A federal judge in Connecticut has ruled that competitive cheerleading doesn't qualify as a sport — after cash-strapped Quinnipiac University cut its female volleyball program, contending that its cheer squad was enough to satisfy U.S. gender-equality laws regarding sports funding. Judge Stefan R. Underhill decreed that, while "competitive cheer may, some time in the future, qualify as a sport under Title IX," it's still "too underdeveloped and disorganized [to offer] genuine varsity athletic participation opportunities for students." (Watch an AP report about the decision.) While some commentators promptly booed, others rallied, boisterously, to Underhill's defense:
Three cheers for the judge's decision: "An essential part of sport is competition," says Scott Bordow in The Arizona Republic, and while cheerleaders may practice several hours a day and perform athletic feats and stunts, their efforts are more akin to entertainment or hype. "Other than the occasional regional or national event, cheerleaders... are there to, well, lead cheers." Sorry, but '2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate?' isn't a sport."
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