Growing Flight Crew Accepting ‘10 Applications
By Eric Allen
Senior Managing Editor

01-27-10

For all of the fans who’ve followed the New York Jets Flight Crew since its creation in 2007, it should come as no surprise that the Green & White are once again expanding the size of their cheerleading squad.

“We want to be the biggest presence we can be in the new stadium,” said Denise Garvey, who has been the Crew’s director since the team was developed in 2007. “Everything we are doing that surrounds the new stadium is big and so the Flight Crew then follows suit.”

After increasing the Crew to 30 members in 2009, Garvey may keep as many as 40 in 2010. While some veterans will surely return, no one is guaranteed a spot and the Jets have just started the process of accepting audition applications.

“There’ll be more spots up for grabs. Sometimes new applicants or the returning applicants think veterans have it in the bag and their auditioning is just procedure,” said Garvey, a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. “But that’s really not the case. Not only are there new spots that no one has, those returning veterans have to re-audition and they have to earn their spots.”

When the season opens up in the fall, Garvey says “The Flight Crew is going to be everywhere” at the Jets’ new Meadowlands home. You’ll see increased exposure with more lovely ladies on the sidelines and during pregame and halftime performances, as well as spectacular shots on the Jets’ four state-of-the-art video boards.

“These young women have to be able to entertain. Some cheerleaders on a team have more dance experience than others and some have more football knowledge than others, but everybody individually is an entertainer,” Garvey said. “In addition to that, I’m looking for young women who are reliable, responsible and professional. We have Crew members constantly out on charity events, corporate events and Jets events. For me, that takes it to a whole other level.”

After collecting the applications, Garvey will host six prep classes through March and into April. Then the official tryouts will commence, with preliminaries on May 1 followed by the semifinals on May 2 and interviews the week of May 3. The Flight Crew finals will be held on May 8 and then some lucky ladies will be chosen to appear in the Crew’s second swimsuit calendar.

“This year we want to take it on the road and go on location,” said the Crew’s director. “We have absolutely beautiful girls on our team, so why not complement that with beautiful locations?”

The Jets chose Jones Beach, N.Y., and Belmar, N.J., last spring for shoot locations, but there are strong indications that they’re planning on leaving the mainland for this highly anticipated second calendar.

“I’d say you don’t have to have a passport, but you might want to get one quickly,” Garvey said with a wink.

Meredith, a Crew member since its inception, will represent the Jets cheerleaders this week at the Pro Bowl in Miami. NFL Films will feature her on a Pro Bowl documentary they’re working on as the Flight Crew continues to rise in national prominence. Throughout the year, Crew members made appearances on CBS, ESPN, TLC, WPIX and the Dr. Oz show, were featured in newspapers and magazines, and have often been seen in Maxim’s various media properties.

“You are an ambassador for the organization,” said Garvey. “This year we’ve done so many different TV appearances, it’s really awesome. We need people who are personable, outgoing and well-spoken.”

So in simple terms, the Jets are looking for a few good women. In just a short period of time, they’ve become the biggest cheerleading show in town.

“The exposure, the experience and the opportunities they get by being part of the NFL and being part of the Jets are absolutely invaluable. They’re not going to get it anywhere else, so why wouldn’t they come out?” Garvey said. “We are New York’s team — there is no other New York team that has professional football cheerleaders. We have grown so much and the opportunities are priceless.”

Get audition details for the 2010 NY Jets Flight Crew Squad

Download the 2010 Flight Crew Audition Application

Cheer squad offers a real fitness blitz

By Mandy Stadtmiller
The New York Post

Question: What’s the one thing more heart-racing than this afternoon’s Jets playoff game? Answer: The Jets cheerleaders — and their sexy, athletic dance moves. And now you can get as fit as a Jets Flight Crew member by taking one of two special free classes being taught by actual Jets cheerleaders at New York Sports Clubs on Monday and Thursday.

“This is the first year that we’ve offered classes to give people a sneak peek into what it’s like,” says director Denise Garvey, a former dancer for the New York Knicks and ex-cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys. She’s been head of the team for three years since it was founded as the newest cheerleading team in the NFL.

Samantha (left) and Anne-Marie share the secrets of cheering with The Post’s beribboned reporter, Mandy Stadtmiller.

So how hard is the 50-minute, cardio-intensive routine? Who cares! You get the chance to dance with NFL cheerleaders — and pretend like you’re performing privately for Jets QB and hottie Mark Sanchez.

“The difference between a good cheerleader and a bad cheerleader is execution of choreography and enthusiasm,” Garvey says. “We get the question all the time: How do the girls stay so fit? And the answer is nonstop cardio. If you think the cheerleader has the perfect body, then come to the class and find out how that happens.”

“It’s not something that you can go to Broadway Dance Center and do,” says cheerleader Anne-Marie A. (The cheerleaders don’t use last names to prevent stalker-y guys. So don’t get any one-true-love ideas, dudes. Ain’t gonna happen.)

“It’s not like Zumba. We’re more stylized. It’s sexy, fun. We’re very, very powerful dancers. As far as our moves, they’re punchy, which sets us apart from other NFL teams. We’re just very sharp.”

To fully investigate this exciting step forward in cheerleading sciences technology, The Post took the class and broke down the key moves so that you too can sh-sh-shake it like a Jets girl.

“I think we’ve brought them a lot of luck this year,” says Anne-Marie, who refused to specify a particularly “lucky” sexy move. “They’re all pretty special to us.”

[Flight Crew's Secret Moves]

[NY Jets Flight Crew]

This week’s NFL Cheerleader gallery on SportsIllustrated.com features squads from the Chargers, Dolphins, Cowboys, Bucs, Jets, Bills, and Vikings. Click here to view the photos.

The latest Sports Illustrated NFL Cheerleader gallery features photos from week #15. Teams included are the Jets, Eagles, Saints, Broncos, Bills, Chargers, and Chiefs. Click here to go there now.

By By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire

After a late nosedive against the Falcons grounded Gang Green’s playoff hopes, Flight Crew member Anne-Marie explains why it might soar again in 2010 — if not a Week 16 upset

One more stop. Up 7-3 with 1:42 left and Atlanta facing fourth-and-goal from the 6, that’s all the Jets needed to secure a fourth straight win, an 8-6 record, and a firmly packed snowball’s chance at the playoffs. But when Matt Ryan found Tony Gonzalez in the end zone, that snowball exploded, much like the ones fans fired at the field as they watched their team’s top-ranked defense finally surrender a touchdown. Take that slip-up, add three Mark Sanchez picks and three botched field goals, and you begin to understand how a home team with everything to play for fell to a squad already eliminated from playoff contention.

If only these Jets had the moxie of second-year cheerleader Anne-Marie, who e-mailed Monday Morning Cheerleader early in the season to hype the Flight Crew. This Hofstra running back’s daughter grew up watching NYJ (”There are no Giants fans in my household!”) and is now a retail manager and buyer for — not making this up — her parents’ lingerie boutique (”When I’m not cheering, I’m doing bra fittings”). Anne-Marie also studies acting, practices photography, and talks up New York’s prospects… for doing better next season.

ESQUIRE: Was today’s loss as heartbreaking for the cheerleaders as it was for this Jets fan/interviewer?

ANNE-MARIE: It’s definitely heartbreaking. We are with the team from the beginning. We feel that emotion. But it’s not all down the tubes. We have a new QB, a head coach with a lot of heart, and amazing players. We have a promising team for next season, so we keep our chins up and push on.

ESQ: The team’s three field-goal opportunities resulted in a botched hold, a miss, and a blocked kick. Are they trying to make their fans tear their hair out?

A: [Laughs.] No, I don’t think they’d do that intentionally. When the fans are up and happy, the team is happy, and when they’re down, we are down too. Give the Falcons defense credit — they played great. We also couldn’t run the ball as well as we normally do.

ESQ: Despite losing all-pro nose tackle Kris Jenkins to injury in Week 6, the Jet defense still dominates. How much fun is it exhorting the crowd to cheer for them?

A: We don’t have to do much work. The fans know we have the number-one defense. Today they really brought it, especially from midway through the game to the end. Like when we beat the Patriots earlier this season, the fans are a big part of it. They don’t say they bleed green for nothing.

ESQ: Is there a cornerback in the league better than Darrelle Revis?

A: I don’t think so. Rex Ryan says he’s the defensive player of year. His record of shutting down the top receivers is unbelievable.

ESQ: Meanwhile, the offense lost all-pro kick returner/running back Leon Washington in Week 7, yet the Jets are also tops in rushing. Surprised?

A: No. I was really bummed when we lost him. He’s one of my favorite players to watch because he’s so talented. But with our offensive line, we can run the ball no matter who is carrying it. And Thomas Jones is a pretty tough running back. He’s been major for us the past few games.

ESQ: What do you think of the emotional Rex Ryan’s first year as head coach?

A: He’s done a fantastic job. He loves his players, and his heart and spirit is really reflected in their desire to play hard and win. He’s made a world of difference. He’s a cool guy. Even when you see him on the screen, you’re like, “Yeah!”

ESQ: And what about dreamy, hot-dog-chomping, interception-throwing rookie QB Mark Sanchez?

A: A guy’s gotta eat. He’s a growing boy. He’s hungry. I wish we’d had some hot cocoa on the sideline for him today. He’s doing good. He had his longest touchdown pass today, and Braylon Edwards caught the ball. I was so happy for Edwards — he had a great game. It’s a learning process. We can’t expect miracles from someone who is brand-new to the NFL. Sanchez is a leader who’s earned the respect of his teammates. He’ll be better next year. He just has to slide more than going headfirst.

ESQ: Looks like he’s growing another mustache. Was he trying to protect his delicate Southern California skin from the cold, channel Joe Namath, or what?

A: I hear a beard keeps a man warm. He can pull it off. I don’t think the cold affected him more than it would any other quarterback. He’s been out practicing in short sleeves, he’s been here in the cold for a few months, he’s getting used to it.

ESQ: How chilly was it today? Are your Santa outfits warmer than the regular ones?

A: This was definitely the coldest game I’ve experienced, and I forgot my toe warmers, so it was like I had ice cubes in my boots! We just kept dancing to keep ourselves warm. Our Santa outfits are warmer than our two-pieces, but we also have a fleece-lined flight suit — you wear some Under Armour beneath that, you stay pretty toasty.

ESQ: The Jets aren’t quite mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, but it’s pretty bleak. What are their chances of wrecking the Colts’s undefeated season next weekend?

A: We just have to go in with a fresh start and be on top of our game. You never know. We didn’t think we could beat the Patriots, and we did. Anything is possible. I’m optimistic, and hopefully we’ll win the next one.

[Ann-Marie at NYJets.com]

Congratulations to Meredith of the Jets Flight Crew who is representing her squad at the 2010 Pro Bowl!

Meredith is a three-year veteran of the Flighte Crew and was one of the original Flag Girls from the 2006 season.

Meredith is featured for the month of November 2010 on the Flight Crew’s Inaugural Swimsuit Calendar.

[Meredith at NYJets.com]

This week’s gallery is all about the Cowboys and Eagles, with nods to cheerleaders from the Saints, Jets, and Bills. Click here to go there now.

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.

The NFL gallery on SI.com this week includes the Charger Girls, Colts Cheerleaders, Dolphins Cheerleaders, Jets Flight Crew, Raiderettes, Redskins Cheerleaders, and Titans Cheerleaders. Click here to go there now.

From left to right Laura V (vet), Mandisa (vet), Jacqueline (rookie), and Anne-Marie (vet)

All photos were provided by Frank Rocco Photography

It was a rainy and cold Saturday at the Meadowlands Giants/Jets Stadium, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the hundreds of area children who came out to play in this year’s Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC Gridiron Games. The Gridiron Games is an annual event hosting all the NYC metropolitan area Big Brothers and Big Sisters - including the children they mentor.

For some of the “Littles,” this the first time they have ever left their usual urban surroundings. For many, they have never even visited a professional sports stadium – let alone have an opportunity to actually play on the field at the venue. Activities for the children included participating in various flag football tournaments and drills, playing at the “Jets Fest” (a remote play area set-up by the Jets personnel), and touring the NFL players’ locker room.

Anne-Marie leads the warm-ups

This year, the Jets Flight Crew got things started by leading the warm-ups for all the participants (that included the adults supervising and refereeing). After the national anthem was sung, Flight Crew cheerleaders taught sideline routines – as well as cheered on the numerous games played by the kids ranging in age from 6-18. Once the kids were taken up to the Press Box for a birds-eye view of the stadium, they heard motivational speeches from the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and former New York Giants player Billy Taylor. Kids were also treated to an appearance from former New Orleans Saints tight end Cuncho Brown. The Flight Crew rounded out their day with a crowd pleasing hip-hop routine. The highlight of this session was a participant asking Commissioner Goodell, “Why do the Jets have cheerleaders and the Giants don’t have any?”

The Flight Crew Performs

The Flight Crew was also on hand to meet and greet the sponsored section of the games, which included lawyers playing in the afternoon football tournament that helped raise almost $200,000 for the area charity.

According to Gridiron Games chairman, James Rapp, “The cheerleaders have been such a great addition to the games since their first appearance last year. We look forward to having them be a part of this event annually.”

Flight Crew with Princess Agra

A big thanks to former Washington Redskins Cheerleader Princess Agra, who’s a sports marketing executive in NYC, for supplying us with this story and the photos.

More photos all courtesy of Frank Rocco Photography

Flight Crew Cheers

Flight Crew Performs

Flight Crew Performs

Stretching with Jacqueline

Warming up with Laura V.

Anne-Marie teaches

Jacqueline teaches

[NY Jets Flight Crew]