Women’s lingerie football squad to leave Atlanta

Atlanta may have its fair share of strip clubs, but it wasn’t ready for lingerie-clad ladies playing football.

The Atlanta Steam — the city’s first lingerie-wearing women’s football team — is moving to Charlotte after failure to find a stadium in Georgia.

League officials said they submitted bids to multiple venues in Fulton and Gwinnett counties, but were denied a place to play. They declined to identify the venues.

“We checked out everything. No stone was left unturned,” said Jennifer Colter, a spokeswoman for the Lingerie Football League. “There was a little bit of friction and hesitation with certain venues not wanting that type of entertainment.”

Charlotte, however, is glad to welcome the team.

The Steam will announce their new stadium later this week, Colter said.

The Steam were scheduled to start training camps here this week and kick off the first season in September against the New England Euphoria, Colter said.

League officials insist that fans shouldn’t worry: the ladies still plan to play in September, just farther north.

The Steam tried to play in the Georgia Dome, but a monster truck show was already booked on one of the days they requested, said Mark Geiger, a spokesman for the Dome.

The ladies play full contact, seven on seven football on a 50-yard field. The uniforms include tiny boy shorts and bikini tops. And of course they’ll have on helmets for protection.

The sport is geared to men for obvious reasons, Colter said.

“But a lot of women love this because it’s empowering,” she said. “It’s sexy. Women love to see people like themselves out there playing a man’s sport, getting out there like the guys and getting dirty.”

The Steam is comprised of 12 players, including two women from Atlanta — quarterback Suzanne Berkshire and tight end Heather Williams.

The league started six years ago playing half-time shows in Los Angeles, Colter said. It expanded to exhibition games and is scheduled to host its inaugural season this year.