‘Sports Bitches’: Why Is Everyone Suddenly So Mad About Male Cheerleaders?

The NFL has no shortage of drama—suspensions, rivalries, conspiracy theories—but sometimes the controversy comes from the most unexpected places. This time, it isn’t about touchdowns or penalties. It’s about male cheerleaders.

On Sports Bitches, host Rachel Bonnetta sat down with comedians Sarah Tiana and Megan Gailey to unpack the uproar. A handful of NFL teams have announced they’ll be adding men to their cheer squads this season, and the backlash from certain fans (and yes, even politicians) has been loud. As Gailey bluntly put it, “This was, like, the stupidest fucking thing I have ever heard. It was all over our Instagram feeds last week.”

The conversation was everything you’d expect from this trio: brilliant, hilarious, and unfiltered. And at the heart of it was a simple question—why are people so mad about male cheerleaders in 2025?

Male cheerleaders aren’t new

Gailey lays out the facts: “There are 12 NFL teams that are going to have male cheerleaders for the 2025 season. Now, usually this is not a show that celebrates men doing things, but for the most part, these are fun gay men. And so, Sports Bitches loves fun gay men.”

The teams include some of the league’s biggest franchises. As Gailey continues, “The Baltimore Ravens, the Rams, who started this trend, the Saints, the Eagles, the 49ers, the Patriots, the Titans, the Colts, the Chiefs, the Bucks, and the Carolina Panthers are all going to have male cheerleaders.”

For anyone paying attention, this isn’t exactly new. The Rams broke barriers years ago by hiring men onto their squad, and the culture has slowly shifted since then. But what seems like progress to some has become a sticking point for others.

Why is this such a controversy?

According to the hosts, most of the outrage has been directed at the Minnesota Vikings. “For some reason, it has mostly been a controversy for the Vikings, and some fans have come out and said that they were going to cancel their season tickets,” Bonetta explains.

She also couldn’t resist calling out the absurdity, joking about the overlap between sports outrage and political posturing. The whole thing, she noted, “feels less about football and more about who’s trying to police joy.”

And that’s the bigger picture here: A political party has latched onto male cheerleaders as yet another culture war issue. Instead of focusing on touchdowns, interceptions, or even legitimate controversies in the NFL, the energy is going toward complaining about men who just want to dance.

The hypocrisy in the backlash

Part of the irony, as Tiana points out, is the selective nature of this outrage. Football has always been wrapped up in spectacle. From halftime shows to celebrity sightings, it’s never been just about the game. Cheerleaders are part of that tradition, and men have long been on the sidelines in college sports without anyone blinking.

But the NFL is different. It’s the most-watched league in the country, and every change feels bigger than it really is. So, when the Vikings announced their squad, certain fans (and politicians) pounced. As Gailey dryly observes, “This is right in your lane,” because it’s not really about the team—it’s about clinging to an old idea of what football should look like.

Sports are supposed to be fun

In the end, this episode wasn’t just about cheerleading—it was about progress. Inclusion in sports isn’t new, but every small step forward still seems to trigger an outsized reaction from those desperate to hold on to the past. The fact that a political party is making male cheerleaders a talking point says less about football and more about fear of change.

The Sports Bitches crew made it clear they’re not here for it. They’re here to laugh, to yell, and to cheer on anyone who makes the game-day experience more fun.

So why are some people so mad? Because joy is political. But on the sidelines of the NFL in 2025, joy is also doing high kicks in sequins—and the Sports Bitches are cheering right along.

Read Next

• New to the Network: ‘Sports Bitches’ Break Down the WNBA’s Wildest Sideline Controversy
• Try Taking A Sports Mentality When It Comes To Winning
• The Mid-Year Slump Is Real. Here’s How to Exit Your Flop Era