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They don't make 'em like they used to
On Feb. 5, all eyes will be on the New England Patriots and the New York Giants as they face off in Super Bowl XLVI, but almost as many eyes will likely take a glance at the sidelines at the teams’ biggest supporters: the cheerleaders. What started out as a male-dominated sport has come a long, long way in the 113 years it has been in existence.
The very first official cheerleader showed his school spirit at the University of Minnesota on November 2, 1898, chanting, “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-rah! Hoo-rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!” Women joined the sport in 1923 and began dominating during World War II. Today, 97 percent of cheerleaders are female, although at the collegiate level the split is 50/50.
From megaphones and pom poms, human pyramids, splits and flips, from pants and long skirts to practically no clothes at all, the moves and looks of cheerleaders have evolved significantly since its inception to today.
In the spirit of the upcoming Super Bowl, take a walk down memory lane from the 1920s to the present with these super-cool photos of the history of the look of cheerleading (courtesy of Retronaut.co):
The first amendment of the constitution is pretty important around our house. Even my five- and seven-year-olds understand that the government shouldn’t push any particular belief set on its citizenry. Not everyone gets that, however. “If it’s offensive to anyone, let them go watch another football game,” said Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, Mayor Ronnie Cobb. “Nobody’s forced to come there and nobody’s forced to read the signs.” Mayor Cobb was referring to banners held by cheerleaders at the start of high school football games that included bible verses encouraging players to “commit to the Lord”.
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Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
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