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Ickey Woods...now we're into the dregs...

tibor75

Banned
These women don't find football 'Ickey'
Former Bengals star coaching new women's team

By Chick Ludwig

Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | With a touchdown dance known as the "Ickey Shuffle," he wowed Bengals' fans as an NFL rookie phenom in 1988, helping Cincinnati reach the Super Bowl.

Nowadays, Ickey Woods is trying to work more magic as owner, general manager and head coach of the Cincinnati Sizzle women's professional football team.

Woods and wife Chandra — a tight end and defensive tackle — will introduce full-contact women's football to Tri-State fans when they lead the Sizzle against the Kentucky Karma in a National Women's Football Association exhibition game Saturday at 7 p.m. at LaSalle High School.

The Sizzle and Karma are NWFA expansion franchises that begin regular-season league play in April 2005, so Saturday's game will serve as more than just a curiosity, but a barometer of what to expect next year.

"The gals are very determined to make this work," Woods said. "They've worked hard, three to four days a week, getting themselves ready to play. We'll put it on the field and see what happens.

"They'll show fans a real good game. We've got a lot of ladies who can actually play the game of football. With what we've been teaching them since November, they've learned a lot. Now it's time to go out and execute, and see how well they can get it done."

Woods, who turns 39 on Feb. 28, 2005, is a personal trainer at Schwartz Laboratories in Cincinnati. He's held a variety of jobs since his Bengals career (1988-91) was cut short by three knee operations, from selling high-quality meat to selling low-cost attorney services. So how did he land as a women's football coach?

"I was coaching my son's youth team when my wife heard about the women's football league and said she was going to try out," Woods said. "I told her if she tries out and they need coaches, that I would help coach. I was just being sarcastic, really.

"Then she came back and said, 'Hon-ee, guess what? They need a coach.' I said, 'Aagghh.' Then she said, 'Well, you told me you would coach. You promised me.' So I said OK. I'm happy I did it. We've got a lot of great ladies out there, and we're having a lot of fun."

The NWFA, a fourth-year league headquartered in Madison, Tenn., bills itself as the largest full-contact football league in the world for women.

The 2004 World Championship Game is scheduled for July 31 at the Papa John's Cardinal Stadium in Louisville.

Woods said his biggest challenge is fund-raising. He said the club needs an additional $25,000 for equipment, travel, salaries and other expenses. But the money can wait because there's a game to play.

"I'm like (Oakland Raiders owner) Al Davis," Woods said. "Just win, baby. I tell 'em: 'Just go out and give it your all.' As long as they're giving me 110 percent and playing hard, I can live with that.

"I told the ladies when we first started that we're not going to lose a game in the fourth quarter because we're fatigued. If we lose a game, it's because we played a better team."

Woods doesn't have to teach any of his players the "Ickey Shuffle." They already know it.

"I talked to the officials, and there's no infraction for celebrating in our league, so the girls can pretty much have some fun with it," he said.

Contact Chick Ludwig at 225-2253.

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Copyright © Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.
 
I gotta give Ickey credit-he hurt himself and lost his career, but he has stuck around Cincinnati, busting his butt to do whatever he can to make an honest living and support his kids. The NFL would be a lot better place if there were more guys or ex-players like Ickey out there.
 
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stxbuck said:
I gotta give Ickey credit-he hurt himself and lost his career, but he has stuck around Cincinnati, busting his butt to do whatever he can to make an honest living and support his kids. The NFL would be a lot better place if there were more guys or ex-players like Ickey out there.
Damnit, STX, I had a whole string of digs at the article, Ickey and women's football in general ready and then I read your post and find out I'm an asshole. Well, actually, I already knew that, but that's hardly the point. In the future, please post your positive thoughts after we get in a few sarcastic jabs.
 
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You can rip on James Brooks instead-went to Auburn but was reading at a 4th grade level when his career was over, had over 100 pairs of shoes when he was a player and was working as a security guard in England, when he was extradited for felony non-child support payments.
 
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