By far one of the coolest moments since launching The Blonde Side in 2010 was attending and BEING CREDENTIALED at the 2013 ESPYS! Seriously typing that and I still get goosebumps. Imagine LeBron James, Mr. Belding, Ray Lewis, Destinee Hooker and Lolo Jones along with hundreds of other amazing athletes and celebrities ALL IN ONE ROOM.
In one night I got to meet (and kiss on the cheek) Eric LeGrand, Mr. Belding cut me in the hotdog line and Gabby Douglas told me she liked my shoes. Oh, and I had a serious chest-bump with Maria Sharapova’s security guard on the floor of our hotel.
I wrote two articles on my experience for CBS Man Cave Daily, click on the links below to read them and warning: you will be jealous. I’m jealous I’m not there right now again!
The life of an NFL Cheerleader: experienced by few, and understood by even fewer.
It’s more than a few hair flips and high leg kicks. It’s actually quite a bit more, including appearances at area hospitals, supporting charity events for the players and their wives, and active outreach programs to the military. It’s putting up with some crazed fans, staying in shape in order to avoid as much criticism as possible in those skimpy outfits we all wished we could dare wear, and learning to love and form a sisterhood with 30 other women. All while holding down a full-time job or being a full-time student.
I had the great pleasure of chatting with Morgan, who goes by Moe to most, a fourth year veteran of the Houston Texans Cheerleading Squad (HTC). This firecracker originally from Austin, TX has been awarded most-spirited (2012), rookie of the year (2011), and the Texans Care award (2013) through the organization, as well as being voted to go to the Pro-Bowl in 2012 by her cheer peers.
Moe graduated Cum Laude from Texas State University with a degree in Business Management, and currently works as a Business Development Representative in healthcare in addition to her association with the Texans. To say she’s a smart cookie would be an understatement. With her background and passion in sports, music, fitness, and entertainment, Moe considers it one of the highest honors to be an NFL Cheerleader, particularly for the Texans organization, which requires such a strong work ethic from top to bottom.
Moe is probably the first person I’ve ever met that actually likes doing ab exercises. She once entered a plank-off contest at her local gym where she snagged the winning time holding it for a whopping 12:01. I guess there is something to be said for core workouts after all. Here’s a look at our interview:
[Jayme] What are 3 words you think others would use to describe you?
[Moe] Determined, Happy, Friend
[Jayme] If we were playing your iPod/iPhone at a party on shuffle, what song would come on that would totally embarrass you?
[Jayme] Everything’s bigger in Texas – how does this apply to HTC?
Photo Credit: Bob Levy
[Moe] Our tryouts are always huge! Coach Alto calls it the biggest party of the year. We just had tryouts a few months ago and 1,100 showed up looking to claim their spot as an HTC. The competition is fierce and most definitely one of the most stressful times of the year. We have the biggest NFL cheerleader tryouts in the entire league!
[Jayme] What’s the biggest misconception about being an NFL Cheerleader and what’s your response to dispel this myth?
[Moe] I think the biggest myth is that cheerleaders aren’t smart. Each and every one of us either has a full-time or part-time job or is a full-time student. We work our butts off all day in the work place and then head to practice to prepare ourselves for our routines. I currently work as a Business Development Representative for UT Physicians Orthopaedic Department representing 45 Doctors. There is another girl who is a CPA, and we have full-time students acing their classes.
[Jayme] How do you motivate yourself to workout on a lazy day?
[Moe] It has become part of my routine. I know that when I get out of work I go to the gym. Sometimes I might not workout as hard as other days, but I am in there pushing myself. Wearing the Texans uniform is definitely a motivator too! You want to look your best, you never know who is taking a photo or where they are when they are taking the photo, so you want to be in the best shape you can.
[Jayme] Speaking of that, as a cheerleader, your bodies are always being looked at and sometimes criticized. One day you’re too big, the next too small. How do you deal with that?
[Moe] It’s definitely hard and you are always told not to go read the comments, but it’s something I have a hard time avoiding. You have to take it all with a grain of salt and know that you have worked your butt off day in and day out to get where you are. We are in the public eye, so you are going to have people who are going to criticize us and praise us for one reason or the other. I remind myself that I am in an incredible position that I have dreamed about for years. I have worked incredibly hard to get where I am and I can’t let the negative comments hold me back from what I’m capable of accomplishing.
Photo Credit: Bob Levy
[Jayme] In a few sentences, what do your workouts look like in a week?
[Moe] As a team, this year we are going to start working out before practice for 30 minutes, but in the past we do the dances over and over and over again, so your stamina has to be on point. Outside of practice I do sprint intervals four days a week and one day of at least 45 minutes of straight cardio. I usually try and run at one of our parks around Houston for the cardio. Every 6 weeks I change my weight training, but I do 2 upper body workouts, slow and controlled 4 sets with 12 reps (heavy weight) and 2 lower body workouts.
[Jayme] As an HTC, your job is to cheer others on, but as strong women, even we need our own cheerleaders. Who is your biggest cheerleader?
[Moe] My parents are definitely my biggest motivators. They are my shoulder to cry on and the ones to push me to work harder and harder. They put strength in me to give me the ambition to get where I am today. They drive down for as many games as they can (they live in Austin) to cheer me on and show their unending support.
[Jayme] Each person has his or her balance of a good diet and exercise – some are split evenly 50/50 – what are you?
[Moe] I try to be as 50/50 as possible, but I definitely have my cheat meals, so I lean more towards exercise. If I miss a workout, I feel horrible. And I have a sweet tooth like no other. It’s hard for me to pass up on a Dairy Queen Blizzard!
So next time you hear someone criticize a cheerleader’s body or downplaying their huge roles as cheerleaders, remember Moe. Even the gals with the biggest smiles in town need encouragement too. We all do, it’s part of being women.
Follow Moe and cheer her on this season. She’s also a great source for fitness and diet questions. @HTC_Morgan or on Facebook.
To see the original blog on the Women’s Health Action Hero blog, click here.
To read The Blonde Side | Jayme Lamm’s profile on the Women’s Health Action Hero blog, click here.
So I’ve come to the conclusion that the ladies from A League of Their Own could beat the hell out of the Houston Astros right now, which, yes, very much means that MADONNA could beat the ASTROS.
1. Drayton McLane – Drayton is like baggage in a relationship. You start dating someone new and soon find out they are a mess and can’t seem to move past what the last girl or guy did to them. It’s exhausting and a waste of time, but it’s just life. That is Drayton. He is “just life” for the Houston Astros.
2. Pitching – The Astros pitching staff is giving up home runs like it’s BP. Or the Home Run Derby. Who cares which? The Astros have the absolute worst ERA in baseball at 4.83 – that’s 0.91 higher than the MLB average. When it comes to home runs given up, the Astros are the second worst, having given up 117 already this season. I’m not Brad Pitt and this ain’t Moneyball, but those numbers don’t look good.
3. Who? The Astros roster feels a bit like speed dating. They aren’t interesting or “good enough” to catch your eye, so why even remember their names? A few years ago you’d see a jersey with a player’s name on the back and stop for a minute wondering if that was a big player from before your time, or maybe the guy’s last name he wanted custom stitched on his jersey? Welcome to 2013 at Minute Maid folks – none of us have any clue who our players are on the roster. You could probably make up a name and no one would be the wiser. Seriously, try it and see what happens.
4. The fallacy that everything is bigger in Texas. Clearly this doesn’t apply to the Astros unless we’re debating the loss column (currently 33-61). For starters, our payroll is not bigger. We spent so much money buying Carlos Lee Whataburger the past five years, and now we’re spent. Houston’s Opening Day Payroll was a lousy $24,328,539. That’s $15mil less than the 29th smallest payroll of the Miami Marlins. There are at least three players, NOT TEAMS, that make more than the entire Astros payroll: A-Rod ($28m), Cliff Lee ($25.5.m) and CC Sabathia ($25m). And back to my A League of Their Own reference, that means that yes, Marla Hooch is bigger than Jose Altuve.
I’m not the best at math, but clearly there’s some sort of discrepancy there, yes?
Oops
5. The business inside Minute Maid. I guess it makes sense we can’t pay our players, we can’t even sell our outfield sponsorships, which many sports-biz related websites and an abundance of tweets have so kindly and pointed out. That’s what happens when your team sucks, people start to divert their attention elsewhere, like the snocones in the bathrooms or the glaring white space on the outfield wall where sponsors used to clamor to spend their millions for prime logo placement. Those days are long gone folks.
6. Where’s Waldo? There isn’t enough time to go over the dramatic happenings of the farm system, but where is all this good talent the Astros are drafting? The Astros take great pride in their draft picks (as they should), but why aren’t they bringing up those players who are excelling? Look what happened when we brought up Cosart recently only giving up two hits in eight innings of work? Or what about George Springer who’s still in Triple-A (.315 AVG, 26 HR, 72 RBI in AA & AAA combined) (17 games in AAA: .404 AVG, 7 HR, 17 RBU). The saying goes like this – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
So that doesn’t apply here.
7. Fans. I heard this joke last night: What song do Houston Astros fans sing before the bottom of the ninth inning? A: Nobody knows. There’s never any of them left. Boom. It’s funny because it’s true. I know that there are some hardcore and loyal fans out there. I know this because I’m friends with a few and the other few pretty much hate me on Twitter, so I hear you. You exist. But for the most part, you can’t be found anywhere within the confines of Minute Maid Park, or at a sports bar, or wearing the jerseys or supporting the team in any capacity.
I’m going to keep going here, so you can keep counting if you’d like…
– Six losing streaks of 5 or more games this season
– Errors: 69 (most in MLB)
– Runs Scored: 351 (3rd worst)
– Bat Avg: .235 (3rd worst…Yanks and Marlins worse)
– Home Attendance: 18,271/gm (3rd worst…TB and Miami)
– Overall Home & Road Attendance: 23,678 (2nd worst)
– Average Age: 27.1 (2nd youngest: Miami 26.8)
A few jokes, just for fun…
Q: Whats the difference between the Houston Astros and a mosquito?
A: A mosquito stops sucking.
Q: What do the Houston Astros manager and Alex Trebek have in common?
A: Both of their jobs are in Jeopardy.
Click here for more “Astros Suck” jokes (some highly inappropriate).
So just how much do the Astros suck? You tell me…
This piece was part of The Blonde Side’s new sports segment airing on FOX26 Houston, Sports Uncensored.
*Thanks to The Blonde Side’s research assistant Adam Sahmel for the stats/figures in this piece and on air.
Marlen Esparza in ESPN’s Body Issue taken by Peter Hapak in Gleason’s Gym, Brooklyn, N.Y. Photo by Peter Hapak/ESPN.go.com
The thought of someone asking you to strip down and bare it all in front of millions sounds crazy right?
Well it sure did to Houston’s own Marlen Esparza, who won a bronze medal in boxing at the 2012 London Olympic Games, when she was approached to be in the fifth annual edition of ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue.
“I don’t even like to wear shorts in public, so this was a big step,” Esparza joked.
The riveting issue, on newstands now, features 21 big-time athletes in a variety of nude poses, stressing the strength and muscular attributes of each of their diverse physiques and careers.
The mag features NFL ESPY nominee for “Best Breakthrough Athlete” Colin Kaepernick, 77-year-old golfer Gary Player, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings (who was photographed both before and after giving birth to her daughter in April), Mets’ pitcher Matt Harvey and others, including Esparza.
“I was approached by someone from ESPN and my first reaction was NO! I didn’t think I could do it or be comfortable, but after speaking to them, I realized they would make me comfortable. I also had to ask my boyfriend and dad for their thoughts and my friends for their opinion. In the end, the good outweighed the bad, so I said yes,” Esparza explained.
Strong back
While her training and physical regimen is unlike most women, her skepticism and insecurities of her body were right up there with most of us. “I don’t even like to wear shorts in public, so this was a big step,” she joked.
It’s no secret how hard Esparza has trained to get to where she is today and where she hopes to be tomorrow. Having trained hard as a flyweight boxer since 2001, her favorite body parts include her legs and her strong back. “Most girls would hate it [a strong back], but it makes me a better boxer so I appreciate it,” she adds.
“I wanted to show people it’s OK to love yourself and be proud in your own skin.”
Although she got the pre-authorization go-ahead from all the important people in her life (like her dad and boyfriend), Esparza still had a few unsettled butterflies before the mag hit newstands two days ago. “I’m still nervous about my dad. Super nervous actually. Or if my dad’s friends see it, I don’t want him to feel uncomfortable,” she said.
Esparza’s decision to pose for the mag was two-fold. “I wanted to show people it’s OK to love yourself and be proud in your own skin. I also loved the idea that I would be the first Olympic female boxer in the issue. I love being first,” she says with the biggest grin imaginable.
Esparza’s biggest claim to fame thus far is being the first flyweight to represent the US in the 2012 Olympics during the debut of women’s boxing in London last summer.
Ready for what?
The much-anticipated photoshoot took place at Gleason’s gym in NYC. “It was very awkward because I had to bounce around and hit bags nude. At first I posed with a robe, and when the photographer said he was ready, I was like ‘Ready for what?’ We all knew he meant take off the robe but I couldn’t do it right away. Everyone laughed because it took me a few minutes,” the boxer confesses.
“Happiness is a choice, and I would rather have a nice body I work on than a nice body I was born with. You can always improve yourself with hard work.”
It’s no secret posing of this nature in front of so many people took some serious guts, but I asked the Olympian a very simple question – “What would you say to someone who isn’t happy with their body?”
Her even more simplistic answer: learn to be.
“Happiness is a choice, and I would rather have a nice body I work on than a nice body I was born with. You can always improve yourself with hard work. You can’t change everything but you can improve it,” she continued.
And don’t feel bad for staring as ESPN has given you their complete and expressed permission. “It’s OK to stare. That’s what The Body Issue is here for. Each year, we stop to admire the vast potential of the human form. To unapologetically stand in awe of the athletes who’ve pushed their physiques to profound frontiers. To imagine how it would feel to inhabit those bodies, to leap and punch and throw like a god. To … well, gawk. So go ahead; join us,” the Mag says on ESPN.com.
You probably won’t be the only one starting either. Esparza admits that if she could choose any athlete to be in The Body Issue, she’d pick Cristiano Ronaldo who plays for Real Madrid. In her own words, “He’s probably one of the hottest guys on earth!” she gushes.
Since putting her clothes back on, the next step for the boxer is another national title and world championship next year.
This article appeared in the Sports section of Culture Map as well as one of their Top Stories. Click here to see the original piece.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Marlen-Esparza-ESPN-body-Issue-nude-in-ring_080822.jpg600800Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2013-07-15 11:46:162014-07-21 00:15:55In The Nude
2. Comment on the COMPETE contest photo by telling us in a few words, what COMPETE EVERY DAY means to you and how it’s helping you face your biggest competition right now? It doesn’t have to be about sports or fitness, but we compete every day whether we realize it or not. We want to hear from you.
That’s it. Best of luck to you, in the contest and in your every day competition. Oh, and the awesome tank/tee comes in a variety of colors, sizes and even kids, so be sure to check it out.
Also, fun little note about how motivation and encouragement is so awesome these days. My contact at Compete Every Day is Jake and he’s the CEO. Except at this great company, CEO stands for Chief Encouragement Officer. I love it.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/TBS-COMPETE-FLYER.jpg13651800Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2013-07-09 06:42:582013-06-28 12:47:46CONTEST: COMPETE Every Day
Red, white and blue, in a three-way conjunction are my absolute favorite colors. I often say I’m obsessed with America and it may sound silly, but it’s true. I’m obsessed with our country and our freedom and the overall good people that I like to think exist everywhere that make our country so amazing.
This morning I joined a great group of women in South Lake Tahoe at a local fitness studio, Splie (pronounced SPLEE-AY) for a Freedom Ride. I had no idea what a Freedom Ride was, but I knew I was in need of a good spin class to sweat out the toxins and keep myself in semi-bikini shape.
Tara, the owner, encouraged us to wear red, white and blue on the studio’s Facebook page by saying: “It’s how we roll. Red, White and blue ride this Wednesday.”
Wearing her own TEAM USA tank from the leader bike, Tara told us to “ride for something bigger than us, like the blood shed for our country,” and during rest breaks shouted out U.S.A. trivia and facts to encourage us and remind us just how lucky we are to live in this great country. She reminded us that because of what so many brave men and women have fought so hard for so many years, we have freedom. All while sweating up a storm, no less.
“We have the right to live equally,” Tara shouted from her spinning pulpit. “And to add resistance [to our bikes],” she demanded.
The 60-minute ride was a fierce combo of celebrating our freedom (hence the #FreedomRide) and our heritage and patriotic nature, complete with this playlist of varying genres:
The gals from the #FreedomRide at Splie Fitness
Beastie Boys: Fight for your Right
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA
En Vogue: Free Your Mind
Metallica: Nothing Else Matters
John Mellencamp: Pink Houses
Jimi Hendrix: Star Spangled Banner
Alicia Keys: Sleeping In My Bed
Brad Paisley: Camouflage
Foo Fighers: My Hero
Kenny Chesney: Freedom
Xtina: Fighter
Miley Cyrus: Party In the U.S.A.
When Xtina’s Fighter came on, Tara reminded us that sometimes we have to fight for our freedom.
In 1848, in New York, women began the long struggle for the right to vote. In 1920, 72 years later, their voting rights were recognized across the nation.
As Americans we are fighters (just like Xtina said) and we fight for our freedom. Remember those that put their lives on the line for us each and every day.
Needless to say, I got my patriotic butt kicked today. And I loved every minute of it. Thanks to those who have and are fighting for our Independence every day.
Exercise your rights. Or just plain exercise.
[This blog post was part of the 2013 Women’s Health Magazine Action Hero Blog. To see that original blog, click here.]
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/photo-2.jpg629629Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2013-07-03 20:03:492013-07-10 13:22:47Exercise your rights. Or just plain exercise.
As a writer, there’s this feeling deep down in my being that makes me feel a pang of guilt when I sit down to read. Why? Because I’m a writer and 9 times out of 10, I feel I can write better stuff than the junk I’m reading. But like all things in life, there’s always an exception to that rule.
The exception to this rule comes in the form of Drink, Play, F@#k, written by the ever-so-funny Andrew Gottlieb.
As some of you know, I spent the past three months on the North Shore of Oahu, writing my very own book. In the early stages of my trip, I ran across this book (how I ran across this book is actually pretty funny, but I shall save that for a rainy day because it involves a douchebag ex-boyfriend).
Gottlieb’s book was a reminder that we can lay it all out on the line, even if that means you’re opening up doors for people to judge you. That’s just the name of the game at this point, and my book will most definitely align the stars for judgement to be cast upon me in many directions.
The gist of the book is a year-long sabbatical this guy takes after his nagging and good-for-nothing wife cheats on him and leaves him for another man. In search of trying new things and sort of replaying the “what if” card, Bob Sullivan visits Ireland to Drink, Las Vegas to Play, and Thailand to F@#K and then lives to tell about it all.
When my book finally does come out (any publishers out there want to talk!?), it will be very similar to this format, minus the whole divorce gone wild thing. The language is slightly foul and crude, but Sullivan captivates you early on and makes you wish you too had the balls to do what he’s doing. Thankfully, I found my Lady Balls not too long ago and am on this same sabbatical.
I know, I know, it sounds like a country song. But it’s a new fitness trend I recently tried in South Lake Tahoe at Splie (pronounced Splee-ay), and wanted to share the experience.
I came to SLT for a month to finish writing my book (stay tuned), and to take in the summer scenery of this beautiful place while hanging out with a friend.
Early on, I stumbled on this intensely cute gym/workout studio (which refers to itself as a non-gym) just a bike ride away from where I was staying. I’m always up for trying new things in name of The Blonde Side, so Zumba in the Dark sounded like a challenge I was up for.
First off, I will attest that while blondes may have more fun, that in no way, shape or form, means we are better dancers. And by we, I mean yours truly. But the great thing about this class was that it was in the dark (with fun lighting all around), so you felt a little more at ease honing in on your sweaty dance moves. At least I did.
The other great thing about this class, or perhaps the gym itself, was that no one was there to judge. This was clearly not an audition for So You Think You Can Dance, and the girls there, all 11 of them in the class, were there to bond, hang out and sweat up a storm while getting their Monday night cardio on.
I should probably also thank Ashley, our instructor, for that. This little blonde sporting her Zumba racerback and lululemon studio pants was working everyone so hard, they didn’t have time or energy to look around and silently critique your dance moves. As far as I was concerned, Splie was a safe zone, and you could dance like Elaine on Seinfeld.
The class started off with a little diddy from Whitney Houston, then went into some Salsa music, followed by some gangsta rap (which I thoroughly enjoyed), onto some N’Sync and mixed in all kinds of other things you secretly love on your playlist. We danced like “raggedy anne dolls,” did the chicken dance, toe taps and a whole bunch of other fun little numbers working on quite a wide range of muscles while all engaging our core throughout the 60-minute class.
Here goes my non-expert Zumba advice: don’t worry so much about trying to make the exact moves your instructor is. Instead, have fun and keep moving – it’s all in the name of sweat, right?
Another thing I loved about this studio that I noticed on my first visit was the awesome book shelf in the back. Not only is it cute, it’s stacked
The honor system bookshelf at Splie
with a ton of great cook books, self-help books, workout DVDs and much more, along with a handwritten note from Tara (the owner) to her clients encouraging them to borrow anything. This is a gym and owner that truly wants the best for her clients both inside her studio and out. That’s the kind of workout partner and friend we all need.
The non-gym also offers a number of other classes with a focus on personal training, stretch (similar to yoga), group fitness, and spin, just to name a few. Check out their class schedule for more info.
Inside the gym, there was a great wall quote which should serve as a constant reminder for us to keep pushing our limits, even if it means dancing like a fool (you know, when no one’s watching):
“You don’t always get what you wish for, you get what you work for.”
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/61514_636786013001845_440286126_n.jpg612612Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2013-07-02 00:48:242013-07-02 00:55:09Dancing in the Dark [Zumba]
(Can I get an Amen right there?) Every once in a while The Blonde Side has the honor of guest posting on Girl Around Town, and here’s the latest – a fashionable post with some of the best red, white and blue patriotic wear in time for the upcoming 4th of July.
#2 (lululemon), #7 (Molly Brown Swimwear) and #10 (Von Zipper Liberty & Libations collection) are my absolute faves – go check them out.
(And this is just solid proof right here that badass women can and should work together and support one another. Thanks to Leigh and Mary at GAT for allowing me to contribute to their already awesome site.)
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Red-White-and-Blue-Sports-Attire-GAT.jpg600600Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2013-07-01 19:20:412013-07-01 19:20:41Red, White & Blue Sports Attire [Guest Post on GirlAroundTown]
For a limited time (as in this week only), The Blonde Side is selling a Miami back-to-back REHEAT tank (ladies) or tee (mens). Please place your order and spread the word to any other Heat fans! The shirts are $30 and include shipping and are super soft and a great brand: Alternative Apparel.
