We haven't really looked at game pics in the past because the story is in the game itself but in 2009, there were a few occasions in which there was a big story besides the game.
Our story actually starts out the day before the game, the day of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions. The majority of the Buffalo Jills squad was coming into town on the day of the game via bus and leaving right afterwards. Laura, a 3rd year ambassador at this point, was already in Ohio for the weekend for an archery/hunting show in another part of the state. After the show on Saturday, she left for Canton and kept in touch with me via cell phone. We kept in touch the next morning as I gave her directions on how to get to the parking lot at which where she'd be meeting her squadmates while I was tailgating with my friends. After the tailgating was done where I parked, I headed over to the stadium earlier to get a look at the area. I had been hoping to meet up with Laura and the other ambassadors before the game but the appearance they were at was a few miles south of the stadium and I wasn't giving up the parking spot that I had found. As it turned out, when I got to the stadium, a little over 3 hours before kickoff, the Jills dancers were already on the field getting warmed up and going through some final practice before the game. Several fans were already watching and I was able to get a few photos of the practice.
some of the dancers waiting for instruction in pregame practice
Unlike most NFL stadiums which open 90 minutes before kickoff, Fawcett Stadium opened 3 full hours before kickoff but that was right when the Jills were heading back in the locker room and the Tennessee Titans Cheerleaders came out. Rather than bemoan the bad luck in missing out on some great Jills pics, I went over to where I'd be sitting for the game to get some pics of the Titans cheerleaders practicing to share with UltimateCheerleaders.com. However, just as I was ready to start clicking the shutter, I saw a familiar site out of the corner of my eye as first Anna, and then other members of Eileen's line, came back out of the locker room and onto the field to go through some extra practice. I headed back over to the sidelines where they were happy to see me as they started going through their routines. Jess showed up after I did and after her linemates had begun and had been so focused on getting into the routine that she never looked up into the stands at first. Her smile grew even broader than it usually was when she realized I was there and after exchanging greetings, I continued to photograph them in action and even grabbed some video of one of their routines. Needless to say, Eileen padded her photo count lead over Omarlla.
Eileen's line posing for photos
Getting ready to perform
By the time they finished up, the Titans cheerleaders were done as well so I relaxed for a bit before the rest of my crew made it into the stadium. Seated in the end zone, I got a few good photos of the Jills in pregame, though an inflatable helmet blocked most of my access. Throughout most of the game, I got some decent sideline shots as the Jills stayed on the Bills sidelines while the Titans cheerleaders stayed on the Titans side.
several of the Jills on the sidelines
In the 4th quarter, I got lucky. With it being a preseason game, several fans left early including fans seated on the 20 yard line of the closest end of the Bills sideline. Obviously I wasn't going to pass up on a golden opportunity and was able to get some great shots including a few group photos.
line shot in the 4th quarter
Loren, Gabrielle, and Kaitlin in the 4th quarter
See all the pics at https://buffaloprocheerbuffalojills.shutterfly.com/pictures/5235
From the Bandettes comes a photo from the March game against Toronto. The last couple of seasons, members of the Bandettes would help out with program sales most of the 1st hour the gates are open. For this game, both co-captains handled that duty and the beautiful Chrissy is pictured here. Hard to imagine she was a 5th year vet, the longest tenured on the squad, this past season. I still remember her as a rookie and she's only improved as time has gone by in terms of confidence and beauty.
The NFL season kicked off this weekend with the Hall of Fame Inductions in Canton, Ohio. Among the inductees this year were former Bills DE Bruce Smith and owner Ralph Wilson Jr. After a night which was proclaimed Buffalo Bills Day by the Mayor of Canton, it was time for some football. The Annual Hall of Fame game typically kicks off the preseason slate of games in Fawcett Stadium and, in honor of tthe 50th season since the founding of the AFL, this year's teams were the only 2 teams from the original 8 AFL teams that still had their original owners, the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans, formerly known as the Houston Oilers.
The game itself was little to write home about as the 21-18 final score in favor of the Titans wasn't indicitive of how lopsided the game seemed to the large contingent of Bills fans in attendance. Many fans left the game thinking it was the same old Bills, even though the 1st preseason game is generally the most vanilla of all the games.
While the thought that the Bills being the same team may be a bad thing, there was one group that also looked like it was much the same as last year. But in the case of the Buffalo Jills, that's a very good thing as the rookies meshed well with the veterans and if you didn't know who was who, you couldn't have told who had the most experience and who had the least.
While the Ambassadors were doing an appearance at a local restaurant for the game, the dancers spent some time on the field before the game with their counterparts from the Titans cheerleaders working to make sure they were all ready for the game itself. From the top of the hill near the stadium, the practice could be seen as the Jills put the finishing touches on their routines. The gates opened about 3 hours prior to kickoff, which happened to be just as the Jills finished their practice. However, a few minutes later, Eileen's line came back out to put some finishing touches on their sideline routines after posing for a few quick photos. After that, short of a quick run to the souvenir stand by Lisa and Jennifer, the Jills concentrated on getting ready from their locker room until pregame when they took to the Bills side of the field for the game when they weren't out on the field performing. While the Bills as a team may have a lot of work left to do to get ready for the regular season, the Jills proved themselves to be more than ready.
Coming up next for the Jills, there are still some training camp practices to see them at on Tuesday and Thursday of this week and Monday and Tuesday of next week before the Bills break camp. Get the schedule at http://buffalojills.net/appearances/details.php?recordID=31
There are also plenty of other chances to see the Jills this week as they'll also be at Quaker Steak and Lube in Williamsville every Thursday night for 97Rock's weekly classic car show.
Finally, the Jills will get to take the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium on Saturday night for the annual Kid's Day game. Accompanying them for the game will be the Jr Jills, and we can likely expect something extra for the Ambassadors as well.
