Oh, so sad, Lingerie Bowl VI has been cancelled. "We'll play in our undies, but OMG, not nekkid!!!"

NFL Super Bowl Report No. 3, Monday, Jan. 26, 2009

TAMPA — I'd like to talk about football, but there is too much craziness going on…

1) Lingerie Bowl VI — The Really Big Game during the festivities of the past five Super Bowls — was supposed to be played at a vacant lot in Tampa this week, but after the neighbors complained, it appeared as if Lingerie Bowl VI was dead.

Then, in a magnanimous gesture, the folks at the Caliente Resort, a highly-regarded Tampa-area nudist colony, extended a hand to the Lingerie League, and told the organizers they could play the big game at the main field of the resort.

Eureka! The Lingerie Bowl had survived. Or so we thought.

On Sunday, the folks over at Caliente, which is actually a "clothing-optional" resort, told the Lingerie League that lingerie wasn't acceptable. It was nude or no Bowl game. At a nudist colony, you are expected to be nude.

With that, a number of players quit. "We'll play in our panties, but not in our girl-suits," they said.

Organizers announced on Monday that the game was officially cancelled and that there was a good chance the league would fold, as well. 

Couldn't the NFL help these girls out? I mean, come on, football in lingerie is just about perfect, isn't it?

2) It has become pretty obvious over the last few weeks. If the Arizona Cardinals intend to upset the Pittsburgh Steelers, it will have to be done by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. 

After all, in last week’s NFC championship game Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns, giving him an NFL postseason record 419 yards in his first three playoff games. Warner was equally as impressive in that game, completing 21-of-28 passes for 279 yards, four TDs and a QB rating of 145.7. 

If those two pull it off again, the Cards might indeed be the team of destiny. Trouble is, pulling it off against the No. 1-ranked defence in the NFL is a lot different than pulling it off against Atlanta, Carolina or Philly.

3) The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will make it official on Tuesday. Calgary Stampeders' assistant director of scouting, John Murphy, will be the team's new general manager and director of player personnel.

Down here in Tampa, the news arrived with a bit of a thud, but in fairness, it did not go unnoticed. NFL people know Murphy and the ones we talked to on Monday night thought very highly of him.

After all, he did play a major role in building the Grey Cup champion Stampeders. That looks pretty good on any football resume.