No pansy football league here
Three area players punch tickets to the LFL
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
The Lingerie Football League has made final roster cuts and the results are in.
It looks like three area players who tried out for the Philly Passion have earned spots on the team.
Jaime Diamonds, a New Hope retailer from Ewing, Jackie Danico, a model from Levittown and Dana DiZillo a salon manager from Bensalem, have all made it past final roster cuts which were released on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
In case you're not tuned in, the LFL is women playing arena-style football on Friday nights in their underwear. Unlike the uniforms worn in the NFL, these players don sports bras and bikini briefs along with the helmet and shoulder pads. A lace choker and garter belt serve as accessories.
According to Diamonds however, the girls were put through their athletic paces in a two-week training camp that recently wrapped up at Tri-State Sports in Aston.
Diamonds said that weekday workouts at training camp consisted of three-hour sessions in which players were tested for their athleticism. The length of the workouts doubled on weekends. And of course, the girls’ ability to play offense, defense and special teams came into play too, she said.
“Just because it’s the LFL doesn’t mean that it’s some pansy football league,” stated Diamonds. “All of the girls worked very hard to make spots on the team.
“It wasn’t easy.”
Diamonds made her way onto the team at corner and quarterback. At defensive corner, she was named to the LFL’s All-Fantasy team. On offense, she’ll split time with Danico under center.
As a former Blue Devil (Ewing High’s mascot), Diamonds competed in scholastic soccer, softball, swimming and basketball. She was the varsity catcher all four years at Ewing. Now a New Hope retailer, Jaime says she is just looking for an outlet for her athleticism.
“I feel like I could play any position on the team,” said Diamonds. “They [coaches] felt the corner was a good place to put me on defense because I’m fast and very athletic.
“As for the quarterback, playing softball for 20 years has given me some good arm strength so I can throw the ball pretty far.”
A new entry into the LFL that will play its home games at Trenton’s Sovereign Bank Arena (SBA), the Passion joins a 10-team league that will kick off its inaugural season on Sept. 4.
Philadelphia won’t open its season until Oct. 30 and that game will be on the road at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum against the New York Majesty. The Passion's first home game won't be until Nov. 6 vs. the Miami Caliente at SBA.
The LFL is an offshoot of the Lingerie Bowl, a pay-per-view event that began in 2004 during Super Bowl XXXIX halftime activities, incidentally, the same year of the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Since then, the NFL has toned down Super Bowl halftime activities and Lingerie Bowl promoters have advertised their show as something a little more exciting than say Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and company.
Danico, meanwhile, is a 25-year-old model who has appeared on FOX News’s “Strategy Room" and “The Howard Stern Show.” She was once named Stern's "Bowling Beauties Champion."
According to Danico, her photos have appeared three times in Maxim Magazine, Healthy Aging magazine twice and also in Body magazine. Once, she appeared in Maxim as their Verizon Wireless Girl of The Month.
In addition to being featured in the current Hooters calendar, Danico has also made appearances on ESPN2, MSNBC, Comcast Sports Network and several other Philadelphia-based broadcast outlets.
Her background as a soccer player, a competitive dancer (tap, jazz, ballet) and gymnast made her a top prospect.
DiZillo, meanwhile, will split time between defense and special teams. She was also recently named to the LFL’s All-Fantasy team at kicker. Dana says she developed great leg strength playing varsity soccer at Conwell-Egan Catholic from 1999 to 2001.
Defense is Dana’s specialty however, she says. At 5-8, she’ll line up as one of the taller safeties in the league.
“I don’t get intimidated and I’m always down for a good hit,” said DiZillo. “I’m pretty intense—and I like defense.”
While some players--the actors and the model-types--were initially attracted to the LFL for public relations and marketing purposes, Dana says she’s in it for purely athletic reasons.
“I’m just in it for the sport. I modeled and did all that but it’s not really my scene any more,” she says. “I’m a huge football fan and this is fun. It keeps me in shape and I enjoy it.”
***
The Passion’s home finale at SBA is set for Dec. 11 vs. Tampa and the regular season ends Dec. 18 at Chicago vs. the Bliss.
According to the LFL’s own Power Rankings, Philly is ranked number two behind the Dallas Desire. The team is expected to go undefeated in the Eastern Conference. Dallas is expected to win all their games in a tougher Western Conference.
If the games play out the way the pundits predict, wouldn’t that be something if Philly faces Dallas in this year’s Lingerie Bowl?
Let the games begin. The league kicks off Sept. 4 at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena in a battle between the Chicago Bliss and the Miami Caliente. LFL President Mitch Mortaza is promising an entertainment extravaganza that will feature national recording artists and former Chicago Bears greats.
Hmmm.
It certainly makes one wonder what a guy like Dick Butkus thinks of women running around the gridiron in their panties and bras.
But don’t say that to DiZillo.
“Every play that you could imagine the guys run in the NFL, we do in the LFL,” said Dana. “It’s pretty intense—there’s a lot of hitting, a lot of roughhousing and tackling.”
I guess we’ll just have to see for ourselves come Nov. 6 at SBA.
***
NOTES: The first Lingerie Bowl featured Team Dream vs. Team Euphoria and took place at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The show returned in 2006 and again in 2007 but has been canceled by promoter Horizon Productions for the last two years.
In January, Lingerie Bowl VI was canceled when the host venue--a Florida nudist camp--couldn’t promise the fans would show up in the stands with their clothes on.
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
The Lingerie Football League has made final roster cuts and the results are in.
It looks like three area players who tried out for the Philly Passion have earned spots on the team.
Jaime Diamonds, a New Hope retailer from Ewing, Jackie Danico, a model from Levittown and Dana DiZillo a salon manager from Bensalem, have all made it past final roster cuts which were released on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
In case you're not tuned in, the LFL is women playing arena-style football on Friday nights in their underwear. Unlike the uniforms worn in the NFL, these players don sports bras and bikini briefs along with the helmet and shoulder pads. A lace choker and garter belt serve as accessories.
According to Diamonds however, the girls were put through their athletic paces in a two-week training camp that recently wrapped up at Tri-State Sports in Aston.
Diamonds said that weekday workouts at training camp consisted of three-hour sessions in which players were tested for their athleticism. The length of the workouts doubled on weekends. And of course, the girls’ ability to play offense, defense and special teams came into play too, she said.
“Just because it’s the LFL doesn’t mean that it’s some pansy football league,” stated Diamonds. “All of the girls worked very hard to make spots on the team.
“It wasn’t easy.”
Diamonds made her way onto the team at corner and quarterback. At defensive corner, she was named to the LFL’s All-Fantasy team. On offense, she’ll split time with Danico under center.
As a former Blue Devil (Ewing High’s mascot), Diamonds competed in scholastic soccer, softball, swimming and basketball. She was the varsity catcher all four years at Ewing. Now a New Hope retailer, Jaime says she is just looking for an outlet for her athleticism.
“I feel like I could play any position on the team,” said Diamonds. “They [coaches] felt the corner was a good place to put me on defense because I’m fast and very athletic.
“As for the quarterback, playing softball for 20 years has given me some good arm strength so I can throw the ball pretty far.”
A new entry into the LFL that will play its home games at Trenton’s Sovereign Bank Arena (SBA), the Passion joins a 10-team league that will kick off its inaugural season on Sept. 4.
Philadelphia won’t open its season until Oct. 30 and that game will be on the road at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum against the New York Majesty. The Passion's first home game won't be until Nov. 6 vs. the Miami Caliente at SBA.
The LFL is an offshoot of the Lingerie Bowl, a pay-per-view event that began in 2004 during Super Bowl XXXIX halftime activities, incidentally, the same year of the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. Since then, the NFL has toned down Super Bowl halftime activities and Lingerie Bowl promoters have advertised their show as something a little more exciting than say Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and company.
Danico, meanwhile, is a 25-year-old model who has appeared on FOX News’s “Strategy Room" and “The Howard Stern Show.” She was once named Stern's "Bowling Beauties Champion."
According to Danico, her photos have appeared three times in Maxim Magazine, Healthy Aging magazine twice and also in Body magazine. Once, she appeared in Maxim as their Verizon Wireless Girl of The Month.
In addition to being featured in the current Hooters calendar, Danico has also made appearances on ESPN2, MSNBC, Comcast Sports Network and several other Philadelphia-based broadcast outlets.
Her background as a soccer player, a competitive dancer (tap, jazz, ballet) and gymnast made her a top prospect.
DiZillo, meanwhile, will split time between defense and special teams. She was also recently named to the LFL’s All-Fantasy team at kicker. Dana says she developed great leg strength playing varsity soccer at Conwell-Egan Catholic from 1999 to 2001.
Defense is Dana’s specialty however, she says. At 5-8, she’ll line up as one of the taller safeties in the league.
“I don’t get intimidated and I’m always down for a good hit,” said DiZillo. “I’m pretty intense—and I like defense.”
While some players--the actors and the model-types--were initially attracted to the LFL for public relations and marketing purposes, Dana says she’s in it for purely athletic reasons.
“I’m just in it for the sport. I modeled and did all that but it’s not really my scene any more,” she says. “I’m a huge football fan and this is fun. It keeps me in shape and I enjoy it.”
***
The Passion’s home finale at SBA is set for Dec. 11 vs. Tampa and the regular season ends Dec. 18 at Chicago vs. the Bliss.
According to the LFL’s own Power Rankings, Philly is ranked number two behind the Dallas Desire. The team is expected to go undefeated in the Eastern Conference. Dallas is expected to win all their games in a tougher Western Conference.
If the games play out the way the pundits predict, wouldn’t that be something if Philly faces Dallas in this year’s Lingerie Bowl?
Let the games begin. The league kicks off Sept. 4 at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena in a battle between the Chicago Bliss and the Miami Caliente. LFL President Mitch Mortaza is promising an entertainment extravaganza that will feature national recording artists and former Chicago Bears greats.
Hmmm.
It certainly makes one wonder what a guy like Dick Butkus thinks of women running around the gridiron in their panties and bras.
But don’t say that to DiZillo.
“Every play that you could imagine the guys run in the NFL, we do in the LFL,” said Dana. “It’s pretty intense—there’s a lot of hitting, a lot of roughhousing and tackling.”
I guess we’ll just have to see for ourselves come Nov. 6 at SBA.
***
NOTES: The first Lingerie Bowl featured Team Dream vs. Team Euphoria and took place at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The show returned in 2006 and again in 2007 but has been canceled by promoter Horizon Productions for the last two years.
In January, Lingerie Bowl VI was canceled when the host venue--a Florida nudist camp--couldn’t promise the fans would show up in the stands with their clothes on.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home