[terry]

There's nothing wrong with heckling by people in the seats.

To me, the cheerleaders are different because they have been given special access to the floor for a specific purpose (leading the crowd in cheers). They are allowed to bring megaphones on the floor for the same purpose. When they use their floor access and megaphones for up-close heckling, that's an abuse of the privilege they've been given.

This is why the bands are required to stop playing during game action. They are allowed to play musical instruments for a specific purpose. They are not allowed to use those instruments to try to disrupt the other team. That's an abuse of the privilege they've been given, so it's not allowed. Seems to me that the same principle should apply to cheerleaders and megaphones.

The NCAA rule quoted above refers to using megaphones in a "nondisruptive" manner. It's obvious from the photos that the cheerleaders are using the megaphones for the specific purpose of being disruptive at point blank range. It's an abuse of the special privilege they've been given. If the cheerleaders want to heckle the other team's serve, let them sit in the stands.

[terry]

There's nothing wrong with heckling by people in the seats.

To me, the cheerleaders are different because they have been given special access to the floor for a specific purpose (leading the crowd in cheers). They are allowed to bring megaphones on the floor for the same purpose. When they use their floor access and megaphones for up-close heckling, that's an abuse of the privilege they've been given.

This is why the bands are required to stop playing during game action. They are allowed to play musical instruments for a specific purpose. They are not allowed to use those instruments to try to disrupt the other team. That's an abuse of the privilege they've been given, so it's not allowed. Seems to me that the same principle should apply to cheerleaders and megaphones.

The NCAA rule quoted above refers to using megaphones in a "nondisruptive" manner. It's obvious from the photos that the cheerleaders are using the megaphones for the specific purpose of being disruptive at point blank range. It's an abuse of the special privilege they've been given. If the cheerleaders want to heckle the other team's serve, let them sit in the stands.