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As Landowner Balks, Hope Gets Skimpier For Lingerie Bowl

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: January 16, 2009

TAMPA - If organizers of Lingerie Bowl VI are still planning to hold the controversial two-day event in Tampa on Super Bowl weekend, they'll have to find a new field to play on.

Ken Morin, a developer and owner of the North Hyde Park property where the Lingerie Football League wanted to hold the event, said he won't allow them to use his land.

"My neighbors have spoken loud and clear," Morin said. "They don't want this here."

The event, which features scantily clad women playing tackle football, is being staged by Los Angeles-based Horizon Production and the Lingerie Football League.

Organizers wanted to hold the event from Jan. 30 to 31 on Morin's property, with the final game to be broadcast on pay-per-view cable during the Super Bowl halftime.

A spokesman for Horizon said Thursday afternoon they were unaware Morin was no longer interested in letting them use his land.
Morin said he was approached by the group a few months ago about using his property, site of a multimillion-dollar residential and retail project, but never signed an agreement.

He said opposition from neighborhood associations prompted him to back out.

Even if they find a new field, event organizers must clear several other hurdles.

This week, organizers submitted revised site plans to the city that call for a scaled-down event with no road closure, meaning they don't need approval from the council. However, the plans have to be approved by the Land Development and Zoning Department.

"It's still under review," Thom Snelling, deputy director of the city's Growth Management and Development Services department, said late Thursday.

Organizers also still need to submit proof of insurance for the players and get the Tampa Police Department to provide off-duty officers for the event.

Last year, organizers were forced to cancel Lingerie Bowl V after they failed to get special-use permits from Scottsdale, Ariz., in time.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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