On Friday the 13th Yahoo Sports published a statement from Lingerie Football League spokesman Jim Wallin announcing that the LFL was taking a time out for the 2012 season. They are scheduled to return in the spring and summer of 2013 when the weather is warm.
For those unfamiliar with the LFL, it is a female football league that began in 2009 and is headquartered in West Hollywood. It is played with a 7-on-7 format and the uniforms consist of lingerie and football pads.
In 2011 there were 11 teams with monikers such as the Passion, Chill, and Temptation. Last season the teams were located in Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Green Bay, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Tampa. Although the Temptation have been crowned the champions for each of the past three years, there have not yet been cries of outrage to “Break up the Temptations”.
The reason for the hiatus is the league wants to promote itself. Officials feel the best way to do so is to have its current players participate in the “All Fantasy Tour” which is scheduled to kick off in Mexico City in May.
Visits to Australia and Asia are planned for later in the year.
OK… Any questions?
Is the LFL yet another attempt to exploit women in the name of sports, much as occurs with the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and advertising by the WTA and PGA?
Is the LFL really a sport or does it fall in the same category as hacky sack, Frisbee, yo-yoing, professional wrestling, hot dog eating, roller derby, or ultimate fighting? (There are those who would also include golf and slow-pitch softball in this group). These are all activities that require coordination and a certain amount of athletic ability. In fact, many of the LFL players are more than pretty faces. Most are probably better athletes than the fans who cheer them on.
If you buy into the notion that sports is a form of entertainment, then a case can be made that the LFL is a sport.
At a time when the country is still licking its wounds from the Great Recession, the founders of the LFL formed a league, found staff to support the operations, hired and paid a group of female football players, found sponsors and marketed their product, and got people to watch their games. On top of that, they were able to get the media to cover their “Fantasy Tour.” What they have done is no different than the manufacturers of Pet Rocks, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and Chia Pets.
Who says American ingenuity and innovation are dead?