Tag: Miami Dolphins

Posted on

(Former Pats Cheerleader) and Local Bride and Groom Duke it out for Wedding on ‘Today Show’s’ Tab

By Jill Harmacinski
The Eagle-Tribune

Deeply in love, hometown sweethearts Alyssa Manzi and Gary Ritter are definitely getting married. But where and when is a question the nation will now answer for them.

Finalists in the “Today Show Throws a Wedding” competition, the North Andover High School graduates just might be the lucky winners of an all expenses paid wedding and honeymoon. If they win, that means their wedding date moves from October to sometime during the week of July 15.

alyssapats2

While wedding planning is often considered time-consuming and stressful, the public would do all the heavy lifting for them, voting on everything from their wedding attire, attendants’ clothes, venue and flowers to the cake and honeymoon destination.

“Everything is really up in the air right now,” said the jubilant mother of the groom, Roseann Ritter, a retired Lawrence school teacher who now lives at Salisbury Beach. “America has to vote.”

Manzi, 30, a public relations executive, and Ritter, 27, an energy sales analyst, were originally among 100 couples selected for the 10th annual “Today Show” wedding contest. Hurdling a series of fun challenges, the couple made it to the final four and voting starts tomorrow morning on www.TodayShow.com for the winning bride and groom.

Already its been quite a journey for a man and woman who grew up similarly but were strangers for decades. Manzi and Ritter both attended the same high school; she graduated in 1997 and Gary got his diploma in 2000. They also both attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst but had never met until three years ago when they were introduced by Alyssa’s cousin. The rest is history, Roseann Ritter said.

alyssapats1

Manzi, a former New England Patriots Cheerleader, is “just as nice as she is pretty. They are really a handsome couple together,” she said.

She is the daughter of state police Trooper Albert Manzi and his wife, Kathy, who live in North Andover.

Alyssa and Gary got engaged during a visit to St. Thomas. After shopping for the perfect ring, Gary previously had his mother hide the three-diamond sparkler in her attic until their trip.

“He shopped for weeks for the ring. He really got into it,” Roseann said.

After arriving at the Marriott resort on the Caribbean island, Gary asked Alyssa to marry him.

“He proposed right on the beach in St. Thomas,” his mom said. “It’s a cute little story.”

The lovebirds entered the “Today Show” contest by submitting a homemade video, which included a song they composed together. When they made the top 10, a “Today Show” crew came to Boston and filmed the couple on a date at the Boston Common with the swan boats, Roseann said.

Now Boston residents, the couple this week traveled to the “Today Show” studio at Rockefeller Plaza, New York City, to meet the other finalists.

“I think it’s been a very nice experience for them, even if it doesn’t materialize. It’s been a great adventure. And I suppose they’ll develop some nice friendships, too,” Roseann said.

If they don’t make the final cut, Manzi and Ritter will be married on Oct. 15, at St. Michael Church in North Andover. A reception of family and friends will follow at the Lanam Club in Andover.

Update: A reader informs us that Alyssa also cheered for the Miami Dolphins during the 2002-03 season.

Posted on

Former Dolphins Cheerleader on Exploring Africa

mireyadolphins
Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor, has a new television series — part history documentary, part reality show. Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone, an eight-part series starting May 31 on the History Channel, is Mr. Burnett’s latest foray into the wilderness. The series sends a team of high-energy, frequently fractious, quasi-professional explorers on a trip to recreate Stanley’s 1871 journey to find Livingstone, the lost titan of African exploration.

One of the four explorers is former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader, Dr. Mireya Mayor, who earned her PhD in Anthropology.

“I gave up my pompons and walked off to go to Guyana,” Ms. Mayor said. “The other cheerleaders said, ‘You’re going to leave all this and chase monkeys without hot showers and hair dryers?’ ”

Expedition Africa: Stanley and Livingstone premieres Sunday, May 31 at 10pm/9C on the History Channel.

[Dr. Mireya Mayor at HistoryChannel.com]

[Mireya Mayor Bio]

[NYT Review]

Posted on

Interview with former Dolphins Cheerleader Ashley White

ashley-white

SP-IR-IT We’ve got SPIRIT!
By Falconschick
Chicks In the Huddle

Addition by subtraction…that’s what coaches call it when they add to their arsenal (either roster wise or staff-wise) by recruiting from their enemies. *strokes non-existent beard* Hmm so if it works for coaches…can it work for fans as well? Here I have former star member of the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders from the 2008 season, Ashley White. Ashley is a former University of Miami Hurricanes Cheerleader, and former anchor for WPLG (Miami’s ABC affiliate). However, Ashley is a Georgia native (and has returned to Atlanta), so you can already guess where I’m headed with this right? Thats right, Falcons Chick is about to woo Ashley into trading in the teal and orange for red and black…or die trying.ash

Falcons Chick: So Ashley, what exactly is the duty of an NFL cheerleader, I mean aside from the sideline dances?

Ash: The duty of an NFL cheerleader goes beyond simply dancing for their team on the sidelines. We’re the players number one fans! Aside from being required to attend every practice and game, we’re required to do a minimum number of appearances, talk to news media, teach junior training camps and let’s not forget we each are either employed full time or attend school full time.

Falcons Chick: Did you already know a lot about football before you started cheering for MDC or were u cheering and learning as you went along?

Ash: No, I knew almost everything there was to know about football. Growing up in Georgia football is a must-love sport. My father and brothers watched college ball every Saturday and NFL games every Sunday. You really didn’t have a choice but to learn and love the game of football. As I got older I grew to appreciate it more, especially since I cheered for the University of Miami and then in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins!

Falcons Chick: Now that you’re back here in Atlanta, who exactly will you be cheering for on September 13th (The Falcons season opener against the Miami Dolphins at 1pm in Atlanta)?

Ash: My hometown team has always been the Atlanta Falcons but I have grown to love the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins still hold the first and only Perfect Season! Not only was I an MDC (Miami Dolphins Cheerleader) but watching them play every Sunday for the past couple of years I fell in love with the organization. I’m so much more than a fan… I am looking forward to wearing my orange and teal proud!!! My friends may give me a hard time but I’m still gonna shine in my MDC apparel!

Falcons Chick: *going for it* So when can we expect to see you hang up that MDC uniform and pull on a Falcons one, or is that against some kind of unwritten NFL cheer code?

Ash: It’s definitely not against any unwritten code…I have cheered with girls who came from and left for other NFL teams. But, I couldn’t cheer for any other NFL team. I think I would always compare the two squads, not even intentionally. I will always be a Miami Dolphins Cheerleader. The epitome of NFL cheerleading is the Miami Dolphins, forever and always!

Falcons Chick: Who is your favorite Atlanta Falcon?

Ash: My favorite Atlanta Falcon Player …Matt Ryan! The greatest rookie quarterback in NFL history!!! I think he brings so much to the table and being back in Atlanta I’m anxious to see him lead the Falcons to even more wins! Plus, he’s such a cutie!!

Falcons Chick: Who really needs sun and sand, and the ocean…aren’t you happy to be back in Atlanta?

Ash: Absolutely!! I’m glad to finally be home after living five years in the Magic City! I miss a lot about Miami. Mainly, my fellow MDC’s. We spend nine months out of the year together during each season, about four days a week and anywhere between 9-15 hours a week. In addition to being together a lot for practices and appearances, we all hang out together outside of Dolphins! We become family. And for me, they’re my Miami family! I really miss them but being back home tops that!

Falcons Chick: What is your feeling on the Pink Jersey? (You know…the jersey NFL apparel geniuses have deemed ‘for women’?)

Ash: To be honest, I hate the pink jersey’s. When someone sports pink it doesn’t let anyone know who you’re actually rooting for unless you get close enough to see the white writing and logo. Why not wear your teams actual colors? When I look up into the stands from the sidelines I want your jersey to scream orange and teal (*ahem* or Red and Black) … not that your favorite color is pink!

Falcons Chick: When (not if) the Falcons go to the Super-Bowl, which is held in Miami next year, can I expect to see you in Red and Black?

Ash: Only if my beloved Miami Dolphins aren’t playing against them will I wear Red and Black! The Dolphins were the AFC East division winners this past season after coming back from finishing as the NFL’s worst team in 2007 so I have high hopes for the Dolphins and of course would love to see them play in Miami at the Superbowl! (We’ll see about this *evil laugh*)

Thanks to Ashley for the interview, I definitely look forward to the game September 13th, May the girl with the cutest shoes’ team win.

Posted on

Pats Tour Diary

NFL Navy Tour Journal
Patriots.com
2/24/09

Read our journal sharing the experience the Patriots Cheerleaders recently had while traveling overseas to visit our U. S. military troops who are stationed in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Africa.

View Photos from the tour >>

Hey everyone, Brittany here! I am so excited to share with you the experience the Patriots Cheerleaders recently had while traveling overseas to visit our U. S. military troops who are stationed in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Africa.

The excitement started in early January, when Angela L., Danielle, Jillian, Julia and I were notified by Coach Tracy that we had been selected to take part in an overseas tour with the Navy. We couldn’t wait to see the world, as it was a first-time military tour experience for all five of us.

Jan 27th & 28th, 2009
Packed and ready to roll, we met at Logan airport late Tuesday evening. We said our goodbyes to family and friends, and skillfully reorganized our suitcases to meet the 50-pound bag requirement at the check-in counter. Boy did our carry-on bags get heavy! After what seemed like days, we arrived in Amsterdam to meet up with the second half of our crew; five NFL players and their escort, Dave. We spent a few minutes introducing ourselves to Dave, Noah, Adam, Nick and Tyrone. “The players” or “guys” as we often referred to them, all came from different teams throughout the NFL. At the time of first meeting, I don’t think any of us could have anticipated that these strangers from rival teams would soon become a part of what morphed into an awesome family of NFL representatives. Our group, now doubled in size, boarded the next plane to Bahrain. We were unsure what exactly the next 10 days had in store for us, but were eager to find out.

Jan 29th, 2009
The first two days of traveling seemed a blur as we awoke in a Bahrain hotel room ready to start the adventure on Thursday morning. Our first trip was a journey by helicopter into the Persian Gulf onto a ship called the USS Carter Hall. For most of us, this was our first time traveling in a “helo.” All strapped in, I was initially a little frightened. But after we were off ground, it was really beautiful to see the Arabic Sea, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from the air.

Once landed on the Carter Hall, we were greeted cheerfully by the crew and took part in a guided tour around the ship. With our cameras out, we clicked away hundreds of pictures as we learned all about the jobs of the sailors on board. We learned that the Carter Hall is called an “Amphibian” ship because it functions both on land and in water. One of the most priceless moments of the night came when Tracy decided to transform from cheerleading coach into a barber, and skillfully gave one of the crew members a sharp “edge up.” We all thought he looked fabulous and Tracy now has a retirement plan from NEPC!

Jan 30th, 2009
Friday morning we awoke to the cheerful sounds of Danielle and Noah over the loud speakers on the morning announcements. With Michael Jackson playing in the background, they offered up the daily trivia question: “The more you take, the more you leave behind.” What could it be? Think about it…. (If you give up, you can find the answer at the end of this blog). And just for a hint, the answer is something that we had to take a lot of while on board the ships. What a workout!

After exploring more of the ships separate departments, we went up on deck to watch one of the special mission crew’s simulate a mission. The sailors and marines scaled the side of the ship, with guns on their backs, on a ladder that lowered them into a smaller boat in the water below. The mission: investigate a suspicious boat nearby. Could it be pirates? Well, this time it was just for practice but these guys are no joke! Go Navy!

After lunch, we said our goodbyes to the Carter Hall and departed via helicopter to our next destination, the USS Nitze. Onboard the Nitze, we were taken to “the bridge,” where we took turns steering the ship! We made our way around the ship and introduced ourselves to the crew. One of the coolest rooms, the command center, looked like a big arcade filled with video games. Obviously, they weren’t games, but rather surveillance mechanisms aimed at keeping the ship safe. We learned that unlike the Carter Hall, the Nitze is a “Destroyer” ship, mainly used for combat.

At dinner, we split up as some ate among the crew in the mess deck, and others with the “XO” or Executive Officer. I must admit, food time was one of the best parts of each day! Every meal we had the opportunity to sit down with the sailors and soldiers on board and learn about their lives, their families and ask the famous question “when do you get to go home?” Despite a little wave of seasickness here and there, we all managed to have a nice evening. We signed autographs and took pictures with our new friends. Best of all, it ended with an ice cream social to honor some members of the crew and to celebrate January birthdays. Yummy! Sleeping was somewhat a challenge, since the bunks were piled three high and allowed minimal room to move! I still can’t figure out how the big NFL guys even fit!

Jan 31st, 2009
Before our departure the next day, we toured the Nitze some more. Again, snapped a hundreds of pictures and said our goodbyes to the awesome crew. Where to next? Back to Bahrain for the night, but not before we had a slight detour to Kuwait. In order to make a transfer from helicopter to a C-130 plane, we were dropped off on an airport runway for about an hour as it became dark outside. We attempted to pass the time away and calm our nerves by playing a little game led by Julia called “would you rather.” She was very creative in her examples and one of my favorites was, “would you rather have velcro facial features or a transparent torso?” Tough one…but you’ll have to decide. Even better, we had a HUGE rice crispy treat that had been given to Tracy onboard the Nitze that was passed around for all to share. Needless to say, we survived!

Feb 1st, 2009
After a good night’s sleep at the hotel, we were ready to head out to the biggest ship yet, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. In our days prior, we had heard so much about this ship and could not wait to perform our first show on what everyone calls the “Big Stick.” This trip, we flew in a COD plane (Carrier Onboard Delivery) and actually got to land on the aircraft carrier! The running joke is that COD actually stands for “Crash on Deck.” It actually felt like a rollercoaster ride, a huge rush! When we got off the COD, the CO (Commanding Officer), XO and tons of the other crew members were there to welcome us. After a delicious lunch and the best chocolate chip cookies ever, we geared back up and headed out to the flight deck. There, we were able to get up close and personal to watch some flight operations take place. Literally, the planes were landing and taking off the ship right in front of our faces! We could feel the heat of the engines and were practically blown over by the wind and smoke.

The rest of the day was just as exciting, as we toured this amazing ship and met the crew. At one point, we all took part in what’s called a daily FOD walkdown (foreign object detection). This is where the crew walks the entire length of the flight deck looking for any objects or material that may damage the plane’s engine if it were to get sucked in. We were pro’s at this walk since the cheerleaders take part in a similar exercise at the end of each practice when we pick up the stray pom-pom pieces off of our practice field!

As the evening approached, we began to anticipate our 1st show! We relaxed for a bit by watching the beautiful sunset and we even saw dolphins and flying fish soaring through the waves. It was quite a sight to see. After dinner, we prepared for our big show in the hangar bay. About 2,500 of the shipmates attended our show and eagerly took part in the audience participation. We had a blast! After the show, we signed autographs and took pictures until well after midnight. Since the Super Bowl didn’t air live until 3:15 a.m. there, we made it our personal mission to stay awake and watch!

Feb 2nd, 2009
After an almost all-nighter (45 min of sleep max) we rallied along to the next day. The crew guided us in a tour of the divisions we had yet to see. It was unbelievable to learn about all of the tasks that take place each day on the TR. When it was time to go, we met back in the Captain’s quarters to say our goodbyes, sign autographs and take part in a special presentation by the TR crew. In addition to being presented with some more awesome coins, the CO presented us all with a Tailhook certificate, to certify that we had successfully participated in a COD wire catch and catapult launch (impending at the time). We are all proud to proclaim ourselves as honorary NEPC Tailhookers!

With that said, let me next describe to you the experience of the catapult launch. Well, truthfully it can’t really be explained so you are just going to have to imagine what it may feel like to go from zero to nearly 140 miles p/hr in less than 3 seconds! Yikes! Back to Bahrain we went, our “home away from home.” After a relaxing night, we were refreshed to head off to our next destination- Djibouti, AFRICA!

Feb 3rd, 2009
The flight to Djibouti was long, approximately 5 hours. As we flew, many of us took turns visiting the cockpit and some of us even attempted to fly the plane! Talk about turbulence! We embarked on Africa with our heads glued against the windows to view the sights from above. On the base, we toured around mostly in an air-conditioned bus since it was so hot outside! Later that evening, we hosted show number two at a recreation club on base called “11 Degrees North.” Again, the troops were pumped to take part in the act and definitely helped us perform a great show for their peers!

Feb 4th, 2009
In the morning, we had fun touring the helicopters and playing with big guns (unloaded of course)! The girls even took part in a friendly game of basketball and hacky sac with some of the soldiers. After lunch, we geared up in our newly purchased military garb and were back off to Bahrain. This time the flight was a bit longer and we took a C-130 cargo plane. We made it into Bahrain by 9 p.m. and spent the rest of the night relaxing on the town with a nice group dinner. Reality was starting to set in that our trip was almost over. Looking around the dinner table, it was an incredible feeling to realize the amazing friendships we had developed with our group and the many people we met along this journey so far.

Feb 5th, 2009
Although Bahrain had been our “home base” for the last 10 days, we had yet to explore outside the local hotel area. Today, that would change! We woke up early and headed out to see a bit of the city. Our first stop was at the Mosque, the largest one in Bahrain! In order to enter this place of worship, we had to dress in traditional Islamic attire with robes and scarves. We were guided around the Mosque and learned a lot about Islam. It was beautiful! After that, we ventured over to the market place known as the Souq, or Souk. Here, there were tons of stores selling everything from gold to singing stuffed camels. We all spent the next few hours getting our shop on! Later on, we went back to the hotel for a quick change and were off to the Bahrain military base. On the base, we felt as if we were on a college campus. It was a cool place. We walked around for a bit and met the CO, while recruiting people to come watch our show. Around 5:00 p.m. we performed our final show of the tour. It was a great way to end a great trip!

Our adventure came to a quick end back at the hotel when we sadly saw off the players and Dave the escort. As they continued on to Greece, we packed up our things to head back home to Boston. During our travels, many of the troops thanked us for taking the time to come and visit them. Our response to them was honest; it was to them that we owed thanks. This trip allowed each of us to gain a much better understanding of the work our troops are doing overseas to protect us all here at home. I think I speak on behalf of all of us Patriots here in New England and around the world, when I say “Thank You” once again to the true Patriots who are out there fighting for our country. This tour was truly a life-changing experience for us all and we can’t wait to go back!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about our travels and if you’re still stuck on the trivia question, the answer is………………………….. “STEPS!”

Cheers & Go PATS!
Brittany

Posted on

Raiderette Travel Diary: Japan

Raiderette Cole’s Visit to Japan
February 24, 2009
Raiders.com

* Video interview with Raiderette Cole *

Recently, veteran Raiderette Cole had the opportunity, along with seven other NFL cheerleaders, to visit Japan and work with NFL Japan on several initiatives and awareness campaigns with regard to NFL football. Cole took time out to chronicle her experiences. Also, Raiders.com’s Jeanette Thompson had a chance to sit down with Cole for a one-on-one video interview upon Cole’s return from Japan.

By Raiderette Cole

This is my very first time traveling to Japan, and I am so honored to be representing the NFL, and the Oakland Raiders on this tour. Thank you for inviting me to share my experience with the Raider Nation.

I met with all the team representatives that will be participating in the tour, and Maria Giannini, the director of E2k entertainment production company, at San Francisco International Airport. The ladies I went on tour with included Lauren – San Francisco 49ers; Lindsay – New England Patriots; Melanie – Seattle Seahawks; Fabiola – Miami Dolphins; Kazuyo – NY Jets; Marisa – San Diego Chargers; and Lauren – Philadelphia Eagles. Lauren, from the Eagles however, arrived later than the rest of us due to the playoffs.

I was very fortunate to sit next to such a great couple on my flight over to Japan. Americans Mary and Mark have lived in Japan for over 25 years. They were so generous to share details about the Japanese culture. They explained the currency, or the “yen” rather. I’ve never seen such a more beautiful currency than the Yen.

The 13-hour flight flew by because I was in such great company. We deplaned, hopped on a charter bus and headed to our hotel, The New Otani, which is gorgeous! We checked into our rooms and walked to a nearby local restaurant to eat our first Japanese-style meal. We had to take off our shoes to enter, and they gave us lockers to store our things. Kazuio, with the Jets, is originally from Tokyo, Japan. So she is very familiar with the area and more importantly she was able to communicate for all of us because she speaks fluent Japanese. We are all so grateful she is here because she is teaching us so much. We couldn’t have asked for better hands-on education. We have such a busy agenda coming up, so we went back to our rooms to get some sleep.

Day 1:
We all met at the top of The New Otani Tower for breakfast, and a kick off meeting with the team from NFL Japan. We learned, in more detail, about what is to be expected of us on this trip and the messages they really want us to communicate to gain a larger fan base here in Japan. Basically our mission was to communicate in our interviews key points about NFL football as if we were explaining the sport to someone for the very first time. We are introducing the sport and motivating them to tune in [to NFL football].

After our meeting we went straight to the studio and got to work. I led the team through a group stretch and then we practiced three sideline routines together. We had already learned the material via DVD prior to our departure. So when we got together it was basically cleaning the routines, formations, and just learning to dance together, as we all come from different teams, with different styles. Everyone was so professional, and prepared that practice went by quickly. We broke for lunch and then traveled by subway into the city where we were able to explore and sightsee a bit. When we returned to the hotel Lauren from the Eagles had arrived. She was my roommate for the remainder of the trip. We all went to Trader Vics for dinner, and quickly got ready for our first performance together. “Sporto” is the highest rated sports program on Fuji TV. It was a LIVE appearance, and it airs at midnight, which seems late for the most popular sports show, and is really late for us because we are still adjusting to the time difference, and have jet lag. However we managed to put on a great show, which consisted of one dance performance to Christina Aguilera’s “Keeps getting Better,” and an interview session with us as a group. We got back to the hotel around 1:00 a.m. to get some sleep.

Day 2:
Up at 6:30 a.m., and at 8 a.m. we had a quick group breakfast at the hotel then we got on our official NFL Japan Tour bus. We headed to the “Star Maker Studios” in Shiba, for a photo shoot. This was an extra special shoot because we were all posing in our team identified uniforms together for our “Team Photo Card.” This photo card will be used to sign autographs, and is given to the fans at our appearances.

Immediately after the shoot we went back to the hotel to practice. From practice we went to the Yokota Air Base. At this appearance we had to perform our solo introduction, all three sideline dance routines, and a trivia session with the audience. Each cheerleader made up two questions to ask the audience, one question was to be a difficult question, and the second to be easy. My difficult trivia question was a historical one, what is the name of the first Raider player ever to be inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame? Answer, my favorite, Jim Otto. My easy trivia question was who is the owner of The Oakland Raiders? Answer, Al Davis, of course (too easy). We then followed up this event with an autograph session and photo session. Then we went back to the hotel to change and we went to Zen in Roppongi for an amazing sushi dinner.

Day 3:
022409 Cole performs with NFL cheerleadersUp at 6 a.m., 8 a.m. group breakfast at the New Otani, immediately followed by a dance rehearsal for about an hour. Then we loaded up our tour bus and headed to Venus Fort, Odaiba for the event I have been looking forward to most, The NFL Cheer Challenge 2009. This event was such a special event because the Japanese dance teams were to compete, and we were to judge the competition. Over 200 fans showed up for this event. The competition consisted of teams with ages that range from 4 to 19. The performances were amazing, high energy, and great choreography, and technique. I especially enjoyed the younger girls, they were so cute, and we all were so impressed with how they managed to retain all the material for their dance routines. There were two awards given out, and the competition was fierce. We then performed with Q and A session and interview to follow.

Then we walked back to Fuji TV for “Mezamashi,” another TV appearance, this a morning show. We were all interviewed regarding our experience in Japan, our experience as NFL cheerleaders, and of course the Super Bowl. From there we went NTV which stands for Nittelle Television. NTV is the #1 watch network in Japan. The program we were on is “Urugusa” which is the #1 sports program in Japan, and we performed again LIVE at midnight. On this show we performed “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga, followed by an interview. This was a long, fun and productive day.

Day 4:
022409 Cole performs on Japanese TVOur first event was a viewing party at a western-style restaurant, where we mingled with the 100 plus fans that showed, signed autographs on our photo cards, and met with the executives for Coors Light Japan. This event ended with follow up interview for a behind-the-scenes segment they will be using for NFL Japan.com.

After this event we freshened up and went to Dentsu, Japan’s #1 Advertising Agency. This was not on our original Itinerary, this was an added special meeting because of all our exposure, the Dentsu executives invited us for a round-table meeting, Very intense. We introduced ourselves, answered questions regarding our respective teams, the Super Bowl, and our experience in Japan. This was a very exciting meeting, intense, but exciting because Dentsu is a very powerful company and can give NFL Japan top exposure.

After our meeting we walked to NTV studios for another LIVE performance on “Real Time.” Then we went to the TV shooting of “NFL Club.” We filmed this segment on location at “Ukaitei” restaurant. The setting was a traditional Japanese-style dinning and featured real authentic Japanese cuisine. We were to eat and enjoy the meal that is prepared for us, as we are being interviewed as guests on the show. Rather unusual setting, however delicious and fun. Nachi Abe joined us as a surprise guest. He is an ex-NFL football player with experience with NFL Europa and is now in broadcasting in Japan.

Then we went back to NTV studios for our usual midnight LIVE appearance but this time on “News Zero.” Were we a featured on the sports corner of the program. We performed our solo routines, followed by interviews. Then we went right back to the hotel to rest a bit before our next appearance.

Day 5:
022409 Cole and cheerleaders gets ready for video shootUp at 4:00 a.m., call time 5 a.m. We headed back to NTV studios for an early morning show called “Zoom-In Super.” This show is equal to “Good Morning America” in the United States.

IT WAS FREEZING! They had us perform outside. They gave us huge down jackets and coffee to stay warm. We took our coats off literally seconds before our performance. Immediately after our performances the hosts of the show interviewed us as we shivered in our uniforms. At least I have sleeves, if you watch the clip Fabiola from Miami is shivering uncontrollably. We then wrapped up the show, joining the hosts say their famous catch phrase, “Zoom-In”

We went back to the hotel to rest for a bit, because we only had three hours sleep the night before. After resting we jumped on our tour bus, with our NFL entourage and went to Asakusa, Harajuku for some sightseeing and shopping on the Takeshita Dori street. This is where we were able to get our friends, family, and teammates souvenir gifts. We visited the Temple, and were blessed by the smoke with health, wealth and happiness.

Later that day we arrived in Shibuya for a quick dance rehearsal, and changed for our next performance, which was actually my favorite performance of our tour. This event was called “The NFL Night Special.” This was a talk show/ performance/ Super Bowl trivia/ Live event. The venue had a nightclub feel with great lighting, and was sold out with a capacity of 200. We performed all three dance routines. We had a Q and A segment. Then the award-winning dancers form the Cheer Challenge performed. We did a raffle drawing for prizes (team autographed footballs and t-shirts). Then we had our challenge, The Super Bowl Trivia Challenge. Audience members were selected at random to form a team and they were to compete with us! It was a close match. However they won by only one point, they were very knowledgeable. We ended this event with a photo session. After the event we shot a quick commercial teaser for “Sporto Ladies Day.” Then we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe Tokyo, for well-deserved American-style burgers!

Day 6:
022409 Cole in JapanUp at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m. group breakfast. It was starting to sink in that our trip was coming to an end. We all started to get a little sad because this was our final day, and final performance. We got on our tour bus and went to J-POP cafe in Shibuya. The TV shooting for NHK’s “Best Sports” show. We performed one final dance routine, to “Keeps Getting Better,” which was so fitting because we had all gotten better, and each of us had grown so much from this experience. From traveling to Japan, to celebrating our NFL, to sharing what we are a part of in our individual organizations, and celebrating our communities. It made me feel so proud to be an NFL cheerleader, and justified my role as a role model within our community and as an ambassador for our organization.

That evening we had a farewell dinner at the famous restaurant Nobo. NFL Japan presented us with a very special necklace which I found to be so generous and thoughtful. If there is one thing I could expose to you all about the Japanese culture, it is that the people are so polite, kind, and generous. We went out that evening and explored the night club scene in Tokyo. Interestingly enough, they all play American music!

Day 7:
We said our goodbye’s to the NFL Japan crew, which took such great care of us. We exchanged email addresses and contact information with all the members of the tour, and I slept the entire plane ride home.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Oakland Raiders, Karen Kovac, Maria Giannini, E2k entertainment, Jiro San, NFL Japan, and the NFL for this opportunity. I feel so blessed to be able to live out my dream of being an NFL cheerleader. This is an experience I will cherish because it validated my purpose in this great sport we are all so passionate about, and my contribution as an ambassador for our organization.

Many Cheers!
Cole