Michelle Morris is an accountant.

On the side, she's a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader.

Morris started with the team her senior year of college, and now shes heading into her forth season cheering for the Eagles. And this year she's a co-captain.

Twice a week, Morris drives 60 miles from New Jersey to Philly, after her day job, and practices with her fellow cheerleaders for at least three hours.

Sundays are the fun part. The Eagles monopolize Morris' Sunday as she gets her hair and make-up done, and cheers her team to victory.

But it doesn't end there. Morris and her fellow cheerleaders are constantly making appearances at charity events, going to NFL off-season events like the draft, and even jetting off to the Bahamas for photo shoots.

Michelle starts her day off at Withum, Smith + Brown, at around 8 am where she is an accountant

Then it's to work. Michelle leaves early on practice days, so she has to get all her work done by 4:30

She even shows her Eagles pride at work

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

A former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader pleaded guilty Monday to having sex with her 17-year-old former student while she was a teacher at a northern Kentucky high school, a move that will allow her to avoid jail time.

In a tearful admission in Kenton County Circuit Court in Covington, Ky., 27-year-old Sarah Jones pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct and custodial interference in place of more serious charges as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

"I began a romantic relationship while he was a student and I was in a position of authority," Jones said, her voice cracking as her family members wiped their own tears.

Jones said the relationship began in February 2011 when the boy was 17, saying that the two had sex, that she sent him sexually explicit text messages and lied about the relationship to police.

The teen had been in Jones' freshman English class in 2008, and she was his peer tutor in 2010 and 2011 before he graduated at the age of 17 this year, according to Monday's plea agreement, signed by Jones.

In accepting the plea agreement, Judge Patricia Summe granted prosecutors' recommendation to sentence Jones to five years of diversion but no jail time, and she won't have to register as a sex offender. The diversion requires Jones to report to a probation officer and undergo drug tests.

Prosecutors said they were willing to make the deal because the teen, now 18, and his family were uncooperative with them and on Jones' side.

"We feel that it is a just and it is a fair result," prosecutor Sara Farmer said. "It's certainly difficult when a victim and his family don't cooperate by not providing information, but it makes our case a lot harder when they're actually proactive for a defendant, and in this case, the family was more than supportive of the Jones (family). They were proactive for them."

Jones had taught at Dixie Heights High School before resigning last November. She was indicted in March, and her trial had been set to start Wednesday.

Part of the reason defense attorney Eric Deters said Jones was willing to plead guilty was because Summe had denied his request to keep the text messages that she sent to the teen out of the trial.

"They're embarrassing," Deters told reporters after the hearing. "They were steamy."

He also said that now that the teen is 18 years old, he and Jones "are free to be together" and pointed out that they left the courtroom together.

Deters declined to discuss details of their current relationship, saying that the pair would discuss it on the "Today" show and "Dateline" on Friday.

He said that Jones will not try out to be a Bengals cheerleader in the future, and that for now, she's working as a legal assistant in his office.

Jones has expressed interest in becoming a lawyer and is studying to take the Law School Admission Test, he said.

Before any accusations involving the student surfaced, Jones drew public attention when she sued a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based gossip website over a posting dated Dec. 7, 2009, that included her photo and was headlined "The Dirty Bengals Cheerleader." The posting claimed that Jones' ex-boyfriend cheated on her with more than 50 women, contracted chlamydia and gonorrhea, and likely gave it to her.

Another post on the site, Thedirty.com, accused Jones of having sex in the classroom and said, "Why are all high school teachers freaks in the sack?"

Jones resigned as a teacher at Dixie Heights and from the Bengals cheer squad in late 2011 after four years with both jobs. Deters said at the time that she had done nothing wrong and stepped down because a rumor that she had become involved with a student became too much.

The lawsuit, which accuses the website and its creator of defamation and invasion of privacy and seeks $11 million in damages, was on hold until the criminal case was resolved.

Deters now is asking for a January trial date in the matter.

Jones' mother, former school principal Cheryl Armstrong Jones, also pleaded guilty Monday, to a misdemeanor charge of attempted tampering with evidence. She admitted to the judge that she sent the teen a text message telling him to get rid of his phone and also avoided jail time.

Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

If Patience Beard's prosthetic leg didn't have zebra stripes, you might not know that the Arkansas cheerleader had one of her legs amputated as a child. And she is doing so well, that she has been nominated for a courage award normally reserved for football players (via CBSSports.com).

Each week, a player (typically) is nominated for the Discover Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award, which goes to somebody that has displayed "courage on or off the field, including overcoming an injury or physical handicap, preventing a disaster or living through hardship." A winner is picked at the end of the season.

"The girl with the zebra leg," as Beard is referred to, was born with a disease that affected bone growth and had her left leg amputated when she was nine months old. Here's a look at how she overcame the odds to become a big-time college football cheerleader...

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

This random little kid—later identified as Al Horford’s younger brother—got more than he bargained for sitting courtside at the Wizards-Hawks game Wednesday night.  As if the free bag of candy wasn’t enough of a treat, the kid realizes that the person handing out said treats is one of the Atlanta Hawks dancers, and a rather voluptuous one at that.  His reaction when he sees the curves on the scantily clad cheerleader is almost as good as a free package of peanut M&Ms.

The dawning moment of comprehension that comes when a young boy sees his first set of boobs up close is a special moment in any young man’s life.  Thanks to the Internet we got to enjoy this moment right alongside Horford’s little brother.

[Speleb]

Read more posts on The Last Angry Fan »

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Ashlee Arnau is a cheerleader at William Carey University is Mississippi. During halftime of last night's game against Auburn-Montgomery, she buried this basketball trick shot from half court in the middle of a front flip.

The video is real, the school told Yahoo!'s Jeff Eisenberg, and she has tried it at halftime of every home game since Christmas.

Here's the video:

Some great celebration screenshots:

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

HOUSTON (AP) — A judge ruled Wednesday that cheerleaders at a Southeast Texas high school can display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games.

But the ruling might not have settled the issue of whether the banners are protected free speech, according to an attorney for the cheerleaders' school district.

State District Judge Steven Thomas determined the Kountze High School cheerleaders' banners are constitutionally permissible. In the ruling, Thomas determined that no law "prohibits cheerleaders from using religious-themed banners at school sporting events."

The Kountze school district had initially said the banners could not be displayed after receiving a complaint about them in September from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The foundation argued the banners violated the so-called First Amendment Establishment Clause that bars government — or publicly funded school districts in this case — from establishing or endorsing a religion.

Thomas ruled that the establishment clause does not prohibit the use of such religious-themed banners at school sporting events.

"This is a great victory for the cheerleaders and now they're going to be able to have their banners," said Hiram Sasser, a lead attorney for the Liberty Institute, a Plano, Texas-based nonprofit law firm that represented the cheerleaders.

But Thomas Brandt, the school district's attorney, argued that Judge Thomas also granted a school district motion in his ruling that says the district can permit the banners under the establishment clause but is not required to do so. Brandt said the motion also says the banners are the speech of the school, not private speech, so the school has a right to have editorial control of the banners.

Initially, the school district ruled the banners could not be displayed. But after a public meeting in February, the school board of trustees issued a resolution in which it wrote that the district was not required to prohibit messages on school banners that displayed "fleeting expressions of community sentiment solely because the source or origin of such messages is religious." But the trustees said the district retained the right to restrict the content of school banners.

Brandt said while he has yet to talk to the school district about whether or not it will appeal, it may seek some clarification from the judge on his ruling.

But Sasser said there is no ambiguity in the ruling and that the banners are the cheerleaders' protected private speech.

"We won and they didn't," he said, adding that he expects the school district to appeal.

The dispute began during the last football season when the district barred cheerleaders from using run-through banners that displayed religious messages, such as "If God is for us, who can be against us."

In October, Thomas temporarily allowed the cheerleaders to continue displaying the banners pending the lawsuit's outcome. Thomas at the time said the school district's ban on the practice appeared to violate the students' free speech rights. The Liberty Institute had argued the banners' messages were not asking anyone to believe in Christianity or accept the faith.

The cheerleaders in Kountze, located about 95 miles northeast of Houston, were supported by various state officials, including Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who filed court papers seeking to intervene on their behalf. A Facebook group created after the ban, Support Kountze Kids Faith, has more than 45,000 members.

Abbott praised the court's ruling on Wednesday, calling it a "victory for religious liberties."

Perry in a statement said the cheerleaders "showed great resolve and maturity beyond their years in standing up for their beliefs and constitutional rights."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, was disappointed with the ruling, saying the banners "carry the appearance of school endorsement and favoritism, turning Christians into insiders and non-Christians and nonbelievers into outsiders."

The Anti-Defamation League also criticized the ruling, calling it "misguided" and saying it "flies in the face of clear U.S. Supreme Court and other rulings."

Attorneys for the Kountze school district, in initially advising the superintendent to ban the religious statements on the cheerleaders' banners, argued there have been several precedent-setting rulings by the Supreme Court.

In one of the more well-known cases, the court ruled in 2000 that a practice of allowing student-led prayer ahead of high school football games in Texas' Santa Fe Independent School District violated the Constitution. In 1992, the Supreme Court made a similar ruling in a Rhode Island case that argued a rabbi's prayer at a middle school graduation ceremony also violated the Constitution.

___

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano at http://www.twitter.com/juanlozano70 .

Please follow Law & Order on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »

Ex-Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader Sarah Jones plans to marry the guy she was sleeping with when he was just 17, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

To refresh your memory, infamy struck Jones, 28, after a legal kerfuffle with gossip site TheDirty.com.

In 2009, the site claimed she slept with all the Bengals players and had multiple STDs.

She gained even more notoriety in March 2012, when she was indicted for sleeping with her now-19-year-old fiance, Cody York. (York was a student at the school where Jones taught.)

She admitted to the relationship, pleading guilty to felony custodial interference and misdemeanor sexual misconduct.

Jones eventually resigned from her job as a high school teacher and began working as a legal assistant.

While Jones admitted to her relationship with York, she denied sleeping with all of the Bengals and having STDs. She hit The Dirty with an $11 million defamation suit, but a jury couldn't reach a verdict in the case, the Enquirer has reported.

Join the conversation about this story »

Terra Saunders is the brains behind "breastaurant" uniforms.

The designer and former NFL cheerleader has built a career conceiving of uniforms with a side of sex appeal for workers in the hospitality industry.

"There's more to breastaurants than cleavage," Saunders tells Business Insider. "We want something that breathes. We don't want pantylines or bra straps to show. The girls need to feel good and confident and there's a lot of science behind that."

Saunders has the right background to dress breastaurant staff.

As a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-1990s, she designed clothes for her teammates. It wasn't long before others began to notice her skills and in 1997, she launched Dallaswear Uniforms to sell apparel to professional cheerleaders and dancers.

Her first experience designing for breastaurants came in 2009, when the owner of Twin Peaks Restaurants, a chain of sports bars based in Dallas, approached her about designing a "sexy lumberjack" uniform for his employees.

"That's when the lightbulb went off," she says. "I started a new division specifically for breastaurants." Soon after, she trademarked the term "breastaurant uniform" so no other company could claim that they design the sexy workers' outfits.

Today, she counts breastaurants including Hooters, Double D Ranch, Whisky River, and Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke as clients, and employs 10 people in her offices in Dallas and Los Angeles. 

In 2013, she launched Waitressville, a division off her company Dallaswear Uniforms that focuses solely on waitress uniforms.

To make sure the clothes she designs are comfortable, her staff has to wear the uniforms for a day. The company uses its own fabric blend called Prostyle, which includes a touch of Lycra, and undergarments are typically sewn underneath the uniforms.

"The most important things I consider when designing uniforms is the location of the business, its goals, and its color scheme," she says. "I ask them about their dream outfit, their dream person to wear the outfits, and if they're going to be bartending or carrying beer or pizza."

"You want the workers to look great and feel happy because that's what makes more money for the restaurants," Saunders adds. " We want the restaurants to grow because it builds more exposure for us as well."

Eventually, Saunders wants to design uniforms for mom and pop stores, car washes, and airlines.

"The secret is creating a uniform that others will recognize right away. When you see a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader, it invokes a feeling inside of you. We want to accomplish that at a restaurant. Branding and taking that extra step is what makes you great."

SEE ALSO: How 'Breastaurants' Took Over The Casual Dining Industry

Join the conversation about this story »

We have no idea what is going on here, but it is oddly amusing.

The video is cued to where Dirk starts singing, but if you want to see some more weird stuff (and some seemingly freaked-out Mavericks cheerleaders), just start at the beginning.

Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Join the conversation about this story »

A NFL cheerleader who made headlines when she revealed she was a former Army officer wasn't so cheery the other night when her boyfriend caught her on camera allegedly beating him, pulling his hair, and screaming in a drunken rage.

Police later arrived and arrested Cardinals cheerleader Megan Welter on assault charges, 3TV in Arizona reports.

Allegedly, Welter thought another woman was somehow involved in their relationship, and was demanding to see her boyfriend's phone.

She served 16 months in Iraq as an Army platoon leader.

From local Arizona affiliate 3TV:

When Welter called 911, she told the operator that her boyfriend was a "professional fighter" and had "smashed [her] head into tile" and had put her in what she described as a "choke hold with his legs."

Join the conversation about this story »

According to The Big Lead, Zack Calvin, an Oklahoma State defensive back, noticed he had a new follower on Twitter after his game against Oklahoma last year. That new follower was Jordan Daigle, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader.

The cautious Calvin, who didn't want to be another Manti Te'o, asked his sister for advice, according to the Tulsa World:

‘Do you think this girl is real?’ he asked his sister Mallory, an OSU grad student. ‘Do you know someone who’s trying to play a joke on me?’

Calvin looked Daigle up on the Cowboys website and begin talking to her on Twitter. Turns out she noticed him on TV when he walked to midfield for the opening coin toss, something Calvin didn't normally do. He was being rewarded for his standout performance against Texas Tech a week earlier when he blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

Their relationship has been Facebook official since May and they have been taking turns driving the four hours from Stillwater to Dallas all summer. 

They look happy:

😎 @zackcraig23pic.twitter.com/RxH4Jqjcj6

— Jordan Elizabeth (@DCC_Jordan) July 6, 2013

Beyonce concert with the beautiful @DCC_Jordanpic.twitter.com/Ttjqv9VJzB

— Zack Calvin Craig (@zackcraig23) July 7, 2013

Join the conversation about this story »

High schools across a Florida school district are refusing to allow students to wear school issued cheerleading outfits to class, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Typically, cheerleaders at Countryside High School would wear their uniforms on Friday to pump up the school before a football game. According to school administrators, the cheerleading outfits' short skirts and sleeveless tops violate the school's dress code, and will no longer be allowed in classrooms without a jacket or another type of cover-up.

Another school in Pinellas County gives its cheerleaders several different length skirts, but they can only wear the longest one during class. Other schools in the district have allowed the cheerleading uniforms in class, as long as something is worn underneath to cover up otherwise exposed arms and legs.

Parents in the district told the Times that they were unhappy about the policy, saying that the school's decision seems arbitrary and their daughters are proud of their uniforms. 

"If it's an approved school uniform — which it was approved, by the administration, years ago — why is it out of dress code? ... And why can they wear it in front of thousands of people at a football field if they can't wear it on game day at school?," the mother of a Countryside cheerleader told the Times.

One Countryside father told the Times that his daughter takes cheerleading "very seriously" and was upset that her uniform was "suddenly too vulgar."

"She likes the uniform. She's proud to be a cheerleader," he said.

Additionally, at least one Ohio school seems to have banned their cheerleading and dance team uniforms from the classroom as well. Oak Hill High School students took to Twitter to complain about the policy: 

The teachers got an email saying they don't enforce The dress code evenly so now EVERYONE is in trouble and cheerleaders can't wear uniforms

— Emily (@Wolfie_15) August 28, 2013

how is oak hills going to say that the oakettes & cheerleaders cant wear their uniforms . Did you forget you paid for them ???

— MiaMiaMia (@mia_gehm) August 28, 2013

Is this school serious? How you can you do that to Oakettes and Cheerleaders when the school had to approve of their uniforms?

— Lex Hughes (@hughes_lex) August 28, 2013

#onlyatoakhills do cheerleaders and dancers.get in trouble for wearing their uniforms that the school provides

— julia elizabeth (@jujub14) August 28, 2013

Join the conversation about this story »

Towson University's national-championship cheerleading team has been suspended for violating their school's hazing policy.

The Towerlight — Towson University's campus newspaper — reported yesterday that the school's cheerleading team had been suspended after a month-long hazing investigation. The team plans to appeal the suspension, but will be inactive during the appeal process.

According to the Associated Press, "The sanction means the team, which took first place at the National Cheerleaders Association's collegiate championship in April, won't be able to practice or perform at competitions or university sporting events."

Jim Lord — the executive director of the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators — told the Baltimore Sun that a suspension of this size is "unusual in the sport of cheerleading," and that most suspensions involve one or two students or a coach.

"I have never heard of a whole team getting suspended ... That is pretty rare, maybe unheard of," Lord said. 

A university spokesperson and the head cheerleading coach both declined to comment on the specifics of the investigation to multiple news outlets.

The Towson Tigers won the All Girl Division 1 category of the National Cheerleaders Association's Collegiate Cheerleading Championship in April, and was awarded an automatic spot in the 2014 competition. 

Join the conversation about this story »

As football has changed and evolved through the years, so have the cheerleaders.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, cheerleaders stuck to leading the crowd and cheering on their teams with big poofy pom-poms.

Now, a lot of cheerleading squads have added on a dance element as well, and their outfits have gotten a lot ... flashier.

The Eagles cheerleaders debuted brand new, very skimpy, uniforms designed by Vera Wang. The trend of smaller and tighter seems to still be going strong.

The Baltimore Colts had cheerleaders in the early '60s.

And this is what the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders' uniforms are like today.

Vikings cheerleaders take a break back in the '60s.

The Oregon Ducks cheerleaders tweeted out a photo of a few of its cheerleaders wearing the creepiest contacts ever.

The contacts are green and yellow and have the Oregon "O" on them. According to a student fan group, the cheerleaders were given the custom made contacts to wear at this weekend's game at Washington:

On our way to Seattle, but all we see is green and yellow #GoDuckspic.twitter.com/C7QLuCbNqj

— Oregon Cheerleading (@OregonCheer) October 11, 2013

Join the conversation about this story »

High-school cheerleaders rule the halls, commanding the admiration of every dweeb, dork, and quarterback. But as salaried adults, cheerleaders are at the bottom of the pyramid. 

This week, current and former Raiderettes—the cheer squad for the Oakland Raiders—filed suit in the Alameda County Superior Court, claiming that the football team “withholds all pay from the Raiderettes until after the season is completed, does not pay for all hours worked and forces the cheerleaders to pay many of their own business expenses,” according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The Raiderettes’ lawyer, who is demanding tens of thousands of dollars in back-pay, said the cheerleaders make only $1,250 a year, or less than $5 an hour, and they’re fined for minor lapses like bringing the wrong pom-poms to rehearsals or for “not turning in written biographies on time.” One of the plaintiffs added that the team also makes the women foot their own hair, makeup, travel, and photo expenses.

The Raiders, though, are far from the only—or even the worst—offenders when it comes to cheaping out on cheerleaders. San Diego Chargers cheerleaders get $75 for each home game, along with two game tickets and one parking pass. The Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders make $100 for each of 10 (mandatory) performances at home games. That includes showing up five hours before the game starts, practicing twice a week for three hours from April through January, and participating in a “training camp” each June.

“Becoming a Ravens Cheerleader is a huge time commitment,” the FAQ page admits. “However, it is an experience you will never forget.”

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, whose grueling audition and training process has been well-documented, are similarly stingy. The women make $150 per home game, and there is no pay for rehearsals, of which there are many. (“CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT FEEL THEY CAN ATTEND ALL REHEARSALS SHOULD NOT CONTEMPLATE BEING A DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADER,” the official DCC site, a masterwork of Southern passive-aggression, implores.)

Furthermore, the dancers must maintain “a high level of physical fitness” because “the DCC uniform is not forgiving.” The entire squad re-auditions each year, so veterans risk being cut even after years of practice.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, meanwhile, earned a base salary of$11.5 million in 2013.

But before we award the Raiderettes the social-justice spirit stick (or before we nerds succumb to overwhelming Schadenfreude), it’s worth remembering that professional cheerleaders are also paid a fee for the dozens of promotional appearances they make each season. Or as the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders site puts it, “Opportunities for paid appearances and shows are available!”

The cheerleader positions are technically part-time jobs, so most of the squads require the women to have outside sources of income.

And as in high school, being a professional cheerleader can have fringe benefits beyond game day. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have traveled the world on USO tours, for example, and some of the squad’s alumni later moved on to more lucrative careers in show-business and modeling.

But for the Raiderettes, those perks aren’t enough.

“I love the Raiders and I love being a Raiderette,” the squad’s lead plaintiff said. “But someone has to stand up for all of the women of the NFL who work so hard for the fans and the teams."

h/t Jezebel

Join the conversation about this story »

Last month, The Wire's Allie Jones came across a huge but hidden cultural phenomenon: the online universe of pretty blonde cheerleaders. It doesn't sound so exciting or new, right? If you saw them in the mall or the airport, you'd probably just think they were like any other high school kids.

But on Instagram they're massive. So famous that their kind has its own tribal name. They are the "cheerlebrities" of Instagram.

You can't see them on TV, and they rarely appear in the traditional media. These stars live in your phones, racking up followers by the thousands, and endorsement deals with hair bow companies. 

They have fans and they have haters. If MTV did a season of "The Real World" that solely existed inside iPhones, these teen queens would be the stars.

According to Jones, the three most popular cheerlebrities are Gabi Butler, with almost 220,000 Instagram followers, and Carly Manning and Jamie Andries, who both have more than 400,000 followers.

Here's Gabi with an Instagram video that received about 30,000 "likes." She's also a dead ringer for Jessica Alba.

This is 17-year-old Jamie Andries, who has a little over 400,000 followers on Instagram. Her team, the Cheer Athletics Cheetahs, won the 2012 World's Competition of cheerleading. According to a bio written by a fan, Andries is known for having one of the best "hair poofs" in cheerleading.

The world of cheerleading, heavily based in the South, is not new in pop culture. In 2006, Lifetime created an original series called "Cheerleader Nation," which followed Dunbar High School Varsity Cheerleaders in Lexington, Ky. Dunbar High School is the only high school to have won the National Cheerleading Competition five years in a row, and the show followed the year leading up to its third-consecutive win. Five girls on the team are the main focus of the show, alongside their parents and siblings. 

The video below is a YouTube clip of the National Competition scene from "Cheerleader Nation." 

You can see the intensity of the sport but also the intensity of the parents and the coaches. Even though this video is from nine years ago, the high-stakes world of competitive cheerleading doused in regular high school drama has now just manifested somewhere else: on Instagram. 

But there can only be one No. 1, and that title goes to Carly Manning, if Internet cheer forums are to be believed.

Jones writes that "even (Carly's) boyfriend, Matt, is Instagram-famous. He recently tweeted a photo of two younger kids who dressed up like Carly and Matt for Halloween."

That's how you know you've made it.

Lindsay D., a 19-year-old cheerleader from Long Island, N.Y., says she just started following Carly and Jamie this year, but "[the cheerleading community has] known about them for the last couple of years."

"And everyone knows about cheerlebrities," she adds.

Carly (pictured below) did not respond to interview requests from either The Wire or Business Insider.

She was recently featured in Teen Vogue, where she wrote a column that was published in this month's issue of the magazine:

When I was about 11 years old, I got Facebook. Around that time there started to be a lot of interest in my all-girl team, the Panthers, because we won Worlds that year. A lot of people on the Panthers started getting Facebook requests from fans. Then we all downloaded Instagram and Twitter, and I started getting lots of followers after Worlds the following year. I would just post pictures with my friends on the team doing baskets and stunting and tumbling, and people would Like them! I honestly don't know how I got so many followers. I didn't ask for shoutouts or do anything, but I have 372,000 on Instagram now. It just kind of happened.

These girls are not just pretty faces; they're talented. 

Here's Carly doing what's called a "kick full kick full" in a video that received over 30,000 likes:

But not everyone is a fan, and these girls (the majority of them followed by teenagers their own age), don't always see the nicest things written in comments on their photos. And, fans fight with each other! 

These comments appeared under an upload of Jamie:

That's why the parents stay involved.  

"Gabi's parents seem to know what she's up to online,"Jones wrote in her article. Sometimes Gabi's dad "will [help] if I'm having trouble answering messages on Facebook, 'cause it's to the point of, like, a hundred messages a day." 

Just check out some of these comments:

But Manning writes in Teen Vogue that she remains unfazed by the idea that she's the nucleus of this phenomenon.

I personally don't use the term "cheerlebrity," which is what the internet calls us. In my opinion, cheerleaders aren't celebrities! We're athletes who are recognized for hard work and dedication to the sport. And yes, cheer is definitely a sport. We put in so many hours of physical training, killing our bodies to do what we love. I've definitely come across people who don't agree, but that's because they've never seen it. I tell them to come to a practice and watch the tumbling and the stunting and then tell me cheerleading isn't a sport.

Join the conversation about this story »

If you have been watching the Winter Olympics you may have noticed some women in the stands in blue and white outfits holding pom poms that look like overzealous fans of one of the countries competing.

Actually, those are the official cheerleaders of the Sochi Olympics.

Here is one of the women during the women's ice hockey competition.

Here is another shot of the women performing in one of the aisles.

Here is a GIF from the Russia-Germany women's ice hockey game.

Based on a search of image archives from previous Winter Olympics, cheerleaders are rare, but not unheard of. The 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy also had cheerleaders.

Join the conversation about this story »

Two, four, six, eight, who do we appreciate?! G-o-o-o-o-o – not the Cincinnati Bengals, that's for sure! The National Football League team is being sued by one of its cheerleaders (the Ben-Gals – do you see what they did there? Do you see?), Alexa Brenneman, for allegedly failing to pay the minimum wage.

Brenneman's suit claims that a cheerleader's maximum earnings of $900 per season, which covers all practice sessions, actual cheering at games, mandatory charity appearances and "volunteer" work, plus posing for and promoting the annual calendar from which the team itself makes money, works out at $2.85 an hour instead of the mandated $7.85.

What has really got people riled however, is the publication as part of the suit of the Ben-Gals' rule book, which contains conditions that would make even the least Friedan-friendly secretaries in Mad Men balk.

"Glamour is a priority!" it informs the Gals. To this end, there shall be: "No slouching breasts. Support as needed." Once we have shaken our heads to rid ourselves of the strangely unsettling, yet compelling mental image conjured by the phrase "slouching breasts", let us read on. Changes of hair and makeup, therefore, are required "as the director feels necessary". Frosted lipstick and eyeshadow are outlawed, as is any personal choice about what shades you should be wearing: "Management will determine your proper colour analysis."

And naturally, at her "Glamour evaluation", each cheerleader is informed of her "ideal weight" and "recommendations for improving physique will be provided". Cheerleaders are weighed twice a week and shot if they go more than 3lb over their ideal. I'm kidding – they're just required to stay for extra conditioning practice and "can/will be pulled from your position and possibly not considered for charity/paid events".

Outer conformity, of course, is no use without inner conformity and it is therefore incumbent upon the Gals to understand (in bold type) that "Insubordination to even the slightest degree IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TOLERATED!!! You will be benched or dismissed!!!" And there is to be "ABSOLUTELY NO ARGUING OR QUESTIONING THE PERSON IN AUTHORITY!!!" Consider yourselves excessively punctuated and TOLD.

To ensure that the team's reputation remains unsullied, the cheerleaders are required to accept as a friend or follower a Ben-Gals official so that she can make random checks on their social media accounts, presumably looking for non-approved lipstick and insubordinately slouching breasts.

So – pompoms at the ready, readers: Go Brenneman, go Brenneman, goooooooooo BRENNEMAN!

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk.

Join the conversation about this story »

Five ex-Buffalo Jills cheerleaders are suing the Buffalo Bills and two production companies that managed the team over alleged minimum-wage violations, among other complaints.

They are the third set of NFL cheerleaders (the Raiderettes and the Ben-Gals are the other two) to allege employment violations in recent months.

One of the complaints in the lawsuit is that the defendants provided the Jills with a 12-page handbook of rules pertaining to "glamour,""appearance etiquette," and "hygiene."

Deadspin got its hands on that handbook. It contains more than 76 rules about everything from menstruation hygiene to eating food at appearances (you aren't allowed).

One of the section titles is "General hygiene & lady body maintenance."

It gives you an idea of the outrageous expectations placed on these women.

Here, unedited, are some of the strangest rules (see the full document below).

Under "General hygiene & lady body maintenance":

• Intimate area's: Never use deodorant or chemically enhanced product. Simple, non-deodorant soap will help maintain the right PH balance.
• When menstruating, use a product that [is] right for your menstrual flow. A tampon too big can irritate and develop fungus. A product left in too long can cause bacteria or fungus build up. Products should be changed at least every 4 hrs. Except when sleeping, they can be left in for the night.
• Do not use lufa's or sponges. They hold TONS of germs! Throw them away now!
•  Remove make-up every night before going to bed!
• Make-up left on pillow cases causes break outs. Even if you wash one night and not another, you've left bacteria on your pillowcase for a clean face.
• Make-up left in the creases of your skin creates early wrinkles.
• Make-up left in your eye area can cause infection and affect your vision.
• Try to cough or sneeze into your arm, not your hand. If you use your hand wash immediately.
• When you wash, remember where your hands have been while washing, do not transfer dirt or germs to other areas of your body.
• Clean/rinse razor often while shaving. Especially after going to a new "area." Change razors often, they harbor bacteria.
• Keep toe nails tightly trimmed & clean. PEDICURES!

Under "Glamour requirements":

• Hair must be worn in a glamour style with no clips or tie backs. A full curled or slightly bent, free-flowing style is required. Short hair must be worn full and fabulous! Hot rollers work great for long hair. After curling, hair should be brushed an/or fluffed. No ringlets.
• Hair must be 1 color. No trendy roots or coloring. Subtle highlights are acceptable with approval. Blondes must be a natural shade of blonde. No extreme colors are permitted such [as] bleach blondes or jet black. Roots must be maintained professionally at all times.
• These cosmetic products must be worn while auditioning or while in Jills uniform: Foundation, blush, 3 natural eye shadow colors (lid cover, highlighter, definer), eye liner, mascara and red lipstick.

Under "Appearance Etiquette":

• Do not spray perfume on right before going [into an appearance]. Too strong!
• Try to bush your teeth or use a mouthwash before an appearance. Bad breath is offensive. Always keep it in check.
• Never apply make up or fuss with hair in front of people. If it's absolutely necessary you re-apply /freshen up, go to the ladies room and do not hang out and talk while there. Beware! Other women will judge you in there too!
• Do not use slang in conversations. Never use words/phrases such as: "like,""I seen it,""You's guys,""dude,""them guys""pee"& "ain't."
• No gum chewing. Remember table manners if appearance calls for a meal. Never eat in uniform unless arrangements have been made in advance. Just say, "Thanks so much for offering but no thank you" ... NEVER say, "Oh, we're not allowed to eat!"
• Nails should always be done nicely & no chipped polish. French or natural at a Jills function.

List of topics to avoid in conversation at appearances:

• Politics
• Religion
• Sexual references
• Talking about "last night"
• Too personal of an inquiry
• Don't try to talk about your personal life: job, boyfriends, what you're doing later, etc...
• Inappropriate jokes
• Strong opinions
• Gossip
• Saying "I" or "me" too often

Under "Etiquette for FORMAL dining":

• When trying to "capture" a small piece of food onto a utensil, it is acceptable to use another utensil for aiding it aboard. Never use your fingers.
• Never crunch ice at the table.
• Avoid ordering food that may be difficult to manage such as certain finger foods or meat with small bones.
• If served pasta, never cut it to eat. Twirl a small portion on your fork with the assistance of the spoon.

Here's the entire 12-page handbook:

Jills Glamour Etiquette Hygiene Rules by silkdiesel

SEE ALSO: 6 Scientifically Proven Things Men Can Do To Be More Attractive

Join the conversation about this story »