An American Ultimate Disc League team — yes, that is a thing — has found itself in some hot water over its choice in halftime entertainment.
On Saturday, the San Diego Growlers invited a group of six women from a fitness studio to participate in their halftime festivities. This particular studio is called Sexy Beast Studio, and it is where people use pole dancing to stay in shape. Growlers trainer Chris Chamberlain, whose wife runs the business, suggested the idea.
Fans were not happy.
“This makes me embarrassed. @SDGrowlers not ok,” a woman who owns a share of another American Ultimate Disc League team wrote on Twitter, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “Issue apology and educate yourself on sports and gender issues 101. Stat.”
Many fans actually left the event during the halftime show.
“I attended this game and was shocked to see the dancers at halftime,” one Reddit user wrote. “A not insignificant number of attendees left the event as soon as they realized what was happening; mostly attendees who had brought their children expecting a family affair.”
Chamberlain himself participated in the pole dancing, and many on-lookers said his routine looked like “top-level gymnastics.” Still, the team apologized to anyone it offended.
“It wasn’t our intent to insult anybody or offend anybody in any way. We certainly apologize,” Growlers co-owner and player Will Griffin said. “These girls are great athletes. They’re really fit; they could kick my butt.
“I understand the optics of it. We didn’t frame it up well enough. People were confused.”
We’ve seen how pole dancing can end poorly at an NFL tailgate before, but it sounds like these women (and one man) are good at what they do. Maybe they’d be appreciated more at a different venue.
