A very cool video put together from images from the camera of one the Redskins Cheerleaders during her recent trip to Afghanistan.

By David Figura
The Post-Standard

Sometimes a successful stint on a sexy reality TV show can lead to new and exciting things — such as professional bass fishing.

Take Mary Delgado, the Season 6 winner of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelor.” She’s scheduled to appear Saturday for autographs at the Syracuse Crunch’s home game against Hershey.

Delgado, a former cheerleader for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was a contestant on “The Bachelor” in 2003 and 2004. In her second appearance, she was proposed to by bachelor Byron Velvick, a professional bass fisherman from Nevada.

The two have since split up, but Delgado, who lives in Tampa, Fla., really got into bass fishing while the two were dating. She learned a lot from Velvick’s friends on the BASS tour, and she is still competing on the BASS regional circuit in the South.

Four years ago, she wet her line in Oneida Lake as a co-angler in an Elite Series competition, finishing in 60th place.

I gave Delgado, now 42, a call this week to talk about her fishing.

She told me she grew up in Cuba, where her father owned his own salt-water fishing boat. When she was little, she said, he took the whole family and left the country in the middle of the night for America.

“Me, I’m a tomboy. I love anything outdoors,” she said. “I used to go (fishing) a lot with my father and my brothers.”

She said it was Velvick, though, who introduced her to freshwater angling. He and his friends showed her the finer points of bass fishing. She has since competed as a co-angler in a number of bass tournaments, some at the Elite Series level.

In this state, Delgado has fished Oneida Lake, Lake Champlain and Lake Erie and to date she has $4,250 in career earnings, according to Michael Mulone, a BASS spokesman.

Her best finish as a co-angler was 2007 at Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla. , where she finished 10th. Her biggest bass so far was caught on Lake Falcon in Texas.

“It was 11½ pounds,” she said.

Today, Delgado works as a Realtor. She also hosts a couple of outdoors TV shows, does “voice over” narration and is working with a girlfriend to put together an English/Spanish-language fishing show.

As for fishing, she said last year she sold her 21-foot Triton bass boat with its 250-horsepower Mercury engine. This past year, she fished two of the three regional BASS Open Series tournaments in the Southern Zone, but her busy schedule prevented her from fishing in the third, she said.

In the coming year, Delgado is looking forward to fishing as a co-angler in several regional tournaments. The BASS women’s circuit no longer exists, so she fishes against men. That doesn’t intimidate her.

“Fish don’t know what your gender is,” she said. “You just have to work hard like everyone else. It comes down to doing your homework and knowing (or learning) the area. Using the Internet really helps.”

I asked her if the future man of her dreams has to be an angler.

“No, he does not,” she said. “He doesn’t have to be a fisherman at all. As long as he is passionate about everything he does — and that includes taking the garbage out with a smile. That’s what I want.”

Delgado will be available for autographs and to answer questions during the hockey game’s second intermission in Memorial Hall at the War Memorial. Game time is 7:30 p.m.

By Steve Mazzucchi
Esquire

After Baltimore crushed Miami, a high-flying Ravenette looked back on a spitting controversy and ahead to the Super Bowl — then offered a little more on Randy Moss and why Lady Gaga could never play linebacker.

This Sunday’s thrills included three overtimes, Michael Vick returning to lead the Eagles past the Colts, and the other Peyton (Hillis, of the Browns) eviscerating the Pats with 184 rushing yards. Meanwhile, one of the NFL’s best teams quietly took care of business, as the Ravens whipped three interceptions, 38 minutes of possession, and 402 total yards into a 26-10 drowning of the hitherto-unbeatable-on-the-road Dolphins.

Perhaps this 6-and-2 squad is simply channeling the mindset of third-year cheerleader Michelle. Yes, she’s a self-proclaimed country girl from tiny La Plata, Maryland. “Below D.C., we’re pretty Southern,” she explains. “I’ve been cow-tipping, because that’s literally all there is to do.” But working for a mechanical contractor, she’s got more drive than an F-150. “We put in newer AC systems that save energy. It’s a male-dominated industry, so it’s pretty ironic that I cheer, but I love it.” She talks a great game, too.

ESQUIRE:Another comfortable Ravens win. What were the keys?

MICHELLE: We had some good turnovers. Ed Reed’s coming off his injury and picking up right where he left off, and Josh Wilson shined in the second half. Joe Flacco had a 129 passer rating. We were good on both sides of the football, but against the Bills, we got run all over, so it’s nice to see our defense getting back to what it’s known for.

ESQ: Miami linebacker Channing Crowder said Le’Ron McClain spit in his face, then he called him a “ho,” then he compared the refs to Stevie Wonder, Helen Keller, and… Anne Frank? Does that make any sense at all?

MIC: No. I think it all started because of a Miami player calling Derrick Mason old. I understand the name-calling, it’s all in the sport, but for all I know, he could have been speaking, and spit came out. I guess he’s calling the refs blind. It’s funny. Guys put their heart and soul into the game, and they get caught up in it.

ESQ: Ray Lewis had eight tackles. Ray Rice had 180 total yards. Are they the baddest pair of Rays in the game?

MIC: Yeah, fans make signs and shirts that say WE LOVE OUR RAYS, but we’re pretty stacked all over, with T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Anquan Boldin, Haloti Ngota, Reed. When Rice takes off, he’s like a rocket. And it never gets old watching Lewis run out of the tunnel. It sends shivers up your back, even when you already have shivers because it’s freezing. He’s awesome.

ESQ: Who looks better in bubbles: Lady Gaga, or Lewis in that Old Spice ad?

MIC: Lewis. I laughed so hard when I saw that one, and I’m not a fan of Gaga. I also like the one with the bear, just because I’m from the backwoods. I’ve seen him speak to kids with Play 60 and really instill that football mentality. He definitely has a more humble, selfless side to him.

ESQ: In his third season, Joe Flacco already has the most passing yards in Ravens history. Does that say more about Flacco, or all the QBs before him?

MIC: It says a lot about Flacco, but also about the coaching staff, the foundation they’ve built, their drive and style. He’s so young, only a year older than me, and there’s a lot of pressure on him. It speaks to him but also to the organization having faith to pursue being more well rounded.

ESQ: Randy Moss is now on his third NFL team of the season. Does he scare you at all?

MIC: No, not at all. I feel bad for him having to bounce around, and he’ll probably play lights-out somewhere, but we’re focused on what we’re doing.

ESQ: Besides the Ravens, who’s the best in the AFC?

MIC: It’s a tough call. The Jets are strong, but we beat them. We beat the Steelers already, but they’re doing great with Big Ben back. The Pats were looking good, but they lost today. Everyone’s dancing around. Our conference is just really, really tough.

ESQ: Meanwhile, everyone says the NFC is just awful. Which team would you want to face in the Super Bowl?

MIC: That doesn’t matter, but I’ve been saying from the start that I think we’ll meet up with the Vikings. That’d be really interesting.

ESQ: Purple vs. purple?

MIC: Yeah! It’d be nice to put them in their place.

ESQ: Your company prioritizes going green. How turned off would you be if a guy, say, didn’t recycle his soda can?

MIC: It’s not that big a deal. I’m not dainty or girly or a flower child save-the-world kind of girl. A big turnoff would be a guy who’s not motivated. I can tell you my goals and what I plan to do. I’m busy, I’m into my career and the Ravens, I’m not going to be able to see that person all the time. They’ve got to have their own stuff going on. They can’t just be on the couch whining about when they’re going to see me again.

ESQ: The Ravens are the only team with male cheerleaders. How does that make your squad different, besides the obvious?

MIC: We’re definitely more talented. It sets us apart, having stunts. I was born and raised being tossed around. I knew how to fly before I could walk. We can be glamorous with our uniforms, calendar, and pictures, but we run four miles twice a week. Our dancers are more technical, and as a stunt cheerleader, I can flip 20 to 30 feet in the air, come back down, and still bat my eyes at the crowd.

[Falcons Cheerleaders P-R-O Gallery]

This past Saturday current, former and aspiring cheerleaders and dancers from across the East Coast and from as far away as Chicago gathered at the Going Pro Entertainment East Coast Dance Convention in Philadelphia.

Participants received tips from the pros on fitness, nutrition, makeup, and attire, learned choreography from elite alumni and directors, and got the chance to network with other performers.

We last saw GPE founder Laura Eilers in Washington DC two weeks ago where she choreographed the Science Cheerleaders. She’s a six-time NFL Cheerleader (Chiefs and Rams) and the Director of the Richmond Lady Raiders.

Erin cheered for the Rams (2007 Pro Bowl Cheerleader). She’s pursuing her PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) at Widener University. It’s a five(!) year program. After graduation Erin hope to work in couples therapy and with trauma victims.

Anthony Molino was named Philadelphia Magazine Best Personal Trainer for 2009, and serious about fitness. I mean like competing in ironman triathlon serious. Anthony had the participants work up a sweat as he put them through a series of fitness stations.

Lindsay is a former Philadelphia Soulmate and represented her squad on the Arena Bowl Dream Team. She’s based in LA now, keeping very busy and working with dance teams for minor league baseball. She’s also Anthony’s sister-in-law.

[Photo Gallery]

[Going Pro Entertainment]

The New Orleans VooDoo Dolls held their preliminary audition on Sunday at Mardi Gras World for the 2011 VooDoo Dolls Dance Team, and have narrowed down the field of hopefuls to 27 finalists.

The 27 VooDoo Doll finalists will now be interviewed by VooDoo staff members until the Nov. 20 final audition

“We had such a great turnout today, and had to judge so many very talented women. It was not an easy task to narrow down the field,” said Rachel Vicknair, Director of Corporate Partnerships and the VooDoo Dolls.

“I look forward to working with the 27 finalist as they prepare for the final audition. All of the finalists have an equal opportunity to be a member of the squad, the decision process will literally come down to their performance at finals,” added Vicknair.

The 27 VooDoo Doll finalists will perform live in front of spectators and judges in the final audition in the River City Ballroom with the doors to the event opening at 2 p.m. The event is free, and Mardi Gras World is offering a buy one, get one free admission that day to anyone who wants to tour the museum prior to the event.

Meet the Finalists:

(more…)

The Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog went north of the border to follow the Buffalo Jills this past weekend.

Jills in Toronto: Report, Photos,  Video

By Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Martin Cuaron, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East
Navy.mil

Miami Dolphins cheerleading squad members and football players visited Sailors aboard the Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke class destroyer Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Jason Dunham (DDG 109) in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Nov. 9th.

“The girls enjoy so much to come out here to entertain our service members,” said Emily Newton, cheerleading squad director and choreographer. “The young men and women in the military put in time and hard work, and for us to come out here and put on a show is the least we can do for them.”

The eight cheerleaders started the event by performing several routines on the flight deck for the crew.

“This is definitely a positive thing and a big morale booster,” said Cryptologic Technician (Collection)(SS) Joshua Thompson. “We have been working hard in preparation for the ships commissioning, and to see these beautiful woman out here, showing their support is something I’ll never forget.”

Crew members lined the flight decks for autographed photos and photo opportunities with their favorite cheerleader.

“It’s really incredible what service members do,” said Lilly, Miami Dolphins cheerleader. “Most people don’t get the opportunity to go on a Navy vessel, and we appreciate everything they do. It takes so much teamwork, and we understand because we are a team as well.”

The cheerleaders were given a tour of the ship, taking them from the Combat Information Center to the bridge.

“I love everything about this ship from the flight deck to the bridge,” said Lilly. “It’s truly amazing to see how these ships work.”

During the ship’s port visit, the crew will contribute 300 hours of community service by taking part in numerous community outreach programs such as Habitat for Humanity and assisting three local schools.

“The crew of the Jason Dunham are working hard in preparing for the commissioning of this fine ship,” said Cmdr. Scott Sciretta, PCU Jason Dunham commanding officer. “To have the Dolphin cheerleaders and players come out and meet the Sailors, is pretty amazing.”

Cpl. Jason Dunham was the first Marine to be awarded with the Medal of Honor during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first Marine to receive the medal since the Vietnam War. The ship will be officially commissioned Nov. 13 during a ceremony at Port Everglades, Fla.

[Complete Audition Information]

[Spurs Silver Dancers Gallery]