In search of the city’s tastiest Super Bowl wings, TONY calls in the big-gun judges: football players with the all-female New York Sharks

ccording to Buffalo-wing expert Anna “Tonka” Tate, we must take two precautions before we eat the Super Bowl staple. First check for hairs, then, smell the meat. This isn’t exactly the kind of routine we want to go through at game time – Buffalo wings are meant to be inhaled, not inspected – but we’re not going to argue with the woman. At 5′ 11″ and 285 pounds, Tonka, an offensive lineman on the New York Sharks female football team, isn’t someone you want to mess with, as any player in the Independent Women’s Football League will confirm. Her motto, in life and on the field, is “Move, bitch. Get out of the way.”

Wings are just part of the game-day experience for football fans, but for players like Tonka and her teammates, the chicken parts are practically a religion. To hear the Sharks talk wings, you’d think the women had invented them. Dipping a wing in batter is a fumble, a heavy hand with the vinegar is a penalty, and charging a price that has a number to the left of the decimal point is a slap in the face. Their criteria for winning wings: Make it chicken, make it hotter than hell, and make it messy. Anne Perissi, a rookie Shark, says the more napkins you go through, the better the wing.

For TONY‘s first-ever Wing Bowl, we gave the Sharks (Tonka, defensive end Rose Addison, staff member Star Wilson and Perissi) eight batches of wings and asked them to rate the entire bunch. They doled out up to seven possible “touchdown” points each in the areas of appearance, texture and taste – just in time for the big game by that other football league. If the Sharks ate big at the taste-off, they talked even bigger, shouting out insults that would make a grown chef cry. We cleaned up some of the language, but otherwise, you’re getting their honest, no-holds-barred opinions. If you’ve got issues with the commentary, take it up with them yourselves.

by David Tamarkin

Originally appeared on oxygen.com

ocal export to the Empire State and women’s professional football pioneer Andra Douglas will be honored this month along with a fellow teammate as representatives of women’s football as the Sportswoman of the Year Award is presented on October 21.

Douglas is a creative director and athlete. After graduating from Zephyrhills High School and later with honors from Florida State University where she was a member of the two-time National Champion Women’s Rugby Team, she began playing semi-pro golf. In 1983 she moved to New York City where she received her masters degree in communications design from Pratt Institute.

Nineteen years later, she resides in her 1837 brownstone in the heart of New York’s Greenwich Village. After leaving Time-Warner as a Vice President, she works from her rooftop studio as a creative consultant for the entertainment industry doing packaging, advertising, and copywriting.

In August of 2000, Douglas purchased the New York Sharks Women’s Tackle Football Team. Her roles on the New York Sharks include owner and one of two quarterbacks on her 40-player roster. The Sharks, after only three years in existence are ranked number one of over 70 teams across the nation.

Despite success on the field, the purse strings are tight for the organization. With an annual budget of $75,000 to $100,000 per year to operate, Douglas and the Sharks rely on a non-profit foundation called Fins Up Foundation for Female Athletes to help defray costs as well as spread the word of the sport and community involvement to the New York area. She also devotes a good portion of her time to giving speeches to aspiring female athletes.

“We try to get women involved in the sport (football),” she said. “It builds confidence and gives you an arsenal for life.”

Two of Douglas favorite professional accomplishments include a novel about her childhood passion of football, and the recent national title won the the Sharks on July 6, in Ashland, Oregon.

The Sportswoman of the Year Award recognizes the exceptional athletic performances and achievements of female athletes over a 12-month period. Criteria are based on new records and world championships won during the 12 months. The winners will be announced next Monday at the Annual Salute to Women Sports Award Dinner.

Douglas will be honored as a pioneer in the sport and her co-quarterback Valerie Halesworth has been nominated for the award. Halesworth plays quarterback and strong safety for the New York Sharks. The Sharks competed in the inaugural Independent Women’s Football League Championship and defeated the Austin Outlaws, in July of 2002 to finish off their undefeated 9-0 season.

The New York Sharks originally started as a women’s flag football team called the Long Island Sharks. They played in international tournaments and were national champions.

In 1999 the Women’s Professional Football League was formed. It consisted of two teams, the Minnesota Vixens and the Lake Michigan Minx. They barnstormed around the country playing each other in what was called the “No Lins” Tour. They had heard about the success of the Long Island Sharks and challenged them to a full contact, tackle football game.

The Sharks accepted the challenge and with two months to prepare converted their flag football team to a tackle football team.

The New York Sharks prepared for the 2001 season as a member of the Women’s Professional Football League. But there soon became some disagreements between the league and the Sharks on what was expected from each party. The Sharks already had the players set to go so management decided to pull the team out of the WPFL and play the 2000 season as an independent team.

The 2001 season consisted of a 10 game schedule with some games against the WPFL, like the Tampa Tempest and old arch-rival New England Storm but also included other independent teams. Some of these teams were members of other leagues like the IWFL Arizona Titans, while another was a team that had also pulled out of the WPFL, the Syracuse Sting (formerly known as the New York Galaxy).

The season was a strong one for the Sharks as they finished the season with 6-1 record.

On September 11th, the World Trade Center was attacked. Fear and sorrow surrounded the nation and especially around New York City. The games were postponed for the next 3 weeks as it was difficult for teams to get flights to New YorkCity and playing football just didn’t seem right with Ground Zero being only 10 miles away.

While Douglas’ athletic career is winding down, she plans to continue helping women’s football through its struggles for acceptance and success.

Dave Hasselman

A veritable “Who’s-Who” of sports celebrities were on hand this past Monday, April 19th for the 10th Annual Nassau County Sports Commission awards dinner. The ceremony was held at the Chateau Briand banquet hall in Carle Place, New York.

Our very own Andra Douglas was awarded the Female Professional Athlete of the Year award, complemented by a dozen red roses sent by her parents, Christine and Henry Douglas, who could not attend. The moment was very special indeed. “I’m so very honored by this, the words are difficult to find”, Douglas said.

Andra received this honor in the company of several other distinguished recipients. Among them were: John Velasquez (Breeders Cup Champion), Kellen Winslow II (Tight End, University of Miami), Frank Deford (celebrated sports writer at Sports Illustrated), basketball legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving and retired NFL Quarterback Boomer Esiason, to name a few. The photograph seen here of Andra and Mr. Esiason was significant as they are both quarterbacks, left-handed, and wear number 7 jerseys!

Also on hand from the Sharks organization was wide receiver Dana Sparling and Marketing Director, Bob Leone.

Our congratulations to you, Andra…..you’ve made us proud!

Dana Donahue-Sparling, Bob Leone, Andra Douglas, Boomer Esiason

n the evening of October 21st, over a thousand people went to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. They came to attend the Womens Sports Foundation‘s annual salute to women in sports awards dinner. Over 80 female athletes were in attendance as the foundation honored women who have made tremendous strides in sports, both on the field and off.

The Sharks were well represented at the dinner with owner Andra Douglas, general manager Crystal Turpin, right guard Anna “Tonka” Tate, and friends of the team in the audience.

The big award that New York Sharks fans were interested in was the naming of the Sportswoman of the Year for a team sport. Our very own quarterback Val Halesworth was nominated along with Sue Bird, Misty May and Kerri Walsh, Anna Mickelson, Tiffeny Milbrett, Stacey Nuveman, Brenda Villa, and Hayley Wickenheiser. Bird was named the winner for her strong basketball play for the University of Connecticut Huskies and the Seattle Storm of the WNBA.

From left to right: Alison Jenkins, Michelle Nieves, Andra Douglas, Christine Douglas (Andra’s mom), Crystal Turpin, Anna Tate, and Henry Douglas (Andra’s dad)

he New York Sharks steamrolled through their first IWFL campaign in 2002 to become the league champions. It was a team high in talent, experience, and a determination to win it all for their teammate Sharon Pascale who had died before the start of the season. New York was predominately a veteran ballclub that had its way with the opposition by winning every game and by an average margin of 39 points. Both offense and defense dominated. Their record was strong enough to have them rated the number one women’s tackle football team in the country.

As the Sharks prepare for the 2003 season, things may not look as rosy. The team has been hit exceptionally hard and not by any team in the Eastern Conference. Practically the offensive and defensive line will consist of new players with little or no prior football experience. Veteran lineswomen Nikki Cerrato, Denise Wasilewski, Debbie Wasilewski, Aurora Lighthart, Lynn Lewis, and Kelly Eckstein will not be returning. Some have retired from football or are putting their football careers on hold this season as they pursue other ventures. The only returning starting lineswomen are Anna “Tonka” Tate and Beth Nugent.

Other players not returning to the team are Lori DeVivio, Lakisha Grant, Tara Passoni, Josie Smith-Malave, Patti Height, Janet Chichester and Veronica “Vicious” Simmons.

But before the other teams in the Middle Atlantic Division start printing up play-off tickets, the Sharks will still be a force to be reckoned with. Returning as starters will be the IWFL’s top rated quarterback Val Halesworth, linebackers Monica Marsh, Chrissy Hilla, Darleen Hall, and IWFL Championship Game MVP Missy Marmorale, wide receivers Valerie Monaco and Liz Presto, defensive back Virginia Leon and running back Courtney Eaton. Also coming back to the Sharks after sitting out the 2002 season or playing elsewhere will be Chris Aigotti, Jen Blum, Michelle Brown and Rose Addison.

To help bolster the line will be Suzette Crumley who will appear as a starter this season and rookies like Faith Mitchell, Monique LeBlanc, Karen Mulligan, and Vivian Alberty.

A lot of players in the skilled positions will be back for the Sharks and that is what makes New York so dangerous. But many a game is won in the trenches and this year, the offensive and defensive line bring big question marks. The offensive and defensive lines were a big reason for the team’s success last year. The way they play this year will help determine if the Sharks can repeat as IWFL champions.

To our Sharks fans,

A few months ago I attended the birthday party of one of my players. It was her 30th. A surprise given by her husband. At one point during the party, her mother stood up to toast to her only daughter and in that toast her mother revealed how she had always hoped this only daughter would grow up to be a ballerina. After the chuckles died down, she passed out mini footballs saluting her daughters position on the New York Sharks and said how proud she was to be the mother of a female football player. “Go Sharks!” she said boldly and the room of family and friends cheered mother and daughter on.

The Sharks began in 1999 and we fed on passion. Pour perseverance and perspiration into the cocktail of comradery and you have what is today the winningest and longest operating women’s tackle football team in America. In our seven seasons, the New York Sharks have suited up over 350 women who have lived the gridiron magic. Together, through our web, participation grants, a speakers’ bureau, outreach programs and our Sharon Pascale Sports Camps, we have touched the lives of countless other people.

My thanks today goes to all of the fans who supported us then and who support us now. Shark magic is rivaled by no other team in women’s football and we thank you for a being a part of it. We are already preparing for another great season in 2006! See you then.

Sincerely,
Andra Douglas
Owner
New York Sharks

n a bright sunny, Sunday morning on October 28th, 2001, the New York Sharks headed towards downtown New York. The Sharks were volunteering to help out in some small way in the massive work being done at Ground Zero. Their destination was 431 Canal street, Nino’s Restaurant.

Nino’s is a restaurant that has been run by owner Antonio Nino Vendome for the past 30 years. Since September 13th, the restaurant has been open around the clock to World Trade Center rescue workers. It has served free meals and beverages to more than 100,000 people. The Sharks volunteered to help in preparing and serving meals for that Sunday morning.

Work for the Sharks started at 9am. For the most part, the breakfast rush was over but workers still were coming in. A few of the Sharks players helped to continue to serve plates of scrambled eggs, french toast, sausages, bacon, grits, and oatmeal. The rest were relegated to the kitchen to help in preparing for lunch.

Some players like Cheryl Stephney and Nikki Cerrato and Sharks staff Crystal Turpin formed meatballs, others were dicing up a boxload of chicken breasts, or making spaghetti sauce. Team owner, Andra Douglas and tight end, Dana Sparling, and Sharks staffer, Jackie Welch put on hair nets for a good cause and helped crack 1,200 eggs. Click on the image to the right to watch the video.

While the Nino’s chefs cooked the food, the Sharks mingled with the policemen, state troopers, Red Cross workers, and EMT’s. They talked with them and signed autographs.

By 11am, the Sharks were back in action, this time to serve lunch by players Sharon Pascale and Aurora Lighthart.. Hundreds of workers poured in over the next two hours to feast on a meal of salad, ribs, chicken parmagiana, meatballs, rice, and mixed vegetables. Dessert consisted of pecan pie, key lime pie, chocolate chips cookies, and pumpkin pie.

After serving lunch for 2 hours, at 1pm our shift was over as the next group of volunteers came in. Despite preparing more food that day than we usually do in a month, everyone left happy, knowing that they helped volunteer for a worthy cause.

The restaurant continues to serve free meals to the rescue workers. The effort continues with the help of donations of time and money by both corporate and individuals. The restaurant’s owner has started the Nino Vendome Ground Zero Relief Fund 9/11, a non-profit corporation. To donate food or volunteer your services, you can call manager Nick Pasculli at 212-431-5625 or 212-966-5110 or visit their website at: www.ninos911.org.

Stand up and cheer

Stand up and cheer for the New York Sharks

Hear us boldly shout,

“Sharks, Hoorah 5-1!”

Women are playing pro football

And we intend to reach the goal

Our team will make its marks

Let’s hear it for the New York Sharks.

-by Merle Exit

Click here to hear the song

For the most part, Saturday night’s championship game for the Independent Women’s Football League, held at St. John’s DaSilva Stadium, went unnoticed. A few hundred spectators, mostly the players’ friends and family members, watched the New York Sharks fall to the Sacramento Sirens, 41-30.

In a national sporting landscape that has created more professional options for women in the past decade, women’s football has yet to find a niche. But in the eyes of some, that may be changing.

“Everybody always asks if we are going to get bigger and be like the W.N.B.A., or if the N.F.L. is going to take an interest in us and such,” said Andra Douglas, the owner of the Sharks and the team’s backup quarterback. “We’re not there yet. Right now we are doing this because we enjoy it.”

These women do not play for money; none are paid and most have day jobs. They are lawyers and teachers and coaches and firefighters. But for three hours a week on the field, and for several additional hours at practice, they are athletes. Training starts in January and the season runs into July. The 21-team league was founded in 2000.

Jim Coffinberry, whose companion Hilary McLaughlin is a halfback for the Sirens, travels to all her games, including this week’s final.

Coffinberry sat nervously cheering on the Sirens, critiquing McLaughlin’s play and the referees’ calls.

“This is a game that traditionally, growing up, every boy can play, and the girls really don’t have anyone to look up to,” Coffinberry said. “But she’s tough and she’s gifted at football. And she loves it. You can’t help but get excited for her.”

Ken Schroy, a safety with the Jets from 1977 to 1984, participated in the coin toss and stood on the Sharks’ sideline for most of the game. Val Halesworth, the quarterback for the Sharks, was a baby sitter for Schroy’s children when she was younger, and the two have remained close.

“I think this is great; it’s an evolving game and someday it could be huge,” Schroy said.

Carol Grubb, a linebacker for the Philadelphia Liberty Belles who came to the game because she had heard great things about the Sirens, said that of the 30 players on her team, only 10 had played organized football before joining the I.W.F.L. She and her teammates would go on recruiting trips to softball games and flag-football competitions looking for women who might want to join the team.

The game itself resembled high school football, in reverse. The players were women, and 12 of the 13 volunteer cheerleaders were men.

But in the end, it was a football game, and a pretty entertaining one. The Sharks (7-1) went into the half with a 16-15 lead, but it quickly evaporate in the third quarter. The Sirens (9-0) scored three unanswered touchdowns and led, 35-16, after a 2-yard quarterback keeper by Leilani Limary, who was named the game’s most valuable player. She ran for two touchdowns and passed for another.

The Sharks scored a couple of late touchdowns, but the outcome was not in doubt.

“This has just been a surreal experience all the way around,” said Limary, who runs a doctor’s office in Sacramento and will start medical school at the University of California-Davis in the fall. “We started talking about this in January and spent a lot of sleepless nights watching film and practicing. I’m so proud of my teammates. This is a dream come true.

-by BRANDON LILLY