Cheering Up
Rachel Freeman stays positive even when cheering for losers
by Gabriel Trujillo
published on Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Rachel Freeman always has a smile on her face. And as an Arizona Cardinals cheerleader, it is amazing she can keep a happy expression, given the team's lack of success.
The crowd of more than 30,000 people erupts in a sea of moans and boos as Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner throws an interception during a recent game at Sun Devil Stadium.
Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" booms through the speakers as Freeman and the other cheerleaders dance to the music. A victory for the Cardinals may be out of reach, but Freeman and the other dancers continue to cheer on the team.
While the main job of the cheerleaders is to perform during home games, their job is tougher than other NFL dancers because they cheer for one of the worst franchises in football. Since their move to Arizona in 1989, the Cardinals' only winning season and playoff birth was in 1997.
Freeman, 21, is a justice studies junior at ASU and is on her second year with the squad.
"Cheerleading is more than just pompoms and chanting," Freeman says. "It takes a pretty tough person to find something to cheer about when your team is losing by 28 points."
The Arizona Cardinals have one of the lowest attendance records in the league but Freeman says it is about quality, not quantity.
"We may not have the most fans," she says. "But the fans we do have are diehards and stick with the team year in and year out."
To help stay motivated during losing streaks, Freeman says all she needs to do is look into the stands. From the "bird man," who wears a red cape and foam Cardinals' head, to the "end zonies," a group of fans with red spray-painted hair, the fans are motivation enough, she says.
"To be a fan of the Cardinals you must be extremely loyal," Freeman says. "So if they can root for the Cards, I can too."
When the cheerleaders aren't rooting for the Cardinals on Sundays, they take time to meet fans in the community and around the world. This past summer Freeman and the other members of the Cardinals show team traveled to the Middle East as part of the United Service Organizations Tour, to entertain the soldiers.
The team traveled to Iraq aboard Blackhawk helicopters to meet more than 800 soldiers. And even though the Cardinals have a small fan base, Freeman says finding a few Cardinals fans among the hundreds of soldiers surprised her and the other dancers.
Several troops from Luke Air Force Base were stationed in Iraq and Freeman says it was nice to see the Cardinal colors outside of Arizona.
"When we walked into the hangar the troops shouted, 'Go Cards!' and started waving an Arizona flag and Cardinals pennants," she says. "They thought it was cool to see cheerleaders from their home town."
When they aren't touring the Middle East, the cheerleading squad is practicing for performances at Cardinals' home games. On game day, players arrive to the stadium hours before kickoff, and so do the cheerleaders.
"We arrive at the stadium at 9 a.m. to practice before the game begins at 2 p.m.," Freeman says. "It is a long wait, but once you stand in front of thousands of screaming fans, it is all worth it."
Besides cheerleading, Freeman attends classes twice a week and is a server at Ra Sushi in Tempe. Her schedule is pretty full, but Freeman says she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love being busy because I think I function better like that," she says. "By no means am I looking for a career in dance. But I have such a passion for dancing that I am going to continue doing it until I can't move anymore."
When Freeman ends her cheerleading career she says you will still find her cheering on the Cardinals. But this time she will be in the stands, not the field.
"I am totally invested and part of the family now," she says. "But hopefully I'll have something good to cheer about, like winning."
Rachel Freeman stays positive even when cheering for losers
by Gabriel Trujillo
published on Wednesday, November 30, 2005
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Deanna Dent / STATE PRESS MAGAZINE Justice studies junior Rachel Freeman doesn't mind cheering for a losing team.Rachel Freeman always has a smile on her face. And as an Arizona Cardinals cheerleader, it is amazing she can keep a happy expression, given the team's lack of success.
The crowd of more than 30,000 people erupts in a sea of moans and boos as Cardinals' quarterback Kurt Warner throws an interception during a recent game at Sun Devil Stadium.
Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" booms through the speakers as Freeman and the other cheerleaders dance to the music. A victory for the Cardinals may be out of reach, but Freeman and the other dancers continue to cheer on the team.
While the main job of the cheerleaders is to perform during home games, their job is tougher than other NFL dancers because they cheer for one of the worst franchises in football. Since their move to Arizona in 1989, the Cardinals' only winning season and playoff birth was in 1997.
Freeman, 21, is a justice studies junior at ASU and is on her second year with the squad.
"Cheerleading is more than just pompoms and chanting," Freeman says. "It takes a pretty tough person to find something to cheer about when your team is losing by 28 points."
The Arizona Cardinals have one of the lowest attendance records in the league but Freeman says it is about quality, not quantity.
"We may not have the most fans," she says. "But the fans we do have are diehards and stick with the team year in and year out."
To help stay motivated during losing streaks, Freeman says all she needs to do is look into the stands. From the "bird man," who wears a red cape and foam Cardinals' head, to the "end zonies," a group of fans with red spray-painted hair, the fans are motivation enough, she says.
"To be a fan of the Cardinals you must be extremely loyal," Freeman says. "So if they can root for the Cards, I can too."
When the cheerleaders aren't rooting for the Cardinals on Sundays, they take time to meet fans in the community and around the world. This past summer Freeman and the other members of the Cardinals show team traveled to the Middle East as part of the United Service Organizations Tour, to entertain the soldiers.
The team traveled to Iraq aboard Blackhawk helicopters to meet more than 800 soldiers. And even though the Cardinals have a small fan base, Freeman says finding a few Cardinals fans among the hundreds of soldiers surprised her and the other dancers.
Several troops from Luke Air Force Base were stationed in Iraq and Freeman says it was nice to see the Cardinal colors outside of Arizona.
"When we walked into the hangar the troops shouted, 'Go Cards!' and started waving an Arizona flag and Cardinals pennants," she says. "They thought it was cool to see cheerleaders from their home town."
When they aren't touring the Middle East, the cheerleading squad is practicing for performances at Cardinals' home games. On game day, players arrive to the stadium hours before kickoff, and so do the cheerleaders.
"We arrive at the stadium at 9 a.m. to practice before the game begins at 2 p.m.," Freeman says. "It is a long wait, but once you stand in front of thousands of screaming fans, it is all worth it."
Besides cheerleading, Freeman attends classes twice a week and is a server at Ra Sushi in Tempe. Her schedule is pretty full, but Freeman says she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love being busy because I think I function better like that," she says. "By no means am I looking for a career in dance. But I have such a passion for dancing that I am going to continue doing it until I can't move anymore."
When Freeman ends her cheerleading career she says you will still find her cheering on the Cardinals. But this time she will be in the stands, not the field.
"I am totally invested and part of the family now," she says. "But hopefully I'll have something good to cheer about, like winning."
