Just 4 days after the Jills Open Practice, I was back in Orchard Park for yet another Open Practice. This time, it was the Bills hosting 4500 fans inside the stadium for an open mini-camp practice. In Buffalo, tailgating is a pretty big deal and an open mini-camp practice was a perfect opportunity for fans to break out the grills and treat it like a game-day. I was no different as I had a small group with me tailgating for the 1st time since the end of the 2009 season. Some fans, however, got in line as soon as they got there while we ate and drank until the gates opened and the line died down.
Tailgating wasn't the only way in which this resembled a game day as members of the Buffalo Jills were on hand. In all, 22 dancers from the Jills were there to greet fans as they came in through Gates 2 and 3 and they posed for photos and signed autographs for the fans coming in. While my buddies went on ahead, I hung back to get a lot of great photos of the ladies before it was time for them to head in.
Michelle and Jackie
Omarlla and Jill
Jaclyn, Amanda, Morgan, and Stacy with a little fan
Natalie and Loren with some young fans
Just before the practice session got started, the Jills and I each headed in, with them heading down to the field and me heading to the stands to catch up with my buddies. The Jills spent a good portion of the early part of the practice taking it all in just like the fans, only with a much closer view of the action. They posed for photos from time to time as the practice approached its midway point upon which the Bills went to the sidelines for a breather and the Jills headed out to midfield to perform for the fans. Judging by the reactions of the fans, all the hard work they had put in in the 2 months since making the squad was well-worth it.
Group photo
See all the pics at https://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/2149
From the Bandettes comes a photo from the January game vs the Minnesota Swarm taken during the 1st quarter. Shown are three lovely ladies who, sadly, won't be returning to the squad in 2016. Shown dancing from left to right are Brittany, Chrissy, and Melanie.
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