For Mhkeeba Pate, no Super Bowl will ever beat the 2014 game. His hometown team, the Seattle Seahawks, battled from underdog status to dominate the Denver Broncos, knocking them out 43-8. And Pat had the best seat in the house – he was on the field the whole time. Pat, who was a Seattle “Sea Gal” cheerleader for five seasons from 2011-2017, remembers watching Gayle King take her seat near the sideline and dance for and with the fans.
“It was just amazing. To get to dance in the end zone. It’s the ultimate experience. It’s also our Super Bowl,” Pat said.
But 2014 also marked a low point in the world of cheerleading, the beginning of a revelation that the industry is still working on today. Less than two weeks before Pette performed at the Super Bowl, former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Lacey Thibodeaux-Fields filed the first class-action lawsuit against the NFL over compensation for cheerleaders alleging wage theft and gender discrimination. He alleged that he was paid for the hours he was performing – not his work as an ambassador for the riders at the thrice-weekly rehearsals or events. At the end of the 2013–2014 season, he was paid a lump sum of $1,250. For comparison, an NFL mascot can earn up to $65,000 a year.
There are other attractions that work now pays off. Especially noisy jobs pay a lot of cash. Glass Ol’ Adam pointed this out 243 years ago. Perhaps it should have sunk in by now? The total compensation for different jobs is almost and equal. It is excitement, satisfaction, interest, part of compensation in cash that varies.