Monday Night Football, a packed house, and the first place Denver Broncos coming to town meant that this game was going to be special. The Denver Broncos sported an undefeated record and the league’s best defense, but all against several teams considered amongst the worst in the NFL. Surely, the defending AFC West Champion Chargers would be a truer test of whether the Broncos were for real or merely a product of a weak schedule. The Chargers and Broncos battled back and forth for three quarters, but poor special teams play doomed the Chargers. Journeyman Eddie Royal to return a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns as the Broncos carried the day, 34 – 23.
Well, if the game wasn’t so special, the Charger Girls throwback uniforms were certainly very special. I see that they have taken their old throwback uniforms and given them a sexier makeover by cropping the top just a bit. And I like the color scheme. The girls looked quite nice in yellow and blue. See for yourself.
Line Captains Ashlie, Marlina, Marisa and Tonya show off the new version of the throwback uniform.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day really stood out the in images I captured. Her dance ability, photogenic good looks and vivacious personality made quite an impression, introducing Heather.
Let’s take a look at some of the other Charger Girls modeling the throwback uniform. Here’s Ashley, Jacquelyn, Emily, Giselle, Melanie, Kimberly, and Lauren
And let me introduce our Brittany R. and Brittany W.
And here are some photos of Carly N. and Carly S.
Our parade of throwback uniformed Charger Girls continues with Andrea, Belinda, Michelle, Nicole L., Tiffany, Vanesa and Victoria.
And let’s complete this weeks coverage of the Charger Girls with a few more photos of Ashlie, Marlina, Heather and Melanie.
Well, I must say the way the Chargers played was nothing special, but the way the Charger Girls looked in their Charger Girl throwback uniforms…that was quite special, indeed. And in two weeks, we get to see the Hottest Dance Team in the NFL performing in their Halloween costumes. The last time we featured the Charger Girls in these provocative outfits, we had one of the highest number of hits on our old website. So, see you in two weeks.
For more Charger Girl articles and photos, please visit my blog: TheHottestDanceTeam.wordpress.com
Mark Twain once said that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. With temperatures expected in high 50’s/low 60’s, I was thinking that my little excursion to photograph the 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders would end in frustration. You see, the Gold Rush have, in my humble opinion, one of the best uniforms in the NFL. I love their vest and skirt combination. It’s a hot combination. But with cool temperatures forecasted, would they opt for more cold weather oriented attire?
Fortunately for me, the weather was only a tad chilly at times. In fact, it turned out to be a very pleasant day in San Francisco with plenty of sunshine and beautiful blue skies. The air was cool, crisp and clean, something I am not accustomed to…being from Los Angeles. It was a perfect day for some football…if you are not a team named the St. Louis Rams. A strong defensive effort by the 49ers and their own ineptitude silenced the Rams offense, which gained a pathetic 177 yards. As a consequence, the Niners slaughtered the Lambs, 35–0.
Oh yeah, the nice weather allowed me to get some beautiful photographs of the beautiful Gold Rush cheerleaders.
I got to Candlestick Park early to catch a pregame performance of the Gold Rush in the Bud Light Goldmine. Like many other NFL teams, the 49ers have a special area where the fans are able to meet the Gold Rush and get an autographed calendar. So, I took this opportunity to snap a few photographs while I caught up on the early games that were being shown on the numerous TVs. Here are a few photos of the Desiree, Amber, Eli, Valora, Jennifer and Chris at the Goldmine.
Candlestick Park, like the other two football stadiums in California (Oakland and San Diego), is an old baseball stadium converted for mixed use. Typically the sight lines in these stadiums are odd and at Candlestick the old baseball dugouts are still present. In fact, the Gold Rush climb onto top of these dugouts at kickoff and after the 49ers score a touchdown to perform for crowd. I guess that’s a good way to make use of an obsolete architectural design.
A regular feature in my Charger Girl Game Day reports is the Charger Girl of the Day, which highlights the cheerleader that left the most memorable impression on film. So in that spirit, I would like to introduce the Gold Rush Cheerleader of the Day, Lauren R.
Well, let’s turn our attention to action on the sidelines. Another Gold Rush cheerleader that gave a rather memorable performance was Amy, a four year veteran.
Here are a few photographs of Alexis, Brittany, Cindy, Elizabeth, Lauren D., and Rachel.
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this past Sunday NFL players and their cheerleading squads wore special pink accessorized uniforms. Here are a few photographs of Tasha, Carmen, Cassandra, Erica, Morgan and Kelly wearing the pink Gold Rush outfits.
Last year, I made the drive up from Los Angeles to catch a 49ers game and photograph the Gold Rush. One girl who made a lasting impression was Jasmin. I think you can see why from the following photographs.
And let’s close out our coverage of the Gold Rush with a few photographs of Kelly, Amber, Lindsay, Meridith, Tritia, Tasha and Valora.
I love visiting San Francisco. It’s one of the world’s most beautiful cities and there are many interesting things to see and do here. With a resurgent football team and a dynamic squad of cheerleaders, I think I’m going to make visiting Candlestick Park a regular part of my itinerary. And if you are a NFL fan, you should too.
It was another hot, hot Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium. Fortunately, the temperatures on the field only reached the low 90’s, but for the Miami Dolphins it must have seemed like they were in hot water when the Chargers launched an aerial attack in the third quarter to take control of the game. Eric Weddle’s interception return for a touchdown sealed the victory for the Chargers, who went on to prevail 23-13. With the loss, the Dolphins start the season with a 0-3 record and I don’t have to tell you how many teams that started the season with three losses and made the Super Bowl.
This Sunday, I headed down to the Bud Light Power Party to pass out some photos to the Charger Girls and to get a calendar signed for our fearless publisher, James. While there I met up with an acquaintance and fan of the blog, Jeff, who gave me a copy of Raiderettes: Forty Years of Pride, Poise and Personality, a slick book documenting the history of the Raiderettes. Apparently, these books were given out at a Raiderette reunion many years ago. Jeff and I both attended Raiders games in Los Angeles, before becoming Charger converts when the Silver and Black skipped town. Thanks, Jeff.
The Bud Light Power Party is where the Charger Girls sign autographs and pose for photos with fans of both teams. For those who have never been to a Charger game, it’s a great opportunity for fans to meet the Charger Girls and soak up the NFL experience.
But enough of this small talk; let’s get on with this week’s coverage of The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL, your Charger Girls.
As is custom, let’s start this week’s coverage by introducing the Line Captains: Ashlie, Marlina, Marisa and Tonya.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is truly an international beauty, Giselle.
Last week, we did not get a chance to properly introduce Tonya’s line. Let us rectify that by getting to know her line in more detail. Brittany R. was born and raised in California. She was a member of Orange Coast College’s nationally acclaimed dance team and aspires one day to become a doctor.
Vanesa, a second year Charger Girl, was born and raised in San Diego, California. She was a four year member of SDSU’s cheer team and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction for Elementary School Teachers.
Andrea is originally from San Antonio, Texas and graduated from SDSU with a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Fitness, Nutrition and Health. She tells me that the most rewarding aspect of being a Charger Girl was being able to honor our military by performing at MCAS Miramar for Military Appreciation Day.
Kimberly, an aspiring writer, is currently taking dance classes and studying Literary Journalism at UC Irvine. Her parents are from Southern Louisiana and her southern heritage has influenced Kimberly’s love for art, music and spicy food.
As I mentioned last week, Emily was raised in South Pasadena and attended San Diego State University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Art with an emphasis in Interior Design and was a member of the SDSU Cheer Team.
Ashley is a 6th year veteran Charger Girl who was born and raised in San Diego, California. I chatted with her two weeks ago at the Power Party and she tells me that she’s only three years shy of the record for most years as a Charger Girl (which is held by Kathy Perez at nine years, so I am told). Personally, I’d love for her to break the record…then again, I like seeing Ashley on the sidelines on Sundays.
Now that introductions are complete, let us turn our attention to some of the more memorable images of the week. Let’s just call this next section, Katie’s section as I have several notable photos of the peppy Charger Girl.
Heather, Casie, and Nicole L. are three Charger Girls that always make for a beautiful and interesting photograph.
Four rookies that always leave a positive impression are Lauren, Belinda, Melanie and Natalie.
And let’s end this week’s coverage with a few photos of Brittany W., Giselle, Jacquelyn and Carly N.
Well, that’s all for this week. Next week, I’ll be up in the Bay Area to visit my nephew and take in a 49ers game, where I hope to get some photos of the 49ers Gold Rush. And what’s coming up in the next few months? Marisa tells me that the Charger Girls have special throw back uniforms for the 50th Anniversary AFL game, Halloween costumes for…Halloween and the venerable blue velvet uniforms for Christmas. Can’t wait!
For more Charger Girl articles and photos, please visit my blog: TheHottestDanceTeam.wordpress.com
It was hot in San Diego, very hot. The temperature on the field approached triple digits as kickoff approached, rather uncharacteristic for Qualcomm stadium which is situated only a few miles from the beautiful Pacific Ocean. These are the dog days of summer and this is to be expected…along with the occasional wild fire that plagues the area every couple of years.
So after a spate of mediocre preseason football games, the NFL finally returned to San Diego in a big way…for the Baltimore Ravens. Ray Lewis came up big for the Ravens, stuffing Charger running back Darren Sproles on fourth down and two to go in the waning minutes of the game to preserve a 31-26 victory for the Edgar Allen Poes.
Oh well, we’ll get ‘em back in the playoffs. For now, we’ll have to content ourselves with some photos of the Charger Girls, literally the hottest dance team in the NFL.
Now that the Charger Girl bios are up on their website, let’s get to know the Line Captains. Ashlie, a native of Ohio, is in her third year as a member of the Charger Girls and her first as a Line Captain.
Marlina, a fourth year Charger Girl, was the Charger’s Pro Bowl Cheerleader representative last year and owns a cleaning company that specializes in non-toxic, natural and eco-friendly cleaning methods.
Marisa, who hails from Minneapolis, is the daughter of a former NFL player. Last year, she toured the Japan as a part of the “NFL on Tour”. This is her first year as a Line Captain.
Tonya has been a NFL cheerleader for seven years with the Redskins, Cardinals and Chargers. She owns a web site development and graphic arts company and is one of the founders of Sweethearts for Soldiers.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a three year veteran who has been featured on NFL Network’s NFL Cheerleader Playoffs. Introducing, Casie.
Since we are presenting some biographical information this week, let’s start out the cavalcade of absolutely fabulous Charger Girls with our two former USC Song Girls, Nicole M. and Jacquelyn.
Good luck in the 2010 Rose Bowl Game! 😉 I kid, I kid.
Okay, let us turn our attention to the some of rookies on the squad. Belinda was born in Montana and raised in California. She’s studying to be a nurse and takes kickboxing lessons, so watch out fellas.
Carly S. hails from Sacramento, California and spent three seasons cheering in the NBA.
Emily was raised in South Pasadena, a stone throws away from where I live, and was a member of SDSU’s cheer team. Go Aztecs!
Katherine, who likes to be called Katie…and will now be called Katie on this blog, is a native San Diegan. She was a member of the nationally acclaimed Long Beach State Dance Team and a dancer for the NBA.
Lauren is originally from Napa Valley, California and graduated from Sonoma State University with a degree in Economics. She owns two mobile dance companies that teaches dance to elementary and preschool students.
Melanie grew up in RPV, that’s Rancho Palos Verdes to those who don’t know. She attended both the University of Oregon and Oregon State University and was a member of both school’s dance teams. She has been a NFL cheerleader for three years and is a first year Charger Girl. She was the Seattle Sea Gals Pro Bowl representative in 2008.
Natalie hails from Santa Maria, California and has danced professionally in the NHL and ABA. She is passionate about Chinese medicine and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in acupuncture.
Tiffany was born in Taiwan and moved to Southern California at age seven. She attended UC Irvine and was a member of their Spirit Squad. Tiffany has performed professionally in the ABA and the NBA.
Victoria is originally from a small town in the Midwest and is a graduate of Missouri State University. As a junior in college, she studied abroad in Australia and is currently employed as a design assistant for a high end design firm. She also has the distinction of being 2009’s first Charger Girl of the Day.
And now let us introduce some of the veterans on the squad. Brittany W. is in her second year as a Charger Girl and is originally from Newport Beach, California. She is currently pursuing a degree in Communications from the University of San Diego.
Carly N. was born and raised in La Canada, California (I hope your family’s house made it through the Station Fire). She is an honors student at the University of San Diego majoring in Accounting.
Casie is a third year Charger Girl who graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in Business and Marketing. She is currently the Marketing Coordinator for a software development company.
Exotic looking Giselle is originally from Panama and graduated from the University of Texas (Hook ‘em Horns!). This is her second year as a Charger Girl.
Heather, Templeton, California’s most famous resident, is in her third year as a Charger Girl. She’s a certified personal trainer and an avid outdoor enthusiast. She enjoys snowboarding, kayaking, dancing and photography…I like photography too!
Michelle is a four year veteran Charger Girl who was born and raised in San Diego. She’s a Dean’s List student studying Nursing at SDSU and has performed as a back up dancer for Gwen Stefani during the 2003 Super Bowl.
Nicole L. is a native Southern Californian and in her second year as a Charger Girl. She discovered a passion for travel that has led her to dance professionally for Royal Caribbean International Cruise Lines. For the past seven years, Nicole L. has focused on developing her career in real estate.
Well as you can see from these photos, it was a very hot day in San Diego. I must commend the Charger Girls for enduring the hot temperatures and performing routine after routine in the blazing sun. In fact it was so hot, I almost suffered from heat stroke just watching them dance. But as hot as it was for the fans in the stands or the Charger Girls on the sidelines, I imagine that’s nothing compared to the heat on Charger coach Norv Turner.
For more articles and photos of the Charger Girls, please visit my blog: TheHottestDanceTeam.wordpress.com
Author’s note: Next week, I will complete the Charger Girl introductions by getting photos of those Charger Girls omitted this week.
As a young lad, growing up in Los Angeles, I was a Rams fan. They had good teams in the 70’s, but somehow found a way to lose to the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs…at least that’s how I remember it.
When I was in college (Go UCLA!), Al Davis and the Raiders packed their bags and moved from the Oakland Coliseum to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Raiders of the 80’s had some legendary and likable characters on that team like Lyle Alzado, Ted “The Mad Stork” Hendricks, erudite Todd Christensen, Howie Long, Matt Millen, Mr. Stickum Lester Hayes et al.
The Los Angeles Raiders were also known for the Raiderettes, Football’s Fabulous Females. And let me tell you, those Los Angeles Raiderette squads had some very beautiful, talented and sexy girls. Al Davis hadn’t quite lost his mind yet and he knew to win over Los Angelenos, he’d have to put a good product on the field AND on the sidelines. I became a fan immediately and a season ticket holder a bit later.
One of the most beautiful and sexy Raiderettes of that era was Gretchen Stockdale, a former St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader who made the trek out west upon graduating from college. In this edition of From The Archives, we focus on one of the most memorable Los Angeles Raiderettes. Here are a few photographs of Gretchen spanning her 6 year career as a Raiderette.
Beautiful, articulate and intelligent, Ms. Stockdale earned her law degree from Loyola Marymount Law School and is currently Vice President and General Counsel for Pilgrim Films and Television, Inc.
What’s hotter than a California wildfire? The Charger Girls. But before we begin our parade of sideline beauties, let me start with my annual rant about preseason football.
The third week of the NFL preseason is considered the best because the first string players usually play for a half or more. In contrast, the fourth week of the preseason is considered the worst, since most teams rest their starters for fear of injuries. So, what is left is a bunch of third and fourth stringers playing their hearts out to make the practice squad. Frankly, its terrible football, but then again you get to see some things you would never see in a real game, like the Chargers trying an onside kick on the first play of the game…and recovering it. Never happens in real life.
For those interested, the Chargers fourth stringers beat the 49er fourth stringers in dominating fashion, 26-7. The significance of this win? No starter was injured as a result of play.
Well, onto to what really matters. The hottest dance team in the NFL, your Charger Girls!
As is custom, let’s start this week’s introductions with the Line Captains, Ashlie, Marlina, Marisa and Tonya.
This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a former USC Song Girl, introducing Jacquelyn.
I like shooting nice, tight close up shots of the Charger Girls and I rarely include a full body photo. Well, I thought I would change things up and include one. Here’s rookie Lauren showing off the full Charger Girl uniform and demonstrating the proper posing technique…notice the toe point.
Okay, let’s get this party started by introducing some of the veterans: Casie, Heather, Michelle, Carly N., Brittany W. and Nicole L.
And what party would be complete without some photos of the rookies: Carly S., Brittany R., former CGOTD Victoria (I got her name correct this week!), Andrea, Lauren, Melanie and Katherine.
And let’s finish this week’s coverage with a few photos of Ashley, Natalie, Carly S. and Brittany W.
Thankfully, preseason football has come to an end. And while I love football, I can’t say that having four or five preseason games is a good thing, especially if you are going to charge full price admission to a game that is about as good as a Division IAA football. The one thing that is worth the price of admission…the cheerleaders who give it their all at a game that is as meaningful as an intra squad scrimmage.
Thank you Charger Girls.
For more Charger Girl article and photos, please visit my blog: The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.
In this installment of From The Archives, we focus our attention on Raiderette Michelle Budano. Michelle and her sister Melissa were Raiderettes in the mid 1990’s when the Raiders played their games in the venerable Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
You can tell how old these photos are by the track on the field, a legacy from the 1984 Olympics and beyond.
I mentioned in a previous From The Archives article that back in the day, the Raiderettes were very accessible and had their own following in the community. Many of them were local models that made the Southern California Photo Days circuit and were regularly featured in magazines such as HotRodder and other such lifestyle magazines. Many of us remember these girls from these events and if I recall correctly, one enterprising Raiderette sponsored her own photo day shoot with the Raiderettes…regretfully, I missed that one.
Former Charger Girl Summer (’04-’09), one of my all time favorites, is expecting a baby boy in November! Let us all wish Summer, her husband Lennie and the new baby to be health, happiness and good fortune.
And just in case you’ve forgotten what Summer looks like, here are a few photos of her “back in the day”.
To see more photos of Summer, please check out my new blog, The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.
Ah, preseason football! It’s what a football fan eagerly awaits, the start of another year of football. Well, not exactly for me. Preseason football is, in a word, terrible. But as a season ticket holder, I pay full price for these less than NFL caliber football games. So, I was more interested in checking out the new Charger Girl squad than the Charger’s third and fourth stringers. Let’s see how the new squad shapes up.
As a new season is upon us, let me introduce the 2009 Charger Girl Line Captains, Ashlie, Marlina, Marisa, and Tonya.
Last year, I introduced a new feature, the Charger Girl of the Day. And this year, we will continue to recognize the Charger Girl who provided the most memorable photograph of the day. Though I had a few to choose from, one image stood out. Presenting this week’s CGOTD, rookie Amanda.
Author’s note: a kindly reader pointed out that this lovely Charger Girl is actually named Victoria. Unfortunately, I based my information on the Chargers.com original audition finals photo identification, as the organization has not updated their website with up to date Charger Girl bios. Please forgive the confusion.
Let’s begin the introductions with the returning Veterans: Brittany W, Heather, Giselle, Jacquelyn, Nicole L., Nicole M., Ashley, Michelle, and Vanesa.
This year, there are thirteen rookie Charger Girls. They are: Katherine, Lauren, Carly S., Belinda, Melanie, Tiffany, Amanda, Natalie, Kimberly, Andrea, Brittany R., Emily, and Kate. Unfortunately, I did not see Kate on the sidelines, so there is no photo of her.
And we have two former Charger Girls making a return appearance on the squad, Carly N. and Casie.
You may remember Casie from the NFL Cheerleader Playoffs a few years ago. She and Shantel won the whole darn thing! Glad to see her back in the uniform.
Well, a new NFL season is upon us and I am eagerly awaiting the start of the regular season, when we get to see some real football. But for now, I’ll have to content myself and pass the preseason by watching some real cheerleading. Go Charger Girls!
For more Charger Girl articles and photos, check out my new Charger Girls blog, The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.
In this installment of From The Archives, I introduce one of my all time favorite Charger Girls, Danielle Ditonto. Photographically speaking, cheerleaders with great smiles always make for an interesting and compelling photograph and Danielle always had a smile on her face.
This photo of Danielle shows her in the Charger Girl throwback uniform, worn when the Charger players wore their throwback uniforms. I don’t think the Charger Girls ever wore uniforms like these officially and I was never a fan of this college style uniform. But I included it here since they don’t wear these outfits anymore and we should have a visual record of such things.
And continuing our theme of beautiful and intelligent cheerleaders, Danielle Ditonto became an accountant after she hung up the pom poms. Wow. And I always thought accounting was boring.
