did you know about this? -g-
>>Peeping at Veterans Stadium
There have been teams spying on teams, and even linebackers spying on quarterbacks during a game.
But players spying on the cheerleaders while the cheerleaders get dressed?
For perhaps as long as 10 years, players from teams using the visiting locker room at Veterans Stadium have spied on the Philadelphia Eagles' cheerleaders, peering through openings in doors and a window to catch a glimpse of the women getting dressed.
"We've been aware of certain rumors and we've taken precautions," said Marylou Tammaro, director of the cheerleading team. "I can assure you any talk about players as peeping Toms is just that, talk."
But several current and former N.F.L. players describe the ogling of the women as a sort of macho ritual. Perhaps dozens of players over the years have secretly spied on the Eagles' cheerleading squad, several players, agents and a team official with knowledge of the situation said.
The cheerleaders have attempted to secure the openings with masking tape and have painted over a small window that players were using to secretly view the women.
But despite those efforts, players say, the peeping continued sporadically into this season. At times, players on visiting teams got into shoving matches to catch a glimpse of the women.
No Eagles players were involved, players and agents said. Players maintain that many of the watchers were from Philadelphia's division foes in the N.F.C. East; two former Dallas Cowboys players say they observed the women.
Some will chuckle at this news, saying boys will be boys, while others may be outraged. Both the Eagles' front office and the National Football League declined to comment officially.
Players said that several doors connect the visiting locker room to the Eagles' cheerleading dressing room, and because of the age of the creaky stadium, openings have formed in various places. Doorknobs have even fallen out.
Players said they will sneak from their locker room, make the short walk and quietly observe the cheerleaders by looking through these crevices, especially near a door that opens into the women's locker room, and a window that looks into that same room. When the cheerleaders would tape over the openings, players would simply push open a hole, and stare some more, players said.
Once, 10 years ago, the window was painted over, but only on the players' side. According to a team official, players used a key or coin to scrape off the paint and then looked in. Soon after that, the window was painted on both sides.
Players maintain that the information about the openings has been passed on from team to team, like some sort of perverted trade secret.
"Is there a door that connects the rooms? Yes," Tammaro said in an interview. "Have players tried to drill holes so they can see in our room? Yes. Have players tried to look through them? Yes. Have they been successful? No. Because we've taken precautions to prevent them."
Tammaro said she had repeatedly spoken to Philadelphia city officials about creating a more private and secure environment for the dancers. Tammaro said her pleas had been ignored.
Now, before every home game, Tammaro or the cheerleaders will tape over the openings themselves, and paint the window if needed, she said<< |
