WLTZ 38 News
January 27, 2013

WLTZ 38 | Columbus Georgia Regional News

By Nick LaGrange (WFIE)- “I’ve been wanting to be a Colts cheerleader for a long time”.

20-year-old Tella Toney currently works as a ‘lunch server’ at south ridge high school. But she’s hoping to become a colts cheerleader, through an online competition.

“I had to upload pictures on there of me, one for voting and then three to five for the judges to see, I guess.”

Tella says the judges will allow the top-ten vote-winners to audition to be a colts cheerleader in march. Right now, Tella leads the pack. She showed me how to get to the website, where to go, and I’ve been voting daily.

Oralee Cotton is the food service director at south ridge and she says the whole food service staff is excited for Tella. And Cotton and Tella both say the students here are especially interested in the competition and that some are very surprised to have a ‘lunch lady’ like Tella.

They’ve never had a lunch lady, as far as being this young, to do something that neat.

Toney says ‘audition training’ will begin next month and that the auditions will actually get underway in late March.

January…bleh. The least fun month of the whole entire year. But there is always one thing to look forward to in the midst of the winter doldrums: new audition outfits! This is the time of year when The Line Up gives us a peek at their new options for the 2013 audition season. They just did a photoshoot with their new stuff, and they’ve got a photo preview on their Facebook page. **Update: The link is fixed now**

This time last year, I examined the 2012 collection and predicted the big sellers for the year. I warned you that my predictions are always wrong. And I was right. (Wait…so if my prediction is wrong, but my prediction about my prediction is right, does that mean I’m always wrong? Or always right?)

I hold firm that more people should have picked my favorites, but whatever.

The people who did looked really really cute.

To my surprise, out of all the new tops introduced last year, the one I saw most often was one of the “safest” designs. Cute top, but not as POW! as the others. In retrospect, it’s a choice that makes a lot of sense. Nobody hates this top, whereas some of the others might appeal to some folks more (or less!) than others.

This year, I won’t pretend to know what will float your boat. That does not prevent me from expressing my opinion, however. And please feel free to express yours in the comments section.

Here’s a thought. If you are in the market for an outfit for NFL/NBA auditions this year, scroll down to the three photos below and look at each one for 3-5 seconds. Then close your eyes and try to remember all of the outfits you just saw. The ones that stand out in your mind will probably stand out to the judges too.

Onward to the new oufits. Like to see it? Here it go:

BAM!

POW!

SHAZAM!

Hands-down, these are my two favorites:

They are super cute and if you don’t like them – and I’m saying this with love – there may be something wrong with you. I also suspect that the red fringe top in the first photo above is really really cute, but I haven’t had a good look at it yet.

This kind of thing…well, it takes a special kind of person to pull this off. And I expect that person is probably a returning veteran who can get away with it. But anyone who wears it will definitely be remembered.

Ditto on the pirate outfit. Although this kind of thing would be really cute for a solo. Maybe throw on a beret and do the French mademoiselle thing.

Hello, what’s this? Briefs! As far as I know, up until now TLU has done briefs, but they’ve all been very basic. Just one solid color, with options for the cut and rise. I think there’s one with a belt. Looks like they’re finally venturing into the world of coordinated briefs to go with the tops.

Is it me, or are the ones in the middle really really cute?

Is it me, or am I saying “really really cute” a lot? Clearly I need to broaden my vocabulary.

And if I may pass along one thing I hear at many auditions: booty shorts may feel safer, but generally speaking, briefs are more flattering.

I’m also digging these two. Isn’t it about time we brought sleeves back? Everyone goes sleeveless at NFL and NBA tryouts. I don’t know why. Do your armpits need to be free? Whatever the reason, they’re rare enough at auditions, that anyone with sleeves will stand out. Give it a shot. Dare to stand out in a sea of sleeveless halters.

Unless I am much mistaken, the one on the left is a variation on the Bucs Cheerleaders’ creamsicle outfits. Already that’s a plus.

I will leave you to flip through the new designs on your own, and ponder your strategy for standing out from the crowd. You can’t go wrong with an audition outfit from this company, regardless of which one you choose. And looking good will give you a little extra swagger in front of those judges.

Dang that yellow fringe is foxy. I can’t wait to see who has the cojones to wear it.

Andrew Edwards, Staff Writer
San Bernardino Sun
January 26, 2013

SAN BERNARDINO – The sounds of pop music blared from a boombox inside the Inland Empire 66ers clubhouse on Saturday morning.

Aspiring dancers lined up and took turns demonstrating their twirling and high-kicking abilities before getting that chance to show that one signature move that may be enough to earn one’s spot on the dance crew.

Their hopes were set on a spot on the 66ers’ minor league baseball team’s dance squad.

“I love the dance, it’s really energetic, and I feel like the Dance Team at the games to really pump up the crowd and get into it,” said nursing student Meredith Oliver, 22, of Moreno Valley during a break from the auditioning process.

Oliver said she is a nursing student at UC Riverside and danced with the team previously in 2010. She was among roughly 20 women competing for seven to 10 open spots on the Inland Empire 66ers’ dance squad.

Dancers earning a place on the team must make a year-long commitment to represent the 66ers at 70 home games and as many as 50 community events, said Byron Marquez, director of community relations for the 66ers.

The dance team also performs for the Ontario Reign minor league hockey team.

As the day’s auditions were about to start, Marquez’s tone was businesslike when he advised the dancers that “if you can’t make this commitment, I don’t want you on this team.”

“They presented themselves really well as to how serious they are,” said dancer Amanda Gojuangco, a 21-year-old UC Riverside student planning a career in public relations.

“I’m just trying my best. I’m so nervous right now,” she added.

Team dancer Maria B. led the aspiring dancers through the kinds of routines they would perform if they win a job, offering advice and encouragement along the way:

“I want to see big sexy walks.”

“Use that booty.”

“Whip that hair.”

The winning dancers can expect to put in a lot of time, but also have a lot of fun, said current team dancer Melanie Zecca, another UC Riverside student.

“I tell them, `Be ready for a life-changing experience,” Zecca said. “That’s why some of them stay on the team for years.”

Click here to check out the gallery on SportsDay DFW.

The Toronto Raptors have finally updated their website to include the 2012-13 dance team. As usual, it’s nicely done, and also very late in the season. The team has some new costumes and some interesting photos of the ladies around the Raptors’ facility. Click here to check out the Dance Pak!

Is Florida Panthers host the perfect woman? Maybe, dude
By Ben Crandell
SouthFlorida.com
January 23, 2013

Eric Haley requires no seeing-eye dog to get around. Which you may find surprising after learning that the guy married to a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader, pictured right over there, calls her “The Dude.” Really, dude?

But talk to Andrea Ocampo-Haley for a little while and you might agree, she would be a good dude to have a beer with.

First, the Delray Beach resident is a major sports fan who was a Dolphins cheerleader during the 2001-2003 seasons, so she can give you some scoop on the Wannstedt years, when the ‘Fins would actually keep playing after the regular season. Remember the playoffs?

And, like a lot of guys who have waved good-bye to their playing days, Ocampo-Haley can exchange empathetic banter over the relief that comes with not having to work so hard to squeeze into the old uniform.

“Staying in shape now is a lot easier for me. I’m not having to fit into anything tiny, where my boobs will be spilling out. That ship has sailed!” Ocampo-Haley says, perhaps echoing something you have said to your buddies.

She can also talk hockey, having just started a gig as an in-arena host for the Florida Panthers, a role that sees her moving around the BB&T Center interacting with fans. Her first game was also the night the Panthers hung their division-championship banner. “It was so exciting, to get that rush and adrenaline. The energy in the building was out of control,” she says.

A native of Colombia (the small city of Armenia, near Medellin) who attended Western High in Davie (“Go Wildcats!”) and the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale (studying broadcasting), she’s not sure how she came to love hockey, but likes it rough.

“I love the fights. The bodies slamming against the glass. Who doesn’t?!” she says with a laugh.

You like cars? She likes cars. When Ocampo-Haley is not working for the Panthers (you can catch her this week at home games Thursday and Saturday), she is a spokesperson for Florida Fine Cars, dealerships in Hollywood and Miami specializing in pre-owned luxury rides. So she gets to run her hands over the BMWs and Mercedes you drool over.

“I always enjoyed cars, but here [at Florida Fine Cars] I am having to really know cars. Like anything, you learn it,” she says. Ocampo-Haley favors SUVs such as the Lexus IS F and Audi Q7, which is “really refined, a car that speaks to me.”

When she’s not doing all that, Ocampo-Haley pursues an acting career by going on auditions. Our conversation took place while she was driving from Delray Beach to Miami to try out for two commercials. One of them for Home Depot. In case you want to talk to her about belt sanders and reciprocating saw blades.

Photo: Adam Kaplan, courtesy Andrea Ocampo-Haley

At the end of the current NBA season, the New Orleans Hornets are changing their name
to the New Orleans Pelicans.

No really. THE PELICANS.

The first time I read this information, I thought for sure this was some kind of joke. Pelicans? Aren’t team mascots supposed to be fierce, strong, and warrior-like? Pelicans???? Don’t they deliver babies to expectant mommies and daddies all around the world?

Oh wait, that’s the stork.

You know what pelicans are known for? Having big mouths. And stealing other people’s fish. But the team’s owner says pelicans symbolize the resiliency, determination, and enduring spirit of the people in the community.

Um. Ok. But they are also fish thieves.

(Well now, I guess if you’re at the business end of a pelican, that could be a little frightening…)

The team is also changing their colors from Creole Blue, Dark Purple, Mardi Gras Gold, and White (a combination I personally enjoy) to blue, gold, and red. Here’s the new logo:

He’s pretty fierce, I suppose. As far as pelicans go. He certainly looks like he wants to peck your eyes out and eat them with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

More importantly, what about the Honeybees? What are they going to be called? The Pelican Dancers? The Pelican Girls? The Pelicanettes?

Please God, don’t let them be called the Pelicanettes.

John Dudley
Erie Times-News
January 22, 2013

Missy Tesauro has been dancing since age 3, often alone in front of a mirror at home to memorize routines.

It makes her a little sad to know that, in a few months, her three years as a performer for the Erie BayHawks dance team will end, and she’ll head out into the working world as a respiratory therapist.

In the meantime, she’s enjoying each remaining home game with Erie’s National Basketball Association Development League affiliate.

“I didn’t think I would dance when I got to college; I didn’t think I was good enough,” said Tesauro, 22, a Uniontown native whose mother, Gina, persuaded her to try out after two years on Gannon University’s dance team.

“I’m so glad I did it,” she said. “I tell people all the time, ‘Don’t give up on your passion.'”

1) What does it take to become a dancer at the NBA D-League level?

It takes dedication. We have practices every Sunday, games that you have to attend.

We practice a lot at home, too, turn the music on and dance in front of the mirror. It does take a lot of time to practice a routine so it’s ready to perform at a game.

We also have appearances. In December, some of the girls helped the team with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We went to Target and bought presents with the team.

2) Did it take awhile to get over the jitters when you first performed?

It really did. The first year, every time we went out on the floor my heart would just race. I would be so nervous.

Whenever we went out, I would look just above the crowd so I didn’t notice the people, because seeing them made me even more nervous. Now, I can look at people in the eye while I’m dancing, and I’m OK.

3) Do you have a favorite part of game nights?

My favorite moments are whenever we get ready back in our locker room before the game. We turn up the music and get ready, and it’s nice just getting time to spend together before we’re all stressed out about having to perform.

All three years that I’ve been on the team have been great as far as getting along, and that’s fairly rare. Whenever you think of girls, sometimes people think, “Oh, they’re catty.” But we have a ton of fun, and we’re all really good friends. We hang out together outside of the BayHawks and connect on a different level other than just dancing.

4) Do some of the dance team members have aspirations to move up and perform in the NBA?

Two of our dance team members tried out for the (Cleveland) Cavaliers dance team last year. I don’t think either of them made it, but when you’re working for the D-League team it’s a little easier to make that transition.

I know I won’t (try out). I’m going to start working, so I’ll really miss it.

Hopefully if I’m still in the area I can help out with the BayHawks. And if I have the spare time, maybe I’ll continue to take dance classes.

5) Your bio on the team website says you like to bake. Do you have a favorite dish?

Just this Christmas we made sour cream cookies. They’re my family’s favorite.

My family, we’re Italian, so we’re full of people who can cook and bake really well. My grandma’s really good at baking.

I think it’s in my blood that I have to become a good baker, too. I don’t cook much at school, but whenever I’m home my family tries to teach me how to cook. I guess they’re trying to domesticate me.

New York Jets
January 22, 2013

For the sixth straight year, the New York Jets Flight Crew has sent a cheerleader to join the cheer squad at the NFL Pro Bowl. This year’s Flight Crew representative is Nicole and she has filed her first blog and photo after flying for much of the day Monday from New Jersey to Honolulu:

Aloha, Jets fans!

I arrived in breathtaking Hawaii last night, a far trip from chilly New York, but the scenery here on the island is well worth it.

I was greeted by all of my Pro Bowl sisters when I arrived and I was so excited to find out my roommate is Vanessa with the Arizona Cardinals! We actually met a few weeks ago at a captains’ lunch in NYC the weekend of the Jets-Cardinals game. We are both thrilled to share a room together!

Today we were up bright and early for our team photo shoot, then it’s right to work as we have lots of material to prepare for Sunday’s game.

I am honored to be here representing the Flight Crew cheerleaders, spreading my love and pride for the Jets halfway across the world!

Stay tuned for more updates on my incredible journey. Go Jets!

—Nicole