According to New York Times’ reporter Juliet Macur, nine members of Washington NFL’s squad were forced to provide dates for sponsors and suite holders after a topless photo shoot in Costa Rica.

Nine of the squads 36 members were handpicked by the sponsors who also came on the trip to the adults-only resort — it’s not clear if the team paid for the sponsor’s trip, but they did pay for the cheerleaders to go. The night at the club was mandatory and it wasn’t up to the members of the team participated who would participate and who didn’t.

“Some of the male sponsors had picked them to be personal escorts at a nightclub.

“So get back to your room and get ready,” the director told them. Several of them began to cry.

“They weren’t putting a gun to our heads, but it was mandatory for us to go,” one of the cheerleaders said. “We weren’t asked, we were told. Other girls were devastated because we knew exactly what she was doing.”

The article does make it clear that their participation did not involve sex, but some of those whom were picked felt like they were being pimped out by the franchise. This night at the club came out after a 14-hour day that involved posing and practices…which the sponsors were allowed to watch.

These sponsors were also allowed to watch the topless photo shoot as well.

None of these accusations are particularly surprising since it comes from the worst owner in the NFL whom can never really seem to build a consistent winner and wants to replace his oversized stadium just because it’s a teenager. Since Dan Snyder bought the team he has steadily made the cheerleading program more risque and based off of the changes in their outfits, the promos run on his radio station, and how the team building parties (for the cheerleaders) have moved to a sponsors boat. Which is where there has been, in recent years, twerking competitions where the winner gets a cash prize.

Unfortunately, Washington’s NFL franchise isn’t the only one that’s seeing issues with the cheerleaders and how they’re used off of the field to promote the team. Bringing sponsors to their photoshoots and practically pimping out these women is something that’s become all to common for the league. It’s one of the many things that the league’s is going to have to improve going forward, because this isn’t fair to the members of these cheerleadings quads.

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