A Tampa Bay cheerleader is suing the Buccaneers. (USATSI)
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Earlier this month, the Buccaneers introduced their 2014 cheerleading squad after more than 100 women tried out for the team.
But just like the Raiders, the Bengals, the Bills and the Jets, the Buccaneers are being sued by a former cheerleader who says the team pays less than minimum wage.
Former cheerleader Manouchcar Pierre-Val, according to the Tampa Tribune , filed her lawsuit Monday because the organization paid her less than $2 an hour, violating federal and state wages laws.
According to Pierre-Val's attorney, Kimberly Woods, the lawsuit seeks to be a class-action suit, and Woods told the paper that other women are interested in joining the suit.
Buccaneers spokesman Luis Nelson declined comment for the most part but did say, "As a general rule, we don't discuss compensation practices for any members of our organization."
According to Woods, the cheerleaders make $100 a game, but they aren't compensated for their cheerleading practices. The cheerleaders also are required to attend 40 hours of public appearances each year. For corporate-sponsored events, Woods said the cheerleaders earn between $25-$50 per hour, but they make no money for any other appearances.
Interestingly, Pierre-Val is featured on the Buccaneers website in a video in which she says she loves being a Buccaneers cheerleader.
NFL Hot News
Jets rookie TE Jace Amaro wants to be the next Tony Gonzalez
Now that Tony Gonzalez has retired, who can lay claim to the title of "The next Tony Gonzalez"? Well, that question might disappear in a handful of years when we'll all be asking "Who will be the next Jimmy Graham?" Plus, we have Vernon Davis, Julius Thomas, Jordan Cameron ... a tall, athletic, pass-catching tight end isn't as novel as it was 15 years ago.One of the league's newest tight ends to fit that mold is Jets second-round rookie Jace Amaro. The Texas Tech product set a Football Bowl Subdivision record among tight ends last year with 1,352 receiving yards. He is 6-foot-5, 265 pounds and has decent 4.72-40 speed. He is strong and, yes, athletic as he lined up in the slot often in college. So of course he wants to be the next Tony Gonzalez."I'd definitely like to (model) his game," Amaro said of Gonzalez to ESPN New York. "... That's someone who I'd ultimately love to be. He's supposedly the greatest tight end to ever play. That's somewhere where I want to be, too."Amaro caught 106 passes last year in the Red Raiders' up-tempo offense. He said catching 100 passes consistently in the NFL is one of his goals even if it takes him five or 10 years to fulfill it. Gonzalez topped 100 receptions just once in his long career, but he reached 90 or more five times.
A tight end has caught 100 passes in a season only three times in league history, so Amaro should probably modify his goal just a bit.My expectations for Amaro as a rookie aren't nearly as high. He'll need to spend a lot of time working on his blocking skills as the Jets should deploy a run-first offense. Amaro will definitely have an opportunity to carve out a role as an offensive producer since the Jets don't have an abundant amount of great receivers, and that's even more true at tight end where the lumbering Jeff Cumberland is their top veteran.But look at what those aforementioned current tight ends did as rookies. They are stars now, but their rookie seasons were learning experiences more than anything else. That's one of the reasons why Gonzalez was really special; he caught 76 passes for 849 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 1999. Amaro probably won't come close to those stats in 2014, but since the Jets can use all of the help they can get in the passing game, he'll probably have a couple of big games this year. His dynasty stock, however, should rise quickly.
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