TAMPA, FL -- The big game won't happen this year.
Not the Super Bowl.
Officials with Lingerie Bowl VI announced today that the Pay-Per-View event, which was set to feature models in their lingerie playing football during half-time of that other football game, will not take place.
Steve McMillen, a spokesman for the event, said Caliente, the clothing-optional resort in Lutz that was set to host the game on January 31st, breached a previously agreed upon 'clothing mandate' for participants and fans, forcing them to cancel them the game.
"The league will not place our fans, players, staff nor partners in a less then comfortable environment that would ultimately jeopardize the mainstream perception and reputation of the brand that so many have worked diligently over these past five years to build." McMillan said.
He said "on the advice of counsel" he couldn't comment further.
The controversial event was originally supposed to be played at a vacant lot in West Tampa on January 31st, but was moved to Caliente after residents there objected. Several players later quit, saying they hadn't been paid their full salaries and didn't sign up for an event at a nudist colony. Organizers countered the players were fired for lack of dedication.
"While this is a disappointing development for the thousands of fans that were planning on attending the festivities and the millions set to watch the broadcast, we feel ultimately it is in the best interest of the league not to place ourselves in what some would consider a potentially negative environment.", McMillan said.
He said the league would now focus on their upcoming 2009 season.
"We ran into conflicts with the Lingerie Football League wanting more areas of our resort restricted to clothing-required than we could accommodate.", said Angye Fox, Public Relations Director for Caliente.
She said a formal agreement to host the game had never been reached. Organizers were supposed to get back to them today to finalize a contract, but they hadn't heard from them as of 1 pm, Fox said.
Fox said organizers wanted to require residents and guests to wear clothes inside the resort's nighclub during the event, which violates the community's policies.
"I can tell them where they can't have clothes on, but I can't tell them where they must have clothes," she said.
The pools are the only areas within the resort where nudity is required.
She said organizers were supposed to get back to them today to finalize a contract, but had yet to hear from them as of 1 pm.
