Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleader Brooke Newton (most recently seen on How I Met Your Mother) is stranded on a bus in the path of a tornado in the Cars.com Super Bowl commercial.
And back in 2005 Bonnie-Jill Laflin (DCC, SF Gold Rush, GS Warrior Girls) appeared in the FedEX “Burt Reynolds Dances with a Bear” commercial.
Don’t try to tell Napa native Jackie Rowan that the cheerleaders will be a mere distraction during Super Bowl XLIV today in Miami.
“Cheerleaders play an important role in the atmosphere surrounding the game and the franchise,” said Rowan, who will be on the sidelines today as a member of the New Orleans Saints cheerleading squad. “To refer to us as sideline ‘eye candy’ fails to account for the countless hours we spend at appearances for charity and as volunteers in the communities.”
Rowan, who has been in Miami through the week leading up to the showdown between the NFC champion Saints and the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts, actually believes she and her peers are part of the much larger team.
“We cheer and hope alongside Saints fans,” Rowan, 24, said. “We are a constant reminder of the special bond between New Orleans and the Saints.”
Today’s kickoff might be a bit of a breather for Rowan and her cheer teammates after a hectic week.
“Our schedule is crazy! I’ve never been to Miami before, but the city has just been buzzing with excitement,” she said. “There isn’t a place I go without overhearing someone talk about the Super Bowl.”
Rowan spent hours involved in Super Bowl media appearances and other events.
“Some of us did a swim suit show and after that it was press, press and more press,” she said. “We practiced in the hotel ball room until Friday and then practiced in the stadium.”
She’s excited about the opportunity to be part of the biggest game of the National Football League season.
“Each cheer team performs a pregame dance, and then of course we’ll be on the sidelines dancing the whole game,” Rowan said. “It’s amazing to think that I’m going to have the best seat at the Super Bowl … on the field right on the 50-yard line.”
Napa High grad Jackie Rowan, shown signing autographs as a 49ers Cheerleader Ambassador, has spent the season on the cheer squad for the NFC champion New Orleans Saints.
Rowan, who danced at Napa High School for four years before graduating in 2003, began as part of the San Francisco 49ers cheerleaders.
“I was working in San Francisco and thought the opportunity would be exciting and challenging,” Rowan said. “I wanted to apply my passion for dance to a professional yet heart-pounding environment. I tried out and was thrilled to be placed on the 49ers Gold Rush Ambassador Squad.”
Rowan moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, where she studies anthropology.
“More specifically, I’m studying primatology,” she said. “I decided to pursue job opportunities after high school. I do envision graduate school in my near future.”
Rowan went through the challenging process of trying to earn a spot on the Saints cheerleading squad after arriving in Louisiana.
“We went through a series of intense auditions, evaluating our dance abilities, physical fitness, and personalities,” she said. “The panel looked for energy, confidence, enthusiasm, and the willingness to work towards a common goal. I made it through the rounds of selections and, before I knew it, I was at the new team orientation retreat on the beaches of Destin, Fla.”
Between school, a job and cheerleading, Rowan has been busy.
“I must balance school, internship, and cheerleading in what often seems like an impossible schedule,” she said. “Most days I’m running out of class to head to the practice facility or squeezing in a late workout after a long day at my primate internship. This has certainly been a wild ride, but provided important lessons in time management.
“Cheerleading dominates Tuesday, Thursday and often Saturday nights in addition to Sunday afternoon or evening home games. We put in extra practice time for prime-time games on Sunday and Monday nights and for the playoffs.”
Rowan is a football fan, but acknowledges that devotion to the sport is different in her new hometown.
“I have always enjoyed the game of football, but the experience is incredibly different in Louisiana,” she said. “From the ear-piercing screams from fans in the Superdome to massive block parties before and after games, I have grown to love the excitement and hype surrounding football.”
Still, she admits that her love for dancing drew her to the Saints.
“The opportunity to dance and cheer under the spotlight was at the core of my interests,” Rowan said.
Saints cheerleaders are especially busy on game day.
“We generally arrive at the stadium up to six hours prior to game time,” she said. “We have some time at our lockers to do some essential touch-ups before dealing with press appearances, etc. We will go through some progressions of player introductions, quarter-break dances, and halftime entertainment.”
It’s harder than some might believe to keep pace as an NFL cheerleader.
“We’re constantly and rapidly learning new dances with different alignments and positions,” Rowan mentioned. “We have to have flexible memories to master dances for stadium and television audience in just a few days.”
Her year with the Saints cheerleaders has been rewarding.
“I have so many friendships that I developed with my fellow teammates,” she said. “These amazing girls gather from all corners of the state of Louisiana, and come together to form a family. We have all grown so close over the course of this remarkable season, and have made memories that will last a lifetime.”
Rowan knows her time at Tulane will lead to her ultimate career goal.
“I would like to continue to work with animals, and specifically primates, in a research capacity,” she said. “I want to explore the intersection of primate behavior and environmental change, and address issues relating to captivity habitat management.”
Congratulations to Randy from Easton, MD, who correctly identified 1984 SF 49ers Gold Rush member Terri Hatcher as the only Professional Cheerleader (as far as we know) who appeared on Star Trek.
I do know Sasha is scouring the Internet for an actual photo of Terri in her Gold Rush uniform. Still no luck.
This week’s collection of photos from week 16 includes the Redskins Cheerleaders, Charger Girls, 49ers Gold Rush, Dolphins Cheerleaders, Falcons Cheerleaders, Ben-Gals, Saintsations, and Cardinals Cheerleaders. Click here to go there now.
Cheerleaders are the ultimate symbol of youth, beauty, strength and sex appeal-what woman wouldn’t want to look like one? Now, with the help of The Cheerleader Fitness Plan, you can get the body of your dreams-no gimmicks, no starvation, and no props. Former NFL cheerleader and fitness expert Lindsay Brin has been helping women achieve healthier minds and bodies for over fifteen years. Using her comprehensive six-week plan, any woman can achieve their ideal weight, whether it’s a busy mother of three eager to get her body back, a twenty-something woman just getting started on a fitness program, or an avid exerciser interested in trying something new.
Patty Klapinsky would give anything to be a sports star like her brothers — to belong to something — but she can’t seem to find her niche. Encouraged by her brother, Patty goes to one of his football games and is mesmerized by the cheerleaders. The very next day, Patty gets to work, making her own pom-poms and practicing every day in order to be the best she can be! The big day for cheerleader tryouts finally arrives and Patty knows that she has what it takes to be a great cheerleader. Does Patty make the team? What lessons does she learn along the way?
BOOK ME! GIVES DANCERS THE BLUEPRINT TO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD! If you have the desire to be the most sought after dancer working today, then BOOK ME! is your bible! The art of navigating the competitive Hollywood entertainment industry is outlined by industry expert Sandra Colton in a way that no other has created for dancers. Filled with Sandra’s Sick Tips and secrets to success, BOOK ME! puts dancers on the fast track to getting booked solid in Hollywood. With a foreword by celebrity choreographer Brian Friedman and packed cover-to-cover with stories of over 60 working dancers and 50 top choreographers, BOOK ME! is the best how-to book on becoming a professional working dancer ever written!
A savvy young music exec for Rockstar Records, Hannah Love has a glamorous apartment and a tight pack of equally fine friends. But luxury and loyalty can’t protect her from a broken heart, courtesy of her super-rich fiancé. To recover, Hannah accelerates her already high-octane life by pursuing a fantasy she’s had since childhood: to become an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Diamonds. As she juggles promoting the hottest singer on the rise, dodges advances from Rockstar’s ultra-slick VP, and puts her body and her will to the test during cut-throat tryouts for a spot on the Diamond Dolls squad, she receives the full attention of the team’s star player, Max Knight. Though the Dolls are strictly forbidden to date players, the heat between Hannah and Max builds on the sidelines. But as catty cheerleaders plot against her, and her boss at the record company secretly negotiates a merger that could leave her jobless, Hannah discovers that it may take much more than the lust for a hot man to hold her steady. It may take his love.
With her exotic looks and killer body, Kennedy Lee is a rising star in the reality TV and soap opera worlds. Now she’s really hit the big time and landed a role on the hugely popular daytime drama America’s Next Sweetheart.
As this great news coincides with Kennedy’s birthday, her friends take her out for a wild night on the town. So wild, in fact, that the next morning Kennedy wakes up with a hard-bodied hunk in her bed, a vicious headache, and no recollection of how this gorgeous guy ended up beside her–naked. Not only that, but it’s her first day at the new gig, and Page Six has already chronicled her previous night’s exploits, calling her “America’s Next Lush.” Now Kennedy must endure dirty looks on the set, abuse from the soap’s bitchy diva, and the shocker that the guy who broke her five-year celibacy streak is none other than her co-star, Jesse James. As she battles catty actors, snarky production assistants, malicious gossip, and her growing appetite for food and sex, she struggles to fit in, find her true Prince Charming, and eat a slice of red velvet cake without any guilt.
A pro sports team. A pro dance squad. An audience. Is that all you need to make cheerleading magic happen? In The Business of Professional Cheerleading, author Angela King-Twitero goes beyond choreography and routine straight to the heart of any successful cheerleading team: the well-honed business skills and professional management style of a first-class team director. In this concise and practical guide to professional cheerleading management, former pro cheerleader Angela King-Twitero covers nearly every aspect of team development, from image definition to business ethics. Readers will love King’s direct language, innovative ideas, and the hands-on worksheets she has added to turn plans into action. King details how to attain and maintain sponsorships, how to tackle image creation, branding, and “damage control,” and how to develop a stellar marketing strategy that will get the word out. . .and bring the crowds in! For everyone who has thought of entering cheerleading management, and for those who are already in the business but want to further develop their professional skills, The Business of Professional Cheerleading is a must-read. A unique and invaluable addition to the canon of professional development literature, The Business of Professional Cheerleading outshines general business manuals that fail to address the topics integral to cheerleading management, and outdates much conventional wisdom on the subject. It is the perfect addition to a company library or personal collection, and may even find a spot on your trophy-filled mantle!
In this clarion call for the victims’ rights movement, lawyer and media commentator Murphy argues that our society’s efforts to ensure that no innocent man is convicted are allowing legions of criminals to go free. The victim’s rights movement seeks to enact laws that give victims greater access to justice; though victims may file suits against criminals in subsequent civil trials (as did Ron Goldman’s family in their wrongful death suit against O.J. Simpson), criminal trials reduce victims’ role to State witness. As such, victims frequently find themselves on trial in the court of public opinion (as was Kobe Bryant’s accuser), paradoxically forced to defend themselves against the accusations of the accused. Though an excellently and righteously argued point, some of Murphy’s solutions seem counteractive at best, such as a plan for victims’ attorneys to go up against defense lawyers, a likely way to ramp up the circus-like atmosphere of high-profile trials, which Murphy is also against.
A former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader offers step-by-step procedures for cheerleading hopefuls, providing advice on nutrition and fitness, interview guidelines, and applying cheerleading skills to a career.
The Life of an NBA Dancer: Truths Not Seen on the Court takes an introspective look at the true politics dealt with behind the scenes of a sports organization. This book also addresses several of the taboos about dancers and professional athletes in the sports industry. In addition to the truths and the myths involved with performing for and working within the entertainment industry, this book teaches a variety of skills needed for aspiring rookie and veteran dancers interested in auditioning for professional sports teams. Learn about the sacrifices and time commitment needed to succeed in the sports industry. Also gain an understanding of the earning potential available and the required health and fitness practices.
This year’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad has 3 former Pro Bowl Cheerleaders, but only one represented the Cowboys Cheerleaders in Hawaii
Nicole represented the DCC at the 2009 Pro Bowl
Carey was the 2009 Pro Bowl Rep for the Falcons Cheerleaders
Jackie was the 2009 Pro Bowl Rep for the 49ers Gold Rush.
I know there have been other cases of a Pro Bowl Cheerleader moving to another team: the Saintsations Deryn going to the DCC and the Ben-Gals Seazun moving on the Colts Cheerleaders are two cases that come immediately to mind. But this is the only case I know of where three Cheerleaders who represented different teams at the Pro Bowl (in the same year, no less) are cheering together on the same team. Am I wrong? Any other cases of Pro Bowl Cheerleaders moving to new teams?
Credit for this post goes to Liana, the 2009 Pro Bowl Representative of the Jacksonville ROAR, who pointed this out to me earlier today while we were tailgating. Yes, I’m in Jacksonville; photos coming later this week.
This week’s cheerleader gallery on NFL.com features teams from the Ravens, 49ers, Saints, Cowboys, Bills, Titans, Bengals, Jets, Eagles, and Rams. Click here to view the gallery.
Think the Niners made the Jaguars look bad this Sunday? This second-year Gold Rusher says they make Bill Belichick look ridiculous each weekend — in more ways than one.
Week Twelve in the NFL represents a critical juncture for any up-and-down team: Fail to emerge within spitting distance of .500, and you can pretty much start booking a long winter vacation — maybe with a Pro Bowl pit stop in Miami. Maybe. But thanks to San Francisco’s 20-3 housing of Jacksonville yesterday, the 5-6 Niners remain in the hunt. Maybe.
That has more than a little to do with their sideline supporters, including Meridith, the most jock-ular cheerleader we’ve met during our season-long survey. This former gymnast works as a football-operations assistant and PT aide while studying for her master’s in sports administration, but she also loves snowboarding, wakeboarding, and video-gaming (”When I play Madden, I make the 49ers look good, don’t you worry”), brings it in flag football (as a safety in one co-ed college game, she ran two picks back for TDs), and last year received her squad’s “tomboy” award (”At our banquet, I had at least twelve bruises on my legs from playing paintball, so everyone was like, ‘Just look at her’”). Not surprisingly, she’s got some strong opinions about San Francisco’s prospects.
ESQUIRE: Your team led 17-3 at the half. Were you worried they might slip up late?
MERIDITH: No. Our defense dominated. Six sacks, two takeaways. After the field goal, I figured that was all the Jaguars would get. We’re normally a running team, but we switched to more of a spread offense, with more receivers, and Alex Smith really showed up this game. I think the offense did a really good job, and so did special teams. The coverage on kicks was amazing. I had a good feeling about it the whole way.
ESQ: The Jaguars compiled 357 yards of offense, yet they only scored three points. How’d that happen?
M: Our defense was explosive the whole game, but in the red zone, we were really on. Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes I am in awe of, nothing gets past them. We shut down Maurice Jones-Drew like no other. The fans were awesome, and the team was really excited. On one kickoff, Delaney Walker was talking to the crowd, saying “I can’t hear you!” I think the difference is, they’re not thinking about the playoffs so much as winning game-by-game. Of course, it could have been the cheerleaders! It was nice having warmer weather, not freezing our bones off. I think that got the crowd more involved.
ESQ: With 232 passing yards, two TDs, and no interceptions, Smith had probably his best game of the season. Is he finally fulfilling the promise the Niners saw when they drafted him first overall five years ago?
M: Yeah, definitely. When you enter the league as a quarterback, there’s a lot of weight on your shoulders. He’s gotten the trust of the team and some confidence, and he’s gone out and made plays. He also had zero sacks. You gotta thank the O-line, but that’s him, too, like when he moved way out of the pocket to hit Frank Gore for a touchdown. Out of the shotgun, he’s better. He’s gained my trust. That’s really important in case, you know, I get in the game…
ESQ: Speaking of high draft picks, Michael Crabtree’s done pretty well. But how much better would he be if he’d signed before the season, rather than holding out and missing the first five games?
M: Athleticism-wise, Crabtree’s been awesome. I don’t know if you can say, “What if?” He’s making plays, and he’ll get better as the years go on. He had to learn the entire offense, learn his routes, and coming from college to the NFL, it’s a lot faster game, and everybody’s good. He’s done really well in a short amount of time.
ESQ: Which player has surprised you the most this year?
M: With Coach Singletary’s intense attitude, I don’t expect anyone to not do what they’re supposed to do. But Vernon Davis has definitely improved. He has tremendous athletic ability; I think he ran a 4.3 at the combine. He’s grown a lot, he’s found his niche with the team, he’s a completely changed person, and he’s been fulfilling his potential the last few games.
ESQ: Is Singletary the most badass coach to ever rock a turtleneck, or does it just look that way on TV?
M: I was watching him tonight. He does a couple laps around the field before each game to get warmed up. And he could still play. If someone said, “Look, the team needs you on the field,” he could throw on a helmet and pads and take people out. He’s in great shape, and he can wear whatever the heck he wants. I don’t think anyone questions anything he does. He’s a phenomenal person all-around. And I mean, Belichick’s cutoff sleeves, the hoodie that’s way too big for him — he cracks me up, that guy.
ESQ: In the second half, the only scoring came on Joe Nedney’s field goal. Do you find it difficult to cheer during a punt-fest?
M: No, because I love defense. I love watching the guys stop people. If there were no scores and our defense played their butts off and it ended zero-zero, I’d still be cheering as much as if it we were up 45-zip. Defense is when we get the crowd involved, so I’d rather be on defense anyway.
ESQ: Do you find it difficult to cheer in high-heeled boots?
M: I don’t wear heels all that often, so it took some getting used to. But they look good with the uniform, so I’ll throw the boots on any day. The heel is about three inches, and I was like a baby giraffe trying to walk around in them my first season. When it was windy, I thought I might fall over.
ESQ: Ever fallen on the field?
M: In college three or four years ago, I fell off the top of my pyramid, landed on my head, and had to be stretchered off. They thought I broke my neck, but I just had a really bad concussion. I went to a restaurant last year, and this family was like, “Is that her? Is that her?” as I was walking by. This woman grabbed my arm and said, “Did you cheer for Fresno State? Are you the girl that fell?” I was like, “Um, yeah.” And she said, “We’re so glad you’re okay!” It was sweet, but pretty embarrassing that these people remembered me for that. I’m the only one on the team with curly hair, so I stand out.
ESQ: The Niners have lost five games by seven or fewer points, including by three at the Vikings and by four at the Colts, who have a combined 21-1 record. The season’s not over yet, but is there any sense of “What if?”
M: I can’t really say that, because once something happens, you move on. I look at it like, “Let’s win the next game.” Losing in the final seconds to the Vikings was heartbreaking, but you can’t dwell on the past. I think we actually have a really good chance at the playoffs. We have Seattle, then Arizona. We seem to be getting better and better, and I think we’ll play harder knowing the playoffs are in reach. And we also have the Lions. I have a really good feeling about the next few games. Whether it’s in the first quarter or the fourth quarter, I think we’ll find a way to get it done.
Last Sunday, the resurgent Tennessee Titans rolled into town to take on the San Francisco 49ers. It looked to be an even match - both teams had newly installed quarterbacks who used to be their starters and both teams had a lot of potential that they weren’t living up to. Both sides went at each other relentlessly for four quarters but an excessive amount of turnovers doomed the 49ers to their fourth straight loss, 34-27.
Sunday was also the 49er’s annual “Youth” day, where kids could come in and be Junior Gold Rush cheerleaders, Junior Niners Noise drum line members or even the Junior Sourdough Sam mascot for the day. It was amazing to see the young girls who had signed up for the program out on the field dancing their hearts out with their proud parents looking on from the sidelines. San Francisco, here are your future Gold Rush cheerleaders.
This week’s Gold Rush girl of the week is 4 year veteran and line captain Deanna, who has always cheered her heart out for the team game after game, year after year, win or lose. She is definitely one of the reasons why the Gold Rush are the best cheerleading squad in the league.
Four-year veteran of the 49ers Gold Rush Amy will represent her squad at the 2010 Pro Bowl. Amy works as a Senior Financial Analyst.
