A Day In The Life Of A Phoenix Suns Dancer

For the past several years, the Phoenix Suns have held a preseason game in the city of Indian Wells, California, which is just a stone’s throw from Palm Springs.  One interesting aspect of this game is that it is played in the outdoors at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, better known as the home of the BNP Paribas Open.  So, I was interested in covering this event since it would be played in a unique setting and would feature the Phoenix Suns Dancers, one of the hottest dance teams in the NBA.

Kari Herrick, the Manager of the Suns Dancers, allowed me exclusive access to the squad as they prepared for their Indian Wells visit.  In this article, we will give our readers a glimpse into all that is involved in preparing for game day from the perspective of a Suns Dancer.  What is it all like?  Long hours, hard work and being an ambassador of the organization from the moment you arrive.  So, please enjoy our article on a day in the life of a Suns Dancer.

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Chargers Shock the Cardinals

Last week I was in Arizona to see the Cardinals play the visiting Raiders, where the red birds survived a last second field goal attempt by Oakland to preserve the victory.  This week, the Cardinals flew into San Diego to play the Chargers in a game that had long term significance for both teams. But from the get go, only one team proved to be a serious contender for post season honors.

The Chargers thoroughly dominated the Cardinals, exposing their lack of a strong running game and an NFL caliber quarterback.  For the Chargers, the return of running back Ryan Matthews from injury and the reemergence of a dominating defense offered a glimpse of what this team can be when healthy and playing with fire.

The Chargers scored first on a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to tight end Antonio Gates.  The Cardinals evened the score on a fumble recovery that was returned for a touchdown by safety Kerry Rhodes.  But that would prove to be the highlight of the day for the visitors from Arizona as the Chargers would score three consecutive first half touchdowns to essentially put the game out of reach.  The Chargers shocked the Cardinals, 41 – 10.

In another shocking development, I was not hassled for a second consecutive game so I was able to get some electrifying photographs of the Charger Girls, the hottest dance team in the NFL.

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Road Trip: An Arizona Overnighter

I like visiting Arizona.  The drive from Los Angeles is relaxing and not too long.  The people are nice.  The venues and professional sports teams are more fan friendly (e.g. camera policy).  And the cheerleaders are hot.  It makes for a nice overnight trip.

My good friend Max, our Arizona Correspondent, invited me out to catch the Raiders game.  Now, I was out at UOP Stadium in April to cover the 2010 Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders auditions and I was in awe at the facility.  It’s an amazing venue and I wanted to see what it was like when packed with cheering fans, so I quickly accepted Max’s generous offer.

When the Raiders come to town, it’s always a bit of a freak show with all the bizarrely dressed Raiders fans. It makes for a great photo and Max ventured among them to take a few shots of these colorful individuals.  I used to be a Raiders season ticket holder, so it was nothing new for me.  As Max worked the crowd, I went in early to try to avoid heat stroke.  It was very hot and I was not accustomed to such blazing and intense heat. It reminded me of that scene in The Chronicles of Riddick, where Vin Diesel’s character is trying to escape the intense solar storms on the prison planet Crematoria.  Arizona in the summer time is an inferno without the flames.  But they have a cool new stadium that’s a must see.

As I entered the stadium, I was immediately hit with a rush of chilled air.  It was quite refreshing and my senses were overloaded with the sights and sounds of all the fans in attendance.  Visually speaking, UOP Stadium is brilliant.  The outer facade with its metallic silver skin resembles a coiled snake.  And the inside seating areas and inner concourse are well designed for functionality and aesthetics.  It’s a beautiful stadium inside and out.

But when the game started, one design issue became apparent.  The acoustics were terrible.  Perhaps that was due to all the raucous noise the Raiders and Cardinal fans were making as their team’s fortunes ebb and flowed.  It was as loud as I have ever heard at a sporting event.  As for the game, it was surprisingly suspenseful, a back and forth affair right until the very end.  Raider kicker Sebastian Janikowski missed his third field goal of the day to seal the win for the Cardinals, 24 – 23.

And for those people interested, I was able to snap a few photographs of the beautiful Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders.  Like UOP Stadium, the ACC are a must see too.

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Let me say that even indoors with air conditioning blasting on full, it seemed a tad warm.  Perhaps it was just me suffering the lingering effects of the heat, but I think it can get quite warm inside, especially with all those rabid Raider and Cardinal fans cheering their team.  I must say that the sight lines in the stadium are great and aside from the hardcore fans standing up all game long, you can get a decent view of the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders because there doesn’t seem to be as many people (photographers, sound men, game officials, and NFL types) along the sidelines.  So, I was fortunate to get the type of photographs that I like….clean backgrounds.

So, let’s begin our coverage of the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders by introducing my Cheerleader of the Day, Amanda.

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Odysseus and the Charger Girls

If you have read my previous article, you may remember my odyssey in trying to take some meaningful photographs of my beloved Charger Girls.  You see, the Chargers changed their camera policy this year to a much more restrictive policy, but failed to inform the ticket buying public of these changes.   Thus began a series of events, which would be worthy of a Greek comedy.

Now, I am a law and order type of guy.  I believe in complying with the rules and regulations.  I am not anti-authoritarian by any means and I don’t believe it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.  I want to abide by the rules.  But the problem was, how can one comply with the current rules and regulations when they are not published anywhere, when the organization (The Chargers) publishes conflicting and out of date information.

That was the Catch-22 circumstance that I faced the last two preseason games (you can read more about it here).  After a lengthy discussion with the manager of guest services, my legitimate question of what constitutes acceptable photographic equipment in some small part forced the organization to revise and publish online a new set of guidelines, just in time for the first home game.

Well, now that a more descriptive policy was defined and let known to the public, I purchased some new equipment to comply with the new policy, which I must say is amongst the most restrictive and anti-fan friendly in the NFL.

In a letter of complaint to Dean Spanos, the President of the Chargers, I reminded him of a Los Angeles Times article which noted that the average attendance to NFL games was down for a third consecutive year and that a few NFL clubs, such as the Dallas Cowboys, were actively trying to create a more fan friendly environment to increase attendance in a down market.  I guess high ticket prices and consumer acceptance of HD televisions is cutting into the bottom line of NFL teams.

Now, that makes sense…that is to try to make a fan’s experience at an NFL game more enjoyable…perhaps in the hopes that fans will let other people know of their enjoyable experience so that that excitement might generate even more interest in attending a game.  Gee, you think sharing photos of your game day experience with family and friends might be a good idea?

There is a lesson to be learned for NFL team owners and that is, if you make it less enjoyable for ticket buying fans to come to your venue, less people will come out and spend money in support of your team.  In a down economy, the Chargers should be reaching out to fans to ask them what they want in an experience that entices them to support the team with their dollars.  If I was the Spanos family, I would be asking my season ticket holders what value can we add, so that I, as a fan, renew my season tickets and encourage others to buy.  Going to an NFL game is a luxury, not a necessity.

And if my point is falling of deaf ears, the Chargers failed to sell out Qualcomm stadium for first time in years and the game was blacked out locally.  There were thousands of empty seats, but those in attendance were very loud as the Chargers mauled the Jacksonville Jaguars,  38 – 13.

So, where did my odyssey take me?  I bought some new equipment to be in compliance with the Chargers new restrictive, non-fan friendly policy.  I am an experienced photographer and I can adjust to the changing dynamic to get the goods.  It just makes it more difficult and more time consuming to get the same type of results.  There’s always a little learning curve with new equipment and I had to replace my old CRT monitor, so the color balance of these images is still in a work in progress as I try to calibrate my new LCD monitor.

So with new camera equipment in hand, let me introduce you to the 2010 Charger Girls, one of the more compelling reasons to attend a Chargers game.

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As is customary, let’s begin our coverage with the Line Captains: Michelle, Katie, Giselle, and Ashlie.

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This week’s Charger Girl of the Day has always been a very remarkable Charger Girl.  A former NBA cheerleader and a striking Marilyn Monroe look alike, this week’s GGOTD is Katie, a two year veteran and first year Line Captain.

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The Charger Girls and the American Way of Life

I have been going to NFL games since the mid 1980’s and I have seen many changes since 9/11 that have made it increasingly difficult to take photographs at such events.  Since then, many venues do not allow fans to bring in certain types of camera equipment, mainly “professional” cameras or lenses.  Whether it is for security reasons or for image control reasons, it is often left up to individuals, often lower paid contracted security people, to define what is “professional” or not.  In truth, this is an arbitrary term and as any first year law student would tell you not sufficiently descriptive to be understandable.  The real impact of such vague definitions is that some people, people like me, are arbitrarily subject to increased scrutiny and action whereas others people in similar circumstances are left unfettered.

Why am I discussing this matter as opposed to subjecting you to my usual game day drivel?  Well, the past two weeks I have been asked to stop taking photographs of the beautiful Charger Girls because there is an issue with the camera equipment that I have been using for the past several years.  And I have been a season ticket holder since 1999 and have been taking photographs for all that time.  My specific equipment may have changed over time, as I have upgraded, but it is essentially a DSLR and a long telephoto lens.

To their credit, the Chargers organization has had a very generous policy with respect to photographic equipment, that is digital and video photography is allowed provided it is for noncommercial use.  But apparently this year, the policy has been amended to say that long or large lenses are not allowed.  I have no real issue with their right to impose such restrictions, since it is their prerogative.  The issue I have is that this new policy was not communicated to the season ticket holders in the A-Z fan guide provided, nor was it published anywhere on line.  I only discovered this new policy when the security people stopped me from using my gear during the first quarter.

Okay, I am a law and order type of guy and though disappointed, I complied.  And this is where my dilemma comes in.  I asked, for future reference, if my lens was unacceptably large or long, then what is an acceptable length so that I could be in compliance for next time.  He couldn’t tell me.  All he knew is that he thought my lens was too long…and in all fairness it is a long telephoto lens.  And in fairness to me, I would not have brought it in if I knew that it was, in a change from years past, too long because all I want to do is to photograph the absolutely fabulous 2010 Charger Girls.

Upon his recommendation, I went to Guest Services at halftime to seek clarification so that I will be able to continue to photograph the absolutely fabulous 2010 Charger Girls in the future.  Now, the two points I raised were valid and perhaps was the reason why the very nice and understanding Guest Services people granted me permission to continue to use my gear for this game.  Here are my two points: 1) if there was a new policy or amended policy, why is it that the fans weren’t made aware of it because I was not the only one with a DSLR and long lens at the game.  And 2), so that I could be in compliance for next time, what is an acceptable length of lens that fans could bring in?  Well, to that second point, there is no specific or definable answer, as of yet.

Other stadiums restrict, if they do so at all, lenses to be of a certain focal length.  200mm is common, if any restriction exists.  Or they restrict lenses by length in inches.  No longer than 8 inches is common, if any restriction exists.  Some venues are more restrictive.  Some venues, like at Qualcomm stadium until this year, have no such restrictions.

Now why am I bring up this up here?  There is no reason other that as a long time season ticket holder, I want to be able to comply with their restrictions and be able to photograph the absolutely fabulous 2010 Charger Girls in the future…ostensibly with the same equipment that I have been using for years, but that might not be possible.  And I am certain that the Chargers organization will find some acceptable middle ground where my interests can coexist with theirs.

No.  The real reason why I am discussing this matter is the larger issue of personal freedoms in the post 9/11 era.  In this security conscious day and age, we have lost so many of our personal freedoms, little freedoms like taking photographs in certain public places or accepting increased scrutiny and security screening when entering places such as an NFL game.  Certainly most of these sacrifices are reasonable and necessary to ensure our overall security.  As a law and order Republican, I sympathize with the most ardent Progressive who passionately defends his rights to exercise his personal freedoms without unnecessary governmental interference.

This little incident, while impacting only me and only in a small way, though a very personal way…made me think about all that we have lost since 9/11.  We have lost our innocence.  We have lost our sense of safety and security in era of modern anti-American terrorism.  And we have lost many of our personal freedoms as a consequence of this new reality.

I am not suggesting that we eliminate all the restrictions in what we can bring into a stadium.  But what I am suggesting is that we not lose the essence of what made America the greatest country on this earth.  The freedom to do what we want to do, when we want to do it.  This a founding principle of the American way of life.  I expect my little issue to be discussed amongst the powers that be within the Chargers management and clarification to be reached.  It may even be a league issue because in the digital era, image control issues are a hot button topic and protecting your rights is a concern.

What I am suggesting is that to the powers that be is to take a stance for the fan and allow a few more personal freedoms to be reinserted in this game day environment.  Let the old policy stand.  Do not take the easy road and take a hard line stance against “professional” cameras and lenses.  Let people like me to continue to enjoy taking photographs of the Charger Girls and photographs of our game day experience, so we can share them with our families and friends.  So, we can share the joy of going to an NFL game with those who may not be so fortunate.

So, let us be bold and take a stand for more personal freedom and take a stand for the American way of life…the way it used to be before 9/11.

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And now let us return to our regularly scheduled programming….THE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS CHARGER GIRLS!

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Undeniably California Girls – Introducing the 2010 Charger Girls

Football season is upon us once again and the Chicago Bears were in town to play the San Diego Chargers in the first preseason game for both teams.  When the Chicago Bears come to town, thousands of Bears fans usually make the trip to San Diego.  So, there was a nice crowd on hand to enjoy the mild California weather and get their first look at football.

Preseason is where coaches and fans get to evaluate the new players and see what they have to offer.  Now if you’ve read this blog, you know how I feel about preseason NFL football.  Hint: it’s a rip off and the caliber of football sucks.  So for me, preseason is where I get a chance to evaluate the latest crop of Charger Girls and get to size up the rookies.  And let me say this to all Charger Girl fans…these girls are amazing and are worth the price of admission alone!  This is a hot looking squad and I was very impressed with rookies and veterans alike.

With all due respect to Katy Perry, introducing the 2010 Charger Girls.  California Girls, each and every one of them.

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So let’s begin with the 2010 Line Captains: Tiffany, Katie, Giselle and Ashlie.

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Let me apologize in advance if I incorrectly identify any of the Charger Girls.  The audition photos online are not very good and after their makeovers a few girls look vastly different from their squad photo from which I got their names.

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A couple of years ago, I started a new tradition called the Charger Girl of the Day.  It was my way of identifying that Charger Girl who left the most memorable impression.  This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is Kylie.

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Greetings From Sunny San Diego!

Why I love living in Southern California…80 degree weather in the middle of winter. While other parts of the country were feeling a little bit chilly and a little bit snowy, it was perfect weather for some football. It was warm. It was sunny. And the Redskins were in town to play the Chargers in a game that meant absolutely nothing to both of them. The Chargers had wrapped up the AFC West and a first round playoff bye. And the Redskins already wrapped up a high pick in the 2010 NFL draft. Needless to say, the football was…not good.

Now, I know what Indianapolis Colts fans feel like in late December. After storming out to a 13 point lead early in the second quarter, the Chargers pulled their starters and seemed content to play their second team the rest of the way. Against the Redskins first string, the Chargers scrubs gave up two touchdowns and the lead at halftime. When the Charger’s first string left the field, so did all semblance of NFL quality football.

The second half wasn’t much better as both teams struggled to move the ball. However, the Redskins, still playing their first string, were able to score two field goals to the Chargers one. To this football fan, it seemed like the players were going through the motions, just waiting for the game to end. How bad was it? Charger defensive players weren’t tackling, so much as grabbing and stopping forward progress. It was so bad I thought they were playing two-hand touch football. No lie. I saw a Charger defensive back gently shove Santana Moss out of bounds. Perhaps he didn’t want to break a finger nail…because Lee Press On Nails are expensive, eh?

Well, the only bit of excitement came with four minutes left in the game, when Billy Volek, the Chargers’ second string quarterback, threw a touch down pass to fullback Mike Tolbert for the come from behind, game winner…the eleventh win in a row. Other than that…the football sucked. And I paid $90 bucks for this. As the guys on ESPN Monday Night Countdown would say…Come on, Man!

The football was bad, but the Charger Girls were good!

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Okay, let’s start off this week’s parade of Charger Girls with the Line Captains…Marisa, Tonya, Ashlie and Marlina.

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This week’s Charger Girl of the Day is a rookie from South Pasadena, California…Introducing Emily.

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Okay, let’s start off our parade of ab fab Charger Girls with some veterans, Ashley, Brittany W., Carly N., Casie, and Giselle.

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And let’s continue our coverage with veterans Heather, Jacquelyn, Michelle, Nicole L., Nicole M. and Vanesa.

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We had a very large group of rookie Charger Girls this year. Here’s Andrea, Belinda (who I think was a bit under the weather), Brittany R., Carly S., and Emily.

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And let’s continue with rookies Katie, Kimberly, Lauren, Melanie, Natalie, Tiffany and Victoria.

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And before I forget, Kylette was down in my section again. She was there supporting the Charger Girls along with Brittany W’s mom, who I think was taking pictures of Brittany W.

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I tried to convince Kylette to try out for the 2010 squad, but I am not sure I was successful. She must be enjoying her retirement too much. If she doesn’t try out next year, I’ve got a spare seat she can use to cheer on that squad…it’s the best seat in the house for watching the Charger Girls.

And while on the subject of the 2010 squad, as I was getting a Charger Girl calendar signed for Max, our Arizona Correspondent, I discovered that Nicole L. is retiring this year. That’s too bad because she is one of my favorite Charger Girls to photograph.

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I hope she changes her mind and comes back again for one more year. And I am sure there will be a few others hanging up the pom poms after the season. I know being a Charger Girl is time consuming and something that can only be done while young and relatively free of the responsibilities that burden us as we get older.

This is the last game of the season for me. The playoffs are a bit too expensive for my budget, so I want to take this opportunity to thank the Charger Girls for a wonderful year. I have enjoyed covering them for this blog and would like to encourage all of them to try out again. But, if some don’t, I hope they have fond memories to last them a lifetime…once a Charger Girl, always a Charger Girl.

See you next season, Charger Girl fans.

For more Charger Girl articles and photos, please check out my blog: The Hottest Dance Team In The NFL.

Chargers Grab A Tiger By The Tail

In a titanic battle of division leaders, the AFC North leading Cincinnati Bengals came to town to play the AFC West leading San Diego Chargers. The weather was a balmy 73 degrees, perfect Southern California winter weather. The crowd was pumped. The Charger Girls were hot. And the game was…exciting!

The Chargers scored first on a three yard touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates, but the Bengals would score the next ten points before the Chargers responded with a Rivers to Vincent Jackson TD pass. It was like that all game long, back and forth. And when the Bengals tied the score on a Shayne Graham field goal with less than a minute left in regulation, most everyone in attendance thought that the game would go into overtime. We were wrong.

Philip Rivers calmly drove the Chargers down the field to the Bengal’s 34-yard line in 51 seconds to set up the game winning field goal, a 52-yarder by Nate Kaeding. Chargers win, 27 – 24.

And the most amazing site of all? At the game’s end, the last minute of the Raiders vs Broncos game was shown on the jumbotron. With the Raiders holding on to a slim, one point lead and the Broncos on offense, Charger fans were cheering the Raiders on to victory! And when the time expired, a loud roar was heard inside Qualcomm stadium. Charger fans were celebrating a Raider’s win, one that gave the AFC West Title to the Chargers. Strange times, indeed!

Well, perhaps that was the second most amazing site of the day. Here’s the first.

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Yes Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus…because the Charger Girls were wearing their blue velvet Christmas uniforms! And here’s Marisa, Tonya, Ashlie and Marlina, Line Captains one and all.

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And season’s greetings to this week’s Charger Girl of the Day…Jacquelyn.

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This is Jacquelyn’s second CGOTD award this season. In truth, there were many candidates to choose from this week, Melanie, Marlina, Heather, Lauren, Giselle, Ashley and Nicole M., but this photo of Jacquelyn was the best of the day…okay, it was my favorite photo of the day. It’s the hair…guys dig big, sexy hair.

Now, let’s us turn our attention to the rest of the Charger Girls, a veritable holiday feast for the eyes. And this week, I am going to introduce the Charger Girls in squad order…assuming my memory holds true. If not, I am sure Max, our sometimes Arizona Correspondent will correct me.  He was out west enjoying the Charger Girl goodness for a third time this year,

Here’s Marisa’s line: Victoria, Nicole M., Brittany W., Carly S., Michelle and Natalie.

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And let’s take a look at Tonya’s line: Brittany R., Vanesa, Andrea, Kimberly Emily and Ashley.

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Next up is Ashlie’s line: Carly N., Casie, Nicole L., Belinda, Heather and Tiffany.

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And finally, Marlina’s line: Katie, Lauren, Jacquelyn, Melanie and Giselle.

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It’s not often I get to show a group photo of the Charger Girls performing on the field, mainly because there are so many people on the sidelines that it’s virtually impossible to get a clean, unobstructed shot. But here’s one showing the Charger Girls in their holiday best.

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And L.T. stopped by after the game to pay his respects. Dude, save something for next week because with a win, we get a first round playoff bye.

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It was a game for the ages, a titanic struggle between two top teams in the AFC. Mourning the death of teammate Chris Henry, the Bengals came to play. The Chargers had a tiger by the tail and it took a last second field goal to avoid getting bit by the Bengals. But with the win, the Chargers became the…

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Happy Holidays, Charger Girl fans!

For more Charger Girl photos and articles, check out my blog: The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.

Chargers Scalp The Chiefs

Ten years ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were the power in the AFC West with three division titles, seven playoff appearances and one appearance in the AFC championship game.  They were coached by Marty Schottenheimer and featured future Hall of Fame players like Neil Smith and Derrick Thomas.  They played a tough nosed, winning brand of football.

The 2009 Chiefs are not those guys.  On Sunday, the new-age Kansas City Chiefs rolled into Qualcomm stadium and were thoroughly manhandled by the reigning AFC West Champion Chargers.  Two touchdown passes thrown by Philip Rivers and two rushing touchdowns by LaDainian Tomlinson were two touchdowns more than needed to put away the Chiefs.  The Chargers scalped the Chiefs, 43 – 14.

I will tell you that the game was so one sided at one point, my side of the field was clear of photographers and TV crews because the action never got out of the Chiefs end of the field for most of the second quarter.  That’s good because it makes it easier for me to get clean, unobstructed views of the Charger Girls…and you know I absolutely hate anything that gets in the way of me, my camera and my Charger Girls!

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As is custom, let us start this week’s coverage by introducing the Line Captains, Marisa, Tonya, Ashlie, Marlina.

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This week’s Charger Girl of the Day was rocking the big, sexy hair…introducing Carly S.

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Okay, some of our readers may know I went to UCLA and this past Saturday, my Bruins played our crosstown rivals, the USC Trojans…and we lost…again.  So, in honor of the Trojans beating my lowly Bruins, here’s my tribute to Troy…former USC Song Girls Nicole M. and Jacquelyn…two of the nicest Charger Girls you’ll ever meet.

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And now, let us begin our parade of absolutely fabulous Charger Girls with a few photos of Natalie, Melanie, Giselle, Andrea, Michelle Carly N. and Vanesa.

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And we continue our coverage with Victoria, Ashley, Belinda, Heather, Lauren, Katie, Tiffany, and Nicole L.

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And let’s close this week with a few photos of Brittany R., Brittany W., Emily, Kimberly, Casie, Ashlie, and Tonya.

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The Chiefs game used to be one of the biggest games of the year, but recently it has lost some of it’s luster.  A football team’s fortunes have a way of rising and falling.  And in the AFC West, teams seems to cycle through periods of dominance…the Raiders, then the Chiefs, then the Broncos and now it’s the Chargers turn.  If there’s one thing about AFC West football, teams don’t stay down for very long.  The Chiefs time will come, but not just now.

Well that’s all for a while.  The next game for me will be Dec. 20 which will feature, I hear, the Charger Girls in their blue velvet Christmas uniforms!

Happy Holidays, Charger Girl fans.

For more Charger Girl articles and photos, please check out my blog: The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.

Chargers Fly Like An Eagle

Last Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles flew into town to play the resurgent Chargers.  They must have suffered from jet lag because when the game mattered, Philly’s finest kicked four field goals in response to the Chargers scoring four touchdowns.  Reports of LaDainian Tomlinson’s demise proved to be premature, as the former league MVP gashed the Eagles for 96 yards and two touchdowns.  Donovan McNabb threw for 450 yards and two late touchdowns, but that was not enough to catch the Chargers who defeated the Eagles, 31 – 23.

With the win, the Chargers move into a first place tie for the AFC West with the fading Denver Broncos.  As for the Eagles, the loss drops them into a second place tie with the New York Giants in the ultra competitive NFC East.

Well, I must say that Eagle fans really support their team as thousands of green jersey clad fans descended upon the aging confines of Qualcomm stadium to cheer on their team.  As if I needed any help, I was reminded that the word “eagles” is spelled, E-A-G-L-E-S!!!  Yes, I applaud their feisty spirit.  Now, let us turn our attention to some Chargers spirit.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

Nothing beats California Girls, even if some of them are transplants from Montana, Missouri, Ohio, and Texas.  Oh well, I digress.  Well, let’s start off this week’s coverage with the Line Captains: Marisa, Tonya, Ashlie, and Marlina.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

And let me introduce this week’s Charger Girl of the Day…Line Captain Marisa.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

Qualcomm Stadium was packed and a rousing crowd of Eagles and Chargers fans made this game feel like the playoffs.  It must have been quite an exhilarating experience for first year Charger Girls, Andrea, Belinda, Brittany R., Emily, and Tiffany.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

When it was time to get the crowd fired up, veteran Charger Girls Ashley, Brittany W., Carly N., Giselle, Heather, and Vanesa led the way.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

And here are a few photos of Casie, Jacquelyn, Nicole M., Kimberly, Tiffany, Natalie, and Victoria to round out our coverage of the Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

© 2009 David Tyau

And here’s a photo of the Charger Girls performing their second quarter break dance routine.

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Also spotted on the sidelines was former Charger Girl Ashley W., who was one of the Charger Girl coordinators this week.   As readers may know, she and her mom are the primary reasons why I am a contributor to this blog.  You can read more about her here.

© 2009 David Tyau

I hope the Eagles fans enjoyed their trip out west.  The weather was nice, San Diego’s beaches were inviting, and California Girls…incomparable.  And by the way, its spelled C-H-A-R-G-E-R-S!!!

To see more Charger Girl photos, please visit my blog, The Hottest Dance Team in the NFL.