entertain the audience, or for competition. Cheerleading routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are the National Football League cheerleading squad representing the Dallas Cowboys team.
Buzz is the current official mascot of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Buzz is usually represented as a stylized yellowjacket with yellow-and-black fur, white wings, a yellow head, and antennae. Buzz is almost never drawn with six legs, but rather with arms, legs, hands and feet, like a human. Invented in 1972 and restyled in 1979, Buzz reflects the tradition of referring to Georgia Tech students as "Yellow Jackets." Buzz is also one of Georgia Tech's emblems and trademarks, one that they defended in a 1998 legal conflict with the Salt Lake Buzz.
The Buffalo Jills were the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.
National Football League Cheerleading, or simply NFL Cheerleading, is a professional cheerleading organization in the United States. 26 of the 32 NFL teams include a cheerleading squad in their franchise. Cheerleaders are a popular attraction that can give a team more coverage/airtime, popular local support, and increased media image. In 1954, the Baltimore Colts became the first NFL team to have cheerleaders. They were part of Baltimore's Marching Colts.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers Spirit Squads comprise the cheerleading organization at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Being the first program ever to form worldwide, the University of Minnesota is consequently considered the "Birthplace of Cheerleading". Today, the Gopher Spirit Squads consist of four separate squads: a cheer squad, a dance team, a hockey cheer squad, and the school's mascot, Goldy Gopher. The squads consistently perform well at national competitions including 19 national championships in dance since 2003, a 2nd-place finish for All-Girl in 2013, a fifth-place finish in 2017, and four-time national champion Goldy Gopher in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2018. The current head coach is Sam Owens.
Several Green Bay Packers cheerleading squads have performed in Green Bay Packers' history. The Packers became one of the first professional football teams to have a cheerleading squad, having first used cheerleaders in 1931. The squad performed for 57 years under three separate names. In 1988, it was decided that the team would cease having a professional squad cheer for them. Since 1988, the team uses collegiate squads in a limited role to cheer during home games.
The Jacksonville Roar is the professional cheerleading squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. The group was established in 1995, the team's inaugural year, and regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests.
The Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders is the professional cheerleading squad of the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. The squad performs a variety of dance moves at the Hard Rock Stadium, the home stadium of the Dolphins. The Dolphins Cheerleaders released an annual swimsuit calendar every year. The squad hosts auditions every May. Like most other squads in the league, the MDC also has a youth cheer squad. The squad also makes USO trips. Every year, the MDC sends a cheerleader to the Pro Bowl. The MDC also sends a number of alumni to the Indian Premier League every year.
The Los Angeles Charger Girls are the official National Football League cheerleading squad that represents the National Football League team Los Angeles Chargers.
The New England Patriots Cheerleaders (NEPC) are the official cheerleading squad of the NFL's New England Patriots first formed in 1971. The cheerleaders also make appearances off the field and overseas with Patriots mascot Pat Patriot, and also has a Junior Patriots Cheerleaders, with girls of ages 7–17 being allowed to join. The team also releases a swimsuit calendar yearly. The Patriots Cheerleaders' auditions take place at Gillette Stadium. In 2008, the squad went to China to train Chinese dancers for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Carolina TopCats Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. The TopCats perform a variety of dance moves during home games at Bank of America Stadium, the home stadium of the Panthers.
The Cincinnati Ben–Gals are the official cheerleading squad of the National Football League team Cincinnati Bengals. The squad performs a variety of dance moves at Paul Brown Stadium, as well as making off-field appearances at charity events, conventions, grand openings, and trade shows. The squad is one of the first NFL Cheerleading squads, having been created by Bengals founder Paul Brown in the 1968 Cincinnati Bengals season, during the team's time in the American Football League. As of 2015, the squad has 26 members. The squad also has a "Junior Ben-Gals" group, who performs with their adult counterparts at Bengals games. Annually, the squad sends a Ben-Gal to the Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii, along with cheerleaders from other squads.
The Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders are a cheerleading and dance squad for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Along with the Seattle Seahawks Dancers the Ravens squad is a co-ed squad, with the female cheerleaders doing various dance moves, and the males working on stunts, as in traditional cheerleading. The group was founded in 1998, and currently consists of 48 members. The squad performs at the Ravens home stadium M&T Bank Stadium. The squad's director is Tina Galdieri, who cheered at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, as well as the World League of American Football's Barcelona Dragons, and also led the University of Maryland's cheerleading squad to a national championship in 1999. The squad also has a "Lil Ravens" summer program, and unlike the other squads, boys also are permitted to join. The group makes various appearances at parties and corporate functions throughout the year. The female members of the squad also has a swimsuit calendar, with their 2012 calendar taking place in the Bahamas. The squad currently has 31 female members.
The Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders are the cheerleading squad of the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. The squad performs a variety of dance moves during home games at Nissan Stadium, and performs with Titans mascot T-Rac, as well as their junior squad. The squad was established in 1975 as the Derrick Dolls, and changed to the current name when the Titans moved to Tennessee. The group currently has 25 cheerleaders. The squad also makes USO trips, with the members making trips to Kuwait and Diego Garcia for their All-Star Super Bowl Tour. The squad holds auditions at Baptist Sports Park. Other than performances on the field, the squad also has made appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Dr. Oz Show". Annually, the squad makes a swimsuit calendar, and one that's available to download onto tablets and smartphones. The squad also makes appearances off the field.
The Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders are the cheerleading squad of the Philadelphia Eagles, who plays in the NFL. The squad features 38 women. The squad debuted in 1948 as the Eaglettes, and became the Liberty Belles in the 1970s, and became the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders in the 1980s. In April, the squad holds annual auditions at the Kimmel Center, with the final auditions being aired on PhiladelphiaEagles.com. The squad, was unique in that it released a swimsuit calendar, but the Eagles Cheerleaders have also released it on Android, as well as iOS for $1.99. Today, the Eagles Cheerleaders releases a booklet about the squad. The squad's director, Barbara Zaun, was a titleholder for Miss USA and Miss America, and also coordinated the Eagles Cheerleaders for Super Bowl XXXIX, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, as well as various photo shoots. The squad also makes off-field appearances. The squad has also made an appearance at the 2012 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the Indianapolis Colts. The cheerleaders perform various dances at the Colts stadium Lucas Oil Stadium, and also performed at Super Bowl XLI and Super Bowl XLIV at Sun Life Stadium. The 2016 squad currently has 28 members. The squad was the first cheerleading squad in the NFL, being formed in the same year as the team's inception (1954) by two women. The squad originally consisted of ten girls with white boots, crew-neck sweaters, blue scarves and a blue skirt with grey kick-pleats as uniforms. The squad had a horse as a mascot, and often marched with the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, which was left behind in 1984 when the Colts moved to Indianapolis. The squad's annual auditions feature hundreds of women, with the group's "Audition Showcase" taking place at venues around Indianapolis. The squad has a show troupe, which travels to various cities to entertain fans. The Colts Cheerleaders release an annual swimsuit calendar. The team has a "Junior Cheerleaders" program, in which a team of 300 girls aged 7 to 14 perform at Lucas Oil Stadium and various appearances, in addition for one year the Colts cheerleaders mentors the girls in the Junior Cheerleaders program.
The Kansas City Chiefs Cheerleaders are the official cheer squad of the Kansas City Chiefs. The group performs a variety of dance moves at the Chiefs' home in Arrowhead Stadium. The squad was originally a co-ed squad that was first formed in 1971, and eventually dropped the male cheerleaders, and renamed the squad as the Chiefettes. In 1986, the squad changed to its current name, and male cheerleaders returned. In 1997, the squad became all-female. The group's annual tryouts take place in April. Non-KCCC members can still join by participating in "Spirit Day", in which a group of 7th-12th grade cheerleaders performs with the squad at halftime. The group also makes various appearances at military bases, trade shows, commercials, convention, county fairs, talk shows, grand openings, autograph sessions, photo shoots, golf tournaments, charity functions, and auctions. The squad also has a "Junior Cheerleaders" program. However, the program is separated in 4 age divisions: Angel Chiefs for 3-5; Junior Chiefs for 6-12; The Satellite Program for 6-17; as well as the Teen Chiefs for ages 13–17. The squad also performs with Chiefs mascot KC Wolf, who also makes appearances. Similar to the drum line of the Chicago Bears, the Chiefs also have the "Rumble", a drum line consisting of male and female musicians who pump up the crowd at each home game, and at various community events with the cheerleaders and KC Wolf. A Chiefs Cheerleader, Susie, rides a horse called "Warpaint" out the tunnel before every home game and after each Chiefs touchdown. This had been done until 1989, at which time the tradition was retired, however, in 2009, for the Chiefs 50th Anniversary, Warpaint was brought back. Aside from the squad, the Chiefs also has the "Red and Gold Girls", which performs cheerleading stunts.
The Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders are the official cheer squad for the Minnesota Vikings. The squad performs at every home game at the U.S. Bank Stadium, the home stadium of Minnesota. Before the squad's introduction in 1984, The Vi-Queens (1961–63) and the St. Louis Park High School Parkettes performed Edina High School Hornettes and Minneapolis Roosevelt High School Rockettes in 1966. In 1984, the MVC were started. The group currently has 35 members. The squad, like other groups in the league, releases a swimsuit calendar annually since 2001. The squad also makes off-field appearances at parades, schools, and charity events. Like other NFL cheerleading squads, the MVC also has a "Junior Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders" program, which has various divisions: Junior Angel Division is for girls aged 3–5, and Junior Cheerleader Division is for girls aged 6–14. In April, the MVC hosts tryouts at Winter Park. From when the division was founded in 2002 to 2016, when the Detroit Lions Cheerleaders were re establishled, the Vikings were the only team in the NFC North with a cheerleading squad.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders are the official cheerleading squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. The squad performs a variety of dance routines at Raymond James Stadium, the home of the Bucs, with the team's mascot Captain Fear. The squad debuted alongside the Buccaneers during their inaugural season. The squad was originally known as the SwashBucklers until 1998.
