Darren Rovell’s 10 Top Picks Last year’s Super Bowl matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers was memorable for many reasons, but one key aspect missing from last year’s championship game was a squad of professional cheerleaders. This year, a team with cheerleaders is guaranteed to make the Super Bowl, after Pittsburgh, the only AFC playoff team this year without cheerleaders, was eliminated.
10. Atlanta Falcons Although the Falcons have an extensive library of cheerleaders' photos and videos, the team’s web site is relatively clunky — you have to click on individual photos to see them. Odd strategy, but might lead to more clicks overall. It also created a stand-alone website for the team’s cheerleaders, but it doesn’t look like it’s been updated since last season, with the 2010-2011 swimsuit calendar still “coming soon.”
9. Oakland Raiders The Raiderettes should be much higher on this list. The cheer team has a slew of sponsors, including categories such as beer, shoes, makeup, a hair salon and nail salon, but the team’s website doesn’t really offer anything special for fans. It does translate many of its blog posts into Spanish, often doubling up posts on the team’s “News and Blogs” page.
8. New Orleans Saints We liked two things about the Saintsations. It’s the only team that offers an autographed swimsuit calendar (though it costs $20 more) and the cheer team is among the least expensive when it comes to public appearances: $250 per cheerleader, per hour.
7. New York Jets The New York Jets may be coming off a disappointing season, but they are the standout team in MetLife Stadium in one major way: The team’s cheerleaders. The New York Giants are one of six teams without a cheer squad and the Jets have a distinct advantage in the nation’s largest football market.
6. Philadelphia Eagles The Eagles' cheerleader site is the only one in the league that, before entering, displays a button warning you of "mature content." The Eagles continue to be among the most aggressive cheerleading squads. The team was the first team to launch a swimsuit calendar app this year (cost $1.99 on the Android), it encouraged fans to “Celebrate the Holidays with the Cheerleaders,” and members of the squad maintain a robust blog.
5. Denver Broncos The headlines in Denver this year may have focused on Tim Tebow, but the Broncos also clearly know how to cash in on its cheer team. The squad’s sponsors include a spa, a tanning resort, a yoga studio, a cosmetic dentist and a uniform company. It was also the only team to sell tickets to a cheerleader talent show, which this year included a meet-and-greet afterward.
4. Houston Texans The Houston Texans were one of the top teams in the league this year, and the same can be said for its cheerleaders. On the cheer team’s website is a convenient scrollable list of its cheerleaders, allowing fans to familiarize themselves with members of the squad. We awarded extra points for the relatively long videos on the team’s site — there's a six-minute piece on the cheerleaders getting ready for a game — as well as being the only NFL cheerleading squad to feature two sets of twins.
3. Miami Dolphins While the Miami Dolphins haven't given football fans much to look at on the gridiron in recent years, the same can't be said for the team's cheerleaders. The Dolphins are the only NFL team to have links to the cheerleaders' Twitter and Facebook pages right on the front of its website. There are plenty of photos that can be enlarged, as well as high-quality video.
2. Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders are not only the most prestigious squad in the NFL, they're also the most heavily marketed. On the team’s website are endless photos and updated cheerleader blogs, not to mention more than 130,000 people have “liked” the squad on Facebook. Additional fan interaction takes place through youth programs and public appearances, including store openings and trade shows targeted at football’s key demographic: men.
1. New England Patriots Chances are that you were shocked to find a cold weather team at the top of this list. In reality, in order to have the best cheerleading page what you really need is a great mind behind it. What makes this team so good? Let’s start with its website, which contains 16 years of photos and something called "Cheer 365" where fans can vote on which picture they find most attractive.
