The Washington Redskins say they view their cheerleaders as first-rate representatives for the franchise, women who work full-time jobs – some of them doctors and business owners – and still find time to attend community events and visit troops abroad. They also use them and their sex appeal to peddle the most expensive seats at FedEx Field.
As the Redskins’ losses have mounted in recent years and the demand for high-end luxury seats and suites has declined, the team is using the cheerleaders as a sales inducement. According to a former Redskins front-office employee who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, that’s why several male sponsors and suite holders – and two team executives – were present at a 2013 calendar photo shoot in Costa Rica, as first detailed Wednesday in a New York Times report.