For some reason, the Powers That Be never post the official photo of the Pro Bowl Cheerleaders online. So every year, it’s a challenge for us to get our hands on it. We usually don’t see it until well after the Pro Bowl is over. Well this year, I’d like to give a major shoutout to Polly, for spotting this photo and sending it our way, before the Pro Bowl has even happened! That’s a new one for us. (Well, except for the year James took matters into his own hands, went to Hawaii, and snapped a few shots during the cheerleaders photo session.) So here you go: something to take a gander at until we get the “official” poster. Here are your 2013 Pro Bowl Cheerleaders.

**UPDATE**Polly sent me an even better version, via Kristina, the Vikings Pro Bowl Cheerleader two years ago. Kristina, I am at this very moment writing your name in my Official Book of Awesome People.

Click image to view full size

Sports Illustrated has posted a collection of NBA dance team photos from the last week. The gallery includes teams from the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and Dallas Mavericks. Click here to check it out!

Tara, a third-year captain, will represent the Broncos Cheerleaders at the 2013 Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
By Sam Davis
DenverBroncos.com
January 21, 2013

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Tara, a third-year captain on the Denver Broncos Cheerleaders, the next two weeks ahead will bring a lot of fun, but also a lot of hard work.

Tara was selected by her teammates and coaches to represent the Broncos at the Pro Bowl. She will join one cheerleader from all 26 NFL cheerleading squads in Hawaii from Jan. 21-28. After that, she’ll travel to Japan to watch the Super Bowl with our troops and visit military bases.

There are combination of qualities that helped her earn those opportunities, most of which are also reasons she has been named a team captain for three years running.

“It’s the person that you think best sums up our team as a whole, that will represent our team as a whole,” Tara said. “Dancing ability, professionalism, leadership, community outreach — anything that you want that person to represent not only to the other 26 Pro Bowl cheerleaders but everyone that’s at the Pro Bowl and in Hawaii.”

It’s the Colorado native’s first trip to Hawaii, but it’s not a vacation. She’ll learn 20 additional routines with the other Pro Bowl cheerleaders to prepare for the game, where they dance during not just the halftime show, but also between quarters and pregame.

“Nothing but dancing my tail off for the first couple of days,” Tara said. “They send us a DVD and we have so much material to learn when we get there. We get there and we meet up with all the women and dance, dance, dance, just put it all together.

Tara added that she is looking forward to dancing in front of a live band, which she has never done before.

When the cheerleaders aren’t dancing, their schedule is jam-packed with other activities – hospital visits, meet-and-greets with fans and radio and television appearances. She is also excited to interact with the other cheerleaders.

“A really neat thing amongst the cheerleaders is we have a calendar exchange,” Tara said. “All 26 teams will bring their calendars and talk about it a little bit. It’s cool because we can learn something about each other’s teams. It’ll be neat to talk to the other representatives, get to know how their calendar shoot went and how they pick women for each month.”

Tara expects the atmosphere at the Pro Bowl to be more laid back compared to Broncos gamedays. The expectations and pressure won’t be a factor in Hawaii, but the team captain will have to do her best to put aside her leadership traits and just worry about having fun.

“I keep telling myself I need to remember that,” Tara said. “I’m such a perfectionist that sometimes I’ll get so concerned with like – what’s going on, why are you not in line? But I’ve promised myself that I’m going to take it all in and just enjoy myself and realize that it’s just fun. We’re all having fun.”

While Tara will enjoy that aspect of the Pro Bowl experience, her competitiveness and pride will shine through.

“That’s one of the things I’m most looking forward to – showing them how the DBC do it,” she said. “We dance with a ton of energy, lots of technique – we always say we slam doors. That’s our slogan. We hit it hard. We’re not soft dancers. We have a ton of energy and you won’t just see us from the first row, you’ll see us dancing from the fifth level, last row. I’m excited for them to see me and be like, ‘Wow, those Broncos are good.’ That’s my goal for myself, to blow them out of the water.”

Hannah Buehler
BuffaloBills.com
January 22, 2013

Warm and sunny Hawaii sounds like a dream right about now, right? For Buffalo Jill’s cheerleader Lisa, it will be.

Lisa will travel to the Pro Bowl in Honolulu to represent the Jills. In her sixth year with the squad, Lisa is a native of Buffalo and has been cheering and dancing since she was four years-old.

Through a rigorous selection process, Lisa was chosen as the Jill’s representative to cheer at the Pro Bowl.

“Every team has their own selection process. In our team, it’s a team vote,” said Lisa. “We nominate five finalists, and audition in front of our teammates and management. We perform a dance that we learned that day and answer a question for the panel.”

Lisa is just one of 32 cheerleaders attending the Pro Bowl, with each team having one representative. She tells buffalobills.com she’s looking forward to meeting her fellow cheerleaders.

“We have been in touch through e-mail and Facebook,” said Lisa. “We are trying to get to know each other a bit before we go because everyone’s traveling by themselves.”

And with the Pro Bowl just a week away, Lisa has not only been busy packing but busy preparing, as she needs to learn 11 dances before she arrives in Honolulu.

“They send us a DVD about a month before, and we have to learn 11 dances before we get there,” said Lisa. “We’re responsible for those dances, and once we get there we practice every day.”

The girls have a packed schedule once landing in Hawaii, and the practicing won’t stop. The cheerleaders will be learning more dances, and be put into final formations. When they aren’t dancing, they’ll be busy with appearances on a daily basis. Lisa is counting down the days until her plane departs for Hawaii.

“I’m looking forward to having a really great time, dancing and representing Buffalo.”

To hear more from Lisa throughout her Pro Bowl experience, check back to buffalobills.com the week of the Pro Bowl.

The Sacramento Kings are moving to Seattle. [Details here]. You know what that means…it’s the end of the road for the Sacramento Kings Dancers. However, it’s an ill wind that blows no good, and Sacramento’s loss is Seattle’s (re)gain. That’s right folks, the Sonics Dancers are back. At least, I assume they’ll be back. So all you Seattle girls keep a lookout for an audition announcement some time this summer.

Individual photos of the 2012-13 Islanders Ice Girls in their new think-outside-the-box pink costumes have been posted online. Click here to see who is on the team!

Check out Sports Illustrated’s photos from the playoffs. The collection includes cheerleaders from Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, andWashington Redskins. Click here to check it out!

By Michelle Nigro
Swampscott Reporter
Wicked Local: Swampscott
January 18, 2013

Swampscott — As the Patriots head further into the playoffs, memories of the excitement of the Super Bowl last January fill my head. The cheerleaders are already starting to prepare, to ensure we’re ready if our team is lucky enough to advance into February.

The past year was a fantastic time to be a Patriots cheerleader. It started at the Super Bowl and continued to provide members of the squad with endless opportunities to travel and be a part of exciting promotional appearances.

Since cheerleading tryouts in March, everything has been labeled with a “last” for me: last calendar trip, last six-hour Saturday practice, last season home opener, last Halloween game, and the list goes on. But about a month ago, the idea of my last season with the Patriots was questioned.

Traditionally, cheerleaders were only allowed to spend three years on the team. But new policies now permit Patriots cheerleaders to stay on for an additional year. The current “third years” —including myself — are grandfathered into the former rules, and we will be able to receive a retirement ring if we choose to retire. But now, we have the ability to tryout…again.

When I heard the news, I was in shock. After a year of counting my blessings during what I thought was my last chance to be a part of such a wonderful organization, I had to once again decide whether or not I wanted to tryout. I weighed the pros and cons of each decision thoughtfully.

I reflected on one of the most memorable experiences I had this year. It didn’t happen on the sidelines of Gillette or even of Lucas Oil Stadium. It didn’t happen in Jamaica or even in Shanghai. It happened at a little restaurant in Gardner, Mass.

Before an appearance at a liquor store, the owner asked me to have lunch with a local Pop Warner cheerleader who had recently lost her mother after having lost her father last year. I met Mariah, an 11-year-old girl who, despite going through a difficult time, was the sweetest girl I have ever met. We were able to eat lunch in a private dinning room, and within five minutes she was showing me her cartwheels and cheering moves, barely able to contain her excitement.

As we ate buffalo chicken pizza — a favorite food for both of us — she told me her dream was to be just like me when she got older. It’s moments like those I realize the true significance the title of a Patriots cheerleader holds, and how very lucky I am to have been given that honor. I’ll miss meeting incredible young ladies like Mariah, and the rest of the people that have touched my heart over the past three years.

One might think it would be crazy not to try out for another year of once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and experiences as a Patriots cheerleader. But the truth is, I have to move on to the next stage of my life; my college degree needs to be dusted off and put to work.

There are also a few little things that I’ve been doing for the past three years that I could live without. For instance, I don’t remember what it’s like to not have to sit in hours of Boston traffic every Tuesday and Thursday on my way to Foxboro. I have a bad habit of always feeling like I’m going to fall asleep during that ride, regardless of how many iced coffees I drink!

I can’t remember how it feels to have a free Saturday in the summer to catch up with friends or catch up on sleep. And because we’re only allowed to miss one practice a year, taking a vacation has been off-limits for me for quite some time.

I’ve also worked my body hard since I made the team. Sometimes I feel as if my legs are going to pop off if I do another kick. I wouldn’t mind being able to take a week off from the gym without feeling guilty, or not having to second-guess eating a cheeseburger the day before a game.

Despite the little annoyances, if I had to go back to sophomore year in college and decide if I wanted to tryout, I would do it all over again. I would probably try even harder, knowing what was in store for the next three years!

I’m overjoyed my last game at Gillette Stadium will be the AFC Championship, and can’t wait to cheer our team to victory!

I have nothing but excitement for the new ladies who make the team this year, and I hope they are all lucky enough to have the experiences I did, especially meeting amazing people like Mariah.

Michelle Nigro is a Swampscott native, a Patriots cheerleader and a freelance reporter for the Swampscott Reporter.

Traczyk shines on Ravens’ sidelines
By Alex Bridges

January 19, 2013

Chris Traczyk may have “the best job in the world” hoisting Baltimore Ravens cheerleaders in the air.

Traczyk, 37, a graduate of Warren County High School, performs on the stunt team for the only franchise in the National Football League with co-ed cheerleaders.

The Ravens play the New England Patriots on Sunday night for another shot at American Football Conference title and the Super Bowl in New Orleans. Traczyk and his fellow cheerleaders plan to gather as they usually do for away games and cheer for the team on Sunday, likely following superstition and tradition by wearing purple socks and shirts.

The group did the same for last week’s game against the Denver Broncos that ended with a “nailbiter” victory.

“I don’t think there was a dry eye on the whole team because we’re just so happy and excited,” Traczyk said.

Traczyk’s parents, Richard Traczyk, a member of the Warren County Board of Supervisors, and Carol, have been his biggest fans in the seven years that he has been a part of the team, which consists of 40 women and 20 men.

More than 300 men and women try out for the group in March, Traczyk said.

“I’m very fortunate and feel very lucky to be part of the organization,” Traczyk said, adding that “it’s very time-consuming, but you take a lot of pride in helping the community.”

Cheerleaders perform off the field and make appearances at hospitals and for nonprofit agencies such as Ronald McDonald Houses as well as at local businesses.

“You try to put a smile on everybody’s face,” Traczyk said. “Of course, we always do our stunts in front of 70,000-plus fans at Ravens home games.

“It’s a real unique experience because each year we do this we get to meet famous people,” Traczyk added.

Cheerleaders don’t perform for the money. Traczyk said he makes $100 per game. The part-time cheering job takes a full-year commitment, though. Tryouts start only a few weeks after the Super Bowl, followed by training and practice that continue throughout the year until the end of the post-season. Cheerleaders practice twice a week for three to four hours, and each session begins with a 3-mile run, according to Traczyk.

“It’s pretty physically challenging and you’ve got to maintain your physical shape, maintain your full-time job and maintain your full-time practice schedule,” Traczyk said. “It’s physically demanding throughout the season and the hardest thing is keeping healthy and make sure you don’t get hurt.”

Traczyk played baseball, basketball and ran track for Warren County schools.

“I can probably say I get more hurt cheerleading by catching girls that are falling out of the sky at 30 feet in the air, get broken fingers, get stitches in the forehead, chipped teeth from an elbow nabbing you,” Traczyk said. “But in the end it’s all worth it. Some of the memories I’ll take with me are just unforgettable.”

The Ravens’ successful season and the fact the team made it far into the playoffs means less time for cheerleaders to recuperate, Traczyk noted.

At the beginning of tryouts, coaches instruct new recruits on what to wear, how to look and evaluate candidates for the cheering team.

He said the best part of his job is “being around all these beautiful ladies.”

Traczyk still gets teased when he tells people he performs as a cheerleader for the Ravens. Teasers often change their tune.

“Then once they see you in appearance with a girl and the girl’s walking around with you and looking all nice, they’re like, ‘Wow, man, you have the greatest job,'” Traczyk said. “I say, ‘Yeah, I could’ve told you.'”

Traczyk sees more to the job than just working with cheerleaders.

“The best thing is you’re on the field,” Traczyk said. “You almost get hit by some of the plays. A couple of times the ball comes out of bounds and you get to catch the ball. Some of the players will come over and almost roll right on top of you and they’re that close you get to hear the banter between the players.”

Traczyk’s entry into cheerleading began while he attended James Madison University. Traczyk recalled that while watching cheerleading practice one day their coach asked if he wanted to try out. After three female cheerleaders begged him, he tried out.

Traczyk’s mother recalled that her son, after graduating from JMU and moving to Baltimore, saw an advertisement for cheerleading tryouts. He made the team and continued to do so each year.

“He’s the one that throws the girls up in the air,” Traczyk’s father said. “What he does is all the tricks and throws them up and builds the pyramids and that sort of stuff.

“It amazes me how he lifts all the girls up over his head — with one arm,” his father added.

But Traczyk, after seven years of hoisting cheerleaders in the air, says his days of taking elbows to the teeth or blows to the head come to an end after this season. Traczyk said he plans to retire from cheerleading this year, making it all the more important to him that the Ravens go to the Super Bowl.

“He keeps saying the girls are getting heavier, but I think he’s just getting older,” Richard Traczyk said.

Chris Traczyk said he plans to retire the same time as veteran linebacker Ray Lewis.

“I’m going out with Ray Lewis,” Traczyk said. “I think that’s the best way to say it. I’m kind a happy about that. … He’s been a huge inspiration on everybody in the city and he does a lot of good and I’m just happy for the guy.”

Cheerleaders Director Tina Galdieri said the team will be sad to see Traczyk leave.

“He’s a great guy,” Galdieri said. “He’s been a great cheerleader.”

Traczyk also serves as a leader and a role model not only to rookie cheerleaders, but also to members on the team for two or three years, Galdieri noted.

“His maturity and his leadership inside the team has been really valuable to me,” Galdieri said.

Traczyk works full time as an information technology specialist for the city of Baltimore and performs as a deejay on the side. He performed on “Purple Friday” as part of the city’s Ravens events downtown that day.

“I’m just kind of tired and it’s taking me a little bit longer to heal,” Traczyk said. “I feel I could go another season or two, so I’m going to try to get an inside position and hopefully they’ll let me do something, possibly in marketing or run the soundboard, something where I’m still involved and see the Ravens play.”

By Nick B. Reid
Seacoastonline.com
January 19, 2013

SEABROOK — Visiting a local gas station Friday, New England Patriots cheerleaders were already getting fans fired up for Sunday’s AFC championship game.

Brittney-Lynne Stanley, a three-year veteran on the squad from Nashua, and Alanna Perry, a rookie from Andover, Mass., met fans, signed autographs, handed out posters, and promoted a New Hampshire lottery deal on Patriots instant tickets at the Seabrook One Stop.

Stanley has been to the playoffs with the Patriots three times and the Super Bowl once, but she said there’s something special about this year.

“As a team, this is my favorite season experience with the team so far,” she said. “The energy of the fans was really up last game, and we’re hoping to get them louder and on their feet this game, too.”

Perry just experienced her first playoff game. She said the fans had “way more energy.”

“Some of them don’t even sit down the whole game,” she said.

The cheerleaders have a lot on the line this week, too, since a Patriots win over the Baltimore Ravens would mean a trip to New Orleans and front-row seats to the biggest sporting event of the year. A loss means their season is over. Stanley said she is hoping to go back to the Super Bowl for a second year in a row.

“It’s amazing. It’s the biggest game of your life,” she said. “It’s the best experience ever and it’s an honor to be down there. The fans are from all over the world — they’re not just Patriots fans — and it’s really cool to see them all and be on the field.”

The playoffs mean the stakes are high, but, like the players, the cheerleaders said they are executing their jobs as they have been all season long, although maybe with a little added pep.

“We’re really superstitious, so we keep our practice habits the same all year round,” Stanley said. “During the game, we keep doing exactly what we’ve been doing all year, just extra dancing and extra cheering to get the fans pumped up.”

Stanley said she is hoping for the same outcome on Sunday as last year, when New England defeated Baltimore in the AFC championship game to earn a trip to the Super Bowl.

“Another rematch,” she said. “It’s the exact same team we played last year at home, so I’m hoping we can do the same thing we did last year and get the win.”