Goddesses of the Gridiron...

Last night I attended my 1st Lingerie Football League game as the Philadelphia Passion defeated the Baltimore Charm, 24-12, so I decided to blog about the current state of the 3 year-old league. But 1st-off, the game was well-attended & the atmosphere in 1st Mariner Arena (located in downtown Baltimore) was pretty electric throughout the contest & the action was FAR more exciting to witness in-person.

It just so happened that 1 of the league's best players (if not the best), Marirose Roach, plays for Philadelphia and she was very impressive! It definitely won't be my last taste of 'Friday Night Football' - I had a blast! The 2011-12 season began back in August & this makes the 2nd time in a year that I've blogged about the league (click here to see that post), but this time I felt the league deserved it's very own post. I know a lot of folk view the LFL as a joke or objectifying towards women, but the LFL actually features quite a few studs (if it's ok to call women studs, lol).

The women of this league definitely play with an extremely high level of passion & aggression - I respect that. There will always be those who view the league as a gimic & regardless of whether that's true or not, it's currently the only place where women can play (televised) competitive professional football, giving the LFL a certain amount of instant credibility in my eyes. Besides, who doesn't love a good ol' fashioned chick fight from time to time? Lol.

But seriously, what many critics fail to understand is that LFL teams are often led by former NFL players & the rosters are comprised of women's golden glove boxing champs, US Olympic hockey team stars, lacrosse, basketball, softball standouts, & even the daughters of previous NFL Superbowl champions - bottom line, these gals are ATHLETES, not just pretty faces in sexy uniforms attempting to be cute.

In the games I've watched on tv & now in-person, I've noticed much improved coaching & overall gameplay. Quarterbacks are throwing fade patterns, receivers are pulling in 1-handed grabs with ease, running backs are slamming into would-be tacklers, defenders are running down opponents & finishing with big hits too! At this point, I honestly think I could go without the revealing uniforms, especially if it meant more people taking the league more seriously. I just don't think the lingerie is necessary to push the popularity of the league anymore, but a very nice bonus, I'll admit, lmao.

Above all, the young league seems to be flourishing. Game footage normally condensed into half-hour highlight segments for television, are now hour & a half time blocks reserved for complete, live game coverage. Now you're able to see coach/player interaction in-between plays & really get a feel for both the attitude & tempo of a game. They've even got instant replay challenges & better in-game analysis by television commentators (including former NFL athletes).

I've found that I'm even learning certain strengths & weaknesses of various players across the league. The LFL is doing a great job of developing recognizable stars & I've even got a favorite player now! Since 2009, the league has expanded from 10 to 12 teams, each playing a 4-schedule, not including playoff games & the widely known Lingerie Bowl (a perennial pay-per-view event broadcasted during halftime of the NFL's Superbowl since 2004, which ultimately lead to the start actual LFL league play).

League commissioner, Mitchell S. Mortaza, expects future expansion in 10 more U.S. cities (including Houston, New Orleans & Washington, DC) in coming seasons. To help promote the LFL's 1st attempt at an international league, LFL Canada, the 2010-11 LFL all-star game, appropriately dubbed the "All-Fantasy Game," was played in Hamilton, Ontario this past July. Additional international expansion is expected to include LFL Australia (2013) & LFL Europe (2014). LFL Canada will begin play in 2012.

During regular season games, arena's often appear to be filled to near-capacity & both men & women, alike, seem to enjoy the non-stop action. Hopefully, the very next orders of business will include longer schedules & getting future games/seasons broadcasted in high definition! Of all sports, the Lingerie Football League has the absolute most to gain from an HD format for obvious & quite perverted reasons & I won't even get started with what a 3-D presentation might do for one's viewing enjoyment :-D

Trick or Treat?

It's Halloween, the cold weather is upon us here in the DC area & I ain't got no ‘boo’ lined-up for the winter - ahhh... but what can you do about it? Not a damn thing, that's what, lol. But seriously, I really do love this time of year & girlfriend or not, fall is my very favorite season!

There’s football, cooler temps, pumpkin-flavored coffee (another fav) & 3 major holidays (if you count new years) – it's great! It's also the time of year where I generally see more of my friends & family that have been estranged, so I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my peeps!

I picked up jogging earlier in the year, so the next few weeks will be my 1st true experience with longer distance running during the fall/winter months, but already I’ve noticed how much easier it is to pump-out a 4-mile run with cooler weather, perhaps it’s time to raise the bar again.

Oh & I think I'd like to hit a ski resort someplace up in the mountains at some point this winter, the last time I went on trip like this, I really enjoyed myself - I'll have to put a few 'feelers' out there & see who's interested in some drunken-mess fuckery in the snow, lol.

I encourage you to relieve some of that stress that everyday life can bring & take-in more of the sights & sounds of fall. Thanksgiving & the holiday season will be here before we know it & I'm ready for it! I can already taste the wonderful food & hear the echoes of uncontrollable laughter now.

Be sure to enjoy it all folks!

Jobless (1955-2011)...

As a frequent user of Apple products, I'd be a bit remiss not to post about the death of someone who many might describe as a technological visionary. On October 5, 2011, former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs would succumb to pancreatic cancer at the relatively young age of 56... but in his passing, he left us with so much. Whether you're an Apple supporter or hater, you've got to realize the genius in the man, coupled with his unrivaled presentation skills & ability to create anticipation among loyal consumers.

It's funny, I'm heading home from work on the train, composing this post from my iPad & will later use the data signal from my tethered iPhone for upload to Internet (all before I even get to my car). I never imagined we'd be using cell phones & mobile computers this way - now look at us! It's also pretty fitting that I purchased my very 1st Apple computer on the very day of his death. An obvious example of how, even in death, his ideas, concepts & standards will influence the way we operate & think for some time.

Apple has made life much easier for me over the years. 1st there was my very 1st 1gb, black & white display iPod (graduation present from my aunt). By the end of that summer I'd fallen in love with idea of mp3 music file playback, pitched my CDs, & upgraded to a 30gb iPod Video. Then I figured, why not consolidate the devices I lug around & get an iPhone? I was was tired of losing oPods anyway - no brainer. Then I added an Apple TV to the mix & was introduced to the visual world of Apple. Then finally the concept of mobile tablet computing exploded with the success of Apple's iPad.

So now that I finally have a Mac to tie everything together seamlessly, I'm completely in-sync! Whether I'm in the home, the car, at work, or on the go, I'm never without any of my emails/messages, tv shows/movies, music, important documents, magazines/books, social networks, photo galleries, so on, & so fourth. Apple's newest iPhone (4S) hits the streets in less than a week, but I 'think' I can hold out for the iPhone 5 (which I expect to drop in 2012) since there will be an iOS update for all devices as well in the coming days.

It really just depends on how many new features software updates are unique to the new handset only & whether or not I feel I can go without 'em until the release of iPhone 5. In either instance, my next phone will most definitely be an Apple product, & thats a credit to a great company that a certain 2-time CEO left fingerprints all over. For that, I'm so very thankful Steve - scratch that... iThankful.