Buffalo Jill of The Week Keisha

This week, we take a look at Ambassador Squad captain Keisha as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. In her 5th season on the squad and her 2nd full season as captain, Keisha is the gold standard on being a Jills Ambassador. She not only can carry on a conversation with most anyone on most topics, she frequently starts said conversations, making her very easy to get along with. To show her football knowledge last season, she even engaged in a picks contest with an Albany DJ and kept the lead until the end of the season when she narrowly lost to Q103's Mrozek and got to eat a dozen atomic wings at Buffalo Wild Wings back in January. Her mouth has healed now but I doubt very much if she wants to go through that again...lol. Beyond that, she's also the type to go above and beyond for her squadmates and has made trips to NYC and Hawaii to support some of them. A few years ago, when the Jills were part of the Edge Away Game parties at Rhino's in Orchard Park, Omarlla was slated to do the appearance on her own when Keisha stopped in to support her and watch the game with the fans. You can read more about Keisha at http://www.buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961195 Keisha's secondary photo is from the Home Opener when the Jills had a special visitor. Shown posing for the camera are Alyssa, Amanda F, 2010 Jills alumnus Jessica W, and Keisha.

Alyssa, Amanda F, Jessica W, and Keisha

Keisha and Ruby in Albany

This past weekend, Ambassador Squad captain Keisha went to Albany to settle her bet with Q103's Mrozek after losing their picks matchup for the season. There to provide moral support was 2nd year vet and fellow Ambassador Ruby. In addition to settling up Keisha's bet, they made visits to various establishments around the Albany area. Q103 has all the pics up at http://q103albany.com/buffalo-jills-visit/

and yes, Keisha ate her wings.

Don't forget, you can meet Keisha and Ruby along with most of the rest of the squad on January 29th at Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY for the Buffalo Jills Comedy Show with master hypnotist Jerry Valley! Go to http://buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2070066&spid=34534 for tickets.

Some appearances upcoming

This Saturday and Sunday, Albany is the place to be as Keisha and Ruby head to the Capital Region to settle Keisha's bet as far as her picks this year on Q103. She and Mrozek from the afternoon show were picking games all season long and despite holding a lead most of the season, Keisha fell behind in the last two weeks and has to eat a dozen Atomic Wings at Buffalo Wild Wings from 3-4:45. After that, and probably guzzling a gallon of milk after eating those, Keisha and Ruby will be visiting plenty of spots in the Albany area throughout the weekend. Get all the details at http://q103albany.com/buffalo-bills-cheerleaders-keisha-ruby/

Also, don't forget about the Jills Comedy Show on January 29th at Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY. Tickets are now available for the show that features hypnotist Jerry Valley and comedian Matt Bergman as well as a performance by the Buffalo Jills along with raffles, a cash bar, and plenty of snacks. Get your tickets at http://www.buffalojills.net/Article.asp?id=2075401

Some upcoming events to watch out for

This weekend will be the final game performance for the 2010-11 Buffalo Jills when the Bills play host to the Patriots* at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The game is sold out but there may be tickets available to see the Bills break their losing streak to the hated Pats* but more importantly, it may be the last chance to see some of the Jills perform. Even if you can't get into the game, make sure to come by the Fieldhouse to meet the two Jills that will be handling gameday promotions during the game as well as Lot 2 for the 97Rock Tailgate party. But even bigger than that is the Shredd and Ragan Tailgate party in Lot C. There will be members of the Ambassador Squad at both of these tailgate parties and with the calendar about to change over to 2011, it's not too late to pick up a Buffalo Jills Calendar featuring all 42 girls who were on the squad for the start of the season. The Jills will have those for sale at both the Citadel Tailgate events and be sure to be in Lot C at 11:30 when members of the Buffalo Jills dancers perform right in front of the Shredd and Ragan Tailgate Party.

The Bills may be out of the playoffs but the Jills still want to watch some playoff football in Albany. As many should know, Keisha has been making weekly picks of the NFL games on Q103 in Albany each week via phone and after holding a lead most of the season, fell behind her opponent, afternoon guy Mrozek by a game with 2 weeks left in the season. The loser has to eat a dozen atomic hot wings the weekend of January 15th and 16th and Keisha will be there in Albany hoping to make sure Mrozek eats them all...because she does plan to win this thing. Either way, her squadmate and current Jill of The Week Ruby will be there with her making appearances in the Capital region all weekend. See all the details at http://q103albany.com/buffalo-jill-cheerleaders-visit/ and be sure to tune in just before 4:30 today and next Friday to hear Keisha make her winning picks.

While the Jills may be just about done with games for the year, the Bandettes are just about to start. On January 22nd, the Buffalo Bandits host the Toronto Rock at 7:30 at HSBC Arena and it's the first game appearance for the 2011 Buffalo Bandettes including 5 rookies who've never performed on such a big stage before...well, before last month in Toronto with the Buffalo Jills as part of the largest non-Super Bowl halftime performance at an NFL game.

Finally, last but certainly not least, is the Buffalo Jills Comedy Show. This year there have been a few changes. In addition to some local comedy flavor, the Jills are bringing in renowned hypnotist Jerry Valley to entertain the crowd at The Rapids Theater in Niagara Falls, NY. The show starts at 7pm on January 29th with a $20 ticket and a cash bar along with snack food available for purchase as well. It should make for an interesting and entertaining evening.

One member of the Buffalo Jills has a prior commitment already that weekend as 6th year vet Katie will be representing the Jills in the Pro Bowl the next day and will be participating in various events in Hawaii all week prior to that. The game itself will be televised on FOX at 7pm ET on January 30th.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Keisha

The phrase "tall, dark, and beautiful" is only the tip of the iceberg when describing our Jill of The Week. Keisha is in her 4th season with the Jills and in her 1st full season as a captain of the Jills Ambassador Squad after serving as acting captain most of last season. Her being a captain is no big surprise...she regularly goes above and beyond for her squadmates and goes above and beyond with being friendly as well. As a Jills Ambassador, she's required to be a people person and able to carry on a conversation. Truth be told, out of all the Jills I've known over the years, she's better at that than anyone. Always great with carrying on as well as starting conversations, she's excellent at making people feel at ease. This season, she's even putting her football knowledge to the test every Friday. Q103 in Albany, a big Bills and Jills supporting radio station, has her on every Friday afternoon just before 4:30 to make picks in 3 games for the weekend. She's competing with their afternoon host and the loser at the end of the season has to eat a dozen atomic hot wings. Check out how well she's doing at http://www.wqbk.com/BuffaloBills/KeishasPicks/tabid/13977/Default.aspx where you'll also find a link where you can listen live to her segment.

Keisha's secondary photo comes from an appearance at Dunkirk's final Music on the Pier event of the summer. Stefanie and Keisha were on hand helping out the folks from Chadwick Bay Beverages, one of the Jills' sponsors this season.

You can read more about Keisha at http://buffalojills.net/article.asp?id=1961195

Jills heading to Albany and Keisha is picking some games this season

First off, we'll let you know about some appearances coming up next weekend in Albany. WQBK is sponsoring a Jills visit to the Capital region which will have a pair of Jills at 6 different locations Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th.

Saturday

• 8-9:30p The Center Square Pub Schenectady
• 10-11:30p Smokey Bones Colonie
• midnight-1:30a Washington Tavern Albany

Sunday

• 12:30-2p Swifty's Delmar
• 2:30-4p Sutter's Mill Albany
• 5-6p The Recovery Room Amsterdam

Finally, Buffalo Jills Ambassador Squad Captain Keisha will be picking 3 games each week but isn't just picking the games. She has a little competition in Q103's afternoon guy Mrozek and the loser at the end of the season has to eat 12 Atomic Hot Wings. Keisha may like wings but this might be a bit much so we're hoping she wins by the end of the season. Tune in to Q103 at 103.5 or 103.9 Friday afternoons at 4:30 to hear Keisha's picks. If you're out of the area, as many of us are who read this blog, you can tune in online as well. Check out Q103's site at http://www.wqbk.com/BuffaloBills/KeishasPicks/tabid/13977/Default.aspx

The Jills in Dunkirk for Music on the Pier

Everyone knows the Jills' main sponsor is Citadel Radio but they also have a wide array of sponsors who support them on a yearly basis as well. With those sponsorships, the girls do a number of appearances for them throughout the year. One of this year's sponsors is Chadwick Bay, a drink company that specializes in teas, juices, and smoothies. Based out of Dunkirk, NY, they are a big part of Dunkirk's Music on the Pier series that takes place every summer. Last night was the final performance of the summer at the Dunkirk pier and on hand for the event were Stefanie and Keisha of the Buffalo Jills, who braved a very windy evening to help with games, giveaways, and a contest for a Bills VIP experience. Check out the photos at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2010/Dunkirk/ and learn more about Chadwick Bay at http://www.chadwickbaybeverages.com/

As far as the Jills, there's a lot of news to share.

• The calendar we've been waiting for is having a few delays...latest expectation is next Thursday so and there are appearances to get them at on the weekend. Keep your fingers crossed but let me assure you, after having seen the cover as well as knowing Brian Garman's work, it'll be worth the wait and so will the Jill of The Week series if I do say so myself with something extra getting added to it this year.
• Johnny's Irish Pub in Rochester is hosting a USO benefit Saturday night complete with an appearance by members of the Buffalo Jills.
• This Sunday is the Bills home opener and they're hosting the despised Miami Dolphins. The game is sold out so seeing the product on the field in person is out unless you have a ticket or know a scalper...which is always a possibility. However, you can see the Jills before the game. There will be ambassadors inside the Fieldhouse and at the 97Rock and 103.3 The Edge Tailgate parties. 97Rock will be at the same location but The Edge will be over near the scoreboard in Lot C and they have something extra happening for the opener. At 11:30, the Buffalo Jills dancers will be performing for the fans.
• Next Saturday is the Blondes Vs Brunettes game, featuring 6 Jills alumni suiting up to play some powder puff football to benefit the WNY Alzheimer's Association. There will also be a halftime performance by members of the Buffalo Jills, who will be cheering on the sidelines as well as selling raffle tickets to support the cause.
• Next Sunday kicks off the away game parties at the Aud Sports Bar in Depew, where we'll have a pair of Buffalo Jills there every game. I'll get some more details on what to expect as far as gameday specials this year and pass them along as this isn't an Edge event like last year.
• Finally, everyone should remember the highly successful Jills Open Practice held last September in the Bills Fieldhouse. The turnout wasn't as strong in June but we're expecting another great turnout for the one that just got announced, November 16th from 6:30-8:30. The cost is $5 for participants ages 5-17 and $3 for spectators. The event last year wasn't expected to have more than a moderate turnout but the Jills got a much larger than expected group but were well-prepared for it and all the participants and spectators had a great time.

Jills Awards

With Jills tryouts coming up, we shouldn't forget about the accomplishments of the 2009 squad. The Jills just had their end of season banquet and, as is custom, handed out numerous awards.

Captain of the year: Omarlla
Outstanding Ambassador Jill: Keisha
Rookie of the year: Kelly (dance) & Alyssa (Ambassador) 
Veteran of the year: Lisa
Miss Congeniality: Stefanie & Courteney
Highest Calendar sales: Laura w/ a close 2nd by Katy
Perfect attendance: Katie K., Jennifer & Kelly
Most Appearances: Alyssa & Keisha
Jr Jills Captain: Jennifer (and you probably thought I was making all that up in her Jill Of The Week feature, didn't you?)

The last couple of years, they've also named their captains and co-captains at this time. Well, captains have been named but the ambassador squad was the only one with a co-captain named. Dance co-captains will be named after practices get going for the 2010 squad. This is pretty similar to how they did it prior to the 2008 squad. Without further ado though, the captains for the 2010 Buffalo Jills will be Omarlla, Eileen, Christina, and Keisha. Obviously Omarlla and Eileen need no introduction to anyone as they've both been with the squad since 2000, going into their 11th season as Jills. Christina making captain is no surprise as she was named co-captain her 3rd season in 2008 and finished this past season in Miami representing the squad in the Pro Bowl.  There's also the fact that she, like Keisha with the Ambassador Squad, was an acting captain most of the season with the departures of Nicole and Danielle. Keisha, winning the Outstanding Ambassador award and always going the extra distance for her squadmates, was an easy choice for Ambassador Squad captain as well. Joining Keisha in heading up the Ambassador Squad will be 4th year vet Amanda. Detail-oriented, experience in management, and a plethora of ideas to bring to the squad are just some of the reasons why this blonde bombshell was a great choice for the role.

This Saturday, make sure to congratulate all the award winners and captains at the Buffalo Jills Adult Comedy Show. It takes place at Club Paradise in Blasdell with the doors opening at 7pm. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Also, some of them will be at Eastern Hills Mall Saturday late morning for the Kaleida Health Women's -Day of Dance event from 11-noon.

After all that, you have one final chance to see many of the 2009 Jills before tryouts get going...at the 2010 Buffalo Men's Show. Anyone who was there in 2008 knows what a fun event it was. This year's event promises to be bigger, taking place at Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel. Among the celebrities in attendance, we'll have former Bills greats Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas, Ted Washington, and Ruben Brown as well as current greats Paul Posluzsny and Fred Jackson as well as Mark Steenhuis from the Bandits. Add former Sabre Mike Peca and Dudley Hart from the PGA to the mix, and the 2008 Men's Show should pale in comparison. See the whole list at http://www.97rock.com/Article.asp?id=1706180&spid=21992

Buffalo Jill of The Week Keisha

This week, we take a look at Ambassador Squad Captain Keisha in our weekly feature. She actually started off her 3rd season on the squad as the co-captain but was promoted when her captain resigned for the squad. Even if Danielle hadn't resigned when she did, it's likely Keisha would've made captain in time anyway. The reason for that is the fact that she goes all out for her squadmates. We're not talking something like helping them celebrate birthdays and the like...there are a lot of girls on the squad that really step up in that way. She's shown up to support and help squadmates at appearances, even making a trek to NYC her rookie year to support Omarlla and Autumn at an appearance at the NYC Buffalo Bills Backers headquarters for a road game that season. She even went to Hawaii to show her support for Jessica in the Pro Bowl this past February. Stuff like that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows her, though. Her enthusiasm for life and being a Buffalo Jill is pretty well-known and when it comes to being a Jills Ambassador, she might be more qualified than anyone. One of the primary requirements of an Ambassador Jill is good conversational skills, something that Keisha is an ace at, as anyone who's only met her can attest. With a Bachelor's degree in psychology and a job as a sales manager, perhaps she was made for this role. You can read more about Keisha at http://buffalojills.net/roster/Keisha.php

The Jills at the Panthers Away Game Festivities

After last week's win in the Meadowlands against the division rival Jets, the Bills' next opponent lay in wait for them in the form of the Carolina Panthers. Little did the Panthers know that a large contingent of Bills fans would be there to help cheer the visiting Bills on to a 20-9 victory over the home team. While a large number of the Bills fans there were transplants from Western NY, there was also a good-sized contingent of fans making the trek down from the Queen City.

Even with the large number of fans driving or flying down to Carolina, fans still filled the bars of Western NY to watch the Bills game on TV and, like last week, nowhere was that more evident than at the Aud Sports Bar in Depew where 103.3 The Edge hosts their Away Game Parties. Food and drink specials as well as the region's biggest prize table are a big part of the draw. But obviously, to really draw in the crowd, some beautiful women had to be there as well and this week, it was in the form of Jills Ambassadors Keisha and Kristen, who spent most of the game mingling with the fans as well as taking photos and signing autographs.

While the goings-on were wild for the game at the Aud, it was a more relaxed atmosphere at Sole Restaurant in Williamsville where the vivacious Valerie served drinks to the patrons there to have dinner and watch the game as well as meet one of the most popular of the Jills around.
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2009/Panthers-Road/
Coming up next for the Jills, a number of them will be at ECC-North on Saturday helping out with the Safe & Seen Halloween event for the kids. You can bring your kids in full costume where they can visit different themed booths for candy and treats but make sure the Jills booth is one of your stops..
Next Sunday, the Jills are back at the Ralph looking to help the Bills gets to .500 as they face the visiting Houston Texans. Meet members of the Ambassador Squad as you visit the Bills Fieldhouse as well as the 97Rock and 103.3 The Edge Tailgate Parties. While you're meeting them, make sure to pick up your Buffalo Jills Swimsuit Calendar and get it autographed by them on the spot. If you've already picked up your calendar and gotten it autographed, there's something else you can get from the Jills, besides photos, that is. On November 14th, SoHo on Chippewa hosts the Buffalo Jills Annual Calendar Trip Fundraiser. The $20 ticket, which you can purchase beforehand from the Jills ($25 at the door) covers all you can eat pizza and wings, beer, wine from Merritt Estate Winery, and entertainment by the Buffalo Jills. There will also be some great raffle prizes available, including football memorabilia autographed by members of the Buffalo Bills. All 38 current Jills are expected to be there and don't be surprised to see a number of alumni there as well.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Keisha

This week, we take a look at one of the Jills' new co-captains as our Jill of The Week. After 2 seasons on the squad, Keisha is stepping into the role as Ambassador Squad co-captain for 2009 and she's already shown a willingness to go the extra distance to help out her squadmates. When 1 of her squadmates took ill and had to miss an appearance at a Rhino's Away Game Party last season, Keisha showed up to give Omarlla some support and when Jess made the Pro Bowl after this past season, Keisha and Anna joined her in Hawaii to lend their support. Going the extra distance is one of the marks of a good leader. There's also the fact that, in a group of very outgoing young women, she still stands out as one of the most outgoing. One of the requirements for being a Jill is having good conversational skills, especially in the case of the Ambassadors. Keisha can not only carry on a conversation, but is pretty good at starting them as well. You can read more about Keisha at http://buffalojills.net/bios/Keisha.html and don't forget to check out her 97Rock photo album at http://www.97rock.com/Article.asp?id=1028236&spid=21992

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.

Cardinals Game at Rhino's

Attendance at the 103.3 The Edge Away game parties at Rhino's Rock Bar in Orchard Park has been increasing every game it seems and there are a number of reasons for that. First of all, people are finding out about it more and more. Secondly, the dispute between Time Warner Cable and LIN-TV, which owns the station that carries the Bills games, WIVB, escalated and cable customers had to find other ways to watch the game.. Finally, who wouldn't want to watch the Bills game with some of the beautiful Buffalo Jills?

The game itself was something people would rather forget. JP Losman, in for an injured Trent Edwards, had a rather sub-par showing. The offensive line was overwhelmed most of the day, and the defense looked completely lost out there. But there were positives at Rhino's on Sunday. While only 1 Buffalo Jill showed up officially, what lacked in quantity was made up for in quality as it was 9-year veteran captain Omarlla, who tried to hide her anguish at the Bills' poor play. However, she, and Keisha, who showed up to lend her support, didn't hide their excitement at the positive plays, like JP Losman's scramble for a TD late in the 2nd quarter.

http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2008/Rhinos-Cards/

Next up, the Jills are back to the field for a home game against the San Diego Chargers on the 19th. After that, the Jills invade Club Paradise on the 25th at 9pm for the Annual Buffalo Jills Swimsuit Calendar Release Party, where there will not only be dancing and raffles, but a fashion show featuring the gorgeous members of the 2008-09 Buffalo Jills in their swimwear from the calendar.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Keisha

Tall, dark, and beautiful is how most people see Keisha but that's only the physical. As a member of the Jills Ambassador Squad, a young lady needs to be able to be at ease talking with anyone and Keisha more than excels at that. She's not only at ease talking with others, she's able to make anyone she's talking to at ease as well. Friendly and out-going, if talking with her doesn't make you smile, check yourself for a pulse. These strong qualities helped ensure that she'll be back this fall with the Jills for her second season. We can be thankful that she's a determined young lady as well. She went out for the squad in 2004 but rather than get discouraged and give up when she didn't land a spot on the squad that year, she took some time away and came back and landed a spot last season. Had she been a quitter and given up, we might have been deprived of getting to know her. You can read more about Keisha at http://buffalojills.net/bios/keisha.html