By Josh Katzowitz
CBS Sports
Perhaps you think that it’s rather cliché to ask your significant other to marry you in front of tens of thousands of people at a sporting event, where your answer will be recorded on the stadium’s video board.
But what if the marriage proposal took place on the field among your work colleagues, and he was dressed handsomely in his military uniform? That would be a pretty tough request to turn down, right?
Fortunately, that was the case for US Air Force captain Erick Straub, who proposed to Cardinals cheerleader Claire Thornton during the first half of the Washington-Arizona game on Sunday. Considering she’s showing off the ring in the above photo, –and by the evidence from this video — I assume she said “yes.”
But Thornton wasn’t the only NFL cheerleader to get engaged. Falcons cheerleader Sydney was also betrothed this weekend, via the Falcons cheerleaders’ Instagram page.
So, a hearty Mazel Tov to all the affected parties. May your happiness continue to grow even when all the recording cameras are switched off.
A Hartford Colonials Cheerleader
Thanks to Mike for a few more photos of the Eagles Cheerleaders
Nitara
Kayla
Snow and Emily
[Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders]
By Caroline Earle
BostonInno
Dance, fitness instructor and most importantly, mother: Those are all of the roles Boston-based Paula Fonseca balances each and every day.
And while teaching exercise classes is an incredibly rewarding job, it is crucial to fuel ourselves properly so we can maintain our energy levels to motivate our classes and clients.
So without further ado, let’s sneak a peek inside the fridge of this Equinox instructor who radiates positivity and high energy each and every day.
Caroline Earle: You’re a busy lady. From teaching classes to picking up your daughter from school – what healthy on-the-go snacks do you nosh on?
Paula Fonseca: Finding time to eat can be challenging, with little time to digest in between classes, I stick to small meals throughout the day. I have nuts stashed in my car, just found coconut covered cashews at TJs today!
Love the Fage Greek Yogurt, and I get the 2%, fills me up longer and I feel satisfied. I can mix it up by adding some agave & cinnamon to the plain flavors.
I’ll always throw a couple pieces of fruit in my gym bag, and although this isn’t considered a snack, I need my morning coffee every day to start it all off.
Keeping it real.
CE: Where do you grocery shop and why?
PF: There a few places I shop at and they all depend on where I am at when I have time to stop and shop, pun intended, this is one place I shop, very close to my house.
Love Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for fruits and vegetables. I find fall to be the most fun season for vegetables. We just got purple cauliflower, rainbow chard, and stalks of brussels sprouts. The colors are so yum!
CE: Do you adhere to a strict diet – i.e Paleo, vegan, GF, etc.?
PF: I do not follow any specific diet. We don’t have any food allergies, so the possibilities are endless.
The one constant thing I do keep to is color in my food and try to use whats just right in season. The more color, the more nutrients and antioxidants, and with each meal I got to have protein and fiber. Make each calorie count!
I do enjoy GF pastas from time to time. The quinoa blends are good, sturdier, and nuttier in taste. The groceries end up being 99% organic, and for the rare times we eat red meat, I go to Meat House or Whole Foods to get the best grade.
CE: When both you and your daughter Lina are home, what’s your favorite meal to cook together?
PF: Lina is a good sous chef. She gets into the preparation, washes, drains, chops, all the veggies. She can toss a serious caesar salad [laughs]!
Lately, as the temps go down, we get a little more into comfy food. Kale soup with chick peas, grated carrot, onions, garlic until it comes out of your pores, in a low sodium chicken broth, is perfect and so easy after a long day. We prep it days in advance so it’s ready to go, and I cheat and use stock from a box.
CE: Keeping up energy levels throughout the day can be tough – what tips can you give to those who are feeling the afternoon slump?PF: Ah, that afternoon slump can get tough, especially during winter months.
I catch myself in a slump when I don’t eat or sleep enough. Sleep is so important! I don’t always get the minimum 8 hours that our bodies need to recover, but napping is a good alternative. I’ll try to fit in a 20 minute nap whenever possible, and drink lots of water, especially if you like your coffee!
Be sure to catch Paula teaching at Equinox Dartmouth, Franklin Street and Chestnut Hill!
A few more photos from North of the Border courtesy of our new friend Rick:
[Ti-Cats Cheerleaders Gallery]
[Argos Cheerleaders Official Site]
[Ti-Cats Cheerleaders Official Site]
A member of the New York Jets Flight Crew
From KBTX.com
Blinn College alumna Hayley Webb may have discovered her talent for dance before she knew her multiplication tables, but she credits her time at Blinn College for helping her turn her passion in to a career.
Webb was drawn to the Blinn College – Brenham campus in 2011 for its award-winning Treasures dance team. After her freshman year, Webb was named captain in 2012. Blinn placed second at the annual National Dance Alliance (NDA) College Nationals in Daytona, Fla. in both her freshman and sophomore years.“I loved the dance team at Blinn College,” Webb said. “It was a really great two years to grow as a dancer and as a student, too. When you’re involved with athletics you have to always be on your “A” game. Our coaches and instructors made sure we had access to tutoring and that we stayed on top of assignments.”
A dancer since the third grade, Webb said Blinn opened her eyes to a different kind of competitive dance. In high school, her dance team would feature eight routines during competitions, but at Blinn, the team only had one shot to take home a victory.
“We learned one routine and practiced it for six or seven months,’ Webb said. “It was hard, but I loved it. It’s kind of like trying to win one game for a national championship. Everyone was giving it their all.”
After two years at Blinn, Webb transferred to the University of Louisville, where she joined the Ladybirds dance team and studied exercise science. She then transferred to the University of Texas at Arlington to be closer to home. She expects to earn her bachelor’s degree in exercise science in May 2015.
This summer, Webb auditioned and was selected for the Dallas Mavericks Dancers. After more than a week of the grueling tryout process, including a freestyle routine, several new routines and an interview process, Webb was chosen to the team of 20 dancers from 300 women who auditioned.
“I was extremely nervous,” Webb said. “I tried to keep to myself and just stay focused. I’ve watched the Dallas Mavericks since I was little and have always admired the dancers. I can’t wait to be one of them. I am so thankful for my dance coach at Blinn, Sarah Barland, for always inspiring me and pushing me to become a better dancer. She’s been a blessing to me and my dance career.”
Barland said Webb was a great motivator, a hard worker and a beautiful dancer.
“She made practice fun, but also knew when it was time to work,” Barland said. “I had a great two years with Hayley and I know she’s going to make a wonderful Mavericks dancer.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 29 NJCAA national championships since 1987, including national championships in cheer and dance last season.
A Washington Wizards Girl
The Laker Girls really stepped up their game with their new website. Much better than in years past. Be sure to check it out.
Current Patriots Cheerleader Madelyn recalls her favorite memories of cheerleading at TCU.
By Travis Basciotta
Patriots.com
The favorite memory of Patriots Cheerleader Madelyn’s collegiate career was the 2011 Rose Bowl, when she and the rest of the Texas Christian University cheerleading squad cheered their football team on to the last win of their undefeated season – a 21-19 victory over Wisconsin in Pasadena, Calif.
“The fact that we were even going to go to a BCS Bowl was a big deal, considering how small our conference was,” Madelyn recalls. “It was such a huge deal. We had a big pep rally in our coliseum, we played the TV on the Jumbotron, and news stations were there.”
But the team turned their opportunity into an even bigger deal by beating the Badgers, sealing the victory when Tank Carder swatted away a potential game-tying two-point conversion attempt with two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
“It was just such a dramatic way to end the game,” Madelyn said. “It was really cool to just go up to my friends and say, ‘Hey you just won the Rose Bowl,’ and give them a big hug on the field.”
That No. 2 ranked Horned Frogs team featured current Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon and wide receiver Josh Boyce and was led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton, who earned Rose Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 219 yards and one touchdown. He added another score on the ground.
Come Sunday Night, however, Dalton shouldn’t be expecting any hugs from Madelyn, as the New England Patriots cheerleader will be on the sidelines rooting for the home team to earn their 32nd-straight win against an AFC opponent at Gillette Stadium when the Patriots host Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Despite being on opposing sidelines, Madelyn still holds the former TCU quarterback in high regard.
“He was already in his fourth year when I was a freshman, but he was honestly just such a great guy. He was such a great leader for the team and a leader in the TCU community,” Madelyn said. “He was really involved on campus. He was someone the team and the younger guys could look up to and know how to act. I just really have a lot of respect for him.”
Like Dalton, Madelyn was also a leader at TCU, cheerleading all four years she was on campus and serving as the squad’s captain in her final two. The McKinney, Texas native got her start in gymnastics at age five, but didn’t start cheering until the eighth grade, when a friend convinced her to go out for the cheerleading All-Stars. After that, she was hooked, and when it came time to apply to colleges in 2009, she knew she wanted to go to a school where she could cheer. Nearby TCU fit the bill, and Madelyn fit in with the campus and the cheer squad right away.
“Cheering at TCU was one of the best experiences of my life,” she said. “I learned so much about being a leader, a friend and an ambassador for the school.”
In addition to cheering at home games and traveling to almost every away game with the football team, Madelyn found time for her academic passions as well and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition in 2013.
Wanting to continue her education, she applied and was one of only eight applicants to be accepted into Tufts University’s clinical nutrition master’s program, which is how the born-and-raised Texan found her way to New England.
“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and go somewhere different,” Madelyn explained.
Though she admits her distaste for the cold weather, she is loving Boston so far.
“Boston is just a really fun city,” Madelyn said. “I love not having to use my car all the time, and there is so much to do – tons of restaurants, tons of places to go out, tons of people everywhere.”
Yet there was still a void in her heart left by cheerleading, so she decided to try out for the Patriots squad this past spring.
“I missed being on the football field and being a part of a team,” Madelyn said. “On all of the cheer teams I have been on, they have become my family and my best friends. I missed that, so here I am.”
Now a rookie on the 2014 Patriots Cheerleading squad, Madelyn is looking forward to pursuing both of her career and athletic passions. When she finishes her degree in 2015, she will be a registered dietician, giving her a chance to explore several opportunities – working in a hospital with cancer patients, high-risk patients, burn patients or pediatrics, or even working in the community and with school districts designing menus and managing youth nutrition. In the more immediate future, however, Madelyn will keep her focus on cheering on the Patriots on Sunday Night Football against her former classmate and the Bengals.
And for one night, she’ll let TCU pride take a back seat to her current Patriots squad.
“I wish Andy the best and I know he just signed a big, fat contract, so I think he can take a loss,” Madelyn said.
