Football player Mia Chambers

Hardwood Diva: Thanks for sitting down and doing this for us.  First up, how long have you been involved in sports?

Mia Chambers: Sports have been a part of my life for 21. As the only girl in a family full of boys, dolls were never really my thing.

HDiva: What made you decide to tryout for the LFL?

MC: I am a die hard NFL fan! I know the plays…I know the calls…and I know the sport. I have always wanted to play football since high school when my basketball coach made me do a sport in the fall to stay in shape.  Since I didn’t want to run cross country or play volleyball I convinced him that being a football manager for the boys varsity football team would be just as good. That was the year that I completely fell in love with football, and truly learned the ins and outs of the game. I saw the LFL on MTV one day and I knew I had to do it. I knew this was my calling. I mean as much as I loved football I had to try it!  So I had a few of my football boys from ASU help me out in training to prepare for the combine.

HDiva: What was the playing experience like?

MC: There is nothing like it!  I mean when the lights turn on its just like the real thing.  We run routes…we have goal line plays…we have trick plays, QB draws, and its full tackle which is the best part.  No more flags. This is the real thing!  I know some people may think of it as a joke but this is real football; as we call it “NO JOKE FOOTBALL.”   Playing in the LFL was one of the best experiences that i have been apart of.

HDiva: Now this is a topic that often gets a lot of attention from critics and supporters of the LFL.  How did you feel about the uniforms that were worn?

MC: I mean the uniforms are probably the worst thing about the LFL.  I mean none of the girls like the uniforms.  They are one size fits all, and they are tight and uncomfortable.  But we love the game so we wear the uniforms.  All of us girls play for the love of the game and definitely not the uniform.  Unfortunately we live in a world were sex sells.  Sadly, everything can’t be perfect.  There are other women’s football leagues that are uniformed and fully covered but they do not get the publicity or support that we get. I am not using it as an excuse but its the reality.  I mean yes you sometimes feel like a viewing gallery but its no worse then walking around in your bathing suit.  I mean even though I hate the uniforms, there is nothing like playing in that game with the Friday night lights and the fans’ screams and the adrenaline running through your system.  So its worth the tight squeeze into the league’s uniform choice.  Also as a plus it makes you stay in shape, because you definitely don’t want to be out of shape trying to squeeze into that outfit.

HDiva: Football is such a male-dominated sport.  What are some of the things you’ve had to overcome as a woman?

MC: The hardest thing about it is trying to get people to take us seriously. I mean unless you come to a game you will never know how much more brutal this game is then actual college or professional football is. We get down and we get dirty.  People think because we are not fully padded or because we don’t have on full uniforms that we are not playing real football but that is not the case. Our game is real and we follow real rules as set in the NFL. The hardest thing is getting supporters to believe in what you are doing and take a risk and come to the games. We have won over so many fans who attended games for the first time saying they were non believers until they seen the first hit! We go HARD!! Our players are real…the game is real…nothing is edited or guided. We play real tackle football and that is what we want the world to see.

HDiva: What advice do you have for young girls looking to go into semi-pro and professional sports?

MC: I would say to any young girl that is trying to pursue her sports career to never give up and to follow her dreams. I know that may be a bit cliche but its so true.  I never thought that I would be able to play real football on a professional team live on TV.  I mean you have to push yourself to achieve your goals and believe anything is possible.  If you believe that you can do it, then there is no one that can tell you that you can’t.  I think that sports are a good outlet for our youth and we need to support and encourage our young ones to never give up on the goals that they set.  Sports have evolved so much since I was younger, and in today’s world there is nothing but opportunity. We just need to continue to instill in our youth the midset that anything you want to do is possible with dedication and hardwork.

Seriously…this chick is on a very short list of women that I believe should or should have been considered by NBA teams.  Yes NBA…not WNBA.  She is definitely living up to the hype that surrounded her early on in her college career.  This girl is a BEAST beyond measure.  And this dunk proves it.

video courtesy of BOS000001

After being traded last week to the Houston Rockets, Derek Fisher wanted to be able to control his own destiny.  So he took a buyout opportunity from the Rockets and reviewed all opportunities from championship contenders (unfortch with the new CBA he couldn’t return to LA this season).  And this week he and the Oklahoma City Thunder came to an agreement to have Fisher join the Western Conference leader.

With the addition of the 5-time NBA champion Fisher, the Thunder give themselves a definite advantage in the race to the top of the NBA Western Conference.

Awkward!!!

Looks like Peyton has made his choice. And its the choice many thought was his first choice.

After a couple weeks of speculation, Peyton Manning has decided to stay in the AFC and become a Denver Bronco. According to multiple sources, contract negotiations are ongoing. Barring any major setback we will see Peyton in the Mile High City this 2012 NFL season. Nice!!

Now let’s see what happens with the Niners and Alex Smith. Oh and I wonder where we will see Tim Tebow next.

Yeah so the NBA trade deadline came and went today.  But not without some interesting moves.  But the most important decision of the day turned out to keep a player exactly where he was.

At the end of the day, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic are still involved in an interesting relationship.  After months of back and forth from Howard about his intentions and desires, the Magic big man chose to waive the opt-out clause in his contract and will remain a part of the Orlando franchise through the 2012-13 basketball season.  And then it could be Lebron James summer all over again.  Don’t know how this will turn out but interesting is definitely how it will remain.

Throughout the league we saw some wild moves, and some very smart decisions.  My favorite move might surprise some…actually it may not.  Though I am not a Lakers fan, I have been perplexed for years as to why Luke Walton was somehow still a part of the organization. Like really…what purpose did he serve?!?!!  Oh well…the Lakers finally found a way to get rid of that dude and his horrendous contract. Praise be to Jesus!!!  But in other Laker news, Derek Fisher was traded to the Rockets.  And the Lakers acquired a point guard in Ramon Sessions in that deal that got rid of Luke.  They got a couple more players but I’m still not sure how, if at all, this makes the Lakers a championship caliber team.  We shall see!!!

A deal I didn’t expect to see was the three-team trade that moved Nene to Washington, brought Nick Young to the Clippers and saw Javale McGee added to the Nuggets’ roster.  Ummm…yeah.  Guess the Nuggets had a bit of buyer’s remorse with that deal they made this summer.  Definitely makes the Clippers a bit better.  And the Wizards are still the pit of the league.  But all these trades definitely prove that the last portion of this regular season should be pretty good.

Well guys the day has come!!  My surprise revealed: Hardwood Diva is coming to internet radio near you!!!  Tonight I will begin my stint as the co-host of The Loudmouth Experience with host Nick Hamilton.  The Loudmouth Experience is geared towards women who want to learn more about sports, and the men who desperately want them to learn.  LOL!!  In other words, my kind of people.  The show premieres tonight at 8pm PST on LA Talk Radio Channel 1.  The link is provided below.

I am so very excited about the experience to actually share my sports knowledge with the world, and to get another opportunity to talk sports with you guys.  This is not only a great chance to speak to more people, but to help build my brand.  Hardwood Diva is my first love and my true passion, and I’m ready to take things to the next level.  Make sure to show your support!!

LA Talk Radio: http://latalkradio.com/

Loudmouth Experience: http://loudmouthexperience.com/

Tourney time is here again!!  Whoohoo!!

Well guys its time to fill those brackets out…and you don’t have a long time to do it.  With games beginning on Tuesday, March 13th you gotta get your teams picked.  With Selection Sunday over and done with, now is the time to take a look at all those teams you’ve never heard of and really see whose got a good chance to keep it moving in the dance.  As always there are the usual suspects (Michigan State, Duke, UNC) and then you’ve got some surprise teams like Murray State and Long Beach State.  No matter who do or don’t know, make sure you really take a look at the matchups because there’s always a chance for an upset.

Here is the bracket courtesy of ESPN.  Take a look…make your picks.  And listen for my analysis tomorrow (wink, wink)

Peyton Is Gone Y'all

I knew it was coming.  I think we all knew it was coming.  Heck I told anyone who would listen that he was gone.  But in the last few weeks the Indianapolis Colts and Jim Irsay did what they could do to make it seem like they really had not made a decision on Peyton Manning’s future in Indy.  But with a fast approaching deadline (roster bonus…and all that jazz) here today, the world will officially hear that Peyton Manning’s time with the Indianapolis Colts is over.

Wednesday afternoon, owner Jim Irsay and the Colts are holding a press conference to announce their decision to release Peyton Manning.  Not too much to say personally. “He’s had numerous neck procedures in the last two years.  We owe him like 35 mil if he comes back…and its time for us to move on.  That is all.”

Look let’s be real.  This is a great opportunity for each party involved.  If Peyton is as good as he thinks he is, he can make a comeback and help another team to greatness.  And the Colts have the chance to get a new franchise quarterback in Andrew Luck.  Time for everyone to move on and be better in the future.

Hey guys!!! I know you’ve noticed no women profiled today. That is due to a new schedule for the profiles. Due to my overwhelmingly busy schedule with wedding planning, a new job, a secret plan (wink wink), and the blog, I find it’s difficult to complete weekly interviews. So we will now profile women twice a month. I want to make sure I’m offering you guys quality content with every post. So next week look forward another wonderful woman in sports.

The 2012 NBA All Star weekend is now upon us.  As I type I’m watching the first few minutes of the BBVA Rising Stars Game, once known as the Rookie – Sophomore Game.  However this year the teams are mixed with rookies and sophomores on each team.  Should be interesting.  Love seeing the young players…and it was dope that the league was “able” to add Jeremy Lin to the game though he was not initially chosen.

Tomorrow night you have one of the highlights of the whole weekend, the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest.  Also on the agenda for Saturday night, you’ve got the Skills Challenge, the 3-point Contest, and the Shooting Stars Competition.

Then Sunday we’ve got the big game.  Though this All Star Weekend seemed to sneak up on us due to the lengthy lockout, I’m so excited about this amazing weekend.  By the way, I think I’m going with the West All Stars for the win.  Let me know who you’ve got.