AFL Cheerleaders are AMAZING...

You can call them cheerleader, dancers, dance team members, morale boosting dexterous uniformed team support personnel, fan entertainment specialists, or anything else you can think of. Me? I call them sexy.

Obviously, I have an affinity for the gals who strut their limber stuff at the Kemper in support of the Brigade, but I must admit that my roving eye does occasionally find itself lingering on the form and talent of dancers from other squads.

For instance, the photo accompanying this post is of the lovely Brenna, who just happens to be a very talented dancer for the Colorado Crush. Wonder if we could trade a spare QB to Elway's crew in exchange for her?

If you share my appreciation for the gals who wear the lycra, I invite you to check out this wonderful list of links to AFL dancers from all of the league's teams. It even contains links to a few ballclubs that are no longer with us. The memories of their games--and of their hot dancers--lives on. Links are courtesy of the fine folks at ManlyWeb.

ARENA FOOTBALL CHEERLEADERS

Kemper Arena, Home of the Brigade

Well, until the papers are signed and the new Sprint Center is open for business, Kemper Arena is the home of the Brigade.

It isn't the biggest AFL football venue. It isn't the newest. It isn't the nicest. But it's home and it could be a lot worse. Even though Kemper gets a lot of bad press and more than it's fair share of negative comments, it does have one thing going for it--the views.

You can get a nice view of all the action from just about any seat in the house. And it isn't so big that you feel miles away when your ticket leads you to a cheap seat.

Some info re: Kemper Arena...

Capacity is about 19,500
Kemper hosted the 1976 Republican National Convention
It opened in 1974
Its distinctive look was designed by now-noted architect Helmut Jahn

See you at the Kemper!

Custom Ink!

If the name makes you think about tattooing, think again. Custom Ink is a great apparel company that specializes in screen printing and t-shirts for schools, businesses and sports teams.

If your intramural team doesn't look that good playing as "skins" and you don't want to get stuck wearing matching Hanes cheapies from Wal-Mart, Custom Ink can hook you up with some fantastic team shirts.

If you want to put something together with your company logo for customers or as an incentive, Custom Ink is ready to help.

If it can be printed and it goes on your body, it's right up Custom Ink's alley. They serve the US and Canada and can use digital printing technology for quick turnaround orders.

Voodoo Survival!

Strike up the band! Good news in New Orleans!

When Kansas City got its AFL franchise, the Brigade, they replaced the New Orleans ballclub, the Voodoo. New Orleans was still reeling from Katrina and its associated flooding and the team needed a new home. It found one at Kemper Arena.

The Voodoo may have magically disappeared as the Big Easy got back on its feet, but it didn't stay gone long. The New Orleans franchise is apparently back in business, as evidenced by a recent article in the Bestrop Daily Enterprise.

That old black magic is back in the Crescent City, and Tom Benson's club is making a few moves.

"VOODOO HOPEFULS: Former Rams Carlos Stevens and Troy Mason have been invited to attend the New Orleans VooDoo tryout camp in January... Stevens, who played defensive end at Northwestern State, is trying out at linebacker. Mason, who played collegiately at UNLV, is a wide receiver."

Read more about football on the bayou here.

Great site for AFL fans...

Whether you root for the Kansas City Brigade or one of the other AFL teams, you are sure to find something you like at ArenaFan.com.

ArenaFan is a completely fan-driven source of information and insight on the AFL. During the off-season, you can learn about all the key trades, free agent signings and other moves.

As the season progresses, you can follow all of the action with regular stat updates, game capsules, exclusive player and coach interviews and more.

The AFL might not get the kind of mainstream media coverage we fans would really like to see, but as long as sites like ArenaFan are around, we don't really need to feel bad about that. We can get all of the inside information and expert perspective we need online.

Check out ArenaFan as soon as possible. You'll be glad you did!

Supplement Resource

Ever wonder how those Brigade players get so ripped? It certainly takes a lot of time in the gym and weight room, but I'm willing to wager that at least some of those pro athletes rely on quality nutritional supplements.

No, I'm not talking about the illegal stuff that makes the headlines. I'm talking about new advances in nutrition and other bodybuilding supplements. There are literally thousands of different products available and more are sure to hit the market as scientific advances continue.

Anabolicminds is a good place to learn more about these products. In addition to great information on a variety of related topics, it also has an incredibly active forum that features over 600K worth of posts from people who are interested and informed about the field.

If you want tips, hints or product reviews for weightlifting and bodybuilding supplements, it's certainly worth taking a long look at the site.

Chiefs fans dig Brigade, too...

The Flight Crew, a collection of Brigade fans I mentioned a few posts ago, have Chiefs watch parties.

They certainly aren't the only fans of both teams!

I was surfing the net for things Brigade-related and found this at the Coalition Forums, which are dedicated to all things Red and Gold, if you get my drift... Nonetheless, they have a portion of the boards set aside to talk about the Brigade...

Here are some of the topics I found at a glance:

1. The KC Brigade (24 replies)
2. Neil Smith to be honored at Halftime Monday Night (8 replies)
3. Former Broncos QB still target of KC as arena team owner (7 replies)
4. Brigade take down Avengers, 62-45 (6 replies)
5. Anyone out their still watching the Brigade? (5 replies)
6. :sigh: (2 replies)
7. Just vistiing (1 replies)
8. . . . . . . . . (1 replies)
9. Bill Gramatica (4 replies)
10. Game tonight (4 replies)
11. Great game! (10 replies)
12. andy kelly (10 replies)
13. Home opener (4 replies)
14. Who has the best AFL cheerleaders? (7 replies)

Nice to see that people are rooting for both KC football teams.

You can check it all out right here.
Oh, and the answer to #14? If you have any doubts in your mind, check this out.

Rocking animated header at Brigade home page...

I was just over at the official page of the Kansas City Brigade and noticed the header graphic. If you haven't seen it before, take a look. I don't know how long it's been that way, but I have never noticed, probably because I always scroll down right away.

Anyway, it features some B2's buzzing the Kansas City skyline and it is completely awesome.

Right now, the Brigade also have some of the new advertising materials up and running right now and that is worth checking out, too.

I don't want people to run away from my Brigade page to any other, but when it comes to the team's official HQ, I can make an exception. Head over there now. Check out the header, the new vids, and don't stay so long looking at all the cheerleader pictures that you start salivating on your keyboard, okay?

New internet marketing blog up and running...

If you are like me, you keep an eye out for new online developments that can put money in your pockets. I do a little internet marketing and hope to do more in the future, because there appears to be real potential in the field.

The problem is that so much of the information out there about earning a living online is a little on the high-hype side. That's why I was happy to find out that the people at USWeb, a recognized and respected search engine marketing firm, have launched NetResults, a blog focusing on the internet marketing industry.

They plan to cover everything from how to transform your IM business into something that is "Web 2.0" friendly to nuts and bolts issues like servers and checkout options. You know they will cover the search engine optimization topic effectively, too.

To make matters better, this particular internet marketing blog is more than just a tricky way to make sales for its owner. The folks at USWeb are keeping it informative, honest and valuable. Advertising is even at a minimum.

Add it to your bookmarks. I will be! It should be a great read and will hopefully help me to boost my online earnings.

Flight Crew weighs in on Brigade QB question...

The Flight Crew, a collection of Kansas City Brigade stalwart fans, has a great website providing information about the club and the fun activities in which Crew members participate.

Right now, The Flight Crew's site features a poll asking visitors to predict who the #1 and #2 QB choices are going to be for the upcoming season.

Will it be Philyaw and Bishop?
Quinn and Philyaw?
Quinn and Bishop?
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

Stop by, take a look at what the Crew is doing to support Arena Football in Kansas City, join up, and make your prediction for the Brigade's quarterback known. After you vote, you can get an idea of what the rest of the KCB diehards think about the situation.

Highway 64 has stake in Brigade...

You know that Neil Smith, the former Chiefs standout defensive end, has a spot in the ownership team that runs the Kansas City Brigade. He's not the only former Chief (or NFL player, for that matter) with an interest in Club.

Ralph Tamm, a former offensive lineman who spent time with a series of NFL teams, including KC, is also a part owner. Tamm currently lives in Colorado and has a horse ranch, as well as being involved with the Brigade.

Known as "Highway 64" when he played (64 was his uni number), Tamm had a reputation as a hardnosed lineman, actually finishing #3 on a list of the "dirtiest players" in the league at one point.

If you want to read more about Brigade co-owner Ralph Tamm's college and pro career or find out a little more about what happened to him after his playing days were over, you should check out the article I found at PhilyBurbs.

Magazines on the cheap...

If you're like me, your household probably subsribes to somewhere between five and ten magazines. They are addictive little sources of regular information and although I like getting the scoop online, too, there is something about the slick paper of magazines and the ability to read them while chilling on the sofa that I just can't yet capture using technology.

Anyway, the problem with magazines is that, unlike the Kansas City Brigade Extra, they are not free. However, it is possible to get subscriptions inexpensively. MagsDirect.com, for instance, sells subs to over 1300 magazines at the LOWEST prices the publishers will allow for net sales.

They also offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so you don't need to worry about whether you are dealing with the real deal.

With all of those titles, you know they will have something you absolutely love. So, consider looking online at MagsDirect.com the next time you decide to add a few magazine subscriptions to your list.

Former Brigade DS is going to Disneyworld...

Former Brigade defensive specialist Chris Pointer has been signed as a free agent by the Orlando Predators, according to the Predators' official website.

Although Pointer's solid play clearly wasn't enough to vault Kansas City into the Arena Bowl last year, Orlando thinks he can certainly help them on the defensive side of the ball.

The article about Pointer is, expectedly, very positive about the DS and his future in Florida. It also provides a nice encapsulation of his professional football career:

"A veteran entering his fifth season, Pointer started all 16 games for the Brigade last year – recording a career-high 74 tackles with one interception and 10 pass defenses. For his AFL career, he has 219 career tackles with 38 pass defenses and three interceptions – playing for the Brigade, New Orleans VooDoo and New Jersey Gladiators."

Brigade Girls Get Nod...

The Professional Cheeerleader Blog has a nice piece on this year's Kansas City Brigade Girls.

Sasha notes that the squad has expanded to 32 amazing participants and provides a full roster of the folks who will keep the fans excited and entertained throughout the coming season.

The post also features a great color photo of the whole team, which is something every fan of the team (and the dance squad) will definitely want to check out!

According to the blog, the roster will be made up of the following great dancers and entertainers:

"Returning Veterans
Amy S, Angie, Brandy, Candice, Erin B, Jodi, Julee, Kirby, Michelle, Stephanie, Sumayyah, and Valerie.

Newbies
Affton, Amanda, Amber, Amy W, Ashley, Brittany H, Brittany K, Davinia, Erin B, Jaci, Jenni, Jessica, Julie, Kasey, Nadia, Rachel, Tessa, Tonya, Whitney, and Yolanda"

On link popularity,,,

Okay, everyone has figured out that link popularity is the key to search engine result placement success. If you don’t have plenty of links out there pointing back to your site, it is incredibly tough to end up with a highly placed result for your keywords.

That’s important, because search engine traffic is the lifeblood of most commercial sites. Without it, there aren’t enough visitors to convert into sales and sites go under. With it, there are always checks to cash.

The problem is figuring out how to get those links, right? Not necessarily. Yeah, you could try to organize a series of trades. You could try to write something so amazing that people would link to it organically. If you want tons of links, though, that can be inefficient. Oh, and you do want tons of links. Experts argue that volume is incredibly important to search engine success.

One interesting solution is partnering with Blogitive. Blogitive will take information about your site and hand it over to an army of bloggers who will then write about you and who will link back to you. You can amass a substantial quantity of backlinks in a hurry with a service like Blogitive.

Remember, the algorithms keep changing but one thing remains constant when it comes to search engines. Links create better results. And that means more traffic. Traffic, of course, is money. Get your links and get plenty of them.

Sioux City's Bauman moves up to AFL with Brigade...

The off-season personell acquisitions continue.

Three hundred pound nose guard Damien Bauman is making the jump from the Sioux City Bandits to the Kansas City Brigade after inking a two year deal.

Bauman has been playing pro ball for four years. In addition to his season with Sioux City, he spent three years with the NIFL team in Omaha.

Bauman played college ball for the Huskers in Nebraska and, according to a Sioux City Journal article, he's looking forward to becoming part of the Brigade. The plan to use fewer two-way players in the AFL seems like a welcome change to Bauman, who seems enthused to perfect his nose guard skills and contribute to a winning team in Kansas City.

Get to know your new Brigade lineman. Read the Sioux City Journal article in full...

Brigade Hooks Up with Bishop

Right on the heels of bringing former Chiefs back up QB J. Quinn into the fold, the KC Brigade signed another recognizable name to take snaps next year. Former Kansas State standout Michael Bishop has signed a deal with the Kansas City Arena Football League club.

The move has been lauded by the KC Star as proof positive that the Brigade understand the marketing value of a local gridiron hero like Bishop. They also note that the former Big XII quaterback can probably lead the team to a few wins.

It seems like a great move to me. Now, the question becomes whether Kemper Arena is big enough for two guys with local ties who have both spent time on NFL rosters and who both play quarterback.

My guess? Despite early indications to the contrary, I doubt Jonathan Quinn will ever take the turf as a member of the Kansas City Brigade now that Bishop is on the team.

Getting an online degree...

Not everyone loves the idea of attending college the traditional way. We don't all have schedules or lifestyles that make attending scheduled classes at a physical campus sensible. Some of us need additional flexibility or are simply in search of a more efficient option. Capella University may be the solution for those who feel that way. Capella serves over 16K students from all over the world, allowing them to complete four year and graduate degree programs via an online distance learning model.

Capella isn't some sketchy, phony "school" that will just take the money and run. It's headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has been operating since 1993. Unlike many of its competitors, its accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and maintains a membership with the North Central Association of colleges and Schools.

Do you want a business degree online? Looking for a way to snag that graduate degree? Interested in studying and advancing without spending days and nights in stuffed classrooms on a schedule that just doesn't meet your needs? You might want to check out Capella University. You can find them online or give them a buzz at 888-CAPELLA.