Dressed in a white Saints tshirt and skinny black jeans, 25-year-old Jesse Hernandez made history over the weekend when he hit the field for the New Orleans Saints Saintsations dance squad performance.
Hernandez is one of three male NFL cheerleaders joining the league this season along with Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies, who will make their debuts with the L.A. Rams this season.
NOLA.com reports:
By the third quarter the booming Saints announcer had not called particular attention to the crucial change in the 2018 Saintsations. As Hernandez marched along the sideline passing close to the crowd with the rest of the dancers, fans seemed to cry out, but it was unclear if they cheered for Jesse particularly or for all the glittering black and gold cheerleaders. A new normal seemed to have immediately dawned.
Sadly, not everyone has been so supportive of the NFL’s new male cheerleaders. While there weren’t any problems at Friday’s game, a local media outlet ran a story about it online and was bombarded with homophobic comments.
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“That’s no man,” one troll wrote.
Another added, in ALL CAPS: ‘THE NFL PUSHING THE P*SSYCRAT POLE SMOKING ETHICS.”
Other comments included: “Homo.” “Pantywaist.” “Sick libturd bullsh*t.” “What male football fan wants some queer prancing around with the women?” “I’m surprised he hasn’t set off the fire alarms in the Superdome.”
Watch Hernandez kill it on the field.
KevInSD
That’s a lot of cringe right there. Don’t understand how a man can degrade himself like that in front of all those people.
charlie_jackpot
Yawn
galileo
Degrade themselves? There not all reading your posts hun…
joseph_buscarino
The only cringe worthy thing about this, is your comment.
Seamus66
Yeah, but he’s dancing with the beautiful woman, you’re not. Jealous much?
jcoberkrom
If a man does it it’s degrading, but not if a woman does it????
LorenzoJones
You degraded yourself with that narrow-minded, bigoted reply.
fur_hunter
Well, Kevin……I see you are a narrow-minded, non-progressive stick in the mud. You want everything to stay the same. SORRY!!!!….as the great Bob Dylan sang it. ‘Oh, the times they are a changin’.’ If you don’t like it….too bad. Now, go back to your room and don’t come out till it’s time to eat.
paul dorian lord fredine
you’re an asshole. the only one degrading oneself is you by your crap comment.
paul dorian lord fredine
you’re an asshole.
ptseti
Judging from your comments you seem to be a conservative GOP with your head u Trump’s ass, playing all high and mighty, pretending to be oh so straight when in fact if the walls could talk for what you do undercover, they would be screaming.
This is STILL America. Equal opportunity for everyone. Come out for air sometimes
Juanito malo
Kevin..grow up
Rugby8
You realize that you degrade Yourself by making a comment like that?
Lol…..wow
Musk
People like you make me feel like freakin’ genius! Thx, pal!
Toofie
Certain posters you sadly know already how they’re going to comment.
djmcgamester
Nothing cringeworthy about it. Nor is it degrading. The guy is just being true to himself. You’re the one being all “sensitive” about it.
cut2deep
Kev, he is probably more secure in his masculinity than you are. Think about it. Grow.
TomG
Apparently the homophobes don’t know that guys have been cheerleaders since the 1940’s, if not earlier. Maybe the need to learn something, or just GROW UP !
kernowcraig
I imagine people think the same about your parents when they introduce you to people!
korey
Until the 1950s All Football Cheerleaders were Male
KevInSD
@Seamus66 – I’m gay. Why would I be jealous of a guy for dancing with women?
@Every one else – I’m not straight, a Republican, a Trumpista, or a “bigot.” I’m a normal gay man, and a 2016 Bernie voter, who is sick and tired of effeminacy being held up like it is something admirable. It’s not. It’s not how most gay men act. This prancing dude can’t play football and can’t function like a normal man, so instead he acts like a woman. Instead of wallowing in his manhood fail, he should set his mind to improving himself. We all have shortcomings of one sort or another. The proper response is to face them and overcome them, not to try to turn the shortcomings into a way of life.
Luicia
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He did a good job. Good for him!
Dkro
You just did. Take a lesson from his self-confidence
KevInSD
Dkro – No point in taking lessons from a self-confident Frankenstein quasi-woman.
badger2305
KevInSD – so you’re gay, and apparently a misogynist, as well. Now THAT’s cringeworthy.
Scottp
I’m sorry…did somebody say something?? My evolved and woke brain tends to ignore and block ignorance so i tend to miss a lot. By the way, do we have a President yet?
Toeknee
Hi Kevin, this is to your response to the commentors. You wrote “This prancing dude can’t play football and can’t function like a normal man”…How do you know? Do you know Jesse? Just cuz he’s a cheerleader doesn’t mean he’s effeminate. Fyi, he’s not prancing, he’s dancing cuz that is his job and furthermore, if he’s prancing it’s because he’s supposed to. Just because a man is a cheerleader does not mean he is fem or sissy, etc. You just stereotyped him like many so called homophobes. Hey…since you’re so butch and all, try watching ESPN and check out the Cheerleading competitions and learn something. I’m saddened that you’re a gay man that is so bitter with gay men. I wish you the best.
Mickeebee68
To all you hateful Aholes. Go roger yourself with Daddy Trumps pole. You’re pathetic sacks of hatefilled bike and not worth a dime. Good on him. He’s having fun, surrounded by hot ladies and that makes Straight males mad. Grrrrrrr. ??
TomG
Apparently the homophobes don’t know that guys have been cheerleaders since the 1940’s, if not earlier. Maybe the need to learn something, or just GROW UP !
joseph_buscarino
I actually find the story Inspiring, that he was brave enough to be a trend setter and not let the haters stand in his way, hes really brave. Sounds like there was no major reaction at the game, and obviously the only hatred was after on social media, where its easy to be a coward. Haters gonna hate, not worth stressing..
fur_hunter
Joseph…..Thank you. I was the cheerleader Mascot for Virginia Tech for the 1964 to 1966 football seasons and loved it. The squad was made up of mostly guys since it was a mostly male college back then. There were a few girls who attended. Seeing this happen in the nationals is very inspiring.
jcoberkrom
My only complaint is that his outfit covers so much more then the lady’s!!
Al
LOL I’m with you
Juanito malo
I agree
unreligious
And you think that by having one male cheerleader that sexism is dead? No it will still be awhile before the guys show the skin that the women do.
enlightenone
…and I would have liked his MOVES to be different than the ladies – more complimentary. My comment is intended to be constructive and supportive, coming from a guy who was a male cheerleader in college – GO West Chester RAMS!!!!
Shelley
Was thinking that exactly! Still a great start!
mlnave
Haters can withhold their comments until Mr. Herhandez takes a knee for national anthem. Isn’t that all that matters anyway?
LorenzoJones
Great to see cheerleading open up to everyone. Anyone ever hear of equality in America?
SoloMcDaniel
There’s a big difference between cheerleaders and dance team members. Several NFL teams have had co-ed cheerleading teams. The Baltimore Ravens currently over a dozen men on their cheerleading squad. The Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers and several others have had male cheerleaders over the years. Mr. Hernadez is the first male on an NFL dance team.
paul dorian lord fredine
i’m wondering why only one. was he the only one to audition?
fur_hunter
I was the cheerleader Mascot for Virginia Tech for the 1964 to 1966 football seasons and loved it. The squad was made up of mostly guys since it was a mostly male college back then. There were a few girls who attended. Seeing this happen in the nationals is very inspiring. Male cheerleaders is not anything NEW. Get it, trolls?
Tom
He is adorable!! But at least put him in shorts. Also, he’s got a white hanky!! We know what that means.
david-tullis
He did a good job. Good for him!
misterjack
He needs shorts and pom-poms.
Jacques
It’s a very brave thing that this young man is doing. Breaking barriers has to start with taking down the first brick. He’s done just that. But there is still a very long way to go for the men doing this. You can see the inequality still, no pompoms (or whatever they are now called), his crest is black while all the other cheerleaders are gold, he’s wearing long pants instead of shorts and darling please, something should have been done about his hair. I’m not an expert, far from it, but these differences were flagrant to me so were probably apparent to all.
Oh, and, to all the “real men” watching who thought there was no place for this in football, remember that there are many fans of the sport that are gay (you might not know but they might be watching the game with you right now) and just as many that are of the female persuasion. So YES there is a place for this in football, whether you care to admit it or not.
NateOcean
Why no pom-poms? He looked kind of naked out there.
George W. Bush was a cheerleader; look at all the good he’s done in the world. Oh, wait, nevermind.
justgeo
He’s cute but the HAIR?????????????????
Seles69btm
It’s about time they got so men to dance with the beautiful women !!!! It’s 2018
ShowMeGuy
Freedom……either you believe in it…..or you don’t.
Looks like there’s some good ol’ boys who have pick up trucks with American flag stickers all over them who don’t really believe in freedom.
ingyaom
No pom-poms? I looked up a white hanky in the hanky code and found it’s either “beat my meat” or “I’ll do us both”. He had it on the right, so apparently he’ll do us both – nice!
…and yes to shorts!
desertguy
Kinda like wearing one dress shoe and one thong. Just doesn’t match no fit. Somethings are just not ..uhhhh….hmmm…. gender fluid? Good try, though. I guess.
Felecia
From all these comments, I’d surmise that PLENTY of gay men are watching football…it proves that while dealing with that kneeling disaster, the NFL is nothing but Politically Correct these days; now offering something for everyone’s taste…in eye-candy, at least, lol….and nobody watches ONLY for the cheerleaders, nevermind the game, except we lesbians who are into the girly lipstick-ers shaking their Groove Thang, lol….but the young man who joined this squad gets the last laugh. He gets a front-row, in-your-face view of sweaty, tight-flanked, muscled-and-ripped football players in action, and I bet he’s giggling all the way to the locker room, lol….I refuse to feel sorry for HIM and the back-lash. My response is ‘lucky bast*rd’, lol. Who among y’all WOULDN’T want to change places with this guy, and have immediate-access to hunky players and after-parties, I gotta ask……lol….just sayin’…..:)
tennisteacher2
Of course, IGNORANCE had to rear its UGLY little head…
nitejonboy
As a born and bred Louisiana man, I am proud to have him representing our Saints…go Jesse!!! But you need to be showing more skin!!
Bryguyf69
First The Price is Right, and now the NFL — what American institution is next??? Well, I say good for them. And good for Jesse. He’s not going to have an easy time though. Unlike the other two male cheerleaders, this isn’t Los Angeles. While New Orlean is somewhat liberal, Louisiana isn’t. And all it takes is a state-wide viewer boycott to scare the Saints back into the closet.
Bryguyf69
Jesse’s great. He’s got the moves, charisma and spirit to make a great cheerleader. And since I’ve always hated pom poms, I’m glad he doesn’t use them. I am puzzled, however, that he uses a white towel in place of pom poms. He even mentions this in interviews so it’s not a one time thing. Why would the Saints want someone on their team to “throw in the towel” or wave a white flag? For non-Americans reading this, both throwing in the towel and waving a white flag are gestures of surrender. Not exactly what you want your team to do. Weird!
Bryguyf69
I’m not sure I understand the complaints of employing male cheerleaders. One of the roles of cheerleaders is to distract the opposing team. Doesn’t having male cheerleaders accomplish that?
astrogay 2020
I like it he is very sexy, beautiful
astrogay 2020
and its about time, to have male cheerleaders on the Dance teams
Birdbrain1963
Back in the teens and 20’s there were many men in Cheerleading. All male schools that couldn’t afford hiring females would organize their own all male squads…
KevInSD
The 2 key differences: 1) the squads were all male and 2) the males had their own distinct moves and did not mimic the moves of female cheerleaders. This poor dude is the only dude amid a squad of females and he does their femmy moves. He is basically performing as an imitation woman.
nmharleyrider
Don’t know about degradation. Obviously he does not feel that way. Unfortunately he’s a lousy dancer, no stretch in the legs, can’t kick. How the heck did he get the job?
Onecaddy13
Excellent. I’m extremely happy for Mr. Hernandez. Has the guts to go out there and fulfill his dream knowing the backlash he was going to receive from all the homophobes and haters. I applaud you, and hope you continue to be the greatest male cheerleader there is. You haters, grow up, get a life land stop being jackasses. Can’t anybody do whatever they feel without idiots commenting and always being so negative? JESSE, KEEP ON CHEERING!!!!!
Toeknee
Is it wrong that I feel jealous…when I finished with hs and college cheer I used to say it was unfair that I couldn’t try out for a pro cheer team. I wanted to do what Jesse’s doing but I’m so glad that the organization has evolved to where they are now to allow men to audition. We’re going in the right direction.