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American Morning

Look at Super Bowl of Women's Football

Aired July 08, 2002 - 08:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: They don't call it the Super Bowl, they call it the "sup-her bowl." "Her" as in female. The Super Bowl of Women's football coming up at the end of the month, a few tickets still available. Ever wonder what a women's football game would look like?

Well, Jeanne Moos tackled that assignment. She'll show us now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Remember the days when the only padding a girl wore was in her bra?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Make sure they're really, really tight. Otherwise they're going to come up when you run.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's the way, April.

MOOS: You know it's not the Dallas Cowboys when the players bring cupcakes to the game to sell at the concession stand.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're still warm.

MOOS: We've never been to a National Women's Football League game. So we stepped gingerly into the locker room.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's been some mishaps with some girls putting their pads on the wrong places.

MOOS: While the players warmed up, so did the hot dogs, at two lonely tailgate parties out in the parking lot.

A dad spoke of his linebacker daughter.

(on camera): Was it weird the first time you saw her in shoulder pads?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Certainly. I didn't know she was that big. I tell you, she's tough.

MOOS (voice-over): It was the Connecticut Crush versus one of the top teams, the Massachusetts Mutiny. The coaches tend to be men.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to make each other look good tonight. It's not a one-ladies show. No way.

MOOS: On the first play of the game, number 34, Melanie Depamphilis tore a knee ligament. Melanie's not just a player, she owns the Connecticut Crush franchise.

MELANIE DEPAMPHILIS, OWNER/PLAYER, CONNECTICUT CRUSH: You get tangled up, you know, knees go one way, bodies goes the other way.

MOOS: It was a little bit like watching high school football. But there was plenty of spirit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, baby!

MOOS: And the game was actually exciting. The star of the Crush, number 20, April Maier (ph), is not only the quarterback, does everything from return kickoffs to play defense.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a rush.

MOOS: The small crowd of several hundred was mostly relatives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A father always wishes that his son can play football. Well guess what, I got a daughter that can play football, and she plays the game real well.

MOOS: And what is it she really likes?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The intensity, the hitting. I really like the hitting.

MOOS: So does Carolyn Bell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What does that say?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It says ding dong, the quarterback is dead after our Bell crushed her head.

MOOS: The Connecticut Crush lost, but weren't crushed. After the game, future football players took to the field, boys and girls. One thing we can swear to, the language is cleaner in women's football.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, Hartford, Connecticut.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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