A Beautiful Mind

Americans have a lot in common with Australians- surfing, Foster’s, Outback Steakhouse, and an intense love for Crocodile Dundee. One thing we obviously don’t have in common is cheerleaders. Cheerleaders in America are an integral part of any sport worth watching. Never mind that they can’t be heard most of the time, they’re there alongside our beer, brats, and buddies and that’s all we need. I thought that was the case in Australia also, until I read a little ditty from the AP this week.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17067020/

Actor Russell Crowe is part owner of the Australian rugby team the “South Sydney Rabbitohs”. It was announced earlier this week that Crowe fired the Rabbitohs cheerleaders for wearing skimpy outfits and distracting spectators from watching the matches. That’s right, fired them. Fired them like he fired that telephone at a hotel employee back in 2005. Sir Russell said “(the cheerleaders make) women uncomfortable and it makes blokes who take their son to the football (game) also uncomfortable.” His Russellness was concerned that the skimpy outfits were inappropriate entertainment. The cheerleaders are being replaced by a bunch of drummers that will be called the “Rabbitohs Drum Squad”.

I’m not sure where to start here so let me just spew randomly. First of all and for the record, if that drum squad were playing for an NFL team here in the states, they’d be hot and scantily clad as well. I’m also pretty sure that a bunch of people banging on drums is going to be more “distracting” than a bunch of girls running around in bikinis and frilly things.

Second of all, how exactly are boys being raised down under these days? Apparently this way:

Father: “Son, were you peaking at those cheerleaders on the sideline again? I want you to focus on the sweaty men tackling each other.”

Son: “But…”

Father: “And after this sweaty man match, we’re going to watch ‘Gladiator’, ‘Master and Commander’ and ‘The Insider’. And then we’re going to go bake Kangaroo-shaped cookies.”

And if the majority of Aussies truly were uncomfortable by what the cheerleaders were wearing, how about change the outfit? Or put on a sweater? Apparently Mr. Crowe had no control over what outfits this girls wore so he just decided to fire them?

Ahh….A beautiful mind indeed.