Overview

• Blaize Shiek and Louie Conn earned spots through the Vikings’ regular auditions and performed during Aug. 9 and Aug. 16 preseason games.
• Sen. Tommy Tuberville questioned the NFL on OutKick’s Hot Mic, warning teams would lose fans, as right-wing pundits including Ben Shapiro joined the criticism.
• The Vikings told NBC News male cheerleaders have appeared on past Vikings squads and now feature on roughly one-third of NFL teams.
• The club said it supports all cheerleaders selected for talent and game-day impact, and reported no season-ticket cancellations linked to the backlash.
• Shiek and Conn responded with a joint Instagram post — “Wait…did someone say our name?” — as family members and the team’s coach publicly voiced support.