This week’s NFL cheerleader gallery on SportsIllustrated.com features teams from the Bucs (still in creamsicle orange – woohoo!), Colts, Patriots, Eagles, and 49ers. Click here to go to SI.com.
Flames not yet sold on concept
By Vicki Hall
Calgary Herald
November 12, 2009
CALGARY – Cheerleaders in hockey are considered an American phenomenon, like tailgating in football or the singing of Take Me Out to the Ball Game in baseball.
Looking for ways to enhance the experience for the ticket-buying public, the Calgary Flames investigated the idea of a cheer team this fall, even holding an audition for young women with dancing experience.
The NHL franchise retained the services of Dana Murphy, the longtime choreographer for the Calgary Roughnecks Drill Crew, of the National Lacrosse League.
“They just want to take baby steps,” Murphy said Wednesday. “I think it’s more like in-stands, sideline stuff with the goal of getting on the ice eventually.”
A tentative game plan called for the dance team to debut later this month at games for the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. Murphy said it would be a trial run, of sorts, to see how the crowd took to the idea.
But Ken King, president of both the Flames and Hitmen, is not sold on the idea.
“In my view, cheerleaders are not the kind of thing that goes with Canadian hockey,” King said Wednesday. “I think we have a very serious team and a great fan base.”
King said he has not received a proposal from his staff suggesting the creation of a cheer team. His entertainment department is simply exploring all options.
The president would have to sign off for the cheerleaders to perform at Hitmen or Flames games.
“I’ve always said this is a pure hockey market,” King said.
“A pure hockey market by my definition — and I think I coined the phrase, pure hockey market–is respect for the game, understanding of the game and appreciation. It’s about the hockey.
“What I care about is making sure we have the best hockey product on the ice.”
The Flames raised some eyebrows back in 2003 by unveiling the Fire and Ice Girls, who sweep snow with shovels during stoppages in play. The girls–all of them fit and extremely attractive–wear skimpy outfits that display bare midriffs.
The Fire and Ice Girls also help with in-house promotions and contests at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
But the idea of a dance team takes the concept to a new level.
About 25 young women between the ages of 18 and 26 attended the September audition, with the vast majority of them having formal dance training.
Murphy has studied dance–including ballet, jazz and hip-hop– since she was a little girl. Upon graduation from high school, she joined the Calgary Stampeders Outriders cheerleading team.
From there, she helped found the Drill Crew more than eight years ago.
“They’re as important to us as the team itself,” said general manager Brad Banister. “They’re just so involved with charity and the entire Calgary community.”
The Drill Crew professional dance team is comprised of 16 to 18 female dancers that perform at all Roughnecks home games.
“We have our own fan base,” Murphy said. “We’re part of the entertainment.”
Murphy is extremely dedicated to her craft, and she sincerely hopes old-school hockey fans can keep an open mind about what may seem a novel concept.
“Obviously it’s a new thing,” she said, “but promoting healthy, talented girls is not going to be the end of the world.”
New headshots (click here) and uniform shots (click here) are now online for the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders. The photos aren’t labeled with the girls’ names, but Hopefully that will update the page with that information.
New photos, bios, and wallpapers are now online. Click here to learn more about the women on the team.
Yahoo News
Nov 9, 2009
Football fans at this year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will have the opportunity to cheer on their favorites when the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on active duty soldiers in Iraq via webcam in a “Guitar Hero” Challenge, courtesy of Armed Forces Insurance (www.afi.org) and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The battle will take place at the AFI booth in the Bowl’s Armed Forces Adventure Area from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on December 30.
Leavenworth, Kan. (Vocus) — Football fans at this year’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will have the opportunity to cheer on their favorites when the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on active duty soldiers in Iraq via webcam in a “Guitar Hero” Challenge, courtesy of Armed Forces Insurance (www.afi.org) and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. The battle will take place at the AFI booth in the Bowl’s Armed Forces Adventure Area from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on December 30.
“More than 10,000 fans are expected to attend the Adventure Area, so we plan on a spirited crowd to watch the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders take on the soldiers through cyberspace,” said Tom Dials, chairman of AFI. “It’s a great opportunity to let our troops know we support them while having some fun in the process.”
Families of competing soldiers will have reserved seating in the booth to view the competition. Donations will be accepted at the booth and used to create and send care packages to men and women serving overseas in active military duty through Give 2 The Troops, a nonprofit organization. In addition, fans also will have the opportunity to win prizes by competing in Guitar Hero contests, which will be ongoing in the AFI booth all weekend.
This is the second year AFI has served as the title partner for the Armed Forces Adventure Area, a festival designed specifically to celebrate military service. In addition to the Guitar Hero Challenge, the Adventure Area will feature booths from military branches and other corporate partners, along with military equipment and hardware on display. The festival is free of charge and will be located outside the main entrances of the Amon G. Carter stadium the day before the Bowl (December 30) from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. and on game day, December 31, from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. The Guitar Hero Challenge will be administered by Pro vs. GI Joe, a nonprofit organization that provides troops serving all over the world with opportunities to take on professional athletes or celebrities in heated head-to-head video game competitions—both online and in person.
About Armed Forces Insurance
AFI was founded in 1887 by military leaders with a single mission: to protect the people who protect our nation. The company provides premium quality, competitively-priced property and casualty insurance to military professionals throughout the United States and overseas. Headquartered in Leavenworth, Kansas, AFI understands that military members have unique circumstances and insurance needs, enabling the company to offer a level of personalized service that’s unequaled in the industry. For more information, visit the Web site at afi.org or call 1-800-495-8234.
About the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl
The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, owned and operated by ESPN Regional Television (ERT), will be televised live from Amon G. Carter Stadium on Thursday, December 31, at 11:00 a.m. (CST) on ESPN. The Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl will feature schools from Conference USA and the Mountain West Conference.
Ticket prices for the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl are $50 for sideline seats, $40 for upper deck seats and $20 for end-zone tickets. Military veterans receive half off any $50 or $40 seat and active-duty personnel get in free via the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl corporate military ticket underwriting program. A portion of local ticket sales will go to designated military charities. Tickets for this year’s game can be obtained by calling the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl office at 817-810-0012, or by going to the Web site for more information at www.ArmedForcesBowl.com.
This is completely unrelated, but you have got to check this out. It’s an electric guitar t-shirt. It’s a shirt, with a guitar on the front, and you can actually play the guitar. How freakin’ cool is that? Check it out on ThinkGeek.com.
Rock ‘n roll!
I’d like to send a shout-out to all you peeps – especially Julian, Gwennyth, Brian who sent me notes on where to find more photos from the Bucs Cheerleaders trip back in time. Please – enjoy them with me, will you?
Just between you and me, I actually did a little dance when I saw these photos. Granted, there are no headbands, legwarmers, or other obvious indicators of retrofabulousity. However, these new outfits do meet perhaps THE most important requirement for throwback brilliance. No vintage outfit can be truly retro fab without at least one “what’s up with that??” moment. Something that makes you cock your head to the side, squint, and lean a little bit closer to the monitor. The orange thingies on the sleeves, the orange thingies on the boots, the giant poms, the head scarves – it just works. TBBC Director Sandy Charboneau was clearly inspired by the spirit of the times.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Facebook
Bucs. Vintage. Uh mah gawd. They didn’t wear the buccaneer hats, but this is almost as good. I have GOT to find more pictures of this. Off I go to scour the internet for details. (Photo from NFL.com)
The folks at Sports Illustrated have fired up the dance team gallery for the 2009-10 NBA season. They’re starting it off this year with the Mavs Dancers. Click here to see the photos.
The Blue Crew, the ice crew for the NHL Atlanta Thrashers recently completed their team photo shoot. There were lots of costume changes involved. The team was photographed in their game day uniforms, of course, but they also wore hockey pads, swimsuits, holiday dresses, and snow bunny outfits. (Not all at the same time, of course. Although that would’ve been interesting, and maybe they should consider it next year.)
These videos take you behind the scenes. Day 1 and Day 2
When it comes to the Saintsations, oh how I wish there was more to be found online. There is a lot of vintage gold to be found in their history. If only we had more photographic evidence. I know it’s out there!
However, what we lack in photography, is made up for (in a small way) by videography. Especially since there is line dancing involved. And headbands. And legwarmers. And feathers. And sequins. And fringe. Honestly, I couldn’t ask for anything more.
