Source: David Berding / Getty
As inclusive as sports have fought to become, every time there’s some advancement, haters always seem to pop up in protest.
There was the criticizing of trans athletes, and sex toy-throwing incidents at WNBA games, and now even cheerleaders are getting the cold shoulder.
Cheerleaders are usually women, but the Minnesota Vikings decided to switch things up this season by adding two men to the squad, named Louie Conn and Blaize Shiek.
The Vikings made the announcement last week, but let the video speak for itself since it begins with Conn front and center, who effortlessly does a backflip before getting back into formation with the rest of the crew.
“The next generation of cheer has arrived!” read the caption, which could have been a nod to having men gripping pom-poms for the first time or the grade-school cheerleaders screaming in the background.
Either way, the comments section was brutal because if sports fans know how to do one thing, it’s get irate at any nontraditional decision their favorite team makes.
“We going 2-98 this season,” read one comment, while another loyal fan said, “I just lost all of my respect for the Vikings.”
Another posed the question, “Why does the @nfl feel the need to cater to a demographic that doesn’t match their fan base?”
Others vowed to find a new team to root for, while deep-rooted rival Green Bay Packers fans supported diversity, with backhanded compliments like “Packers fan here & wow I can’t believe the Vikings made me hate them a little less,” wrote one.
Another added, “As a Packers fan, I enjoy watching this content.”
Antonio Brown even retweeted the post with his infamous homophobic tag of “F-ggot of the Day.”
However, some followers praised the Vikings’ bold move, arguing that others shouldn’t make a big deal over a guy dancing.
“Male cheerleaders have existed at high school and college levels for a long time. If you’ve ever watched an elite cheer competition, most of the teams are co-ed. This may be the first time you’re seeing it in the NFL, but it’s hardly groundbreaking. If this bothers you, you might want to examine why seeing a man dance makes you so uncomfortable,” wrote one user.
As for the Vikings? They’re standing behind their decision to add some guys to the dance team, and despite all the hateful outrage, no fans have canceled their season tickets.
“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 to NBC News. “We support all of our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization.”
An unbothered Conn responded by pinning a selfie of himself and Shiek rocking their Vikings uniforms to his Instagram account with the caption, “wait…did someone say our name?”
See social media’s responses below.