Jills lawsuit settled after almost 8 years

 A couple of days ago, the news broke that the lawsuit filed on behalf of individual Jills cheerleaders against their handlers was finally settled.

https://wyrk.com/buffalo-bills-lawsuit/?fbclid=IwAR0yI3q4D81-rgBBXBwhyTKlbUa61aMacwTbXS5uwdrxbP_q_Hyu1A3tDPc

While the article was correct in some of the basics, it does make several errors as well. For one, Miss Ferrari wasn't a part of the original April 2014 lawsuit. She filed later and the cases were merged. Also, while Caitlin's lawsuit was focused on the money aspect, the original lawsuit filed by the original 5 Jills alums focused just as much on the mistreatment they said they received at the hands of the Jills director.

https://www.insideradio.com/free/cumulus-will-pay-4-million-to-settle-suit-brought-by-former-buffalo-bills-cheerleaders/article_6c67262c-9aba-11ec-9189-a3bffbd32096.html

While I don't claim to be a journalist, the errors are a mark of irresponsible journalism and the article only furthers the ire that some alums have against the ladies who brought forth the lawsuit when they share a similar goal....to return the Jills to the sidelines of Bills games under fair and safe conditions.

What does the settlement mean for the future of the Jills? Maybe everything and maybe nothing. I do know this, though. About a year after the lawsuit went public and the squad was shut down, I was told by someone who I used to sit near at Bills games that Kim Pegula had told a reporter friend of his off the record that she wanted the Jills back. Now, whether that source was accurate and whether she still feels that way remains to be seen but hope springs eternal.

Buffalo Jills alumni bring back the Shout Dance

The Bills are in the AFC Championship Game tomorrow and while they still lack an important part of the team, the Jills, the Buffalo Jills alumni haven't been standing idly by. As long time fans know, after every Bills score, the Jills did a dance routine and while new dances were taught and learned every year, the Shout Dance stayed true to form.

Jennifer Mobilia of WHEC talked to Lisa (2007-13) and posted this story

https://www.whec.com/sports/buffalo-jills-alumni-bring-back-the-shout-dance/5987095/?fbclid=IwAR1YG9YOMp3A7urYODwZ6wEq8bwpoInyTJoei2N1Oc511bMYCiKEG_bJzx8

A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem

5 years ago, a rash of lawsuits came out involving cheerleaders suing NFL Teams for wage theft, illegal employment practices and discrimination. In almost every case, the suits were settled without any work stoppages but that wasn't the case in regards to the Buffalo Jills. Why things were different for them was due mostly to the fact that they weren't run by the NFL team they represented. The other lawsuits had one defendant...the teams the cheerleaders represented. The Raiderettes sued the Raiders, the Flight Crew sued the Jets, and so on. Most casual observers don't realize that the Jills had been contracted out since the 80s...Mighty Taco, Salvatore's, a travel agency, Citadel Radio, and finally Stejon Productions, a company formed in 2012 expressly to run the Jills. The Jills lawsuit has 4 defendants named...the Bills because they are the team the Jills have represented, the NFL because Commissioner Roger Goodell's signature is on the contracts that each Jills signed when joining the squad, Citadel Radio, which ran the squad from 2000-2011, and Stejon Productions, which took control of the Jills in 2012 when the Bills radio rights switched from Cumulus Media (which had taken over Citadel in 2011) to Entercom Communications.
Something else that doesn't seem to be widely known is that the Bills did not shut down the Jills. What happened is that when the allegations of mistreatment came to light when the lawsuit went public, the Bills took back an offer of $30,000 to help ensure the Jills would finally get paid for their services on gamedays. Other sponsors followed suit and when no one else could be found quickly to take their places, Stejon Productions shut down Jills operations.
Sometime later, filmmaker Yu Gu started work on a documentary on the lawsuits and the underlying issues that brought them about. Her work finally came to fruition recently when the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. I've yet to see the film myself so I can't write a review but I can share a few links about the film, including a review and a podcast about the film.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ex-nfl-cheerleaders-speak-out-against-sexism-and-abuse-we-deserve-to-be-respected
https://variety.com/2019/film/festivals/a-womans-work-the-nfls-cheerleader-problem-review-1203202499/#respond
http://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2019/04/special-report.html?&m=1
Personally, I've tried to stay neutral on the lawsuit as I know former Jills on all sides of the issue...the ladies who were part of the original 5-Jill lawsuit, some of the 74 who joined in the class action suit, some who support the goals of the suit but not the suit itself and some who are opposed to all of it. Unfortunately there's been a lot of vitriol sent towards the girls who sued because things were different for them than for the girls who sued.

I do have 2 things that need to be said, however.

1 is that no one wanted to shut down the Jills, not the girls who sued and not the person who made the decision to do so.

The other is that no 2 girls deal with identical situation to. Rules changed from year to year and no 2 girls were treated exactly alike...that part is human nature. I know that I my 7 years working closely with the squad, I treated everyone fairly but I'd be lying if I treated everyone exactly the same. I knew some better than I knew others whether it be because they were around longer or they treated me differently than others did.

As to the future of the Jills and how quickly they can finally return, it's hard to say. The lawsuits will have to be settled and then there's the issue of Stejon Productions. After the rash of lawsuits, the San Francisco 49ers, who had also contracted out their cheerleaders, the Gold Rush, did away with that arrangement. Even though they had no issues, they didn't want to risk an outside company abusing their cheerleaders the way Stejon was accused of doing to the Jills. Once the suits are settled, the question about running the squad will remain. The Pegulas would be insane to contract them out again but are their issues in the contract with Stejon that would make it tough to run the squad themselves?

'The NFL's Cheerleader Problem' and the Buffalo Jills: What happened?

NEW YORK – Maria Pinzone stepped onto a red carpet at the Tribeca Film Festival and posed for a smattering of photographers. Frame it a certain way and this seems glamorous, which can also be said of her former job: NFL cheerleader.
Pinzone was a Buffalo Jill for one year. She spent the 2012 Buffalo Bills season dancing on the sidelines just yards away from muscled, multimillion-dollar, head-smashing football players. Much like a paparazzi-lined red carpet, that can seem glamorous, too.
Read the rest at https://buffalonews.com/2019/06/12/the-nfls-cheerleader-problem-and-the-buffalo-jills-what-happened/

Buffalo Jills Alumni are Alive and (still) Kicking

It’s been a while since we heard anything about the Buffalo Jills. Would you agree? That’s why, when a former Jills’ cheerleader by the name of Sue Dougherty reached out to tell us about her ongoing passion for the former cheer squad, I was all ears. Dougherty, it turns out, is a member of the Buffalo Jill’s Alumni Association – an outfit that has hundreds of members. Today, Dougherty is the event coordinator for the group, and is on the hook for arranging the various charitable outings.
Read more at https://www.buffalorising.com/2019/05/buffalo-jills-alumni-are-alive-and-still-kicking/

Updates in the NFL Cheerleading world

The last few weeks, the heat has been turned up in the fight to ensure that NFL Cheerleaders are given the respect they deserve. A Saints cheerleader was kicked off the Saintsations for posting a lingerie photo on Instagram and members of the Washington Redskins cheerleaders allege that they were subject to very disturbing treatment on an unpaid week-long trip to Costa Rica including the temporary confiscation of their passports while they were there, acting as escorts for male sponsors at nightclub events, and topless photo shoots to name a few.
Regarding what happened with the Saintsations, there are certain rules in place to protect the cheerleaders but at the same time, as someone who used to work closely with 2 professional cheerleading squads, sometimes the rules can seem a bit heavy-handed. This young lady's account was a personal private account not accessible by non-followers and unless she was identifying herself as a professional cheerleader on that account, this might be a case of heavy-handedness. One of the rules that some feel may be excessive is about posting photos in team gear, identifying themselves publicly as professional cheerleaders. There is a very solid reason for that in the form of stalkers. This is a very real danger and it's not like pro cheerleaders generally have the resources to hire security firms to protect them. NFL players do, however. Even before I worked closely with the Jills, I was keeping an eye out to ensure last names weren't getting published online and corresponding regularly with the Jills director in the case of any issues in that regard.
The anti-fraternization policy that exists across the NFL seems a bit one-sided in my opinion. Cheerleaders aren't to have personal relationships of any type with players but players aren't penalized for pursuing cheerleaders at all. That's something that needs to change, IMO. There are sexual harassment guidelines in every workplace and there should be those same guidelines applied to professional athletes as well. In the majority of workplaces, sexual harassment complaints can cause suspensions and terminations. While it's doubtful that an NFL team will cut a player for hitting on a cheerleader, suspensions and fines would be reasonable for a player who doesn't take it to extremes. Obviously if anyone, even a player, gets carried away, criminal charges could and should be filed.
In regards to what has happened in Washington, and Costa Rica, other Redskins cheerleaders have claimed none of that ever happened. Here's the problem with their claim...in no way, shape, or form do all cheerleaders go through all the same experiences as everyone else on their squad, whether they cheered together or not. Much was made of the "jiggle test" that was brought up in the Buffalo Jills lawsuit and a Jills cheerleader who had been on the squad from 2007-2009 said that they never went through that type of test. Rules change and what may have been the norm in 2009 might not have been in 2012. I recall when I first started working closely with the Jills and remarked about how much turnover there had been since the year before. To that, the director mentioned that the nice thing about having a lot of turnover is the lack of an uproar over rules changes.
Regarding the actual claims from the Redskins cheerleaders, they are disturbing to say the least. Confiscating their passports seems to serve no purpose other than to exert extra control over them and the toplessness serves no purpose at all. If there are photos to be taken for the calendar that will be topless, but showing nothing, the security should be strict around the shoot and obviously it has to be something that the cheerleader is completely at ease with. That means no one should be getting access to the shoot who isn't integral to the shoot. I don't care how much a sponsor is donating. In regards to being forced to escort men to nightclubs, I have to say I'm disgusted by the very idea.
With the Jills, the only escorting type stuff I'm aware of was on the golf course and while there were complaints brought up in the lawsuit, I personally never saw any issues. Groups that had gotten a Jill to join them on the course frequently had an extra golf cart with their group so there weren't issues about sitting on laps. The closest I ever saw to that was when we got a bit of a rainburst in 2011 and 2 of the Jills rode back to the clubhouse with me, with me behind the wheel and the 2 of them close together in the passenger seat.
Were there any issues when I was working with the Jills? To be honest, there were a few dance routines I was uncomfortable with because while I always treated everyone in a professional manner, I was also protective of them like family. Beyond that, I can't really say. I won't claim to know everything that everyone went through. Some girls voluntarily shared more with me about their experiences than others did but no two went through everything the same way.
In response to these and other issues, some NFL cheerleaders are looking to meet with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to have an open discussion on addressing these and other issues in regards to treatment of NFL Cheerleaders. Reportedly, the NFL is open to these discussions but whether or not Goodell will be involved is unclear at this time.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23412045/nfl-open-discussions-cheerleaders-improving-their-working-conditions
What does this mean for the Jills? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot. It's hard to say. With 4 separate defendants in the lawsuit and also the matter of an outside company under contract to run the Jills, we could still be waiting a while longer to see the case resolved and a return to the sidelines.

Bandettes tryouts upcoming

The Buffalo Bandits today announced the Buffalo Bandettes will be holding auditions for the 2017-18 squad. The dance team, run by newly appointed coordinator Lauren Kirchmyer, is looking for 12 dancers to perform at all of the Bandits’ home games.

Kirchmyer rejoins the dance team as the new Bandettes Coordinator after spending four seasons as a Bandette from 2011 to 2015. She was a captain, dancer and choreographer for the Bandettes during that span and has been a dance educator in the Western New York area since 2009.

The tryouts will take place on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 2 to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Steppin’ Out Dance Academy, located at 266 Center Rd., West Seneca, N.Y. 14224. Dancers must register online and pay a $25 fee in order to be entered into the tryouts.
http://www.bandits.com/article/BANDETTES%20HIRE%20NEW%20COORDINATOR,%20WILL%20HOLD%20AUDITIONS
I worked with Lauren during her 4 seasons on the squad and she's one of the most qualified young women to take this position that the Bandits could possibly choose.

Some updates on the Jills to report

The Jills lawsuit filed over 3 years ago has had little news to report. The complicated case with 4 separate defendants has remained bogged down in the courts and even the plaintiffs have been left with few updates. This week though, we got some updates. State Supreme Court Justice Mark A. Montour ruled that the contracts that the ladies on the Jills signed when joining the squad were unenforceable and that the plaintiffs were non-exempt employees mis-classified as independent contractors. This correlates with what one of the lawyers in the case told me 3 years ago, that the contracts were illegal so the stance that the plaintiffs had no grounds to file a suit was totally off-base.
http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/19/judge-decides-jills-lawsuit-employees-not-independent-contractors/?utm_campaign=puma&utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1495243242
I'm no legal expert so I can't begin to explain everything this means but one thing we can be assured of is that this decision is a step forward towards resolving the lawsuit. Until the suit is settled, it could be tough to get the Jills re-instated. Even when the suit is resolved, there are still hurdles to get over but every step counts.

The other news is less positive. Last November, the case was in court and many of those involved gave their depositions that were finally released on Wednesday. One, in particular, was rather jaw-dropping. Russ Brandon, the President of the Buffalo Bills said “If I spent one collective hour in 20 years thinking about the Buffalo Jills, that would be about 58 minutes more than I have.” He told one of the attorneys that he couldn't have cared less that the Jills existed. He did follow that up by saying he didn't mean to be disrespectful but in truth, his very wording was extremely insulting to the Jills and their supporters.
http://wivb.com/2017/05/19/bills-ceo-could-have-cared-less-if-the-jills-existed/
It's not surprising when a casual fan doesn't get just what pro cheerleaders add to an organization as it's not always obvious to a detached observer. Before I started working closely with the Jills in 2005, I wasn't aware of all they did. Russ Brandon, however, has been with the Bills since 1997, a high-ranking executive in 2006, and the President since 2013. If he's truly ignorant to what the Jills brought to the team, then he's not qualified to hold a high-ranking position with the team. If he's not truly that ignorant, then he should be ashamed of himself

Another NFL Cheerleader Lawsuit has hit the news

Ex-cheerleader sues NFL over low wages
 A former San Francisco 49ers cheerleader filed a federal lawsuit alleging NFL executives and team owners conspired to suppress wages for cheerleaders.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday by the woman identified only as "Jane Doe" names the league and each football team and seeks class-action status for all NFL cheerleaders, described in court papers as "female athletes."


The NFL and its owners conspired "with the purpose of reducing market competition among female athletes and thus ensuring female athlete earnings remained far below fair market value," the suit alleges.
Read the rest at http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/02/01/ex-cheerleader-sues-nfl-over-low-wages/97349290/
Last week, a suit involving the Jets Flight Crew was settled but in Buffalo, the Jills' status is still up in the air with a lawsuit filed against the Bills, the NFL, Citadel Radio, and Stejon Productions. Even after that complicated suit is settled, there may still be more hurdles depending on what kind of contractual agreements are in place with Stejon Productions. When the suits are settled, the Bills will want control of the Jills handled in-house to ensure that everything is on the up-and-up.

New opportunity for pro cheerleaders and dancers coming to Buffalo!

After the Buffalo Destroyers left town following the 2003 season, a void was left in Buffalo, a city with enough of a passion for football to deserve more than just 1 NFL team. The American Football League is planning on having the Buffalo Blitz finally fill that void.

Just as the Destroyers had the Bombshells cheerleading squad, the Blitz has need of a squad and they are currently looking for cheerleaders, dancers, a choreographer, and a manager.

If interested, email QuantumCW@yahoo.com with some background of what experience you have. Entries will be notified of tryout location, date, and time with tryouts tentatively scheduled for late February.

2017 Marks A New Year And New Team For The Buffalo Bandettes

The Buffalo Bandettes have been wowing crowds with their sassy and strong dance routines for 17 seasons. As the premiere dance team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and the only professional dance team in Buffalo, NY, the Bandettes perform in “Banditland” at every Buffalo Bandits home game at KeyBank Center, which seats over 19,000 fans!

This season marks the second season under the direction of Mandy, who wanted to bring the dancers’ reputation to the next level.

“It’s really cool to see the technical aspect of the Bandettes turn from more of a cheerleading squad, which we had the reputation of, to a professional dance team,” said Mandy, who is also in her fourth season dancing with the team. “Some of us have cheer backgrounds but our priorities growing up were dance. We’re a full team of dancers.”

Read the rest of Lauren's article at http://www.buffaloscoop.com/2017-marks-new-year-new-team-buffalo-bandettes/

Bandette Day Party announced!

The evening after the 2011-12 Bandits Open Practice, the Bandettes held a meet-and-greet at Cobblestone in which fans could not only meet the squad, but win raffle prizes to help the Bandettes organization.
That event is back this season with the party happening in the afternoon. The 2016-17 Bandits Open Practice hasn't been announced just yet but we expect info on that soon. The event goes from noon to 3 on December 10 at Cobblestone just a short walk away from the arena. Tickets are $15 apiece and include 2 drink tickets.
Get all the info at https://www.facebook.com/events/318403645194276/

Bandits schedule released!

Today, the National Lacrosse League released their 2017 regular season schedule so we now know when we'll be able to see the Buffalo Bandits, and Bandettes, in action at the newly renamed KeyBank Center. All but 1 of the 9 home games will have the typical 7:30pm start with the March 3rd game against Rochester facing off at 7pm, the day before the teams meet again in Rochester's Blue Cross Arena at 1pm.

• Fri.    Dec. 30    vs. Colorado    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    Jan. 14    vs. Georgia    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    Jan. 21     vs. Vancouver    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    Jan. 28    at New England    7:00 p.m.
• Fri.    Feb. 3    at Toronto    7:30 p.m.
• Fri.    Feb. 17    vs. New England     7:30 p.m.
• Sun.    Feb. 19    at New England    1:00 p.m.
• Sat.    Feb. 25    vs. Toronto    7:30 p.m.
• Fri.    March 3    vs. Rochester    7:00 p.m.
• Sat.    March 4    at Rochester    1:00 p.m.
• Fri.    March 17    at Vancouver    10:30 p.m.
• Sat.    March 25    at Rochester    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    April 1    vs. Saskatchewan    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    April 8    at Calgary    9:00 p.m.
• Fri.    April 14    at Toronto    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    April 15    at Georgia    7:05 p.m.
• Sat.    April 22    vs. Georgia    7:30 p.m.
• Sat.    April 29    vs. Toronto    7:30 p.m.

Regarding the Bandettes, they already held one audition workshop last night at KeyBank Center and are holding another one Thursday night at 6:30 in the Lexus Club. Tryouts themselves are next week!

As far as the coverage of the Bandettes that we've provided for the last 11 seasons resuming after what happened with an obnoxious security guard at the end of last season, that's still up in the air. This site is for the fans as well as for the ladies who make up Buffalo's Pro Cheerleading/Dance squads but if someone has it in for the fans and the Bandettes that much, there's not much we can do. We're hopeful that things can be resolved because it would be a shame if the 2017 squad gets deprived of the same treatment past squads have gotten because of some classless person.

Bandettes tryouts announced!

The only current official pro dance squad in Buffalo has just announced tryout dates and their audition prep class dates.

First up is the optional audition prep class. This year, there will be two of them and interested dancers can take either one or both if they want. The first will be Monday, September 19 while the second will be held on Thursday, September 22. The extra date will not only enable those young ladies an extra opportunity to try it out in case their schedules won't allow them to on one of the days, but will also enable some extra prep in helping them to make the 2017 Buffalo Bandettes squad. Both classes start at 6:30pm and cost $25 each to attend. If you choose to attend both, the cost is only $40. Classes take place at the Lexus Club in the First Niagara Center. Please wear comfortable dance clothes and sneakers for these classes.

The tryout dates this year will be September 28th and 29th at 6:30pm and also will take place in the Lexus Club. A $25 registration fee is required. The 1st night, you will be taught a routine to perform on the 2nd night. Routines are typically about a minute long and if you make the squad, you'll perform it in front of the fans at games a few different times during the 2017 Buffalo Bandits season.
The first night, when you will learn the routine, please wear comfortable dance clothes and sneakers.
The 2nd night, you'll need a business casual outfit for an interview and sports bra, dance shorts, tan tights, and sneakers. Full hair and makeup is also a requirement for the 2nd night so look your best! As a professional dance team member, a high school diploma is required and the age requirement is 18 years old. Also, you'll be asked to bring a head shot to auditions.

This year, the Bandettes will only take young ladies with a minimum of 3 years of dance experience. However, if you don't meet that requirement and feel you can do well enough without that background, please attend the audition prep classes and let Mandy and Stephanie know you'd like to be considered.
If there are any further questions, email beabandette@yahoo.com and the coaches will do their best to answer any questions you may have.

Cheerleaders reunion bittersweet as reminder that Jills no longer exist

They are now investment advisers and firefighters. Figure skaters and engineers.

But once upon a time, they were NFL cheerleaders.

This weekend, 300 former cheerleaders representing 24 National Football League teams gathered in Buffalo for an all-year reunion.

Hosted by the Buffalo Jills Alumni, the two-day event this weekend included a trip to Niagara Falls, a “Taste of Buffalo” cocktail party and a lot of bling.
Read more at http://bills.buffalonews.com/2016/08/06/cheerleaders-reunion-bittersweet-as-reminder-that-jills-no-longer-exist/

Buffalo Jills Alumni Association to showcase Buffalo in upcoming NFL cheerleader reunion weekend

In a few short weeks, cheerleaders from 27 NFL teams will gather in Buffalo for a reunion weekend. The event is scheduled to take place Aug. 5 and 6.

“If you can imagine a sisterhood of girls coming together and feeling like they all have something in common, that’s what it is like,” said Lori Marino, president of the Buffalo Jills Alumni Association. “It’s such an exciting and rewarding event.”

The event Marino is referring to is the third National Football Cheerleaders Alumni Organization Reunion, which is held every two years. This year it coincides with the 50th anniversary celebration of the Buffalo Jills Alumni Association.
Read more at http://www.orchardparkbee.com/news/2016-07-28/Local_News/Buffalo_Jills_Alumni_Association_to_showcase_Buffa.html

Red Zone Cheerleaders looking for a few more good young women

We know that there are tons of beautiful, talented women right here in Western New York.  We know that WNY women LOVE their BUFFALO BILLS.  We know that you love to DANCE.....so where are you?

The BUFFALO JILLS have been missing from the sidelines at the Ralph much too long.  That doesn't mean that everyone has to stop and wait until they return.  Why not keep dancing, interact with other BILLS fans and enjoy the thrill of gameday excitement?

Practices are once a week at Catalyst Fitness on Wehrle Drive in Williamsville.  You are required to be at the Ralph on Gamedays prior to kick off.  The time commitment is geared toward young, professional women.

Where else would you have the opportunity to meet new people, dance, share your excitement with other passionate BILLS fans?

We hope that you will think it over, stop texting & playng Pokemon Go and have some real honest to goodness fun!

What better way can you think of to keep in shape, have fun and touch so many people?  Think about it and give us a try!  You might just like us!  Hope to see you at Catalyst tonight 7:45-10.  If not this week, then next week!  Just email us at buffaloredzone@gmail.com or call (716) 679-8114.and let us know to expect you!  GO BILLS!  GO RZC!

As long as the Jills aren't in action, there is a great need for young women to take care of personal appearances and charity events. In 2008, even with 48 girls on the Buffalo Jills, they had trouble filling all the requests so while you won't be able to be on the sidelines this season, you are definitely in high demand. Also, when the Jills do return, girls who have kept practicing and in shape will have a leg up on the competition.

Red Zone Cheerleaders Auditions upcoming and a big Teasers anniversary gig planned

Hey Ladies!!! Love to Cheer? Love to Dance?? Love Football? We want YOU to join our team! Audition for the 2016 RED ZONE CHEERLEADERS! If you have a passion to perform, tailgate with the Buffalo faithful, meet die hard BILLS fans and just have fun RZC is definitely for you! Auditions are being held Wednesday June 15th at Buffalo Envy All Stars. Meet Coach Jen Newell and former Buffalo JILLS Cheerleaders. Call or email for more info! Hope to see you there!

6 years ago, The Teasers, with lead singer Aimee L of the 2003 Buffalo Jills, were formed. They broke up a few years ago but have started having a few reunion gigs here and there. June 18 looks to be their biggest one yet with a 6th Anniversary Bash at Scruples Bar in Newfane.

Special notice-Blog going on indefinite hiatus

In 2001, this site was founded with 1 goal in mind...to provide positive exposure to Buffalo's pro cheerleaders, exposure that was sorely lacking prior to that. The very first order of business was to get the approval of the director of the Buffalo Jills. That approval came easily as I had met her the fall before and she understood that her squad would be treated with fairness and class. Over the years, the site evolved to give that same coverage to Buffalo's other professional squads. At first, the coverage was pretty basic and simple...a few photos here and there. In 2005, we expanded greatly and started working closely with the Buffalo Jills organization, providing more coverage and photography while instituting the popular Jill of The Week series, a series started to ensure that each of the hard-working women got a chance to shine on her own. We followed that up by working with the Bandettes in the same way.
In 2012, a new company took control of the Buffalo Jills and they made a lot of rules changes, including restricting fan access. We did our best to continue to provide the best coverage we could under the restrictions but the new way of running the squad eventually sparked a lawsuit and Stejon decided to shut down operations altogether.
The Bandettes, who had originally been put together by the Jills, had long before gone under the control of the Bandits organization and were not affected by Stejon's move. Our coverage of the Bandettes has been going strong for 11 seasons but unforeseen circumstances have put that to a premature end. Two weeks ago, near the end of the last Bandits home game, a security guard I had never seen before came over to me and made some rather nasty and obnoxious accusations about the work I was doing. To be honest, it was rather unnerving. People over the last few weeks have told me to just ignore what he was saying since I had the support of the Bandettes squad and the work I was doing was completely respectful and positive.
Unfortunately, tonight, early in the game, that same security guard was there and was no less obnoxious and even resorted to name-calling towards me and others as well as threats towards me. As much as I want to continue to provide the coverage that thousands of readers have come to expect over the years, I had to leave because I wasn't sure how safe I'd be there. Who was behind this, I can't say for sure, whether it be just this one obnoxious person or whether it goes beyond him as he claimed.
With the Jills still shut down for a 3rd season now and with the unsafe atmosphere at First Niagara Center, there won't be enough content to keep the whole Blog running for the time being. We'll continue to share important updates on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BuffaloProCheerBlog/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/buffaloprocheer
When the Jills are reinstated and/or things are straightened out safety-wise at First Niagara Center, we hope to be back up and running with the class and decency this Blog has been known for. This blog is my legacy and I refuse to let someone's lack of integrity destroy that legacy. My only regret is that this issue will deprive the fans, the Bandettes present and future, and their families of the coverage they've come to expect. My apologies to all those this news will disappoint but some things are just beyond my control.

Bandette of The Week...the 2016 Buffalo Bandettes

This week, we're taking a look at the 2016 Bandettes squad as a whole. It's not something we normally do but this year's squad has really called for it and let me explain why. Being a cheerleading/dance team coach, especially in the pros, is an incredibly taxing job. It's not as simple as scheduling practices and telling people what to do. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes like taking appearance requests, coordinating those with the ladies on the squad, coordinating performances and gameday duties with the parent organization, choosing performances, uniforms, and so much more. This season, Erin has stepped back to a part-time advisory role and Mandy and Stephanie have become full-time coaches as well as helping MaKenzie and Janelle in their roles as the actual captains. Making things more difficult was the fact that only 6 of last season's Bandettes returned, with 1 returning alum and a total of 8 brand-new rookies.

The Bandettes in late March

The 2016 squad has been exceptional in my opinion because of how they pulled together.  Stephanie and Mandy jumped into the roles of coaches at tryout time while continuing to perform alongside their squad, Between them, MaKenzie, and Janelle, the two gameday captains, and Jennifer, the appearance captain, they have provided strong leadership and the entire squad has shown the dedication and desire to put together an outstanding product. The Bandettes have long been known for being a close-knit team that is generally resistant to the cliquishness that can pop up on larger squads. They took that a step further this season, I believe. When rookie Sarah found out she was going to be leaving for her dream job out of town, her squadmates made her final month as a Bandette as special as possible. Stephanie even told her they could FaceTime with her during practice after she left if she wanted to see what they were doing or even learn a routine. The way the captains and coaches have kept things going and the whole squad pulled together all season long is something that I know Erin is as proud of as I am impressed by.

Bandettes coaches and gameday captains Mandy, MaKenzie, Janelle, and Stephanie

They had one extra thing to overcome as, for some unknown reason, the Bandits organization didn't update their website in regards to the Bandettes. The girls all submitted bios and the photos were available but the link to the Bandettes page instead went to their Facebook page instead. It could very well have derailed our Bandette of The Week series this season but we had some help making sure it could go on. In addition to her duties as coach and everything she has going on in her private life, Mandy asked questions of her squad to help us put together a great series this year. I know this season's series has been pretty popular and I wish I could take all the credit for that but a lot of the credit should go to the squad for letting us know who they are in a way a generic bio just can't do.

From the Jills comes a photo from the 2012 Buffalo Bills season ticket holder draft party. Some of the players were greeting fans in the locker room and before taking off for the evening, Arthur Moats brought his daughter Kaylor by to meet the Jills. Shown posing with Kaylor are Christina, Lisa, Omarlla, Courteney, Loren, and Emily.

Christina, Lisa, Omarlla, Courteney, Loren, and Emily with Kaylor Moats