Cheerleader lawsuits are more than just rah-rah

There’s been lot of talk lately about income inequality, minimumwage and the gender gap. As sad as it is thatWilma Flintstone still gets less in rerun residuals than Fred, a real travesty is being exposed.

Tampa Bay punter Michael Koenen makes $3.25 million annually for kicking his leg high in the air about five times a game. About 30 high-profile female performers kick a lot more and make about $3.2 million less. Somebody call a lawyer! That’s whatManouchcar Pierre-Val did. The ex-cheerleader filed suit lastweek, claiming the Bucs broke federal lawby paying her about $2 an hour.

It’s the fifth such suit filed since January against an NFL team. Call it the Cheerleader Rebellion of 2014. Like the coal strike of 1919, women are rising up and demanding decent wages for their labor. And I knowwhat you’re thinking.

“Labor? You call shaking your groove thing to the leering approval of thousands of fans ‘labor’? ”

Granted, this isn’t your Dolphins WRJarvis Landry wows ’em at minicamp, C5.

average low-wage job. Not manyWalmart greeters parlay that into a modeling career or a date with Zac Efron. Andwouldn’t a millionwomen pay to be aDallas Cowboys cheerleader?

“I understand that to some degree,” said Kim Woods, Pierre-Val’s attorney. “But it doesn’tmake it right that they are not paid.”

Again, I knowwhat you’re thinking. The average cheerleader doesn’t have the mathematical skills to tell a nickel from a quarter.

If you have such bimbo bias, you should knowmost cheerleaders are at least as smart as the starting cornerback. Pierre-Val is a registered nurse.

Quick aside: Why is it whenever I’m hospitalized the nurses all look like Bill Belichick?

Technically, Pierre-Valwas paid for the 2012 season —$100 per home game. Counting two preseason games, that’s $1,000. Sounds pretty good for three hours of rah-rah, but itwas just the tip of the mascara bottle.

The lawsuit claims cheerleaderswere required to put in 40 hours of community appearances, practice four-to-15 hours aweek and showup four hours before kickoff.

Woods said they had to spend two eight-hour days teaching at cheerleading camp. The Bucs charged 300 campers $100 each. The instructorswere paid zero, which is also the cut they got from the team’s swimsuit calendar.

Therewere strict rules about appearance, though apparently not as demanding as the Buffalo Jills endured. Theywere subjected to “jiggle tests” as inspectors checked to see if therewas too much celluliteshaking going on.

I’d say thatwas demeaning, but it’s hard to have much sympathy for anyone who takes a job where the standard uniformwould barely cover J.J. Watt’s biceps. Still, all thewolf-whistles in theworldwon’t pay for one good liposuction.

You can see why cheerleaderswant a little more jingle for their jiggle. The surprise is that it’s taken this long.

Maybe the awakeningwas sparked by the concussion lawsuit filed by 4,800 ex-players. They got $765 million, though a judge is holding that up as she ponders whether that’s enough money.

None of the cheerleader lawsuits filed is seeking $765 million.

Pierre-Val figures she’s owed about $3,000, based on the $7.67-an-hour minimumwage.

The Bucs aren’t commenting on the lawsuit. Privately held NFL teams don’t have to disclose their income, but Forbes estimates the team isworth $1.06 billion. Its player payroll last seasonwas estimated at $127 million.

All that boughtwas four wins. If the season had been a jiggle test, the Bucswould have been a sumo wrestler.

Maybe the solution to this brewing rebellionwould be making cheerleading entirely voluntary. There’s probably an ample supply ofwomen who’d shake their pompoms for free.

But the league rakes in about $10 billion a year. That’s why punters like Koenen make $3 million a year.

Good for them. Butwould it hurt to pay cheerleaders a pinch more than of what a punter makes?

After all, whose legs are you reallywatching on Sunday afternoon?