The New England Patriots are exporting the all-American art of cheerleading to China, where 200,000 people have volunteered to learn how to cheer at the Summer Olympics.Cheerleading is foreign to China, so very few of those 200,000 volunteers have any experience. But the Chinese wanted to institute cheerleading as part of the Games, and Patriots owner Bob Kraft is a longtime proponent of exporting American football to China, so he spearheaded the effort to send the women who work as Patriots cheerleaders to Beijing to give cheerleading lessons.
Of those 200,000 volunteer cheerleaders, Olympics organizers have chosen 400 to be part of an elite group that will put on special performances. Patriots cheerleader Carrie Binette, who is working with those 400, told the Christian Science Monitor that the Patriots cheerleaders are teaching "how to entertain a wide crowd," and that the most important things are not dancing ability but "spirit" and "poisemanship."
Says a Chinese cheerleader named He He, "Everyone knows cheerleading is a Western activity, but we hope we can find a Chinese way to do it [and] show the world."
NFL Cheerleaders
New England Patriots
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images
Denver Broncos
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Kansas City Chiefs
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Oakland Raiders
Robert Laberge/Getty Images
Dallas Cowboys
Layne Murdoch/Getty Images
Washington Redskins
Win McNamee/Getty Images
San Diego Chargers
Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Houston Texans
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Tennessee Titans
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-08-2008 @ 4:40PM
soflgirl said...
This writer needs to check his/her facts. Cheerleading is popular in China, just not the midriff baring, implant popping, "dancers" we have in professional US sports. Real cheerleaders lead the crowd in cheering for their team and do acrobatic skills to keep the crowd going. China competes in international competitions with their real cheerleaders. They also have all star cheerleading teams that compete.
Just type in China Cheerleading on YouTube and you'll see tons of videos come up!
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 5:20PM
Bob Wong said...
China is a repressive tyranical government!
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 10:56PM
J said...
"Poisemanship" isn't a word
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 5:38PM
Christy said...
The first poster is correct. Cheerleading in known in China and has been for many years. They also compete on an International level, and do quite well.
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 7:05PM
Chelsea Dougherty said...
I'm so happy that cheerleading is starting to get recognized to be a sport. But to send the NFL cheerleader to the olympics is bull. They do nothing but dance and wear hoochie outfits. If we want to show the world cheerleading we should be sending a college team that actually does chants for a croud and throws stunts up and flip around. These are the real cheerleaders who are athletes. The NFL girls are just dancers and models not cheerleaders. I love this sport with my life and I don't want the rest of the world to see it as girls in skimpy outfits. We are not that at all! Especially girls who do competetiong, all-star, and colleget cheerleading! Send those girls over to China to teach cheerleading NOT NFL GIRLS!!!!
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 8:25PM
murray silver said...
...the only people we should be sending to china are the 3rd Infantry Division to help win back Tibet from their communist chinese invaders...the celebration of glorified sack races is an abomination.
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 8:28PM
NOT an Eagles Fan in Philly said...
It figures...Out of all the bedazzled, cutesy outfits out there, the Eagles cheerleaders look like they're wearing nothing more than a sport bra and boxy underpants. At least the TN Titans spiced it up with 'Daisy Dukes'!!
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 8:29PM
murray silver said...
...many former pro football cheerleaders can be found selling their assets on Eros and BigDoggie, where their true talents lie...or lay, as it were...a wonderful contribution to culture, and what classy good will ambassadors...nice call, USOC and NFL.
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 9:01PM
Guy said...
Do Them Babes Get Gold Medals Or What!?!
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 9:03PM
raiderz said...
cheerleading never has been and never will be a sport....eye candy
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 9:30PM
Hanna (an REAL cheerleader) said...
NFL cheerleading is a joke. They are dancers slutting it up every weekend. Their try-outs dont even have anything to do with cheerleading! When one of them can throw any sort of pass, or stunt whatsoever, let me know and then maybe we can say the NFL has "cheerleaders."
and china, like many other countries, is far from being "new" to cheerleading, its just that no one takes the time to recognize what its really all about. its not just standing on the sidelines, looking pretty and jumping around. try a routine with tumbling, stunting, motions, dancing, pyramids, and making it look effortless.
get the facts before you decide to write an article about cheerleading because you dont know what your are talking about and you are pissing off the real ones.
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 9:33PM
Rick4441 said...
who better than the patriots to spy on china
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 9:35PM
bigtalldad said...
Gosh, is this some way of atonement for all the game films the Patriots used to cheat in footbal? How nice of them to send cheerleaders (or is there another ulterior motive?).
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 10:05PM
kate said...
Yes NFL "cheerleaders" are not REAL cheerleaders, but they are dancers. Aside from their slutty outfits,what they do takes skill and years of training. Anyone ever seen that show on CMT about the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders? It will show you how hard it really is. As for cheer in China, they do cheer (for real) and they are awesome at it, especially the All Star teams i've seen at competitions. I agree, send a college team if you want to showcase Cheer.
Reply
8-25-2009 @ 1:03PM
Jim said...
This is cool that we can show people from other countries how we show our support.
Reply
7-08-2008 @ 11:01PM
RC said...
Ohh Big freakin deal ! Whatsa matter , they cant win the bowl so try them out for something less prestigious --sheeesh !
Reply
7-09-2008 @ 12:02AM
Reality Emerges said...
Gee...just what we need to send for the world's eyes...a bunch of screaming women dressed like sluts...That'll really help our nation's image!
Reply
7-09-2008 @ 8:16AM
LRAdams said...
Cheerleading in China has a totally different meaning.
CHEER - praise - pay respect. --
LEADER - Hu Jintao - Xi Jinping
Reply
7-09-2008 @ 9:18AM
wal617 said...
It's just so sad that cheerleading is finally a part of the olympics (albeit not competitively, but I guess we'll take what we can get!), and as opposed to bringing an element of the competitive, impressive, acrobatic cheerleading that is so huge in America, we are portraying the NFL DANCE TEAMS as the quintessential American cheerleaders. No offense at all meant to pro cheerleaders, but is this really the image that America wants to portray to the world about cheerleading? We're just one big coors light commercialI guess. Bring on the hot pants and go go boots!
Reply
7-09-2008 @ 12:08PM
StoneDude said...
China is getting more Capatalistic, the USA is getting more oppressive,communistic, Democrat Facists, PC Police, etc... Wait until Obama and DemoncRats take over the FBI Files, CIA, we are doomed and China is rising. Screw Tibet too!I've been to China 8 times in the last 8 years and this is an amazing country. China has Bright young men & women who speak English better than your local high schol Dumbed Down Dimwit kids. Go back to sleep America, it's Over!
Reply