New Lingerie Football League under debate

BY SIMON EVANS

Last updated 10:12 04/09/2009

Text Size

0 of 0

Miami Caliente's quarterback Morgan McGrath stretches during practice for the Lingerie Football League in Miami, Florida.

Miami Caliente's offensive unit, with head coach Bob Hewko, prepares for a play to start during practice for the Lingerie Football League in Davie, Florida.

Miami Caliente's quarterback Andaka Dixon runs a play during a practice for the Lingerie Football League in Davie, Florida.

Los Angeles Temptation Lauren Bergfeld (right) breaks away from New York Euphoria Jen Johnson (left) and Sheena Mariano during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles 2006.

New York Euphoria Anca Marcus-Kahn breaks away from Los Angeles Temptation Lauren Bergfeld (on ground) for a touchdown during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles, 2006.

New York Euphoria Sheena Mariano tries to break away from Los Angeles Temptation Elisabeth Rouffaer during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles 2006.

New York Euphoria Trishelle Cannatella is tackled during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles 2006.

Team Dream offensive linebacker Gwendolyn Osbourne celebrates with the trophy after Team Dream's 6-0 victory over Team Euphoria at the first annual Lingerie Bowl at the Coliseum in Los Angeles 2004.

Actress and model Angie Everhart (left) gets the ball from a teammate as she poses for photographers at a news conference announcing plans for

Los Angeles Temptation Lauren Bergfeld is tackled during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles 2006.

Los Angeles Temptation's Lauren Bergfeld (left) tries to break away from New York Euphoria's Nicole Hanses during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles 2006.

New York Euphoria teammates celebrate their victory over Los Angeles Temptation at the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles, 2006.

Game referees are seen before the kick-off of the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles, 2006.

Los Angeles Temptation's Lauren Bergfeld (centre) tries to break away from the New York Euphoria defense line during the third annual Lingerie Bowl football game in Los Angeles in 2006.

Miami Caliente's Tina Caccavale (left) who plays wide receiver, safety and kicker, Tiara Turley (centre), defensive team captain and linebacker, and Sarah Kimball (right) who plays safety, gear up before practice for the Lingerie Football League (LFL) in Davie, Florida.

Miami Caliente's right tackle and defensive end, Nicole Daddona, laughs after a play during practice for the Lingerie Football League in Davie, Florida.

Actress and model Angie Everhart (centre, back row) and her Team Euphoria pose for photographers at a news conference announcing plans for the first

Women participate in blocking drills during the first day of tryouts for the Lingerie Football League's expansion team the New York Majesty in Freeport, New York.

Melissa Teixeira misses a pass during the first day of tryouts for the Lingerie Football League's expansion team the New York Majesty in Freeport, New York.

Jenni Farley, 24, gets in a stance to run sprint drills during the first day of tryouts for the Lingerie Football League's expansion team the New York Majesty in Freeport.

Women perform stretches during the first day of tryouts for the Lingerie Football League's expansion team the New York Majesty in Freeport, New York.

Krystal Gray runs drills during the first day of tryouts for the Lingerie Football League's expansion team the New York Majesty in Freeport, New York.

« Previous« PreviousNext »Next »

Relevant offers

It does not require a great deal of imagination to work out the marketing strategy of the Lingerie Football League (LFL), which opens its debut season tomorrow (NZ time).

The underwear-clad female players are hoping, however – probably in vain – to be taken seriously.

The LFL, born out of the commercial success of the 'Lingerie Bowl', a halftime show of women in scanty outfits broadcast during the halftime break in the NFL's Super Bowl, has 10 teams competing in seven-a-side full-contact American football, with players dressed in sports bras and the tiniest of shorts.

"I think it is eye candy for one but it is also football and it is real," says Kaley Tuning, wide-receiver with the Miami Caliente who open the season on Friday at the Chicago Bliss.

"There were try outs for the team and if you couldn't play you didn't make the cut," she said.

"I've seen people say it is a joke and it is degrading and it makes me mad. We are real athletes, for them to not take us seriously, well I say wait till you see us play," she added.

Watching the Caliente practise, at a sports facility in the suburbs of Miami under the charge of former college football quarterback Bob Hewko, the strange clash of glamour girls and sport is quickly evident.

The training is taken seriously and the players work hard and look intense in the huddle but a Gucci handbag takes its place alongside the helmets on the sideline and one player, who like many is also a model, worries that she has picked up scratches ahead of photo shoot in a few days' time.

Hewko concedes that looks played a major part in the selection of the squad but, like everyone involved in the venture, says fans will see real football.

"I was surprised at the level – the level of talent. They can run, they can catch and we have a quarterback that can throw the football 60 yards," he said.

It is unlikely to be the throwing prowess of the players that brings in the punters to the indoor arenas, however.

"For the first game, it is going to be people wanting to have a good time, wanting to see beautiful women playing football and getting down and dirty," said Miami's defensive captain Taira Turley, who is also a professional make-up artist.

Thousands of women play organised games of American Football across the United States in amateur teams wearing conventional uniforms, and receiving little major commercial interest.

Miami Fury has been a member of the Independent Women's Football League for all of its 10-year existence and the team'suld support the team in their home games but was unsure whether the LFL would help her to generate backing for her own team.

"It could be a positive or a negative. It could be that people still don't take (women's football) seriously but then again it might help," she said.

Feminist writer Courtney Martin has no doubts over whether the LFL will help women.

"This is objectification at its most pernicious – give women an opportunity to participate in a sport that they haven't had the chance to do for pay and publicly previously, but only let them do it if they are stereotypically pretty and willing to do it in their underwear," she wrote on website feministing.com.

Ad Feedback

So why not simply play the game in conventional dress?

"But then half the people wouldn't watch," said Tuning.

"Sure, some people aren't going to watch because they think it is degrading or they don't want to watch it with their kids.

"But then there is going to be a group of people who watch it because of (the attire) and they might say: 'Wow – this is real, athletic and they know what they are doing".

- Reuters