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The male animators of the Minnesota Vikings caused a debate among NFL fans in the preseason, even when the franchise was far from being the first to have them on the sidelines.
Napoleon Jinnies, who was the first male animator in the NFL when he performed for Los Angeles Rams in 2018, came out in defense of Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn.
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Cheerleader Napoleon Jinnies during a preseason match in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Harry How/Getty Images)
Jinnies told People in a recent interview that the outrage of male cheerleaders was nothing new.
“I am putting my eyes blank,” he told the magazine. “They say nothing new.”
Jinnies recalled his own trip that went from competitive cheerleaders at the university to try to make a profession from his passion. Nor was he the only male animator in the team.
He said critics sent unpleasant messages on social networks and were marking them in games. He said that comments and criticism did not bother him because they were not attacking their cheers or dancing skills.
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The minnesota vikings cheerleader, Blaize Shiek, acts before the NFL 2025 preseason game against New England patriots at the US Bank stadium on August 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty images)
“The comments of people who were from my childhood to the university were exactly the same comments from these random adults,” he said. “And they say nothing about what I am taking out as an artist.”
He added that he received a lot of support that eclipsed hatred and applauded Shiek and Conn’s skills.
“Maybe I could see their point if they were bad animators,” he said about the detractors. “But they are beats for the rhythm, step by step killing it with the girls. I am looking at them as a dance judge, like, well, they shine. I’m sorry if that stirred your feathers.”
Shiek and Conn have continued to act for Vikings despite the outrage of social networks.
The animators of the Minnesota Vikings lead the crowd during the third quarter against the New England patriots at the US Bank stadium on August 16, 2025. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn images)
Minnesota has begun season 2-1 despite losing the JJ McCarthy field for a few weeks with an injury.
