Former Charger Girl Summer emailed to let me know that she and her husband are the proud parents of baby Gavin, born on November 14th, 2009 at 4:46 a.m.  At 6 lbs., 1 oz.  and 18.5 inches long,  looks like we have a future Charger football player in the making.

Let’s wish Summer, Lennie and baby Gavin health, happiness and good fortune!

And here’s a pic of Summer back in the day.

Yahoo News
Nov 9, 2009

Football fans at this year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will have the opportunity to cheer on their favorites when the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on active duty soldiers in Iraq via webcam in a “Guitar Hero” Challenge, courtesy of Armed Forces Insurance (www.afi.org) and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The battle will take place at the AFI booth in the Bowl’s Armed Forces Adventure Area from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on December 30.

Leavenworth, Kan. (Vocus) — Football fans at this year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will have the opportunity to cheer on their favorites when the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on active duty soldiers in Iraq via webcam in a “Guitar Hero” Challenge, courtesy of Armed Forces Insurance (www.afi.org) and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The battle will take place at the AFI booth in the Bowl’s Armed Forces Adventure Area from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on December 30.

“More than 10,000 fans are expected to attend the Adventure Area, so we plan on a spirited crowd to watch the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on the soldiers through cyberspace,” said Tom Dials, chairman of AFI. “It’s a great opportunity to let our troops know we support them while having some fun in the process.”

Families of competing soldiers will have reserved seating in the booth to view the competition. Donations will be accepted at the booth and used to create and send care packages to men and women serving overseas in active military duty through Give 2 The Troops, a nonprofit organization. In addition, fans also will have the opportunity to win prizes by competing in Guitar Hero contests, which will be ongoing in the AFI booth all weekend.

This is the second year AFI has served as the title partner for the Armed Forces Adventure Area, a festival designed specifically to celebrate military service. In addition to the Guitar Hero Challenge, the Adventure Area will feature booths from military branches and other corporate partners, along with military equipment and hardware on display. The festival is free of charge and will be located outside the main entrances of the Amon G. Carter stadium the day before the Bowl (December 30) from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. and on game day, December 31, from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. The Guitar Hero Challenge will be administered by Pro vs. GI Joe, a nonprofit organization that provides troops serving all over the world with opportunities to take on professional athletes or celebrities in heated head-to-head video game competitions—both online and in person.

About Armed Forces Insurance
AFI was founded in 1887 by military leaders with a single mission: to protect the people who protect our nation. The company provides premium quality, competitively-priced property and casualty insurance to military professionals throughout the United States and overseas. Headquartered in Leavenworth, Kansas, AFI understands that military members have unique circumstances and insurance needs, enabling the company to offer a level of personalized service that’s unequaled in the industry. For more information, visit the Web site at afi.org or call 1-800-495-8234.

About the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), will be televised live from Amon G. Carter Stadium on Thursday, December 31, at 11:00 a.m. (CST) on ESPN. The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will feature schools from Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference.

Ticket prices for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are $50 for sideline seats, $40 for upper deck seats and $20 for end-zone tickets. Military veterans receive half off any $50 or $40 seat and active-duty personnel get in free via the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program. A portion of local ticket sales will go to designated military charities. Tickets for this year’s game can be obtained by calling the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl office at 817-810-0012, or by going to the Web site for more information at www.ArmedForcesBowl.com.

This is completely unrelated, but you have got to check this out. It’s an electric guitar t-shirt. It’s a shirt, with a guitar on the front, and you can actually play the guitar. How freakin’ cool is that? Check it out on ThinkGeek.com.

Rock ‘n roll!

From Germany our friend Michael Fischer sends word of auditions this Saturday for the Galactic Dancers. He also included some photos of last season’s squad:
Continue reading GFL: Galactic Dancers

Topps trading card company has released their 2009 NFL trading cards. This year, they’ve decided to include special edition cheerleader cards in the set. Each card shows an action photo of a Chiefs, Dolphins, Jaguars, or Ravens cheerleader on the field. I have no idea what method was used to select the teams and cheerleaders for the cards.

There are 15 cheerleader cards total. Each pack of 50 football cards includes one cheerleader card. In other words, you’d have to buy a lot of cards to get the complete set of cheerleaders. However, several sellers on amazon and ebay are selling just the cheerleader cards on their own. If you’re looking to collect the full set of cheerleader cards, or if you were a cheerleader on one of those teams last year and want to buy your own card, make sure you check those two sites.

Dolfans get quite the show
Madeleine Marr
Miami Herald
Click here for photo and video

The Miami Dolphins cheerleaders unveiled their 2010 calendar in grand Miami Beach style Friday night at Casa Casuarina, the ornate former home of murdered designer Gianni Versace.

The emcee/DJ — T-Pain - arrived in a red hearse, complete with (yes) sliding coffin. Ocean Drive passersby craned their necks and snapped cellphone cameras. Infuriated cops yelled at members of the Florida rapper’s caravan — causing major traffic on the already congested avenue — to move on out. Classic.

To the dismay of some hard-core fans, T-Pain — a big Dolfan — has been enlisted to do a hip-hop version of the Fins’ fight song. Let’s hope he improves our luck. (Some original lyrics: “Miami has the Dolphins, the greatest football team. We take the ball from goal to goal like no one’s ever seen. We’re in the air, we’re on the ground, we’re always in control. And when you say Miami, you’re talking Super Bowl!”)

In the steamy courtyard, Fins execs announced that Land Shark Stadium will see some more changes: Pop artist Romero Britto — looking fit and slim — will put his colorful stamp on some areas. Also in the works: a private club with cabanas, fine dining, a separate entrance and other fancier-than-thou features.

Last but certainly not least, the squad hotties commenced a fashion show, each in a skimpy bikini with their month written across the chest. Then the calendar — shot in St. Martin — was unveiled.

Want to make your year? It’s available for $14.99 at miamidolphins.com.

More links for calendar party photos
The Sun Sentinel
Flasporty on Flickr
Busted Coverage

By Kimberly Bac
The Times-Tribune

Brooke Griffin, formerly Brooke Johnson, is not only a Corbin native, but also a well-known fitness competitor. On July 19, 2009, while competing against contestants from around the world, the 27-year-old became the 2009 Fitness Universe Champion during a pageant held in Miami, Fla.

The Fitness Universe Pageant was designed to showcase the physical fitness of female competitors, while allowing them to keep their feminine appearance. Contestants were judged on numerous characteristics from showmanship to body shape. Brooke Griffin trained hard in preparation for the contest, which included scoring rounds on bikini and routine. This year, Brooke stole the show with her new “Braveheart” routine choreographed by Cathy Savage.

“I train very hard, simply because I don’t have a choice. My routine kicks my butt!” said Brooke. “I usually work out with weights and do cardio six days a week for about an hour a day. I then work on my routine five days a week for 1-2 hours each day.”

Despite Brooke’s training and focus, she was overwhelmed when she won the Fitness Universe Championships.

“The talent that surrounded me was amazing,” she said. “Any one of us could have won. It is truly a dream come true.”

Brooke’s modesty and gratitude go to show that even though she is an international fitness celebrity, and former captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gal Cheerleaders, she never forgot her Corbin roots.

Daughter of Steve and Valerie Johnson, Brooke was born and raised in Corbin. She grew up surrounded by her close-knit family, including her two sisters Amanda and Cara Johnson. All of her family still lives in Corbin, and she has many friends that live in, and around, Corbin and London.

One of Brooke’s fondest memories of growing up in Corbin was when she went to the Root Beer Stand with her family.

“I can remember waiting all winter for it to reopen,” Brooke explained, “and then we would go with our mother and father to get root beer floats.”

Brooke Griffin was always an active child, so her interest in fitness began at an early age. She began gymnastics classes at age three, and trained at Damar Gymnastics and Baptist Family Fitness, both in Corbin. Brooke also competed in cheerleading and track and field. She said her West Knox Elementary School gym teacher, Leann Strunk, gave her the drive to succeed.

“She is the best gym teacher in the state… we have stayed in touch since the 6th grade.” Brooke went on to say, “…I really give her credit for where my life has taken me thus far in fitness.”

As a 2000 graduate of South Laurel High School, Brooke went on to attend the University of Kentucky, where she was a member of UK’s National Championship Cheerleading Squad. Brooke was interviewed as a UK Cheerleader for the NBC 20/20 news special called, “University of Kentucky Cheerleading Dynasty.” In 2004, Brooke earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UK. Brooke said that going to college was the biggest break in her career.

“I could have never won the cheerleading championships, perform in the NFL, and now be a fitness champion without having attended college.” Brooke continued, “I think that getting an education is the single most important thing anyone can do for themselves and their future careers.”

Brooke has had an extensive fitness and performance career. She was captain of the Cincinnati Ben-Gal Cheerleaders after she made the team in spring 2006. Brooke said that being an NFL cheerleader was an amazing experience that gave her many opportunities.

She said of her cheerleading experience, “I made lifelong friends, and I still get chills thinking about performing in front of 60,000 fans during a Monday Night Football game.”

These days Brooke is working hard to achieve both her fitness and business goals. Even though Brooke is the Fitness Universe Champion, she already has her sights set on earning a Pro Card at the National Physique Committee (NPC) USA Nationals fitness competition in September.

“I will then have professional status and hopefully one day be able to compete at the Arnold and the Olympia with the pros,” Brooke said.

Brooke also has several business projects in the works. She plans to get more women involved in fitness competitions, write fitness and wellness articles, develop an online fitness program, create work-out DVDs, and start a fitness clothing line. Thus far, she has been featured in several magazines and print ads including, GQ Magazine, Oxygen Fitness Magazine, and Under Armour Fitness Apparel catalogs.

One of Brooke’s next projects is to launch a non-profit organization. The organization, which will launch in the fall, is designed to educate and promote childhood obesity awareness.

“I… want to reach out to local elementary, middle, and high schools,” Brooke said of her non-profit goals, “and to educate today’s youth on the importance of eating healthy and living an active lifestyle.”

Educating people about healthy living, and teaching them how to achieve their fitness goals is Brooke’s true passion. According to Brooke, beginning healthier habits is easier than it seems.

“Making one or two positive changes each day will eventually grow into a healthy lifestyle.” Brooke said, “It can’t happen overnight, but in time, you can make great strides.”

To encourage her clients, Brooke shares with them a simple and true quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson.

She said, “I tell clients that we are only given one chance at life, so ‘Make the most of yourself for that is all there is of you.’”

Brooke’s values of hard work, taking responsibility for your life, and always showing gratitude, are some of the lessons she learned while growing up in Corbin. These are lessons that she lives by every day, and she wants to teach them to her future children.

Brooke Johnson Griffin currently resides in northern Kentucky with her husband Chris, an attorney and former bodybuilder. She will soon be welcoming her parents to the area. After living in Corbin for 50 years, her parents, Steve and Valerie Johnson, are moving to northern Kentucky to be near Brooke and her sisters. Brooke Griffin is a true example of how a good upbringing can have a long-lasting, positive influence.

For more information about Brooke Johnson Griffin or view her winning routine, visit her website at brookegriffin.com.

Brooke will also be featured in the August edition of Fitness Plus Magazine.

In this installment of From The Archives, I introduce my all time favorite Raiderette, Kelly Morris.  These photographs were taken in the mid 1990’s with my old film camera and a 300 2.8 super telephoto lens (you know those big white lenses, the sports photographers use to shoot football games).  Back in the “good ol’ days” before 9/11, you could take in pretty much any camera equipment that you wanted…at least that was the case at the Los Angeles Coliseum.  Though Raiders fans have a rather surly reputation, safety and security were never a problem in the Coliseum because of the number of uniformed LAPD officers that patrolled the sidelines.  In fact, the season ticket holders in the row in front of me, were LAPD.  So, I never felt unsafe at the Coliseum, though there was once incident where those off duty LAPD officers spotted a Raider fan with a handgun in his pants…he was promptly escorted out by the uniformed LAPD.

But enough of my Raider anecdotes and on to the photos of my all time favorite Raiderette Kelly Morris.

The great thing about a Raiders home game was that the Raiderettes mingled with the fans before the game, signing autographs and posing for photos.  They were accessible, friendly, and very good looking.   You could really get up close and get to know them; it was a very close knit experience.  The Raiderettes and their fans were family.   Those were the days, back in the 90’s…it was a different time and place.

Spreading the Word: Cheerleaders in London
Buccaneers.com

Jul 14, 2009 - Their outfits drew looks, as is usually the case, frankly. In this case, however, some of the stares were born of confusion.

As it turns out, a Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders outfit is a real attention-getter in London, even more so than those wearing the uniforms expected. That’s true throughout the United Kingdom, actually…and that’s a good thing, because the half-dozen Buccaneers Cheerleaders who recently took a five-day promotional tour of the U.K. were there specifically to draw attention.

“Everyone loved us when we were there,” beamed Kelli Jones, one of the six Bucs Cheerleaders to make the trip in late June and early July along with Cheerleading Manager Sandy Charboneau. “At first, people didn’t really know why we were there or why we were dressed the way we were, because American football is not as big in Europe as soccer.”

Jones and her teammates were happy to fill in the blanks for any interested onlookers: They were in the U.K. to promote the 2009 American Bowl game between the Buccaneers and the New England Patriots. The Bucs and Patriots will face each other in London’s Wembley Stadium on October 25, marking the third consecutive year in which the NFL has staged one of its regular-season games at that site.

The first two American Bowl games in London — Miami vs. the New York Giants in 2007 and New Orleans vs. San Diego last year — were big hits among NFL fans in the United Kingdom. The league expects intense interest in the Tampa Bay-New England clash, too, and the Bucs’ Cheerleaders aimed to add to the growing excitement.

“We were there promoting the game, promoting the Buccaneers and trying to rally support for the game in October,” explained Jones. “So far I hear they’ve sold 70,000 tickets and they’re looking to sell at least 10,000 more. I think with our P.R. tour around U.K. we did a pretty good job.”

Jones and Charboneau were joined on the trip by fellow cheerleaders Anna Duncan, Roseanne Strobel, Tiffany Jimenez, Sara Tetzler and Stephanie Mookas. The Bucs’ most enthusiastic rooters have been globetrotters of late; another group of 12 cheerleaders recently returned form a tour of military bases in Japan and Guam.

The crew that went to Europe didn’t confine their efforts to London; they toured much of the United Kingdom, spreading the word about the Bucs’ impending visit from Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland to Brighton, Sheffield, Newcastle and other spots in England. When the Buccaneers return as a full team in October, their six visiting cheerleaders from the summer will be able to show the rest of the squad around. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders plan to arrive in London a week before the game to attend various events and promote the game again.

For Jones, the return visit will be a welcome one. Her advance trip with a handful of teammates was a five-day whirlwind of appearances and sightseeing, and unlike anything she had experienced before.

“I had never been overseas before, so it was very exciting me to make the trip,” gushed Jones. “I can actually say, ‘Oh, I was in London last week.’ How cool is that? It was nonstop but it was totally worth it. How often can you say you went to Europe and you got to see Scotland and all these castles and Buckingham Palace? Everybody can’t say that. It was an awesome trip. All the girls had such a good time.”

They made sure the people they met did, too. That was especially true during a trio of stops in Glasgow, Newcastle and Brighton, where the cheerleaders held clinics on their craft with groups of local children. Conducting such camps is nothing new to the cheerleaders, but it was a novel experience for the kids they encountered.

“It’s always fun to be around kids and see how excited they can be. I think that was probably the best part of the trip. Most of the kids were unfamiliar with American football, and cheerleaders in particular because cheerleading isn’t a big thing in the U.K. So they received us very well. They were so excited for us to be there. That was a lot of fun, hanging out with the kids. The surroundings were different, but kids like to have fun no matter where you are, so that was great. That was probably where we made the biggest impact.”

Whether in schools, on the streets or at Wimbledon — where they were interviewed for a British television network — the visiting cheerleaders did their best to represent the Buccaneers proudly.

“When we’re in uniform, we’re in a Buccaneers mindset,” said Jones. “It’s the Buccaneers, 24/7, no matter where we go. Just walking into a hotel, we know we’re representing the Buccaneers. That is constantly on our minds. We always knew what our purpose was while we were there: to represent the Bucs and the NFL as a whole in Europe. We’re trying to help spread American football around the world.”

That is the NFL’s ultimate goal, of course, and it has found a strong foothold in London. The games in 2007 and 2008 drew huge crowds, and the Buccaneers already have an impressive and loyal fan base in London. From the feedback she and her teammates received during their five days in the U.K., Jones believes this year’s game will prove to be very popular.

“I’m told the previous two games have been sold out, and I think we drummed up some more support with our media blitz,” said Jones. “We at least got the word out, so hopefully that will lead to some word-of-mouth and some added interest. I think it’s going to be a pretty big deal by the time we get there.”