Lingerie Football League says no to Oklahoma City

 
BY RYAN ABER, Staff Writer, raber@opubco.com | Modified: November 17, 2010 at 6:34 am | Published: November 16, 2010    Comment on this article Leave a comment

The Lingerie Football League will not be expanding to Oklahoma City.

LFL Chairman Mitchell Mortaza said in a statement Tuesday that the league had abandoned its plans for a team in the city after comments perceived to be critical of the league from Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

photo - PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LFL
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE LFL

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Cornett said he learned of the league’s decision Tuesday evening.

“I didn’t really have any,” Cornett said of his reaction before reiterating what he’d said last week. “I’m against it for too many reasons to list specifically.”

Cornett was reported to have said he wouldn’t allow the league to play in a city-owned venue, but told The Oklahoman that he didn’t have the power to single-handedly stop the league but remained against it.

Mortaza continued to focus on those reported statements in announcing the move Tuesday.

“Due to blatant negative statements Mayor Cornett has made and his influence over the governing body that would ultimately decide whether the LFL could lease the Cox Convention Center or Oklahoma City Arena, we have sadly chosen to no longer explore OKC as an expansion market for the LFL,” Mortaza said. “It is unfortunate, especially considering over 70 percent of Oklahomans polled on The Oklahoman’s website disagreed with Mayor Cornett’s stance.”

The Oklahoman’s online poll is voluntary and unscientific.

The league was looking to expand into Oklahoma City for the 2011 season, which is scheduled to begin in August.

If the league wanted to stay in the state, Tulsa isn’t a likely choice either, Tulsa Mayor Dewey Bartlett told the Tulsa World on Tuesday.

“I don’t think that’s anything (Tulsa) is going to want to have,” Bartlett told the paper. “Women running around in their underwear tackling one another. It’s like mud wrestling.”

Players play in hockey-style helmets, elbow pads, bras, panties and garters.

The league, which this season has some of its games televised on MTV2, began in 2004 as the pay-per-view Lingerie Bowl during halftime of the Super Bowl.

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