The Bandettes at the Bandits-Swarm game

With Bandits superstar John Tavares out for the first half of the season, teammates have had to step up in his absence but in the first 4 games of the season, few have done so. The Bandits returned to HSBC Arena after an 0-4 start to the season, the worst in franchise history, to a crowd of 15,636 orange-clad fans determined to cheer their team on to a much-needed victory. This time, with star Mark Steenhuis under double coverage much of the game, players like Hamburg native Frank Resetarits and Mike Accursi stepped up and helped the Bandits pull off an 11-7 win over the visiting Minnesota Swarm.

Prior to the game, fans were greeted by the Buffalo Bandettes who were handing out info on their Jr Bandettes program. If you missed getting this info, you can find a registration form online at https://www.formspring.com/forms/?822830-NMAlnArOar During the game, the Bandettes performed a group of thrilling performances and, missing rookie Lonna, out of action due to illness, the squad got a more-than-capable substitute as head choreographer Erin Y stepped up in her place for the halftime performance. After the game, many of the Bandettes celebrated with the fans at Pearl Street Grill and Brewery at the official Bandits post game party and a few extra special guests were on hand in the form of Bandettes alumni Erin H, Richelle, Amanda H, and Kimberly.

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b87/bandettes/2010/Swarm/

Next up, the Bandettes will be cheering and dancing at HSBC Arena February 6 as the Bandits host the Toronto Rock at 7:30pm.

The Buffalo Auto Show starts on February 10th at the Buffalo Convention Center. Tickets are $8 at the door and $7 in advance, available at Tops Markets locations in WNY. On February 10th, Bandits superstar Johnny Tavares makes an appearance on "Sports Stars Day" and will be joined by members of the Buffalo Bandettes, who'll be circulating thrugh the crowd meeting and greeting the fans! Make sure to stop back on Sunday, February 14th to check out the Buffalo Best Tailgate Party, an event sponsored by 103.3 The Edge and judged in part by members of the Buffalo Jills.

The Jills in Jamestown for DFT Communications

Back in September, members of the Buffalo Jills joined former Bills LS Adam Lingner at a tailgate event put on by DFT Communications in Dunkirk, NY with proceeds going to charity. This weekend, Adam and the Jills went a little further south, to DFT's new location in Jamestown, NY where fans met and posed for photos with Keisha, Amanda, Murissa, and Alyssa as well as Adam Lingner and even rolled dice for a chance at a brand new Subaru Impreza.

Check out the pics at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2009/DFT%20Tailgate/

Next up, make sure to tune into tonight's Pro Bowl to see Jills Pro Bowler Christina in action. It airs at 7:20 ET on ESPN.

Also, while the Bills won't be in the Super Bowl themselves, you can still watch the big game in the company of some of the Jills as some of them will be appearing at the Firehall Cool Bar/Hot Grill in Oakville, Ontario from 4-6pm next Sunday.

If I Can Dream

As everyone knows, reality shows are all the rage now and the most popular style seems to be the shows that fulfill dreams of stardom. When it comes to making stars, British artist manager Simon Fuller is near-legendary, having managed or launched the careers of people like Claudia Schiffer, Annie Lennox, the Spice Girls, Carrie Underwood, and many others. More than that though, he's known as the creator of So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol. His latest project, entitled If I Can Dream, features participants living in a house in Hollywood while attempting to make their dreams come true, all while being filmed for online viewing as opposed to on television.

Now what, may you ask, does this have anything to do with Buffalo's Pro Cheerleaders? Well, while a lot of the girls have dreams of becoming a teacher, broadcaster, or business executive, some crave the limelight even more after their years dancing and cheering for Buffalo's sports teams are done. The first group of participants on If I Can Dream features one such young lady who spent 3 years as a Buffalo Jill and was also one of the top vote-getters in FHM's Sexiest Cheerleader Competition in 2006 (No offense to the winner, but we demand a recount). I'm talking, of course, about 2005-07 Jills alum Amanda P, who had dreams of becoming an actress or model and is now one step closer to realizing those dreams.

You can read more about the show, its future, and how you can interact with the show to help make Amanda's dream a reality at http://www.hulu.com/if-i-can-dream

Obviously, If I Can Dream has no affiliation with the Buffalo Jills  and we're not suggesting that becoming a Jill will land you in Hollywood, but even big dreams like Amanda's were helped along by her experiences as a Buffalo Jill.

Buffalo Jill of The Week Courteney

This week, we take a look at one of our fantastic rookies as our Buffalo Jill of The Week. A few weeks ago we looked at Kristen, another rookie on the squad whose strongest quality is her positivity. Courteney is one lady who tops her in that, though. Where does all that positivity come from, though? Well, a part of it may come from the fact that she's a newlywed and her husband still buys her lots of jewelry without getting in trouble beforehand...lol. Odds are it goes a lot deeper than that, though. She's 1 of 2 married Buffalo Jills this year and, like fellow ambassador Laura, gets lots of support from her husband in everything she does and they even work together, running their own business. But beyond the positivity, there's a lot more to this young lady that we haven't even touched on. She enjoys helping others, and even gave me a little bit of assistance on some past Jill of The Week entries for some fellow rookies. She enjoys music, lots of movies, and bubble hockey. She and fellow rookie Kelly made an appearance at an Edge Away Game party at the Aud Sports Bar, a place with its own bubble hockey machine, this past December and she probably almost wished she wasn't on duty so she could play because she's supposedly pretty good at it.

Buffalo Jr Bandette Camp announced

The Buffalo Bandettes are proud to announce the annual Buffalo Junior Bandette Cheerleading camp. This year’s clinic will run on March 6, 2010 from 11-3 PM, with registration starting at 10:30 AM at HSBC Arena. Girls aged 7 to 17 are invited to register to learn a routine from the 2010 season. Lunch will be provided.

Cost for this camp will $45 per girl. To register, please fill out the form at https://www.formspring.com/forms/?822830-NMAlnArOar