Pittsburgh Dish

Passion Tryouts

Bring your insurance card

The women's tackle football champion Pittsburgh Passion is holding open tryouts in early September.

Details are below.

Allow Dish a moment to editorialize: Dish has attended a few Passion games over the past couple of years. This is not powder puff stuff. You, miss aspiring football player, better buckle your chinstrap, gird your loins, and make sure that mouthpiece is in place. In short, there's no room on the squad for pansies.

Mrs. Dish will not be participating. Neither will Mr. Dish, but not because he's a fella. Rather, because he's a nancypants. ....

The Pittsburgh Passion will host two rounds of annual tryouts on Saturday, September 8th, from 10am to 1pm at Marshall Middle School, and Saturday, September 15th, from 7:30am to 9:30am at North Allegheny High School, main stadium. All area women interested in playing football in the 2008 season are encouraged to attend.

Participants must be at least 18 years old and will need to bring a copy of a photo ID, copy of an insurance card, and a $35 tryout fee.

Pittsburgh passion

Lady gridders bring home the title

by Jody DiPerna

On a cool Saturday evening, just 8 miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee, the Pittsburgh Passion women’s football team bitchslapped the Columbus Comets, to bring home their first NWFL Championship. The Passion showed themselves to be the class of the league in every possible way -- talent, coaching, comportment
and even their uniforms.

Just as the 2nd half was about to start, there was nearly an hours delay due to a power outage at charming (some might say archaic) Whites Creek Stadium. The Pittsburgh squad filled the time by stretching and going over schemes in the locker room. The Comets coach took the time to keep his team on the field and berate them for some extra time. One word: wanker.

I'm not sure his technique was the most effective motivational tool, but it didn't matter anyway, as the Passion had already rolled up a 26-0 lead by halftime and added on a final touchdown on the first drive of the 2nd half, getting into the endzone on each of their first six drives of the game.

The offense rolled up nearly 400 yards on the day and featured running backs Torina Henley and Lyndsi Hughes lead by QB and offensive MVP Lisa Horton, who was nearly perfect on the day, except for an interception in the 2nd half. She sheepishly admitted that it was a bad read on her part and she had gotten greedy. It was her single mistake and how many QB's can say that after a game?

The interception mattered little, though. The Passion defense was playing a brand of physical defense that would be considered criminal assault in certain states. Good thing we were in the South. The defense was lead by DE Olivia Griswold, in her first year with Pittsburgh, who was named defensive MVP.

Although I don't have the formal stats in front of me, I'd guess that Griswold, a former Columbus Comet herself, delivered anywhere from 15 to 40 tackles (seriously, she was everywhere), of which three or four would have made Gregg Lloyd smile.

It is the first championship for the Passion since their start five years ago; for the players who have been on the squad since that time, the win is especially sweet. Passion vets, Henley and owner/player Teresa Conn are hanging them up after this year, but there won't be a quarter of a million people downtown parade for them. At least they're going out in the fine style of Jerome Bettis and that is something to rest the chinstrap on.

Passion 32, Columbus 0.

The Passion gets Ugly

Drink to finace female footballers

Pittsburgh Passion Championship Fundraiser

Your Northern Conference Champions will travel to Nashville, TN to play for the National Championship on July 21st.

Please join us for a fun event here in Pittsburgh as the team raises funds to cover expenses for the championship trip.

Thursday, July 12th Ugly's Bar (by PNC Park) on the North Shore, 208 Federal Street.

$5.00 Cover Charge. All proceeds go to support the team.

We thank our incredible fans for this year and many years of support! Hope you will join us for a night of fun on the North Shore!

Passion "con" Fusion

Pittsburgh Passion vs. Cleveland Fusion DATE: Saturday, May 27th Kickoff is at 7:00pm LOCATION: George Cupples Stadium TICKETS: Adults: $12.00 Senior: $8.00 Children: $5.00 Students with ID: $5.00

Passion prevails

Gal gridders take home opener.

One thing became abundantly clear while standing on the sideline of the South Side's Cupples Stadium last Saturday evening: When you're watching women's football, you're watching football.

For an hour of game time, the Pittsburgh Passion and Columbus Comets truly smacked the snot out of one another. Knee braces were prevalent on both sidelines. When the dust--if such a thing emanated from artificial turf--settled, the hometown's entry in the National Women's Football Association came away with a 6-0 win in their home opener, beginning the season 1-1 after a week one loss in Cleveland.

A few reflections on the game:

- After playing last season at Ambridge High School in Beaver County--where the Passion led the league in attendance--the move to Cupples Stadium has resulted in an even bigger crowd. Big and diverse enough to give you the idea that the team draws much more than just family and friends. It draws football fans.

Such as Franco Harris, who undertook the coin toss and has followed and supported the team for two years. He explained his interest by saying, "I love the game, first of all. I guess I would say that it's great to watch a segment of the population that hasn't had the opportunity to play the game play the game."

"When I first saw them play," Harris continued, "I was impressed by the level of play. I became a fan."

- It ain't sandlot football. Coaching and strategy and most definitely part of the women's game. As is serious, unfriendly-type contact. And passing. The passion's only TD of the game came on a corner route.

- The Passion has a player named Blocker. Her real name. If she doesn't get the job done, number 95, Reblock (again, legit name) can come in to clean up. A couple of things: Blocker's first name is Debi and, sadly, since she's a defensive lineman, doesn't block anyone. Perhaps the Passion should consider a position switch. Or Blocker a name change. Kim Reblock, contrary to her name, also plays defense. She's a linebacker. Someone ought to have a friendly chat with these women.

The Passion take on the Erie Illusion (71-0 losers to Columbus) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cupples. For schedule and ticket information, go here. To listen to Sports Editor Jody DiPerna call the plays go here.

Sports Editor DiPerna mans the mic for women's football

Listen to Dish Sports Gal Jody DiPerna's debut behind the mic announcing the Pittsburgh Passion's home opener April 29. The Steel City's lady gridders open their home schedule at 7 p.m. in the South Side's Cupples stadium. Jody's dulcet tones can be heard here.