Bonnie-Jill Laflin: First and Only Female NBA Scout
What It Was Like to Be the First (and Only!) Female Scout in the NBA
How Bonnie-Jill Laflin scored her dream job and her advice to any women hoping to do the same.
Being the first at anything can be a bit scary, but a little intimidation couldn’t stop Bonnie-Jill Laflin from going after her dream job as the first ever female scout in the NBA. Though Laflin is now a huge sports personality with her own show, it was her time as an NBA scout for the LA Lakers that taught her the most about her career. Back then, she was assigned to watch out for prospective players and report back to the team’s general manager. It was a position that meant her superiors were relying on her expertise and gut instincts about up-and-coming players—which ultimately would determine if these guys got signed. Yeah, you could say she was a pretty big deal. But as impressive as Laflin was at this job, her journey to the position was even more amazing.
From Shouting to Scouting
When she was young, Laflin knew she wanted to be involved in professional sports, so she dove in wherever she could—and at the beginning, that meant cheering on the sidelines. “It was a way for me to get in these organizations and inside the sports world and capitalize on it,” says Laflin. So she took advantage of her proximity to the action and went on to cheer for the San Francisco 49ers for two years, where she won a Super Bowl ring with them in 1995. Then she moved on to the Cowboys—the mecca of all pro-sports cheerleading organizations—and even landed a spot on the cover of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Calendar.
After racking up recurring roles on Baywatch and Ally McBeal, Laflin’s popularity grew, which gave her the chance to move to LA, where she was hired as a sports broadcaster for CBS. “And among the many stories I got to report on, I was assigned to cover the LA Lakers,” says Laflin. It was an opportunity that gave her even more knowledge of the industry, and one that put her face-to-face with Jerry Buss, Ph.D., former owner of the Lakers.
This article originally ran on Women’s Health Magazine. Click here to see the full article and all the amazing tips Bonnie-Jill has to share.
Houston’s new women’s soccer team grabs celebrity supporters — thanks to a kick start from Alex Morgan
There’s a new team in town and it may surprise you who some of its biggest cheerleaders are — many already with season tickets in hand. For starters, retired Houston Dynamo player Brian Ching leads in his new role as the managing director of the Houston Dash, the newest member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
The NWSL features many of the top players from the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as talent acquired from around the world. The Dash, owned and operated by the Houston Dynamo, will enter the NWSL in the fledgling league’s second season. The Dash are the league’s the ninth club and first expansion team for the 2014 season. Its 24-match schedule kicks off Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium and extends through mid-August.
Some may be surprised by the buzz already generated by Houston’s new women’s soccer team, but they shouldn’t be. Not when you have folks like the mayor of Houston and NFL Pro Bowlers among the first to snag season tickets.
“I think a big part of (the buzz) is that the city is getting behind it — the mayor was one of the first people to buy seasons tickets. I think the fact that the Texans have talked a bunch about it on social media has really helped spread the word in Houston as well,” Ching says.
“You know who’s been big on it is (Texans linebacker) Brian Cushing. He’s been huge. His wife (Megan) played soccer in college, I think at USC. Kealia (Ohai), her sister, just finished playing her eligibility at University of North Carolina, at one of the best powerhouses and teams in college.
“She’s definitely going to be an exciting player. She’s on the United States U-23 WNT right now. Brian Cushing’s bought a bunch of season tickets so he’s been huge on helping push the team, and tweeting and re-tweeting stuff.”
Houston, just one of 13 cities with four professional sports teams, relies on its loyal fan base and support of the other local teams. No one knows that more than Ching who played in the MLS for 12 years, ending his career in an emotional testimonial match last December.
“It’s pretty neat to see guys on other teams take an interest in other sports, and get to know the guys and support Houston teams. I never followed football, or the Texans, before I got here and now I find myself rooting for the Texans week in and week out,” Ching says. “I know the Astros aren’t doing too well, but I’ve met a few guys on the team and you’re always hoping they’re heading in the right direction and doing the right things to be successful.
“I think players like Cushing coming to our games helps drive attention to the sport, maybe not so much us going to their games, since they are the big dogs in town, and rightly so, but the fact that they come out and support us, I think that’s pretty cool.”
If you enjoy Dynamo games, you can bet that Ching and the rest of the front office (who now mostly double as Dynamo and Dash staff) are doing everything in their power to duplicate that exact same energy and love throughout the city.
“What we’re trying to do on the women’s side is kind of create what we have on the men’s side — what we have on the men’s side is a good team, community based, and successful on the field. We don’t really have the star power like the Alex Morgans, the Abby Wombachs, or the Hope Solos, but the Dynamo never really had that,” Ching says. “We’ve been a successful team because we’re a good team and everything has been team and community based.
“I think we have a great coach who understands that, and he’s done a great job assembling those types of players through our drafts — not the star players but the good team players, great players and team oriented.” The basic fundamentals of any good team.
Women’s Soccer Reboot
Just a week after his testimonial match honoring his Dynamo career, Ching was right back in the office starting the process of hiring a coach and figuring out the Dash’s game plan. The idea and implementation of the team came quicker than most realize. Dynamo (and now also Dash) president, Chris Canetti spent some time talking with Olympian Alex Morgan, who plays for the Portland Thorns — perhaps the most successful team in the inaugural season of the NWSL.
Ching says it was after a few talks with Morgan that Canetti declared, “We should do this — grow the game of soccer in Houston.”
And so the pieces quickly came together.
“Chris really worked hard and believes in it, to get the thing up and running,” Ching says.
“I always wanted to help out on the men’s side because that’s all I knew, was the men’s side. Then he (Canetti) gave me this role and at first I didn’t know what to expect and the more I thought about it, the more excited I got. It’s a great opportunity, you get to learn the whole business, be involved in forming a brand new team . . . it’s just exciting.”
Bringing women’s soccer of this caliber does plenty for Houston sports, but it extends far beyond that. “Not only does it provide great soccer on the women’s side but (also) good solid women role models in the city,” Ching says.
When it comes to NWSL, not all teams are created (or structured) equal. “Only two teams (Houston and Portland) are supported by MLS teams, those other teams have to find stadiums, rent stadiums, they have to make due with smaller staffs and budgets, etc.,” Ching says noting part of the allure for the Dash is that they have arguably the best practice facilities and best stadium to train and play in.
“You look at soccer fans, they tend to be a little more passionate than a lot of the other sports — there’s just a culture in soccer.”
Here’s hoping Houston shows the Dash all the love they’ve worked so hard for the past few months. And if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of Brian Cushing, J.J. Watt and Mayor Annise Parker in the stands on Opening Day. The club’s already opened up additional seating at BBVA (for most Dash games, the upper deck won’t be open) due to the high interest in the franchise’s first game.
This article originally ran on the sport’s section of Culture Map. Click here to see the original article and more Houston Dash photos.
https://theblondeside.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Houston-Dash-womens-soccer-team-players-at-stadium-March-2014_105910.jpg450600Jaymehttps://theblondeside.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1526998321020-300x192.pngJayme2014-04-11 09:59:212014-11-19 11:36:30Dash Power | Houston’s New Women’s Soccer Team
Houston Texans cheerleader tryouts bring sexy back: More than 1,000 hopefuls aim for 35 spots
Houston Texans Cheerleader Hopefuls at Tryouts (Photo courtesy of Miguel Sada)
Consider this Draft Day for the Houston Texans Cheerleaders. More than 1,000 (1,033 to be exact — the largest to date) hopefuls walked into the Methodist Training Center by way of a red carpet to try out for one of the 35 coveted spots on the cheerleading team.
Complete with glitter, fringe, bling, knee-high boots and Texas-sized spirit, the stakes were high during Round 1 of tryouts.
The dancers had 30 minutes to learn a choreographed dance, which they then showcased in front of Houston media, HTC alum, vets (who were also required to try out again for a spot on the new roster), a few hand-picked super-fans, and head coach Alto Gary herself.
To emphasize the stakes, they were surrounded by life-size blowups of the HTC swimsuit calendar months on the perimeter of the dance floor. Talk about an anxiety-inducing Saturday night!
The soundtrack for the night’s dance moves included a diverse sampling of Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5, Toby Keith, David Guetta, Justin Timberlake, Lucenzo and much more. After performing their newly-learned choreograph dance, each contestant was given 15 seconds of “freestyle” to show the judges her own unique flair. Some excelled, some yelled, and some just fell.
“I’m taking 35 of these girls with me to the Super Bowl,” Gary exclaimed. She has been the first and only coach since HTC was established in 2002, and this year she sees even bigger things for her popular squad.
One Texans staff member was noting how many came decked out and ready to shine. “Some of the girls didn’t put enough glue on their outfits — we’ll be picking up feathers out of the turf for hours,” he joked of the scene. But the intensity was there.
I wish I could say there weren’t any wardrobe malfunctions or twerking in the night’s festivities, but with so many contestants in attendance, you already know the odds were in favor of Cyrus’ dance moves.
The night was entertaining to say the least, and as a fan, I can certainly say I’m not only excited to see what the Houston Texans can produce on the field, but what we’ll be showcasing on the sidelines as well. Follow the remaining rounds of tryouts at HoustonTexans.com starting Tuesday where fans can vote for the 50 Finalists. The final 2014 HTC squad will be announced on Draft Day on May 8.
In the words of JT, these ladies are in fact bringing sexy back to Reliant Stadium…we mean NRG Stadium.
This article originally ran in the sport’s section of Culture Map. Click here to see the original article in its entirety.
The Blonde Side & Budweiser Clydesdales (Photo: CatchLight Group)
The Iconic Budweiser Clydesdales Join Opening Day Festivities for the Houston Astros
For only the second time in Houston history, the World-renowned Budweiser Clydesdales will participate in Opening Day with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The iconic Clydesdales along with their hitch team will process down the warning track before Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees and will deliver the ceremonial first pitch to Texas’ own Nolan Ryan.
These ambassadors of the Great American Lager will be getting ready for their big appearance inside Minute Maid Stadium at the intersection of Avenidas de las Americas and Texas Avenue beginning 4:00p Tuesday for fans to come and get up close and personal.
The love and recognition for the Budweiser Clydesdales extends well beyond their award-winning Super Bowl commercials, especially the “Puppy Love” ad spot that appeared in Super Bowl XLVIII, where the ad won first place in USA Today’s AdMeter. Before the ad even aired in the coveted and pricey Super Bowl slot, it had already earned 30 million YouTube views. Perhaps the adoration for the Clydesdales has something to do with the fact they have appeared in more than 24 memorable and award-winning Super Bowl commercials dating back to 1986. The Clydesdales are no doubt an enduring symbol of Budweiser’s heritage, tradition and commitment to quality as well as one of the world’s most recognized corporate symbols.
One of the most common questions of the hitch team is whether or not these particular set of Clydesdales are the original Clydesdales. The original Clydesdales team took form April 7, 1933 and 2014 marks their 81st anniversary with Anheuser-Busch. The Budweiser Clydesdales have three hitch teams, which allow them to make hundreds of appearances each year across the country, and overall there are about 180-200 Clydesdales on the Budweiser team.
One important member of the Clydesdale team that made the trek to Houston is Fez (pictured), who is 10 years old and
The Blonde Side & Budweiser Clydesdales (Photo: CatchLight Group)
weighs about 2200lbs. An average day for Fez includes eating more than 40lbs of hay and drinking 35 gallons of water (yes, all that comes out) and the hitch team spends about five hours on each Clydesdale before a show prepping and pampering them to make them presentable to fans. The team traveled to Houston with 10 Clydesdales and eight will be present for Opening Day festivities, where the rest serve as backups and get rotated throughout events in Houston during the week.
Ten horses, along with the famous red, white, and gold beer wagon and other essential equipment are transported in three 50-foot tractor-trailers. Seven expert handlers normally travel with the hitch, and each team is on the road at least 10 months out of the year with jobs ranging from driving to grooming the Clydesdales for appearances to ensuring each Clydesdale receives a high quality of care. It’s a tough job, but a rather rewarding one after a long day with fans.
To make the cut for one of the traveling hitches, a Budweiser Clydesdale must be a gelding at least four years of age, stand 72 inches at the shoulder when fully mature, weigh between 1,800 and 2,300 pounds, have a bay coat, four white legs, a white blaze, and a black mane and tail.
Traveling alongside the 10 Clydesdales to Houston is the two-year old Dalmation pup, Chip. Dalmations have traveled with the Clydesdale hitch team dating back to the 1950’s as their breed has been associated with horses and valued for their speed, endurance and dependable nature. Chip is often seated perched atop the wagon, proudly seated next to Doug, the driver.
Opening Day with or without the Clydesdales is a pretty big deal – after all, folks at Budweiser, alongside Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith have been petitioning baseball fans everywhere to sign a formal petition denoting Opening Day a Holiday. With the 100,000+ signature milestone already met, the petition is now at the White House and waiting presentation to President Obama.
The Blonde Side’s photoshoot with the Budweiser Clydesdales team
To celebrate Opening Day, Budweiser will deliver more than 1,500 kegs of Budweiser day-fresh draught kegs to MLB stadiums and cities, just a fraction of the amount consumed on this almost-Holiday. Many fans will get to enjoy the absolute freshest Budweiser at the game, which was packaged and delivered this morning, making it the freshest in all of Texas.
