"Rams are like an Alligator...

...real, real sharp!"  Yes that was my favorite sideline cheer from when I was 5 years old (or maybe it's the only one I remember).  I cheered for the Coulwood Rams Recreational Football team, woop woop!

Currently there is a case underway in Connecticut determining if Cheerleading is a sport.  Rhea if you're reading this post, you should stop now.  Seriously, don't read anymore.

Here's the article.

I apologize for jumping around but this gets me so fired up, and I don't know where to start!

First, Cheerleading is a Sport:
I love what Quinnipiac University is doing (and I wish they didn't have to replace the volleyball team).  I love that they believe in their cheerleading team.  They are athletes, and it is a sport.  Is Cheerleading a Sport?  That is a stupid question.  Of course it's a sport.  Females and/or males form a team, have a coach, practice regularly, compete against other teams, and they use their athletic abilities.  If you disagree get over it!  So what it your high school cheerleaders could barely do thigh stands, those girls practiced every week and it was a sport.  They obviously were not at an elite level, but who cares, not everyone can excel at their chosen sport.  You have benchwarmers on all other sports teams - those benchwarmers are considered athletes even if they can only catch the ball 1 out 10 times.

This lady is an idiot:
Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sports at the University of Minnesota is quoted in the article: "No one wants to denigrate cheerleading, but should it be considered sport at the expense of legitimate women's competitive team sports? It's a question of equality," Kane said. "How would people react if the school cut a men's sport like baseball or lacrosse and used those funds for a male cheerleading squad?"

First of all, cheerleading and volleyball are both legitimate team sports (...I know she is saying cheerleading isn't a legitimate sport according to Title IX, college rules, etc), but still I disagree with her!  Second, I would jump up and down if a school cut a men's sport and used those funds for a male cheerleading squad.  In fact, all male cheerleading squads exist.  Once you get past their freakish flexibility, they are pretty cool to watch.  Here's a video for you.  They have a few bobbles and falls, but I thought I might as well promote CHEERSPORT while I'm writing.

While I have you watching cheerleading videos, watch this team as well (It's really cool, you'll have fun watching this routine!)  I love this routine!  This a team of high school girls.  So can you imagine what colleges and universities could do with cheerleading if they would just freakin' step up and acknowledge cheerleading as a sport!  Aarrrgh!  People this isn't 1975 when cheerleaders stood on the sidelines and shook their pompoms!

Okay, I realize I might have lost some readers at this point so I'm stopping now.  I can't believe it's 2010 and people are still debating about cheerleading being a sport....