OKC Mayor Mick Cornett says no to Football League Expansion
The Lingerie Football League was looking toward expanding to Oklahoma City.
LFL chairman: ‘I thought our plans were for expansion into Oklahoma City, not North Korea'
OKC Mayor Mick Cornett says no to Lingerie Football League
The key word: Was.
Mayor Mick Cornett told media Thursday that he will not allow a team to play in Oklahoma City. The Lingerie League is made up of 10 teams that feature women playing tackle football in bras, panties and garters.
“Due to Mayor Cornett's action, our executive committee is meeting internally early next week to decide the next steps,” LFL spokesman Stephon McMillen said Friday.
“We have never had this type of a response from a city official blocking the LFL.”
McMillen went a step further, questioning what the mayor would and wouldn't allow in Oklahoma City.
“We find it interesting that satanic worship at the Civic Center and cheerleaders wearing far less than our athletes is moral, but LFL is not,” McMillen said.
The LFL said it hoped to have an Oklahoma City franchise ready for the 2011 season, which would begin in August. However, the league did not have an ownership group in place for an OKC franchise.
Cornett told OKBlitz.com Thursday that he would not let an LFL team to play at the Cox Center or Oklahoma City Arena. Both are city-owned venues. The Lingerie League would need city council approval on several fronts before it could play in the downtown arenas.
“There are too many problems to list,” Cornett told the website. “There are so many that I don't want to gravitate to just one.”
Lingerie Football League chairman Mitchell S. Mortaza said Cornett was taking away the freedom of individuals to choose what sporting events to attend.
“Oklahomans should be provided the opportunity to choose for themselves and not dictated to,” Mortaza said in a statement. “I thought our plans were for expansion into Oklahoma City, not North Korea.”
The Lingerie League has teams in major markets such as the Chicago Bliss, Dallas Desire, Los Angeles Temptation, Seattle Mist and San Diego Seduction. MTV broadcasts some games.
