DEAR LFL FANS, PLAYERS, COACHES AND PARTNERS;

WHAT AN INCREDIBLE INAUGURAL SEASON WE JUST PLAYED, HOSTED, SUPPORTED AND PRODUCED. THIS HAS BEEN AN AMAZING  JOURNEY FROM MY INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT DEVELOPING THE LINGERIE BOWL WHILE IN SAN DIEGO FOR THE 2003 SUPER BOWL TO NOW HAVING NOT ONLY A LINGERIE BOWL BUT A LEAGUE EXTENSION THAT DREW A NEAR CAPACITY CROWD IN CHICAGO. IN THE MIDST OF THE WORST ECONOMIC MELTDOWN SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND A YEAR THAT SAW THE MAJOR LEAGUES SUCH AS THE NFL CUTBACK, WE LAUNCHED A (10) MEMBER NATIONAL WOMEN'S TACKLE FOOTBALL LEAGUE. NOT ONLY DID WE PRODUCE A LEAGUE, BUT WE DREW NEARLY 30% HIGHER THAN PROJECTED ATTENDANCE, 2ND IN PRIMETIME TELEVISION RATINGS, RECORD INTERNET TRAFFIC GROWTH AND 2010 EXPANSION MARKETS. WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THESE HEIGHTS DESPITE NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT, AND HAVING SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WITH NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE GUIDING OUR SHIP. THERE WERE CERTAINLY MISTAKES MADE AND MANY LESSONS LEARNED, IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES NOW THAT WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A SEASON.

SUCCESS OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS CERTAINLY NOT ATTAINED BY ONE INDIVIDUAL, THERE ARE SO MANY BEHIND THE SCENES THAT THE MEDIA AND FANS NEVER HEAR ABOUT. THESE ARE THE INDIVUALS THAT WORK TIRELESS HOURS SACRIFICING TIME AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND LIVES TO MAKE THIS LEAGUE A REALITY. IN ADDITION TO THE LEAGUE PERSONNEL SO MANY PARTNERS PROVIDED THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE VISION AND POSSIBILITIES.

ALONGSIDE LEAGUE PERSONNEL AND PARTNERS, UTLIMATELY OUR GAME OR PRODUCT IS IN THE HANDS OF OUR COACHES AND PLAYERS. A VERY WELL-RESPECTED AND NOTEWORTHY SPORTS EXECUTIVE ONCE TOLD ME THAT YOUR PRODUCT AT IT'S CORE IS ULTIMATELY WHAT COUNTS, ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES WILL ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR. THAT IS THE MESSAGE THAT RESONATED WITH ME AS WE PREPARED FOR THE 2009/2010 SEASON WHICH IS WHY WE MADE UNDERSTANDING THE GAME AND PLAYING IT AT A HIGH-LEVEL OUR PRIMARY FOCUS LAST SEASON. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE CALIBER OF COACHING AND PASSIONATE PLAYERS THAT WANTED TO TEACH, LEARN AND PLAY THE GAME. IT IS THROUGH THE EFFORT AND PATIENCE OF OUR COACHES AND PLAYERS WHO SPENT MANY HOURS ON OUR GAME THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF FANS ONE GAME AT A TIME. BOTH FANS AND MEDIA ATTENDED LFL GAMES THIS PAST SEASON EXPECTING ONE THING BUT ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING VASTLY BEYOND THEIR EXPECTATIONS, WOMEN WHO LOVE AND UNDERSTAND THE GAME AND PLAY IT WITH MORE PASSION THAN MOST GUYS. WE HAD NUMEROUS PLAYERS DRIVING FROM OTHER STATES HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY WEEKLY TO TEAM PRACTICES FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY LFL FOOTBALL. MUCH LIKE NFL STARS, LFL PERSONALITIES AND STARS ARE STARTING TO EMERGE LIKE KATIE 'FLASH' RYCKMAN, LOS ANGELES' BRUNETTE BANDITS, DALLAS' TWIN TOWERS, LINDSEY BLAINE, ERIKA TRUJILLO, SARAN DUNMORE, KRYSTAL GRAY, GABRIELLE MARIE, ANONKA DIXON, LIZ GORMAN, TASHA 'THE TANK' PRYOR, TINA CACCAVALE, TYRAH 'THE TIGER' LUSBY AND MANY OTHERS. WE ARE HEARING STORIES OF LFL PLAYERS NOW BEING RECOGNIZED AND ASKED FOR AUTOGRAPHS ALL AROUND TOWN, IT IS TRULY AND INCREDIBLE AFFIRMATION OF THE LEAGUE.

AS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF OUR HARDWORK BEHIND THE SCENES AND ON THE FIELD, THE LEAGUE HAS NOW DRAWN AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF INTEREST FROM PROSPECTIVE PARTNERS, MEDIA DISTRIBUTORS, EXPANSION MARKETS, INVESTORS, REQUESTS TO LAUNCH LEAGUES INTERNATIONALLY, SPONSORS ETC.  THROUGHOUT THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING MANY EXCITING NEW VENTURES SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION GAMES, SPONSORS, TELEVISION REALITY SERIES, AND LFL FRIDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL GAMES BEING BRAODCAST ON A MAJOR CABLE BROADCAST NETWORK. THESE ARE CERTAINLY EXCITING TIMES AT THE LEAGUE WITH MORE OPPORTUNITIES BEING PRESENTED THAN WE CAN PERSUE.

OUR FIRST TWO EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE OFF-SEASON HAVE BEEN THE ADDITION OF THE ORLANDO FANTASY AND BALTIMORE CHARM. WHILE WE WELCOME EXCITING NEW MARKETS LIKE ORLANDO AND BALTIMORE WE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS IN DENVER AND NEW YORK FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON UNTIL WE CAN FIND A SUITABLE ARENA FOR BOTH TEAMS. BOTH DENVER AND NEW YORK WORKED UNDER SERIOUS DURESS AND CIRCUMSTANCE THIS PAST SEASON YET MANAGED TO BE COMPETITIVE ON THE FIELD AND BUILD FAN BASES. WE CERTAINLY LOOK FORWARD TO OUR RETURN TO BOTH CITIES. IN ADDITION TO INTRODUCING ORLANDO AND BALTIMORE THE LEAGUE OFFICES ARE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH OWNERSHIP GROUPS THAT WANT TO BRING LFL FOOTBALL TO SAN JOSE, LAS VEGAS, HOUSTON, PHOENIX, VANCOUVER, DETROIT, WASHINGTON DC, CAROLINA, BUFFALO, CLEVELAND/COLUMBUS, TORONTO, NEW ORLEANS AND NEW JERSEY. WE WILL BE ADDING THESE INCREDIBLE NEW MARKETS IN THE COMING SEASONS.

IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE 8TH MAN OR WOMAN, OUR FAN. THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ATTENDED AN LFL GAME OR WATCHED ON TELEVISION OR ONLINE HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLE POSITIVE RESPONSE AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE FAN MAIL WE RECEIVE. REST ASSURED EACH LETTER AND EMAIL IS READ AND IN MOST CASES RESPONDED TO. WE WILL NEVER FORGET THE THOUSANDS OF YOU THAT BRAVED 12 DEGREE WEATHER WITH SNOW FLURRIES AT OUR OUTDOOR DENVER GAME OR THE THOUSANDS THAT DROVE THROUGH A SNOWSTORM IN CHICAGO AND WAITED IN THEIR CAR HOURS TO GAIN ENTRY JUST INTO THE PARKING LOT.  IN SIMPLY SEVEN MONTHS, WE HAVE BUILT AN INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY OF LFL FANS BOTH WITHIN THE US AND MILLIONS INTERNATIONALLY. THERE ARE TRULY NO LIMITS TO OUR LEAGUE AND THE POSSIBILITES FOR GROWTH.

TO LEAGUE PERSONNEL, PARTNERS, PLAYERS, COACHES AND FANS, I TRULY THANK YOU FOR AN INAUGURAL SEASON NONE OF US WILL SOON FORGET.

SINCERELY,

MITCHELL S. MORTAZA

CHAIRMAN/COMMISSIONER