June 05, 2019 at 03:14AM
Will the Seamen also make the state minimum wage? Getty Images
For the first time in the team's history, this fall, the Seahawks will be welcoming male cheerleaders. According to the team's website, eight men will be joining 30 women this coming season, and in addition to this personnel change, the cheerleading squad formerly known as the Sea Gals is being rebranded as the "Seahawks Dancers."
"(There is) no specific reason other than just an evolution of the program, similar to other entertainment updates we've made over the years such as the addition of our Blue Thunder drum line in 2004," Kaitlin Goodall, director of business communications, told the Seattle Times. "The Sea Gals have been an integral part of the Seahawks organization for decades, and the Seahawks Dancers will continue to carry on the legacy of great game-day entertainment as well as work in the community.''
The Seahawks did not immediately respond to The Stranger's request for comment, but I have some questions about this. For one, will the male cheerleaders be called the "Seamen"? And will the Seamen also make minimum wage, which KUOW reported last year is what the Seahawks cheerleaders get paid? And not the Seattle minimum wage either; the state minimum wage, which is currently $12 an hour. That's right; professional cheerleaders make less money than sandwich artists at the downtown Subway, and way, way less than the average NFL player, who makes almost $2 million a season.Of course, NFL players are slightly more likely to suffer repeated concussions leading to long-term brain damage (symptoms of which include depression, anxiety, memory loss, personality changes, trouble concentrating, and suicidal ideation) but they also don't have to wear lime green leotards so maybe they're even. Regardless, you'd think an organization valued at nearly $2.6 billion could afford to pay their cheerleaders a living wage. Perhaps allowing men on the squad will help shorten that the pay gap. (Unbelievably, the Seahawks cheerleaders are actually doing better than cheerleaders for some teams, which pay a criminally low $2.75 an hour.)
If someone from the Seahawks calls me back, I would also like to know if the Seamen will, to paraphrase a contract unearthed by KUOW, be "strongly discouraged from fraternizing with Seahawks players, coaches, mascot, and management personnel," or if that rule only applies to the Seawomxn. And will the Seaman also be sent home from games for gaining weight, as the rules stipulate, or is that more of a cheerleader-formerly-known as-the-Sea-Gals thing? Call me, Hawks! I've got questions.
Will the Seamen also make the state minimum wage? Getty Images
For the first time in the team's history, this fall, the Seahawks will be welcoming male cheerleaders. According to the team's website, eight men will be joining 30 women this coming season, and in addition to this personnel change, the cheerleading squad formerly known as the Sea Gals is being rebranded as the "Seahawks Dancers."
"(There is) no specific reason other than just an evolution of the program, similar to other entertainment updates we've made over the years such as the addition of our Blue Thunder drum line in 2004," Kaitlin Goodall, director of business communications, told the Seattle Times. "The Sea Gals have been an integral part of the Seahawks organization for decades, and the Seahawks Dancers will continue to carry on the legacy of great game-day entertainment as well as work in the community.''
The Seahawks did not immediately respond to The Stranger's request for comment, but I have some questions about this. For one, will the male cheerleaders be called the "Seamen"? And will the Seamen also make minimum wage, which KUOW reported last year is what the Seahawks cheerleaders get paid? And not the Seattle minimum wage either; the state minimum wage, which is currently $12 an hour. That's right; professional cheerleaders make less money than sandwich artists at the downtown Subway, and way, way less than the average NFL player, who makes almost $2 million a season.Of course, NFL players are slightly more likely to suffer repeated concussions leading to long-term brain damage (symptoms of which include depression, anxiety, memory loss, personality changes, trouble concentrating, and suicidal ideation) but they also don't have to wear lime green leotards so maybe they're even. Regardless, you'd think an organization valued at nearly $2.6 billion could afford to pay their cheerleaders a living wage. Perhaps allowing men on the squad will help shorten that the pay gap. (Unbelievably, the Seahawks cheerleaders are actually doing better than cheerleaders for some teams, which pay a criminally low $2.75 an hour.)
If someone from the Seahawks calls me back, I would also like to know if the Seamen will, to paraphrase a contract unearthed by KUOW, be "strongly discouraged from fraternizing with Seahawks players, coaches, mascot, and management personnel," or if that rule only applies to the Seawomxn. And will the Seaman also be sent home from games for gaining weight, as the rules stipulate, or is that more of a cheerleader-formerly-known as-the-Sea-Gals thing? Call me, Hawks! I've got questions.