'I can't think of a more perfect way to end a career'

Brickhouse

After nine years of laying it all on the line, Boston Militia RB Mia Brickhouse says it's time for to retire. With a new job in California taking her away from the East Coast, Brickhouse capped a career as one of the truly remarkable running backs in women's football by winning a world title with Team USA and leading the Militia the IWFL championship in Texas last weekend. A Militia team captain, Brickhouse was also selected as an IWFL all-star and the championship MVP.

Here's what she had to say:

CB: You've been playing ball a while and it has to have taken a toll on your body, especially given the conference you play in. Going out now, after the Team USA experience and winning the championship game, would seem to be pretty tempting.

MB: I can’t think of a more perfect way to end a career. … So in short, I plan to retire now that I've got a gold medal and a IWFL championship on my resume (and I hope to stick with that decision).

CB: What does it take for a team to be competitive in the IWFL, or any league for that matter?

MB: I have played in a few leagues over the course of my nine years and it’s my humble opinion that the IWFL has the most talented teams in the country. The parity is there and any given team can win it year in and year out. Having said that, no matter what league you compete in, if you aren’t watching film and preparing for success it’s not going to happen no matter how much talent you have. Coaching is a big part of our success and Coach Beasley turned his game up a notch this year.

CB: Boston has been near the top the past couple of years, but this is the first year to play in a championship. Why is this year different than the last two?

MB: I think a few factors went into this year's team. 1) We grew as a team from last year. We had to learn the lesson the hard way in last year's conference championship game. This year it was important for us all to finish games and that’s what we did. 2) We added some key new players who fit in perfectly with the system and the attitude of the team. This team should be good for many years as a result of the great new talent that was added. 3) We played a difficult schedule that prepared us for the playoffs. We knew if we wanted to be the best, we had to play and beat the best. This year's schedule was tough, but it ended up paying dividends for us in the end.

CB: What's your favorite moment as a football player?

MB: This whole year has been one great memory. Obviously nothing tops Saturday night when we won the championship, but winning in the conference finals was right up there with it. Being able to give our fans the win they deserved was amazing. I will never forget going over to the crowd at the end of the game against the D.C. Divas and hearing the roar from the crowd.

CB: Did you play football when you were younger? Flag?

MB: Just at the family barbecues. Even though I'm a girl, I was always picked first. That’s the greatest measure of respect for me. Brickhouse family cookouts are the best! I started playing flag in the offseason, but only to keep in shape for tackle.

CB: You have had great success as a running back. Do you have a secret linebacker inside you?

MB: I actually do play linebacker so there’s no secret to that. I started my career on defense and Coach Beasley had a vision for me to play both ways. I was blessed that my body held up and I was able to play both positions. Ideally that’s the kind of player that I want to be... never leaving the field.

Is title game Brickhouse's last run?

Boston Militia RB Mia Brickhouse running through the DC Divas.

The big question after the Boston Militia completely  dominated the Sacramento Sirens 39-7 in Texas to win the IWFL title: Where will Fan Favorite MVP Mia Brickhouse play next year? The Militia's gifted RB has taken a job as an executive with the West Coast Conference, which is  based in San Bruno, California. Brickhouse, a standout center fielder on the Villanova University softball team, started playing football for the Philadelphia Phoenix while attending law school at Villanova. After graduation, she took a job with the Big East Conference, based in Providence, RI, and moved into the Boston Militia backfield. She was also a member of the  Team USA squad that won a world championship this summer. Now that her day job is taking her to the Left Coast, it looks like Brickhouse will be switching uniforms again, unless she decides to hang it up at the peak of her playing career. In case you were wondering, the West Coast Conference headquarters in San Bruno is 30 miles away from Contra Costa, home to the Tier II runner-up Bay Area Bandits. It's also a commutable 90 miles from Sacramento.

Chicks dig the pigskin

It's Super Bowl week and the Academy Award nominations have just been announced. So, chickies, time for a pop quiz.

Women are:

     A) Twice as likely to watch the Oscars as the Super Bowl.

     B) Twice as likely to watch the Super Bowl as the Oscars.

     C) Care more about the length of Sandra Bullock's gown than the jersey number of the Raven''s Michael Oher'.

The answer is "B." 

But, then, you already knew that, didn't you smart girl.

According to the Nielsen Media Research, 34.2 million women age 18 to 42 watched the NY Giants beat the NE Patriots in Super Bowl XLII in 2008. That's twice as many as the 17.1 million who tuned into the Oscars three weeks later.

But it's not just about the big game for women. NFL football is the favorite sport of 30 percent of women, according to the Harris Poll. It exceeds the popularity of the next three professional sports leagues combined (MLB, 14%, NASCAR, 8%, and the NBA, 7%).

USA Football creates national team for IFAF Womens World Championship

In two weeks, the International Federation of American Football will announce its selection of the six national teams competing in the first IFAF Womens World Championship, to be held June 26-July 4 in Stockholm Sweden. Women's tackle football is played competitively in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Venezuela and the United States. The USA is certain to have on of the berths and USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, will assemble and manage America’s first women’s national team in the sport. Forty-five (45) of America’s best female athletes will comprise USA Football’s 2010 Women’s National Team. Team USA players will be selected from the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL), which consists of more than 1,800 female athletes on 51 teams across North America. USA Football, with assistance from the IWFL, will select and announce the team’s coaching staff and player roster by Feb. 1, 2010.

We're using again

So, I'm reading a Philadelphia Inquirer clip about how tough the next state budget will be for incoming Republican Governor Chris Christie (many of you might recall I work for outgoing Governor Jon Corzine), when I see a link to the site's most popular features of the week. It turns out to be pictures of "lingerie football" -- 95 of them. Plenty of butt cheeks and cleavage spilling out of the uniforms to tittilate the several dozen horny dudes who showed up. I especially like the modified shoulder pads and the hockey helmets that let the blonde hair flow and provide a full view of the lovely make-up jobs.

www.philly.com/philly/photos/Caliente_37_Passion_26.html

I'm sure these women are passionate, dedicated athletes. I'd just like to see one of them try to stop Dallas RB Jessica Springer.

And why do I keep singing Ani DiFranco's "Freakshow?"

Dallas wins IWFL championship, slugs out 35-29 OT win

Two heavyweights stood toe-to-toe and went blow-for-blow in a knock-down, drag out fight for the IWFL title tonight at North Park University in Chicago.

In the end, RB Jessica Springer put her team on her back in OT as the Diamonds drove 52 yards to win a fourth national championship, although it was the team's first in the IWFL. Springer, who ran for all five Dallas TDs and two two-point conversions, was named the championship game MVP.

"For us, the one's who came back, this proves we are the best in women's football," Springer said. "That's what we came here to prove and we did."

Springer carried the ball 32 times for nearly 240 yards, by far her biggest performance of the year. When the Diamonds won the toss in overtime, they handed the ball seven of the nine plays to Springer, who racked up 42 yards on the drive and punched it in from 13 yards out.

Asked what was the difference in the game, Chicago coach Jim Stahl was brief and to the point. "Springer," he said. "Without a doubt."

Springer, who at 5-10 and 205 pounds runs a 4.8 40 yard dash, third fastest in the league, says she was "born to play football." Even so, after five seasons, she said she will not be back for a sixth: "I'm done."

The Scoring:

2nd
Chicago (3:26) Melissa Smith 1-yard run. Sami Grisafe run. Force 8, Diamonds 0

Dallas (:25.8) Jessica Springer 1-yard run. Springer run. Force 8, Diamonds 8

3rd
Dallas (11:08) Springer 20-yard run. Emily Tidwell kick. Diamonds 15, Force 8

Chicago (9:29) Smith 11-yard run. Carolyn Lee kick. Diamonds 15, Force 15

Chicago (7:39) Grisafe 3-yard run. Lee kick. Force 22, Diamonds 15

Dallas (2:57) Springer 11-yard run. Kick failed. Force 22, Diamonds 21

4th
Dallas (10:36) Springer 3-yard run. Springer run. Diamonds 29, Force 22

Chicago (6:14) Grisafe 8-yard pass to Angie Bandstra. Lee kick. Diamonds 29, Force 29

OT
Dallas (8:42) Springer 13-yard run. Diamonds 35, Force 20

Montreal wins IWFL Tier 2 championship, pounds Clarksville 26-6

1st
Montreal (2:18) Marie-Claude Vincent 8-yard run. Julie Perrault kick. Blitz 7, Fox 0

2nd
Montreal (6:40) Vincent 5-yard run. Kick failed. Blitz 13, Fox-0

Clarksville (1:51) G.T. Suttles 25-yard run. Run failed. Blitz 13, Fox 6

3rd
Montreal (11:40) Vincent 25-yard run. Kick failed. Blitz 19, Fox 6

Montreal (9:25) Saadia Ashraf 7 yard pass to Georgina Paull. Plerrault kick. Blitz 26, Fox 6