Lingerie Football League lives up to hype

Bears football is still more than a week away.

But bare football arrived in style Friday at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates with the debut of the Lingerie Football League. 

Both the Chicago Bliss and the visiting Miami Caliente lived up to the hype, delivering real professional football, with some impressive precision passing and genuine hard-hitting action that included a brief scuffle between the two teams after one Caliente player received a jarring tackle. Another Caliente player also had to be helped off the field early in the first half.

The crowd was charged during the introductions, as the lights were dimmed and two huge jets of flame leapt into the air. The women gathered at midfield for the coin toss, wearing revealing bikini outfits, with the numbers stitched to their posteriors, in case anyone was checking their scorecards.

But both teams showed they were serious when they donned their helmets and pads.

The crowd, which filled half the arena, was clearly ready for football, loudly booing TV timeouts and cheering lustily as the Bliss' Tasha "the Tank" Pryor gave the Bliss a quick 7-0 lead, running for both the touchdown and the point-after. Pryor also made a key tackle at the end of the first half to preserve a 15-12 Bliss lead. The Caliente jumped back to a 19-15 lead, but that was erased on a run by Pryor, who celebrated with an end-zone dance. The Bliss wound up winning 29-19.

But some in the audience were also ready for another action, with one overserved fan chanting his desire to view a particular part of the female anatomy.

And after one Bliss player accidentally lost a piece of her uniform, fans called for a "replay."

Before the game, the Sears Centre parking lot was filled with tailgaters.

Tom Malatia of Lake in the Hills and his friends were tossing beanbags and a few cold ones.

"This is even better than a typical football experience in my eyes," he said, provoking laughter among his pals. "What makes it better is there are almost half-naked women running around tackling."

Cassandra McCarthy of Streamwood said she came because, "I appreciate beautiful women and football," adding she didn't view the league as demeaning to women, saying, "This is awesome. If you can find a way to make money and make people happy, that's great. Good for them."

Tailgaters were treated to a bonus when former Bears coach Mike Ditka held an outdoor news conference. Fans flocked around Ditka to take his picture with their cell phones. When one yelled, "Hey, Coach, how about this being the best bachelor party ever?" Ditka asked, "You're getting married? Why?"

Before the game, lingerie league founder Mitchell Mortarza stressed the NFL credentials of the coaches, adding, "These girls have been in training for a year and a half. The level of football will be through the roof tonight."

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