Podium girls in the Tour of California. It’s a well-intentioned convention in bicycle racing going back to the early 1900’s. At the RBTT Fatum Bank Triathlon in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles they had podium girls at the award ceremony. They presented awards to all age groupers regardless of gender with a polite kiss on either cheek as you so often see in countries outside the U.S., a rather quaint and charming custom.
I wonder if if this convention dates the sport of cycling already reeling from drug scandals and sometimes odd “arrangements” that make it difficult for younger, newer audiences to relate.
Personally, I see the tradition behind it and understand the motive- to maintain traditions from the past. I doubt everyone agrees.
Is using podium girls at the awards too dated and “un-P.C.”? I don’t think so, but I’d be intersted to here if I am in the minority on this…
They seem more PC and more classy than your average pro football cheerleader. If you want to talk about outdatedness, then we should talk about that instead.
Absolutely. I think the entire cheerleader thing is so dated that most of the sports teams have re-designated them as “dance teams” to make them appear more P.C.
That’s where I’m at with it. I think the idea of using men for female events is also appropriate. I seem to remember actually reading an advert in *Triathlete *for a women’s only race that mentioned, “Men in tuxedos will award jewelry at the award ceremony”.
personnally I have no problem with it, also remember it isn’t only cycling with podium girls, they are used fairly extensivly in motor sports as well, it likely started with cycling, so we can at least claim tradition but what about monster trucks
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Hmmm… why did this topic come to mind for you? Interesting thought though. Non-issue for the 99th percentile I would think, but I’m sure there are others who disagree. On a side note speaking of Curacao, NT I just got back from there last week from 10 days worth of training (and lounging of course). I love the early morning rides and the ocean swims. Oh, and the beer.
Absolutely. I think the entire cheerleader thing is so dated that most of the sports teams have re-designated them as “dance teams” to make them appear more P.C.
What has been done to the sport of cheerleading saddens me.
When I was younger, the cheerleaders’ job was to lead the cheers and get the crowd into the game. I made the junior high cheerleading team because I was loud and spirited, and I beat out girls who were far more coordinated than I was. In high school, the emphasis was on fancy formations and cheerleaders had to call on the band (of which I was a member) when they wanted to get the crowd yelling. (They’d get the trumpet section’s attention and ask the band to respond when the cheerleaders yelled their cheers. The crowd followed the band.)
Now, it seems like cheerleaders are so busy doing acrobatic-type stuff that they’re too busy to even make a pretense of leading the crowd in cheers. Maybe schools need to distinguish between “pep squad” (loud, spirited guys and gals who can get the crowd excited at games) and “dance teams” (girls who do fancy acrobatic stuff and don’t take part in games), and get rid of “cheerleaders” altogether.
PC is passe. I think people realized they couldn’t go running around getting their undershorts in a wad about everything they didn’t agree with. Sooner or later it paints you into a corner you can’t get out of when the other PC fairies turn on you for something you never intended.
Podium girls have a choice and they are remunerated for their efforts. Unless that equation changes we aren’t going to see them disappear anytime soon.
We’re seeing an increase in pretty serious injuries among dance teams and cheerleaders too. It is actually a dangerous activity when combined with elements of gymnastics and tumbling.
