A cheerleader-less Superbowl? G-L-A-D or S-A-D?

The Steelers and the Packers are among the few NFL teams that do not have a cheer squad.  If you need a nearly-bikini-clad woman to get someone interested in a football game, there's a problem somewhere.  You can see the whole article here.

Having been devoted to dance routines and back flips for so many years herself, Jamie Beckman said she’ll feel a pang of sadness that cheerleaders won’t be there as the Steelers take on the Packers. She does add however that she feels the cheerleaders associated with men’s sports have developed a “certain creepy, sexist feeling” given that the focus is often on young women donning bright stage makeup and midriff-baring tops, while projecting rah-rahs for the men, which potentially sets a dangerous example to young, impressionable girls. 

“Little girls should grow up with the drive and ability to pursue their passions, whether through sports or through something like dance, and if all they see the women on TV doing is wearing lipstick and waving pom-poms, then there's a problem,” Beckman added. “Will I personally miss the cheerleaders? I might — as a former cheerleader, I still love to watch the routines, and I still like catching the cheerleading competitions on ESPN. But I have to say, as I grew older and left my cheer career behind, I realized that during NFL games, when the cameraman shoots a blond cheerleader right before the station goes to commercial, it ain't because he's trying to capture her athleticism.”