I like going on road trips, particularly when I can drive to the destination. I live in Los Angeles and believe me, there ain’t no such thing as a open road when you have the absolutely worst traffic in the world. So whenever I get a chance to visit Phoenix, it’s special…not because I get to let ‘er rip on the highway (sssh!)…not because I can catch up on my audio books (this time it was, “The Rule of Four”)…no, its special because Arizona has some of the hottest cheerleaders in pro sports.
And this week, I was in Phoenix to catch the Cardinals game against the Cowboys…so it was doubly special in that I got see the majority of my fantasy football team play in addition to photographing the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders. And for those people who like going to different NFL stadiums, University of Phoenix Stadium is a great place to catch a game. I know I’ve said this in the past, but I enjoy watching a game here. It’s a newer stadium with a nice clean, fan friendly environment. And it’s cool looking. The only thing that is bad about UOP stadium is that the acoustics are terrible…they might as well not have a PA system because it’s just white noise.  But I digress.
I was looking forward to this trip from the moment the NFL schedules were announced. It was a glamor game featuring one of the most popular teams, the Dallas Cowboys. It was a chance to catch up with Mad Max, our former Arizona Correspondent, in his seats as opposed to mine in San Diego. And it was a chance to photograph the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders in a game setting.
So how did my road trip turn out? My Dallas players underperformed badly (though my fantasy football team still won thanks to Ray Rice, Rob Gronkowski and Arian Foster! ). The game, other than it went into overtime, was a rather lackluster affair with several offensive miscues by both teams. And Mad Max was out of town on business, so no chance to chit chat.
Well at least I got some good photos of the ACC. See for yourself.
Readers of my Charger Girl articles know that I recognize the cheerleader who left the most lasting impression photographically and I do so as well in these road trip articles. This week’s Cheerleader of the Day is Brianna, a third year cheerleader from Orange County, California.
Last time, I speculated that the Chargers were at a crossroads and that the path that they were on was to mediocrity. This week, speculation turned into confirmation. The Chargers are a mediocre team…and that is being kind.
This past Sunday, the Denver Broncos came to town sporting a 4-1 record under new starting QB Tim Tebow. This game was supposed to be a cake walk, or so Charger fans thought. After all Tim Tebow couldn’t complete a pass if his life depended on it. The Broncos, in fact, rush for more yards than they pass, so beating the donkeys is simply a matter of stopping the run. And against a team so uni-dimensional as the Broncos, this should have been fairly straightforward…stack the box against the run and blitz the hell out of Tebow if he tries to pass.
Well, a funny thing happened on the road to victory. The Chargers, who were able to move the ball against the Broncos, for the most part, failed to put it in the end zone and had to settle for field goals…or should I say field goal attempts. Four to be exact. Charger kicker Nick Novak made two and missed two. The two missed field goals would turn out to be decisive. The first miss would have extended the lead against a Bronco team that could barely make it out of their own end of the field. And the second, a potential game winner in overtime.
But let us give credit where credit is due. The Chargers were not able to put the Broncos away, letting them hang around. And the boys from Denver made the most of their opportunities with two key drives that lead to field goals in crunch time, one to tie the game and one to win it in overtime.  Yes, Tim Tebow can’t pass for poop, but he can sure run the ball. He’s not an “NFL” quarterback, but he’s a winner and for the Broncos, that might be more important that throwing the ball.
And what was the final score you ask? Broncos – 16, powerless Chargers – 13.
This season is going south real fast with the Chargers losing six in a row. They went from a potential Super Bowl contender to mediocre real fast.
Hey, at least we have the Charger Girls…and there’s nothing mediocre about them.
I will say this, that the Charger Girls are worth the price of admission. They are absolutely gorgeous, great to look at in the uniform, and very nice in person. So let’s begin our weekly cavalcade of absolutely fabulous Charger Girls with the Line Captains: Natalie, Lauren O., Katie and Tiffany.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our cheerleader friends and their families, particularly those who are performing on this day.
A couple of days ago, I received an email from the grandmother of former Charger Girl Kylie to let us know what she was up to. If you read her bio on Chargers.com, you know that Kylie, like many Charger Girls, was an accomplished college student and this year she had the opportunity to study abroad.
I met Kylie’s grandmother, Mary Lou Kitchen, and her father in the Bud Light Power Party last year and she wanted me to try to convince Kylie to stay home and continue her career with the Charger Girls. Both she and I know that a Charger Girl’s time on the squad is a short one and it is truly a rare opportunity to be an NFL cheerleader. I have seen a few girls leave the squad and tryout again, only to fail. So staying with the squad for as long as you can is something that one would encourage, since their time on the team is shorter than a NFL player’s career.
But I am also a believer in education, holding two undergraduate degrees from UCLA and a MBA from Pepperdine University. And I believe that if you have the opportunity to travel abroad and study in a foreign country, that is an opportunity too good to pass up. And I guess that’s what Kylie did.
So here are a few photos of Kylie taking a break (skydiving) in Switzerland, one of the countries I have always wanted to visit…being a European History major in college. I guess she found some free time in between studies…life is short and it should be lived to the fullest.
You know I’m sure Kylie must have studied physics in college and the rate of falling due to gravity…it’s 9.8 meters per second squared…or for you and I…mighty fast, if your parachute fails to open. Gutsy move…kind of like trying out for an NFL cheerleading squad.
And for you Charger Girl fans who may have forgotten what Kylie looked like in the uniform, here are a few photos to refresh your memory.
Kylie if you are reading this, when you get back to the States, I hope you try out for the Charger Girls again. I need to snap a few more photos of you in the uniform to make my collection complete! 😉
And a big thanks to Mary Lou Kitchen for the update.
The Raiders are not a good team. Not by any standards. They start a quarterback who has not played meaningful football for most of the year. Their star running back was injured and riding the pine. But they can be dangerous if you don’t come to play with the requisite level intensity and skill that successful NFL teams do. And on Thursday night, the listless Chargers played so poorly, they let a mediocre team whip their ass.
The main Raiders culprit…back up running back Michael Bush. Darren McFadden’s understudy gashed the Chargers for 157 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries. That’s 5.23 yards per carry…if you ask me, with that kind of production the Raiders should have given the ball to Michael Bush on every play because the Chargers weren’t stopping him. 5.23 yards per carry! That’s a first down every other carry.
No the Raiders are not a good team, but the poor play by the Chargers certainly made them look like playoff contenders. So, the question you have to ask yourself is, what do you call a team that loses badly to a mediocre team? Well, if I am honest…the Chargers. This team, the Chargers, have some serious systemic issues. Philip Rivers is playing so poorly, Andy Dalton looks good. And we start a bunch of players, I’ve never heard of…journeymen at best…players that do not resemble the pro bowl level players that John Butler and A. J. Smith have assembled in the past. No my friend, this is a different Charger team…a mediocre team….a mediocre team in a weak division. Gee, now I know what it must be like to be an NFC West fan.
Oh well. If the Chargers are mediocre, at least the Charger Girls are exceptional…a winning team with a tradition of excellence.
So I’ve thought of something…the Chargers seem to play better when Mike Tolbert is the starting running back.  Hey Norv, bench Mathews and start TOLBERT! Just an observation…and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I have Mike Tolbert in my fantasy league. But I digress.
So let’s begin this week’s coverage of The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL with the Line Captains: Natalie, Lauren O., Katie and Tiffany.
They say it is better to give than to receive. If that was the case, Philip Rivers would be the NFL’s man of the year. Over the past eight games, the San Diego Quarterback has uncharacteristically thrown 14 interceptions…a gift to opposing defenses. This past Sunday was no different. With the Green Packers in town to play the suddenly faltering Chargers, Philip Rivers threw three more interceptions, of which two were returned for Packer touchdowns. As if the Aaron Rodgers led Packers needed to be spotted 14 points.
In a game that featured more passes than a Las Vegas bar at closing time, the Packers withstood a furious fourth quarter comeback attempt by the Charger to win 45 – 38. Philip Rivers last interception sealed their fate. As Hank Hill would say, “that boy ain’t right”. Who am I to argue with a cartoon character.
And speaking of gifts, may I present to you, the absolutely fabulous SAN DIEGO CHARGER GIRLS!
Who says it never rains in California?
Weather forecasts were for a light rain, a somewhat rarity in Southern California this time of the year. All those Packer fans from Wisconsin who were expecting balmy and sunny weather were disappointed…probably for the best that pale visitors from the north put the tank tops and shorts away for this game. And there were many Packers fans. They virtually took over the Bud Light Power Party, lining up in droves to get a glimpse of the beautiful Charger Girls. C’mon cheese heads, it’s not like you’ve never seen an NFL cheerleader before…oops! Forgot, they don’t have any! Well, I guess that’s another reason to hate California.
And speaking of the Bud Light Power Party, I chatted with Line Captain Natalie and asked her that if she remembered to bring those chemical hand and toe warmers that the CGs use to keep warm on cold game days. She said she did not, not thinking that they would have to use them in early November. I reminded her that it was supposed to be cold and wet and that I had some in the car, I could give her, but she politely refused.
Yes, it was a tad wet and just a bit cold.
Now I must remind you that the Charger Girls don’t have cold weather uniforms or issue the girls rain gear to dance in. These dedicated women perform in their everyday uniforms, whether it rains or shines. So, I must applaud the girls for braving the cold, wet weather in their skimpy (but sexy) Charger Girl uniforms.
Who me? I don’t like to be cold or wet, especially at a Charger game, so I brought a rain poncho and several of those chemical heaters.  I guess I’m a wimp, but given a choice to be cold and wet or dry and warm…well, you get the idea. Plus, I had all my expensive camera equipment to keep dry…wouldn’t want to electrocute myself with that battery pack.
The inclement was an interesting change and afforded some interesting photos. But I digress.
Let’s get on with our regular coverage of the cold and wet Charger Girls and introduce the Line Captains: Natalie, Lauren O., Katie and Tiffany.
Reader Joe B. has sent us some photos of the Jacksonville Roar from last Sunday’s Breast Cancer Awareness game.
Thanks for the heads up, Joe.
The Chargers have been playing uncharacteristically of late. Their usually high powered offense has sputtered all season long and their usually stout defense has been rather pedestrian in the first three games, making it hard to imagine that the Chargers actually led the NFL in offense and defense last year. But going in this week’s game, the Chargers are 2-1 and that is also uncharacteristic for the historically slow starting team.
With the Dolphins coming into town on Sunday, the Chargers hoped to reignite their sputtering offense against the win less cetaceans. Unfortunately, hopes for a touchdown explosion fizzled to a field goal kicking contest with the Chargers winning four field goals to three for the Dolphins.  Final score, Chargers 26 – Dolphins 16.
The Chargers have a ways to go to be considered a good team, but with the win the Boys in Blue lead the AFC West Division by one game over the Raiders. At least that is something to smile about.
And another thing that brings a smile to my face…the absolutely fabulous Charger Girls!
As is customary in these game day reports, we begin our weekly coverage of the Charger Girls by featuring the Line Captains: Katie, Tiffany, Natalie and Lauren O.
Most NFL fans expected a blow out win for the Chargers on Sunday. After all, they were playing the 0-2 Chiefs who had been out scored 89 – 10 in the previous two games and were without star running back Jamaal Charles, lost for the season due to a knee injury. But a funny thing happened on the way to the AFC West Title…the lackluster Chargers played just good enough to beat the lowly Chiefs. Philip Rivers continued his recent poor play by throwing two interceptions and generally looked out of sync. Perhaps the loss of Antonio Gates, out due to injury, and Darren Sproles, lost to free agency, has limited Rivers’ options this year, but his inconsistent play kept the Chiefs in contention on this day. A last minute interception by Safety Eric Weddle saved the day for the boys in blue. Chargers win, 20 – 17.
Now I am not going to suggest the weather had something to do with the Chargers poor play, but it did affect my shooting of the absolutely fabulous Charger Girls. The day started with overcast skies and then proceeded to fluctuate between bright sun and dark shady conditions. I struggled to find consistent lighting all day long and would have preferred it to be either sunny all day or overcast all day. I put on and took off my flash gear all game long and perhaps missed some important dance moves. Oh well. Its not usually like this here in beautiful San Diego, but we photographers have to adapt and overcome, to paraphrase the Marine Corps. And I did.
I suspect the Line Captains are selected because of their leadership, but I would also suggest that they are chosen for their exceptional dance abilities as well. I get consistently good shots of the Line Captains. Oh well, enough of my musings, we got some Charger Girls to showcase. And we begin with the aforementioned Line Captains: Tiffany, Katie, Natalie and Lauren O.
And speaking of Line Captains…this week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a native of Taiwan and a third year member of the Charger Girls…introducing Tiffany.
My heart belongs to the Charger Girls. They are my hometown squad. They are quintessential California Girls and I’m a native Californian. So you can say, I love the Charger Girls…but…I lust after the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders.
The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders are an impressive group of young women. They are intelligent, talented, and very beautiful. For the longest time, I have wanted to come out to D.C. and photograph them in a game environment. This desire was reinforced the past two years after seeing them in person at PRO.
