Lingerie football players strut stuff in preseason tryouts
Published: July 27, 2009
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TAMPA - About two dozen women in workout shorts, T-shirts and shoulder pads sprinted around the field today at the St. Pete Times Forum, trying to impress coaches enough to become part of the Tampa Bay area's Lingerie Football League team.
The 10-member league that started on the West Coast tries to offer a mix of titillation and touchdowns. The Tampa Breeze and Chicago Bliss will be expansion teams for the league.
The team will keep 14 players on the active roster, said spokeswoman Christina Olive.
Despite the name of the league and far more skin than you in a National Football League game – even from the cheerleaders - the women take this seriously and it comes with the bumps and bruises of full contact, tackle football.
"We have some broken fingers. We have some hips that have been popped out of joint. Girl's knees from the turf are scraped up," said quarterback Jenn Myers, a 29-year-old from Land O' Lakes.
She played quarterback for her sorority's flag football team at Florida State University.
Myers said the looks of the players may get people to watch but she hopes the skill of the players will keep fans' interest.
"We hope to wind them over with our talent," she said.
Olive said the looks of the players can mask their athletic abilities.
"These are athletes first. They're pretty girls, yes, but they're athletes first," Olive said.
The games are played on an Arena Football League field with seven players each on offense and defense. With so few players on the roster, many play positions on the offense and defense. Myers is also a linebacker.
The offense has four downs to gain seven yards. There is no punting or field goals.
Otherwise, it's basic football. Running backs go in motion. There are play-action passes and quarterback option plays.
The team is scheduled to play a four-game season, starting with a home game at the Forum Dec. 4 against the Chicago Bliss, then a visit to the Philadelphia Passion on Dec. 11.
The final home game will be on Jan. 15 against the New York Majesty and the season will end with a road game Jan. 22 against the Miami Caliente.
