20 Hilarious Cheerleader Fails

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In my opinion, every time the stadium speakers start playing Gangnam Style and the cheerleaders are dancing along, it is a fail. However, that’s probably not what you were looking for when you came here.

Typically, most cheerleader-related fails come from guys who unsuccessfully try to discreetly sneak a peek while their wives/girlfriends/etc. are otherwise engaged.

But sometimes it is the actual cheerleaders that do the failing. Click through to see 20 cheerleader fails, and feel free to share some others in the comments because there are plenty.

No. 20: Macy’s Not-so Happy Thanksgiving Parade

There’s a joke to be made here about Thanksgiving being in the fall, but let’s not go there.

Basically, nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like family, turkey, football and a good old cheerleader fail.

Enjoy.

No. 19: Luck of the Irish

Good luck winning the national title if your cheerleaders and mascot can’t even get the flag waving part down.

Just get Manti Te’o to the next cheerleader practice, and I’m sure he will get this straightened out.

Better yet, send Brian Kelly. I would love to see the leprechaun’s reaction when Kelly got all red in the face screaming at him for this miscue.

No. 18: That Was on Purpose

We all see what you did there, Jason Witten.

No. 17: Isn’t the Wave Just Great?

So you are telling me that 80,000 drunk fans at NFL games can do the wave with no problems and these “official cheerers” can’t pull it off more than once or twice?

I already kind of hate the wave, and this certainly doesn’t help.

The only thing weird about this is that they aren’t trying to start the wave when there are only two minutes left in a tie game.

No. 16: Hungry Mascot

It takes some awkward announcer banter—which we always love—to overshadow a mascot eating a cheerleader on the field.

But that’s exactly what will happen when they start joking about Alka-Seltzer and serious indigestion when a human being is the main course.

Don’t let that overshadow the real issue here—what the heck is that mascot supposed to be anyways?

No. 15: This Is Why There Aren’t Cheerleaders at Volleyball Matches

This cheerleader fail really isn’t the fault of the actual cheerleaders this time.

They were simply distracted by the ridiculous Ram horns that completely cover Colorado State’s basketball/volleyball court. Basically, those are oversized fossils that belong in a museum, not in the sports arena at a respected institution.

No. 14: Looks Like Carmelo in the Playoffs

At least nobody is ever looking at those scantily clad dancers at midcourt during NBA timeouts, so this cheerleader was able to smoothly act like nothing happened.

It’s easy to fault the girl who actually fell, but some of the blame has to be directed at the two dancers who decided not to spin her all the way around and just drop her there.

No. 13: Ice Skating Is Probably Mandatory

It would be easy to point out that hockey cheerleaders on the ice should probably know how to ice skate, but I am more interested in the fact that they actually seem to have practice for this type of stuff.

Not to go all Allen Iverson on you, but seriously?

If you practice how you play, I would hate to see what happens when the Islander cheerleaders are actually cheering at a game.

No. 12: Feel Free to Actually Cheer

Awkwardness is often hilarious, and it certainly is in this cheerleader fail.

The video for this routine is one minute and 22 seconds long, but there may be 30 actual seconds of cheering and choreography. The rest of the clip is spent watching this group eerily hold its position in place until the next move mercifully comes.

Hooray team.

No. 11: Candy for Everyone

This one may not necessarily be a fail, but it was too good to pass up.

I’ve been to a few NBA games in my day, and never once did I have the same view as this kid did. Ultimately though, I’m more jealous of the fact that he gets what appears to be free candy.

Enjoy the game kid, enjoy the game.

No. 10: Cocky Cheerleader

This fail is particularly notable because if you pause the video at 15 seconds you will notice how this cheerleader is simply too cool to be a part of this cheer.

I’m not sure if it’s the hands on the hips or the slight sneer on her face, but it looks as if she is not feeling this routine at all.

If only she knew what was in store in the next five seconds.

No. 9: Southern Utah

If a cheerleader falls in a gym and there’s nobody there to see it, does the cheerleader really fall?

The best part of this fail is the inner dialogue I imagine this girl had when she got up from her tumble. It almost looked like she was going to jump back into the cheer, and then she thought otherwise.

“Forget it, we’re out of here. It’s not like there is anyone in the crowd tonight anyways.”

No. 8: One Foot in Front of the Other

When competing in an athletic competition that includes throwing other people high in the air and gracefully catching them, it’s a bit concerning that this cheerleader can’t even complete the walk to the mat.

Sure, the rest of the team keeps going like nothing happened, but you know deep down they all hate the one who messed up their lifelong dream of winning whatever crazy regional trophy they could win here.

No. 7: Double Back Flipper

Well folks, the lesson here is that you always fall straight on your head when you give that extra effort.

Just kidding, but why the cheerleader on the far left in the video decided to go for that second back flip when the rest of her squad did only one is beyond me. To her credit though, it was a pretty speedy recovery.

No. 6: The Showoff

There really is nothing like watching a showoff have something backfire in his or her face.

After this cheerleading squad finished what I can only imagine was a mind-shattering halftime performance, the one on the front right of the video decided she would show everyone how gracefully she could leave the field.

The immediate laughter among the rest of the team really says it all.

No. 5: Best Cheerleader Ever

The fail in this video isn’t because of the male cheerleader that dominates the scene.

The fail actually comes from every other cheerleader ever because they have been failing to live up to the enthusiasm and awesomeness bar that this guy has set.

I’m not sure what SAGA means on his shirt, but count me among the supporters.

No. 4: WE WON! WE WON!

Sportsnation had a blast with this video clip for a while, and it’s not hard to see why.

This Memphis cheerleader is clearly pleased by the result of this competition. I’m not sure what a happy seizure would look like, but I imagine it would be something like this.

Like so many other things in life, the slow motion makes her reaction even better.

No. 3: What?

Here we have possibly the least athletic fail on the entire list.

The beauty of this wipeout is in its simplicity. It just kind of happens, and there is seemingly very little energy wasted when it’s over.

Of course this is exactly what I would look like trying to do this, so who am I to judge?

No. 2: Feel Free to Tell Me What Is Happening

This is possibly my favorite cheerleader fail because it is surrounded by pure ridiculousness.

First of all, even Oregon’s football team thinks these outfits are ridiculous.

Second of all, what exactly am I looking at anyways? Is this a cheerleader squad for a water polo match or a swim meet?

Or did someone decide it would be a good idea to hold a dance competition right under the "swim at your own risk" sign in the nearest Holiday Inn?

No. 1: Stampede

Remember those ridiculous paper banners that your high school football team would run through every Friday night?

It always seemed fairly pointless to me. Clearly, someone put some effort into making that, and yet its only purpose is to be demolished as a way of kicking off the big homecoming game.

Oh, and there’s always the chance that one of the cheerleaders just happens to be behind the sign waiting to get hit by a stampede of overly sized teenagers.