Minnesota Vikings has been dealing with a cheerleader problem. The NFL team has faced backlash online for the inclusion of Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn – two males – in the cheerleading roster for 2025.
The club has been prompted to issue a statement in the defense, as the furor refused to die down.
In a statement to NBC News on August 14, the team said “While many fans may be seeing male cheerleaders for the first time at Vikings games male cheerleaders have been part of previous Vikings teams and have long been associated with collegiate and professional cheerleading.” They added, “We support all of our cheerleaders and are proud of the role they play as ambassadors of the organization.”
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Amid the row, Blaize and Louie have weighed in with a sassy post.
Blaize Shiek, Louie Conn clap back with sassy post
{{/usCountry}}Amid the row, Blaize and Louie have weighed in with a sassy post.
Blaize Shiek, Louie Conn clap back with sassy post
{{/usCountry}}Shiek and Conn shared a photograph on Instagram together, where they are both seen in the Minnesota Vikings' cheerleading attire.
Sporting grins and rocking the pom-poms, the two have captioned the post “wait…did someone say our name?” – a nod to the online fury surrounding the duo.
Earlier, amid the ongoing row, Blaize still put out a video of him and Louie together, captioned “see you at 3”. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings also put out a video on August 9, which prominently showed Conn front and center. It was captioned “The next generation of cheer has arrived!”
While some of the online reactions suggested that fans might be giving up their tickets, the team has confirmed to NBC News that no fans have done so.
Blaize and Louie's participation has also drawn reactions from NFL players, with former star Antonio Brown resorting to a homophobic slur in a post on X. Meanwhile, Torrey Smith, who has two Super Bowl wins under his belt, came out in support on the same platform. He said, “I started a youth football program in West Baltimore a few months ago. We added cheer and I was asked if I would have a problem with a boy cheering. If he wants to cheer, let him cheer.”