Chicago Bliss players from suburbs part of new reality TV show
They're athletic, attractive women who play football in bikinis and have lots of drama in their personal lives.
Perfect recipe for reality TV, right?
The Oxygen network thinks so. It will feature the Chicago Bliss women's football team - including a few players with suburban roots - in its new series, "Pretty. Strong." which debuts tonight.
The show follows the team's quest for a championship three-peat plus what's going on off the field in the personal lives of eight Bliss players. Among them are Plainfield native Heather Furr, Hampshire native Jamie Barwick and Deena Fagiano, who grew up in Carol Stream, Aurora and Oswego.
"You don't have to understand football, or to like football, to watch the show. It really focuses on our personal lives, and how we balance football with our lives, our families and our careers," said Fagiano, who sells luxury eyewear to doctors in Illinois and Wisconsin when she's not playing football or training in the gym. "It's going to be geared toward a lot of women who need a little inspiration on how to balance everything."
It's debatable whether the Chicago Bliss gears itself toward women, given their sexy uniforms. Their league was previously called the Lingerie Football League until being re-branded as the Legends Football League.
But Barwick and Fagiano say a lot of people unfairly write them off, not realizing they're as serious about their sport as any other athlete. After people watch them play full tackle football, they appreciate the athleticism involved. The players hope "Pretty. Strong." will open people's eyes to that.
"We're tougher than a lot of people think," Fagiano said.
As for the uniforms? The players say they're not that big a deal. The women are taped up and wear undergarments, to avoid "wardrobe malfunctions" - something they say the league frowns upon.
While their look might appeal to men, players say plenty of women attend Bliss games and often talk to the players afterward about their health and fitness routines.
"We have a ton of female fans. We do. We absolutely do. There's a husband and wife who never miss a game. We always take pictures with them," Barwick said. "People who come to the games might think, 'I'm going to see good-looking women.' But there have been people who come and think, 'Wow, this is a lot more than I thought.'"
On the show, Barwick's storyline revolves around whether the 32-year-old can continue to juggle being a pharmaceutical sales rep, a single mother of a 9-year-old boy and a member of the team.
"I need sports in my life. If I didn't play football, I'd have to find something else. I need to fulfill something with that competitive edge all the time," Barwick said.
Fagiano, 26, the team's party girl, will face criticism on the show that she's not taking things seriously enough. She said her philosophy in life is to focus on whatever makes you happy.
"I'm all about pushing yourself. You only have one life," she said. "I just want to empower women to never give up and never be complacent in what they're doing."
Furr, 31, one of the league's top players, moves in with her boyfriend during the show and starts to contemplate her future after football.
Having played together for a few years, the team members are like a family - and sometimes that means they're like sisters who fight.
"Throughout the season, there are some serious life events that happen, and it's the sisters you lean on," Barwick said.
"Everyone on our team is so, so different and we come from such different backgrounds," Fagiano added. "But in the end, we have each other's backs, and we'd do anything for each other. Because that's what family, and sisters, do."
The Chicago Bliss used to play at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates but now play at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.
Playing in suburban stadiums is nothing new for some of these women, many of whom were star athletes in high school.
Barwick was a track and basketball star at Hampshire High School and Aurora University. Fagiano was a captain of her competitive cheerleading squad at Oswego East High School and joined the Bliss right after graduating from the University of Illinois.
Being from a small town like Hampshire, Barwick says playing on the Bliss opened up her eyes to the world.
"I didn't even know some of this stuff existed," she said. "This league has given me the opportunity to do so much."
- Jamie Sotonoff
• Dann Gire and Jamie Sotonoff are always on the lookout for people from the suburbs who are now working in showbiz. If you know of someone who would make an interesting feature, email them at dgire@dailyherald.com and jsotonoff@dailyherald.com.
“Pretty. Strong.”
The reality TV series featuring the Chicago Bliss football team premieres at 9 p.m. today on the Oxygen network.