The New York Giants have four Super Bowls in their 100-year history. Two victories came against Tom Brady‘s New England Patriots. Although the Giants are a significant team in the NFL, they have a distinct policy that sets them apart from most teams. It is tradition in NFL or any sport for that matter for cheerleaders to voice out their support for their respective teams. However, the Giants are an exception. But why does the New York team refrain from having a cheerleading squad?

What is the New York Giants philosophy on cheerleaders

Well, while there is no  several philosophies that direct the New York Giants to adopt a no-cheerleader policy. The most common philosophy is derived from the Giants being a cold-weather team, meaning heavy rain and snowfall often affect their location. So, it would be tough for the cheer girls to hype up the crowd in such cold weather conditions. Thus, the team made the decision to not have cheerleaders.

Then there is also the fact that cheerleading is often seen as a “sport”. Some teams use them to generate revenue by selling cheerleader swimsuit calendars. However, the Giants have been staunchly following their century-old tradition.

Did the NY Giants ever have cheerleaders?

The New York Giants had a cheerleader squad of 10 girls from 1959 to 1963. However, the exact details of the scenario are somewhat unclear, as it was not until 1964 that the NFL started to film the Giants regularly. However, the reason they went back to the no-cheerleader policy is somewhat amusing. The cheerleaders made a massive mistake with the flip cards. The cards were to read “GO GIANTS GO,” but a complete mishap led to the final message reading “OG GINATS OG.” That was the last time the Giants had cheerleaders, and also, they never went back to flip cards either.

Do the New York Giants plan to bring back cheerleaders in the future?

The simple answer is, ‘No.’ As long as John Mara is associated with the New York Giants, he has no plans of bringing back the cheerleader culture. During the 2010 New York Times interview, the Giants’ co-owner confirmed the same.

“The Giants have always taken a blue-collar, button-down approach to football, and that way of doing business extends to the sidelines. ‘Philosophically, we have always had issues with sending scantily clad women out on the field to entertain our fans,'” said John Mara. “It’s just not part of our philosophy. Some teams are comfortable with not only having cheerleaders but selling cheerleader swimsuit calendars or lingerie calendars. It’s not something you’re going to see the Giants do. Not while I’m around, anyway.'”

Other NFL teams without cheerleaders

Besides the New York Giants, seven teams in the NFL follow the no-cheerleader policy. They are the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Each team has its reasons for not implementing the cheerleaders. While some have weather problems, others feel it to be a distraction.

Not following others and holding on to their philosophies is something that the New York Giants have done beautifully. Even when franchises like the Dallas Cowboys have a globally recognized cheerleading squad, the Giants are more focused on their game instead of distractions. What is your take on cheerleaders?