New Orleans Saints: Why fans should care about the Bailey Davis case
The New Orleans Saints have been predictably quiet about the Bailey Davis case, but both the teams and fans can’t ignore the issue much longer.
The NFL is easily the most popular and largest sports organization in the world. From the fans to the players to the games, they dominate everything they do. The league has been applauded for their modern technology, shaping the game of football and making superstars. One thing they aren’t applauded for is their treatment of female staff, employees or general attitude towards women.
There are a million examples out there. The most recent one came via former New Orleans Saints cheerleader, Bailey Davis. After being fired over an Instagram post, Davis is now filing a complaint against both the NFL and the Saints organization.
While both organizations and fans have distanced themselves from the case, it deserves to be discussed. There are a lot of aspects to delve into regarding this case, but let’s talk about cheerleaders for a second. I know a lot of men love the cheerleaders and I’m not saying you can’t, but they’re also not just there for entertainment purposes.
Cheerleaders are athletes, just the same as the players. A lot of people see them as pure entertainment, but it goes beyond that. Cheerleaders work and train as hard as the players do to keep their jobs. However, the NFL is treating them differently for that reason.
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According to The Washington Post, there are eight pages of rules for cheerleaders. While some rules are necessary, and many are frankly quite stupid. The most ridiculous of these is one stating that there can be no interaction with players and the cheerleaders having to leave an area if a player enters.
As an NFL cheerleader, a lot of those rules were made to be broken. On the field, players and cheerleaders interact a lot. Players use cheerleaders in their celebrations or cheerleaders run into players. It’s the nature of both their jobs, but the cheerleaders are the ones who get punished.
If you’re a Saints fan, you might be wondering: Why should I care about this? The answer is simple and it’s out of respect. If you love your team and the cheerleaders, then they should be treated fairly. The cheerleaders have become a quintessential part of a game day and deserve the same respect the players are getting.
While the cheerleaders are unpaid, their true goal is to be equal to the players. They don’t want more money, but more respect and to be on an equal playing field. It’s a fair request and one former cheerleaders have been hoping for.
As we should all know, this isn’t the first case brought up by a cheerleader. Former cheerleaders from other teams have filed discrimination cases, too. This isn’t something new, but now marks the time for a change.
Instead of leaving the rules up to individual teams, the NFL needs to intervene. They need to create a fair rulebook for the players and the cheerleaders. As for the Saints and the other 31 teams, it’s time to give up on those outdated and sexist rules.
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Ultimately, the decision comes down to the cheerleaders. As long as they’re willing to fight, then change will come. However, fans and teams shouldn’t sit by, either. If they disagree with those outdated practices and unfair treatment, speak up!
Hopefully, this case continues and Davis gets justice. If not, there’s no surprise. The NFL and its teams have gotten away with far worse. No matter what, it’s another important step in the fair treatment of female athletes.