Two male Vikings cheerleaders don’t appear to be taking any of the backlash that they’ve gotten from some soccer followers to coronary heart for the reason that staff introduced their inclusion within the 2025 squad in a put up on social media.
Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn will likely be members of the Vikings cheer staff, which sparked criticism and even some followers threatening to not be followers of the staff anymore.
Nonetheless, Shiek appeared to handle the controversy by poking enjoyable at all the individuals discussing him.
“Wait…did somebody say our identify?” Shiek wrote in a put up on Instagram that included a photograph of himself and Conn of their cheer uniforms.
The Vikings additionally responded to the controversy in a press release final week, defending Shiek and Conn.
“Whereas many followers could also be seeing male cheerleaders for the primary time at Vikings video games, male cheerleaders have been a part of earlier Vikings groups and have lengthy been related to collegiate {and professional} cheerleading,” the staff mentioned in a press release.
“In 2025, roughly one-third of NFL groups have male cheerleaders. Each member of the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders program has a formidable dance background and went by way of the identical rigorous audition course of. People had been chosen due to their expertise, ardour for dance and dedication to elevating the sport day expertise. We assist all our cheerleaders and are happy with the function they play as ambassadors of the group.”
The Rams are mentioned to have been the primary NFL staff to incorporate males on their cheerleading squad again in 2018.
Conn had been a member of the Iowa State Cyclones dance staff earlier than making the Vikings squad, in line with Fox Information.
Whereas some followers have threatened to cancel their season tickets due to Shiek and Conn’s inclusion on the cheer staff, the Vikings informed NBC Information that no followers have executed so.
