Cardinals fans were left furious on Monday night to see less of the team’s beloved cheerleaders, who were reportedly forced to watch much of Arizona‘s win over the Los Angeles Chargers from their locker room.
Cheerleaders were relocated to allow for better sightlines and reduce sideline congestion following the addition of new field-level seating this season, the team explained in a statement.
‘This has included certain aspects of our game entertainment group – like the cheerleaders and flag runners – only being on the field when performing,’ read the statement provided to DailyMail.com. ‘We will continue to evaluate these areas throughout the season to provide the cleanest and safest environment for everyone.’
But according to Fox 10 Phoenix, those cheerleaders have been relocated to their own locker rooms and away from their admiring fans. Furthermore, with few exceptions, cheerleader performances were limited to halftime and the breaks between quarters.
Since then, Cardinals fans and former cheerleaders have voiced their displeasure with the help of a social media hash tag: ‘#KeepAZCCOnTheField.’
‘Cheerleaders were removed from the sidelines for ‘blocking the view‘ at @AZCardinals games?’ one fan asked online. ‘If you go to a game you already know there will be cheerleaders. That’s not an obstruction, it’s an expected enhancement to the in-person game experience. #KeepAZCCOnTheField.’
Aside from the male audience, several mothers voiced concerns that their daughters would be unable to watch their favorite dance team during games.
‘This is absolutely outrageous!’ one woman wrote on X. ‘As a former D1 cheerleader and a mom of 2 girls who only look for the cheerleaders at the games…I am flabbergasted the @AZCardinals would do this! What an awful thing to do to a group of women who have worked hard to get here! #KeepAZCCOnTheField.’
‘Cheerleaders are as much of the game as players,’ another added. ‘Keep them on field. They keep spirits up, playing critical role in crowd hype for key moments. This is just a move by owners to max seat revenue. Cheers get the 12th man going. Stadiums need them.’
One former cheerleader sided with the current dancers in comments to Phoenix’s Fox 10.
‘When I was on the team, seeing all the little girls in the stands was my favorite thing ever,’ said Davis Berryhill. ‘For them to see a woman can be in professional sports. A woman can be in the NFL. I think having that representation of women is really important.’
But another ex-Cardinals cheerleader had a different take on the situation.
Explaining that the dance team was blocking the views of some fans, she sided with spectators who want to focus on the game instead.
‘What about the guy who really can’t afford to go to a game, but saves up and buys himself a ticket to finally see for himself what the whole game day experience is all about?’ asked Dionna Greene on Instagram. ‘These are all fans, and one is not more important than another.’
The Cardinals are in Miami on Sunday but will be back at home on November 3 for their Week 9 meeting with the Chicago Bears.
