Jess14

Yes, it’s such a shame. Hannah is such a pretty girl who absolutely looks her age. Yet, if you replaced her DCC uniform with a regular shirt, then showed me that picture, and asked to me to guess what reality show she was on and her age - i would guess that she’s 43 or so and one of the Real Housewives.... that’s just bad photography.

Good point. I definitely think the double standards extend to interview. With that said, I actually think that they're probably fairly lenient about the knowledge of football questions. I think as long as a girl knew that a linebacker played defense, she would be ok. Arguably, Kelsey's answer about trying to sack the QB is more associated with defensive linemen than linebackers, but I don't think they're that technical. Kelsey's first 2 answers where she didn't know Jerry Jones' position or how many yards on a football were more problematic. The yard lines on a football field are literally numbered. You don't know even have to know football, you just have to have eyes and know how to count to know there are 100 yards. And obviously, knowing who Jerry Jones is is paramount to the DCCs. I think even Yuko would've needed to know that. I will say that when they show the short clips of interviews, a lot of girls who make it into training camp say some dumb things and still make it. Not knowing stuff doesn't appear to be anywhere near as much of a dealbreaker as they make it out to be.

The “thutt” comment was so unprofessional, and it wasn’t funny at all. It was especially out of line because you could see it all over Megan’s face that she was self-conscious about her body. If I, as a viewer, could see it, Kelli should’ve been able to as well. I understand that body image issues are present in the dance world, modeling world, sports world, etc., and it’s no question that the DCCs have never been shy about wanting girls to look a certain way, but I still think the Director should act like a professional. Creating an unflattering nickname for a girl’s body part is the complete opposite of that. I also think the seamstress (Lisa?) can be tone deaf. I hated when she told Veronica that if My Fit Foods was going to work that she needed to eat only that and not have dessert.....like, are you kidding with that comment!?!

Just going from memory, when the team was announced, that’s when the board found out that Kashara was the new Group 4 leader and that Erica had been cut. It’s certainly possible that her cut happened before then, but if so, it wasn’t known on the boards until that last night. Regardless, I’m pretty sure it was that last week because Canton occurred at the end of training camp.

Erica, but the cut was not shown.

I was thinking of the 2013 squad as the most diverse squad of the MTT era until now (and I'm still a bit confused about who is on the new team). That team had Mia, Jackie, Veronica, Jacie, Jenna, Jasmine, Carissa, Jessica, Jessica and Kim. I will say that Kelli and Judy have never had issues with featuring the WOC; the main issue has been making the team in the first place, especially in more recent years. Nicole, Ally, Mia, Jackie, Jacie, Jenna, Cersten, and Jessica were all either group leaders and/or had prominent spots in the formation.

Is it the most diverse team of the MTT/CMT era? I’m sure Kelli did want more diversity. The team needed it, and the last 3 vets who got cut (before this latest round) at auditions were all WOC. Nonetheless, I can’t help but side-eye the suggestion (not referring to any one specific post) that because they took a more diverse squad, talent must have been overlooked for diversity, Hannah/Brennan, etc must have been cut for the black girls. I say this as someone who is a big fan of Hannah and Brennan and as someone who has been posting about Kelli’s poor management for years. Also, unless Lily and Meredith improved tenfold over the last year, I find it hard to believe that they are much stronger in dance than the rookies who made it. Comparable, sure. But much stronger? I very much doubt that. Meredith is probably the weakest DCC-style dancer that made the team in years.

Agree, 100%. For all we know, some of these girls raised the issue privately. Social media is not the end all, be all of the world. It’s also possible that some of them are worried that they too will be kicked off, and they’re scared. Many people have been in that position, and it’s not fun. It’s also possible that some of them flat out don’t care, which is sad, but it is what it is. Regardless though, the blame belongs on the decisionmakers, not the other cheerleaders. I think most posts here (that I’ve seen; the board is moving so fast lately) have been about the rules and DCCs’ enforcement of them, which has been a topic of the show in the past, so I don’t think there’s anything out of bounds discussing that. However, I do think the constant tagging of her name on social media, including on a post about the players is borderline. I can see how a bunch of Instagram and Twitter posts about a grown woman’s sex life, which seem to be posted for the purpose of embarrassing her and/or getting her kicked off the team could be cyber bullying to some people. Just my opinion though.

Hannah mentions that in-person production was halted after the safety of the group was compromised. Any idea what she is referring to? Seems to be more than just general safety concerns (which were obvious; we talked about how it wasn’t a real bubble on the boards). Sounds like there may have been an outbreak. Good for her and Brennan for speaking out. Brennan is the epitome of class, and Hannah managed to get her point across eloquently and clearly, without flinging any insults or looking petty. Well done ladies!

While I have no proof of this, I don’t think Holly’s punishment (Or subsequently Jenna’s) was actually about anything other than the player who Holly was supposedly seeing. That same player was involved in a very high profile NFL investigation that year and was in the news quite a bit. If she had been out in public with some no name, random player, I question if any of that would’ve been anywhere near as big of an issue. This is also why I thunk the non-frat policy is silly. If embarrassment or controversy is really what they’re concerned about (and I think that’s what it is), there are other ways to address that in the contract. They clearly don’t actually care about cheerleaders dating players (nor should they, IMO), so just get rid of that rule.

Honestly, had the DCCs had regular tryouts, I think Meredith and Lily would’ve been cut. The “last ones in” from the prior training camp tend to get cut the next year, and every so often, they throw in an upper vet as well. However, the fact that it’s not a typical year makes these cuts seem especially cruel. They probably won’t be doing much of anything, so what is it about these 4 that’s so bad that they can’t remain on the team? I get that it’s supposed to be the top 36, but it’s an unusual year. I just don’t understand why they didn’t just stick with the remaining veterans and call it a day.

I’m stunned by the Hannah cut. She was a star. I’m not surprised about Lily or Meredith being cut. Brennan - I understand the cut in terms of dance, but it seemed like she really made her mark on the team in other ways, so I am surprised. At least, she got 2 years. 4 veteran cuts is kind of a bloodbath. That’s the most since season 8, right (counting Chelsea)? ETA: I guess season 12 had 4 cuts, if you count Erica with Raylee, Heather, and Allie.

Unfortunately, I was thinking the same about Jalyn. I hope I’m wrong though. I wouldn’t want any of the 3 year girls to be cut.

No worries, and no need to apologize. It happens!

I would also say that if they’re so concerned with the safety of the cheerleaders, then they shouldn’t have them at training camp until 1 and 2 am, waiting for girls to get cut. They’re lucky no one has fallen asleep on the interstate driving home.

I get where you’re coming from, but some of the cheerleaders are in their mid to late 20s. They’re not all little girls. Nonetheless, the non-frat rule doesn’t stop cheerleaders from being at a party where they could be hurt. NFL players are hardly the only rich and powerful people in town, and most workplaces have clauses that allow them to fire people if they engage in conduct that reflects poorly on the organization, as it is. So, if a cheerleader was at a dangerous or raucous parties where drugs and other criminal behavior was rampant, they wouldn’t need a non-frat clause to fire them. Most non-frat and nepotism clauses are in place to protect the integrity and professionalism in the workplace and to prevent situations that are breeding grounds for sexual harassment and other unethical behaviors, not to control the employees’ personal relationships.

I’m confused. I very clearly said it was a rule in my post, and that the DCCs selective enforcement is problematic. I just don’t personally care about the rule, and I’m not going to care about it <shrugs>. I don’t care about someone jaywalking (outside of extreme circumstances) either.... We don’t all have to be up in arms about the same things.

Yep. Loaded team that year. The Mia, Jackie Bob, Emma triangle was one of the best, IMO. Such a shame that the show ended up being the Morgan and Kaitlin hour that year..

The DCCs’ selective enforcement has always been problematic. This isn’t new or specific to Kat. However, I really don’t care who is voluntarily sleeping with or dating who. The fact that there is a rule stopping two adults, who do not in any way report to each other at work and are not even subject to the same work rules, from having a consensual relationship bothers me more than whatever Kat and this player are doing.

Honestly, Cassie, Judy, Ally, and Taylor all looked bad. Cassie - the hands on face-doe eyed-look was just childish. If you have something to say, say it. Don't wait for mommy to call on you. Judy - obliging and prodding Cassie to say something like she's a child. Ally - pretending like Taylor has no right defend herself from a direct accusation. If someone accused Ally of not practicing, I doubt she would sit there and take it. Give me a break! Lastly, Taylor - she came off okay during that particular scene, but in general, she seemed so immature that I fully believed the accusation that Cassie leveled at her even if I didn't like how it came about.

Yeah, lots of hotels, especially more upscale ones, have moved away from having microwaves in the room. I've never stayed in a hotel that didn't have a small fridge, but "no microwave" has unfortunately become a "thing" over the last several years for many hotel chains. It's annoying. ETA: I learned this lesson the hard way several years ago while staying at the Marriott (I think we stayed there that year) in Times Square....came back very late, starving, and planning to heat up my meal from earlier in the day only to discover that there was no microwave. That...was not fun lol!

It's definitely inconsistent with the persona that Kitty had previously put forth, but we saw her show clear favoritism to Morgan back in Season 8. Morgan was a hot mess in terms of dance, but Kitty kept pushing her to the point where people on the boards (I believe it was the old boards at that point) were questioning whether Morgan and Kitty were related or connected in some way. So, it's not completely unheard of for her to show favoritism. Now, her behavior towards VK was definitely the most overt, and the fact that it was a weight issue made it all the more obvious. Weight has always been an easy reason for them to cut girls, so bending over backwards for VK made little sense. In addition, it went beyond Kitty just asking for leniency for VK. She seemed to be actively throwing other girls under the bus to prop up VK. It was a really bad look. I'm not shocked that she bowed out of the show.

I feel like Gina looks like a completely different person in that picture. If I didn't see the name, I would not have guessed that it was her lol.

Well, since they’re following through with training camp, I hope that the bubble works and that everyone manages to stay healthy and safe. Given all of the depressing covid news, if they are able to make this work, I’ll be happy for the new rookies. Was Melissa’s comment about girls with full time not trying out in reference to the team in general or just this year’s training camp in a bubble? If it’s the latter, I think it’s a valid concern. Living in a bubble for 2 weeks while having a different full-time job (other than those which are fully remote) seems difficult, if not impossible. I guess one thing that may help the veterans is that they didn’t have the swimsuit shoot or regular auditions this year, so many of the them may already have an excess of vacation days that can be used.

True. The reason why the NBA bubble seems to be working so far is because it’s so strict, and players are quarantined before they enter it, not only when they’re there. If someone is out with friends 3 days before they enter the “bubble,” then it’s not a real bubble and defeats the purpose of having it. This also goes to the issue of how the DCCs are being paid though. I don’t blame Lisa for teaching a class if that’s her other job. Are they supposed to quit their other, non-DCC jobs? I assume that many of the girls with corporate jobs are working remotely anyway, but what about those who are not? I’m curious to see how this works out.