FBI Hunts Crazed Cheerleading Fan; Wants Your Help

In what may be the first federal pom-pom probe in history, the FBI today publicly asked for help identifying a rabid cheerleading fan who has mailed a series of threatening letters to TV networks, colleges and individuals around the country.

For almost three years, the mysterious fan has stumped the feds with ranting missives that decry the exploitation of college cheerleaders and female athletes. Several of the letters contained a white powder FBI lab experts have identified as a potentially harmful insecticide.

Wait. It gets weirder. The fan claims some cheerleaders are exploited because they don't get enough airtime in skimpy outfits. Ohio State cheerleaders, according to the fan's logic, receive more TV time than any other cheer squad because they wear outfits with long sleeves. Other cheerleaders who wear sweaters and jackets are similarly favored. But cheerleaders who wear sleeveless outfits don't show up on TV as much. Clearly, someone's been watching too much of the boob tube.

But the threat, which seems to have originated in the Portland area, is no joke and the FBI wants your help matching writing samples to overly peppy persons of interest you may know or have stumbled across on the internet. The bureau is even offering a $5,000 reward.

Here are excerpts from two letters:

September 2004 letter: "We are fed up with networks exploiting women in sports coverage. ABC/ESPN exploit collegiate and professional cheer squads in their coverage of football and basketball. They also screw WNBA players and WTA Tennis players. Compare coverage of cheer and dance squads based on their outfits they wear. Compare quality of shots, length of shots and number of shots Pigs park their cameras on us close up, front view, dozens of times each game, yet rarely ever show on TV in this manner, unless squads are wearing sweaters, jackets, under shirts, etc... Watch how they always zoom in on WNBA players shooting free throws then leave at the last second as she starts to shoot, disrupting the flow. Watch on ESPN how they will show women serve, close up, from every angle (side, back) EXCEPT when they zoom in close front, they will leave as she starts to serve, disrupting the flow. We have asked nicely for them to respect us and all women, yet they refuse. They exploit innocent people, so we will too. When they start respecting us, we stop mailing these out."

December 2006 letter: "For the past 6-7 years, ESPN and its nationwide networks have exploited cheer/dance teams all across the country. They do this by parking their TV cameras on these women for their own personal entertainment, but only give TV time to squads that wear long sleeved shirts, jackets, sweaters, etc. The squads that don't wear these types of outfits? They get EXPLOITED. For a long time we have warned ESPN the networks and several schools what would happen if this did not change. For the last 6 years, Ohio State cheerleaders have received more TV time than any other Division 1A cheer squad on ESPN, because they wear long sleeved red/white outfits. If they wore sleeveless outfits, they would not get ANY TV time. So, we are fed up with this constant exploitation."