Buffalo Jill of The Week Jill

This week, we take a look at one of the Jills' co-captains on the squad in 3rd year vet Jill. Yep, that's right. Jill the Jill....she's heard that joke on an almost daily basis the past 2 1/2 years but still takes it in stride. Found on gamedays as Eileen's co-captain between Joya and Angelina, Jill's bright smile is only a part of what sets her apart from most young women her age. She has her goofy side and even, on occasion, makes goofy faces for the camera. She mostly comes across as pretty mature for her age and is pretty down to Earth with some strong moral values. She has 13 years of dance training under her belt, including 7 years in competition and even spent another 2 years near the Nation's Capital studying dance at George Mason University. You can read more about Jill at http://buffalojills.net/roster/jill.php

2 appearances in Northern Chautauqua County

A couple different locations were the setting as the Jills went south from Erie County into the county that used to host Bills Training Camp and was the birthplace of Bills 50th Anniversary team LB Shane Conlan.

First off was the Tailgate Party in TJ Maxx Plaza in Dunkirk which was put together by DFT Technology Plus, a local internet and DirecTV provider. The attendees, of which there were many, got free hot dogs and registered for prizes like a flat screen TV or a Terrell Owens autographed jersey. Put together as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, DFT brought in former Bills LS Adam Lingner as well as Jill, Jessica, Angelina, and Joya of the Buffalo Jills to sign autographs and pose for pictures.

Next up was Septemberfest at Merritt Estate Winery, an official sponsor of the Buffalo Jills and the maker of Buffalo Jills Wine. As a fundraiser for Camp Good Days, they held a silent auction with dozens of prizes including autographed Buffalo Sabres photos and memorabilia. Merritt Winery brought in former Sabres winger Danny Gare and ex-boxer Baby Joe Mesi along with several members of the Buffalo Jills to sign autographs and pose for photos while live music played all day long.

With 2 events going on at once, I was able to make it out to Merritt Winery in time to talk to and get some photos of Ayeshia and Jennifer of the Buffalo Jills before their shift ended.

Check all the photos out at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2009/091209/

The Jills aren't done in Chautauqua County this weekend by any means, though as Septemberfest is going on Sunday as well so you can still check out some live bands, tour the winery, and meet some of the Buffalo Jills then. http://www.merrittestatewinery.com/page/53/calendar.aspx

Also, Shawbucks in Jamestown, in the southern part of the county, is hosting a benefit for a Marine who was critically injured in Afghanistan. The event goes from 1pm-7pm (or 10pm depending on the website) and costs $10 at the door which goes to benefit his family and his recovery. You can read more about the young man's situation at http://www.truehero.us/ Live music is included throughout the day, Shawbucks' kitchen will be open for business and a few of the Buffalo Jills will be on hand to lend their support as well.

After all this, it'll be time for the Jills to get set for the season with a pep rally in downtown Buffalo at Fountain Plaza Monday at noon and then a number of them will be heading across the Peace Bridge to hang out with Bills fans for Monday Night Football at Kelsay's Restaurant on Garrison Road in Fort Erie.

Be sure to stay tuned to http://buffalojills.net/appearances/index.php and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for more info on Jills future appearances!

Jills on CNN/SI.com!

Last week, the Jills got some national notice when Maxim.com showed off some of the Jills on their site in photos taken by Fisher Creative Image Photography in their work on the new 2009-10 Buffalo Jills Swimsuit Calendar!
Well, now it's CNN/SI's turn to start paying homage to the ladies of the gridiron and in their first set of the season, the Jills got 7 shots up with a group shot of Omarlla, Christina, and Kelly as well as individuals of Christina, Jill, Anna, Gabrielle, and Murissa. Check it out at http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0908/nfl.preseason.cheerleaders/content.36.html

Buffalo Jill of The Week Jill D

This week, we take a look at one of the Jills' newest co-captains as our Jill of The Week. Jill D was named co-captain for her 3rd season on the squad and spent last season dancing on Nicole's line between Kristina and Anna. She considers herself to be silly but for the most part, her strongest quality seems to be how down to earth she is. She definitely has a silly side to her, though. She'll joke with her closest friend on the squad, Ayeshia, that she's getting darker and Ayeshia is getting lighter-skinned. She'll make goofy faces for the camera, though not while in uniform, and she even takes the "Jill the Jill" joke she hears almost daily in stride. But her silly side isn't what got her named co-captain for 2009. She also can come across as pretty mature for her age at times and has 13 years of dance training under her belt, including 7 years in competition and even spent another 2 years near the Nation's Capital studying dance at George Mason University. You can read more about Jill at http://buffalojills.net/roster/jill.php

Buffalo Jills Captains for 2009-2010 announced!

Every spring, while we anticipate Jills tryouts and get ready to see a lot of new beautiful faces on the squad, we also have to come to the realization that not everyone from the previous year will be returning. Thankfully, last year's departures were all by choice and we can only hope that holds true again this year as well. On that note though, there are a few new faces in among the captains for the upcoming season. Two of the Jills' longtime captains, both with the squad since 2002, will be moving on. For the last several years, no captain has been better at getting group photos for her line than Jamie, a Pro Bowler following the 2004 season. She won't be a stranger though as she already assured me she'll still be showing up to events for a long time to come. The Ambassador Squad has thrived under Kelly's leadership, who's been their captain since 2004. She was such a strong leader, she was running the group without a co-captain for the latter half of 2006 and all of 2007. Both of these ladies will definitely be missed.

With the departure of captains, however, the opportunity for others to rise into their places presents itself and the Jills now have 2 new captains and 2 new co-captains. Katie K has been with the Jills since 2005, the last remaining member of that rookie class and is entering her 3rd year as a co-captain. She's shifted around on lines each of her years in the role. She started out as Aimee's co-captain in 2007 before moving to Nicole's line this past season. This year, she moves over to Omarlla's line, who's been with the Jills since 2000 and hopefully sticking around for several more years. Katie's move to Omarlla's line slides last year's newest co-captain over to Nicole's line. Christina has been with the squad since 2006 and has had a promising career on the squad almost from the start. In 2006, the Jills events featured dance routines performed by a select group, and Christina was the only rookie from that group. Nicole enters her 2nd season as a captain after spending the previous year as a co-captain. In 2006, she landed the cover of the Jills swimsuit calendar and then was named to the Pro Bowl the following year.

The big changes are really happening on the other lines. After serving as Jamie's co-captain this past year after 2 years with Omarlla, 10th year vet and 2005-06 Pro Bowler Eileen gets her own line. Like Omarlla, Eileen just keeps geeting better every season and we can only hope she continues on like her rookie squadmate for many years to come. Eileen's promotion opens up a spot for a co-captain and chosen for that role will be Jill D. Going into her 3rd season on the squad, Jill's warm and loving personality makes her a great fit with Eileen and we should expect great things for years to come.

The Ambassador Squad's new captain should come as no surprise. 2006 rookie Danielle proved her mettle this season as a co-captain in a big way as she ran things on gamedays while Kelly did her part at practices and meetings. Danielle is one of the biggest reasons the 2008 Buffalo Jills squad has been so close-knit and we expect that to continue in 2009. Another 2007 rookie will be getting the call as Danielle's co-captain as Keisha has been named to the position.  Keisha has been outgoing in an extraordinary way in supporting her squadmates. When Omarlla was on her own at a Rhino's appearance this past season, Keisha came along to keep her company and she even made sure that Jessica wasn't alone in Hawaii earlier this month. With that kind of dedication to her squadmates, Keisha should be an excellent fit as co-captain. 

Obviously, as captains and co-captains, these 8 young women will be leading the 2009-2010 Jills through their paces all season long but it goes beyond that. They also have proven themselves enough that they don't need to go through the regular tryout process themselves. During the Open Workshop (closed to the public), they'll be on hand to answer questions and help demonstrate routines to prospective Buffalo Jills. During the tryouts themselves, they'll be helping out with answering questions and giving moral support to veterans and rookies alike. The tryouts as well will be closed to the public with one exception. 1st cuts for the dance squad and 2nd cuts for the Ambassador Squad will be held at the Town Ballroom on Sunday, April 5th from 1pm until about 4pm. Admission is $5 and this will be the public's chance to get a first hand look at what goes into the making of the Buffalo Jills Squad. Obviously, whether you're attending to support a friend or family member or just going to see tryouts, we ask that you show all the participants proper respect as their performances require a lot of concentration on the dancers' parts.

Stay tuned to http://www.buffalojills.net/audition.html 97Rock, 103.3 The Edge, Mix 104.1, CW23 and the Buffalo Pro Cheer Blog for further news on Jills tryouts.

Jills video up online

Spirit Check exhibition...
The NFL Buffalo Jills Cheerleaders were featured performers at the 1st Annual Spirit Check Elite All Stars Cheer and Dance Competition July 26.
http://realpeoplerealstuff.com/videoad/spirit-check-exhibition-feature-nfl-buffalo-jills
It features Angelina, Stephanie Br, Jill D, and Anna in a short performance. Check it out!

Buffalo Jills and Bandettes Photos of The Week

This week's Jills pictures come from the recent Buffalo Jills Golf Tournament that took place at Fox Valley Country Club on July 21st. The first pic was taken near the end of the actual golfing at the 15th tee while waiting for the last group of golfers to make it to the hole. It features Kristin B and Holly, a pair of rookies we'll see dancing on Nicole's line this fall. Kristin is a teacher when not cheering while Holly is working through college with plans of becoming a world-class surgeon.

The second pic was taken back in the clubhouse as the golfers were arriving from the course and features 3 of our second-year vets. Ayeshia is generally regarded as one of the fittest of the Jills by her squadmates while Jill D, probably her best bud on the squad is known for being a bit on the goofy side as well as her easy-going demeanor. Amanda K, known as Dr. Amanda, isn't someone you'll find operating on you unless your name is Fido or Lassie or something. She's a veterinarian and great at her job judging from her fan base of satisfied pet owners.

The Bandettes pic these week comes from the February matchup against the Philadelphia Wings. In a pic taken early in the 4th quarter, we have Melissa, Sarah, and Karla posing for the camera. Melissa was a 4th year vet this year who showed off her journalistic skills a few times for NLL.com and Bandits.com. Sarah, also a 4th year vet is best known as someone with an eye for the camera lens as she poses for more shots than anyone. Karla, a 6th year vet, actually took 2 seasons off after spending the 2001-2005 seasons on the Bandettes...and also the 2000-2002 seasons with the Jills.

Buffalo Jills Photos of The Week

This week, we take a look at another pair of photos from the Congratulatory Party and from last year's Jills Golf Tournament. From the Congratulatory Party, we have a shot with Nichole, Jennifer, and Stephanie M. Nichole spent the 2000-2005 seasons dancing on the sidelines of Ralph Wilson Stadium and then moved more behind the scenes starting in 2006 when she took on the role of Jills Coordinator. Jennifer is one of promising rookies with the Jills this year and besides being a real go-getter, she loves MTV's Real World. Stephanie spent a few years dancing with the Jills a few years ago and has been the Jills director since 2002, guiding the squad through increased positive exposure with additions like Jills events at different times of the year, the Ambassador Squad, and a roster that keeps growing.

From last year's Jills Golf Tournament, we have a trio of 2nd year vets. Jill D is a former competitive dancer and is one of the most friendly girls around. Katie C is as zany as they come and her fun-loving attitude is obviously not the only thing about her drawing comparisons to Cameron Diaz. Lisa was last year's rookie of the year and that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone as she's been a cheerleader since the age of 4, 18 years so far.

Don't forget! This weekend is the Taste of Buffalo in Niagara Square in downtown Buffalo and it'll be a great chance to not only sample a lot of different local cuisines, but meet many of the rookie Buffalo Jills we'll be seeing on the sideines this fall. Also, if you haven't gotten your tickets for the Jills Golf Tournament on July 21st yet, it's not too late to reserve a day of golf, entertainment, prizes, and the company of the entire Buffalo Jills squad. Just visit http://www.buffalojills.net/contact.html to get your tickets.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Jill D

This week, we take a look at a Jill named Jill. Rookie dancer Jill D can be found on gamedays on Aimee's line next to Aimee and Valerie. It's a natural fit for Jill to be on the squad and the reasoning for that has nothing to do with her name. She has 13 years of dance training including 7 years of competitive dance training as well as 2 years of dance in college. While she says one word that describes her is silly, she actually comes across as pretty mature for her age, probably due in part to all the work she's put in to get to this point. While it's true she's put in a lot of work and she continues to work at it, she's also enjoying her experiences on the squad thus far and it's pretty rare to see her not sporting her warm and friendly smile. You can read more about Jill at http://buffalojills.net/bios/jilld.html