With the NFL regular season just around the corner, Minnesota Vikings cheerleader Blaize Shiek is giving his nearly 77,000 Instagram followers a behind-the-scenes look at his gameday preparation — including a detailed makeup routine.
Shiek, who joined the Vikings cheer squad before the 2025-2026 season, posted a video that goes beyond the makeup, offering a glimpse into his entire pre-game and halftime ritual. The post highlights a growing trend in professional football: male cheerleaders performing as dancers rather than just in the traditional stunt-supporting role.
While male cheerleaders are not new to the NFL — by last year, nearly a third of teams had them on their rosters — their role has often been limited. Some teams, like the Green Bay Packers, still use male cheerleaders primarily for stunts alongside their female counterparts. Shiek, however, is part of a shift toward male cheerleaders taking on dance routines, a change that has not been universally embraced.
The comment section of Shiek’s post reflects the split. One user wrote, “You’re a dude. Why tf are you doing that. Ppl are fkn weird.” Another commented, “You’re going out of your way to include a demographic that hates you and excluding the demographic that buys tickets. Ban straight hate. This isn’t what a father shows his son at the game.”
But not all reactions were negative. One woman wrote, “Male cheerleaders have been around for decades, so idc so long as he isn’t in the women’s locker room or claiming to be a woman. Otherwise, this isn’t news; let the man be.” Another added, “He is gay and not claiming to be a woman; what’s the problem?”
A season opener with extra significance
The Vikings will kick off their season on the road, facing the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on September 13. That game will pit Shiek’s squad against a team that still uses male cheerleaders in a more traditional capacity, adding another layer to the ongoing conversation about the role of male dancers in NFL cheerleading.
Shiek’s video has reignited a broader cultural debate about gender norms in professional sports entertainment. Supporters point out that male cheerleaders have existed for decades, and that Shiek is simply doing his job. Critics, however, question whether male dancers belong on NFL sidelines, with some suggesting it alienates the sport’s core audience.
The NFL has not issued any official statements regarding Shiek’s post, and the Vikings have not commented publicly. As the season approaches, Shiek’s gameday routine — and the reactions to it — are likely to remain a talking point among fans and observers.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/08/28/vikings-male-cheerleader-blaize-shiek-posts-video-showing-off-his-makeup-routine/