I would like to add:
1. Rally girls are definitely below cheerleaders. It seems that some football players think they can use the poor rally girls to satiate their other, non-cookie related, appetites. Rally girls, you will not be his girlfriend if you agree to a threesome. Also, since when were people even considering threesomes in high school?! I feel so old.
2. The rally girls may or may not wear sequined outfits, as opposed to the (quite cute, i think. well, considering.) rayon cheerleader outfits.

um wow....I love how you can take a simple quandry and complicate it into a masterful, hilarious, and informative argument. Also I've never heard of a rally girl or a spirit box but it sounds dirtily peppy. Give me a W. Give me an H. Give me an O. Give me an R. Give me an E. mmm I love chocolate chip cookies.

p.s. Maybe, since pilots are often written long before any other episodes, Lyla was originally intended to be a rally girl?

sorry to inundate you.
i just remembered the line you referenced with Lyla saying that she had rally rehearsal. when i heard that line, i assumed she meant practicing for a rally. now i remember.
signing out!

Thank you Lisa and Sarah for inspiring me to watch this show. You see, I have been toying with the idea of trying to get the first season from the library for several weeks now, but I have not put much effort into it. However, after reading your blog, I realize that I MUST go get the first season and get addicted on this show. Especially since the writer's strike does not appear to be ending any time soon, and I need a show to be obsessed with (besides bad reality TV on Bravo! and VH1). Thanks, ladies!

This is too funny - I have just become addicted to FNL also, and came a google-surfing to find the answer to this exact question! Thank god someone has already looked into it for me...