The Lingerie Football League (LFL) remember them? The league featuring women in next to nothing plans to hold a press conference in Los Angeles, California on January 9,2013. They’ve been called the “Nation’s fastest growing sports league by NBC Sports and apparently want to be seen as more than a gimmick. According to their own press release they will go through “major re-branding” and include “uniform modifications”. There’s a noble idea, put women in more than bra, panties, helmet and shoulder pads in hopes of being taken seriously.
NBCsports’ Off the Bench shared:
“This is the next step in the maturation of our now global sport. While the Lingerie Football League name has drawn great media attention allowing us to showcase the sport to millions, we have now reached a crossroad of gaining credibility as a sport or continuing to be viewed as a gimmick. … In order to reach the next milestone, we feel the focus has to be the sport and our amazing athletesâ€, said Mitchell S. Mortaza, Founder & Chairman, Lingerie Football League, LLC.
They are attempting to put the focus on athletics and the women who are part of the league. I know a number of women who participated in the league while it ha a brief stint in Denver. A handful of women who have competed in the past are still part of the LFL. The women really are athletic and when they play it’s vicious. Sadly, most people haven’t taken them or the league all the serious based on where it originated (as a Super Bowl halftime event), their uniforms (or lack there of) and the name (lingerie doesn’t exactly scream “I’m an athlete”).
The LFL is rumored to be heading into international markets as well. Stay tuned to hear what direction the LFL heads.
Stacey Oster during LFL Denver Dream tryouts. Photo by: LiftStudios.com
