The Orlando Starz were a franchise in the
Independent Women's Football League
The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) was the first Women's American football league established by women players for women players. The league was founded in 2000, began play in 2001, and played its last season in 2018. Members of the ...
from 2000 to 2004 based in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. The team won a Division championship in 2001, but struggled in 2003, compiling a 1-7 record. However, the Starz received worldwide attention due to
Charlotte Chambers, at that time, a 69-year-old
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
dubbed the "Gridiron Granny."
Her story received play in
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
outlets throughout the world, and she appeared on numerous sports
talk show
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Show ...
s, including "
The Best Damn Sports Show, Period" where she tackled
Tom Arnold Tom Arnold may refer to:
* Tom Arnold (actor) (born 1959), American actor
* Tom Arnold (economist) (born 1948), Irish CEO of Concern Worldwide
* Tom Arnold (footballer) (1878–?), English footballer
* Tom Arnold (literary scholar) (1823–1900), ...
. She also appeared on Jimmy Kimmel where she tackled Ryan Seacrest, The Steve Harvey Show The Wayne Brady Show, CBS Early Show, David Letterman and many more. She was interviewed and written about in magazines all over the world as well.
The Starz were off to a 2-1 start in 2004 when owner Marsha Beatty suspended operations due to "internal conflict."
The league, The coaches, and many of the players were so corrupt, it was impossible to just have fun.
From 1999 until 2002 there was another "Orlando Starz" football team-this team was a men's Adult Semi Professional football team. The men's Starz donned uniforms much like the NFL Dallas Cowboys with blue and silver.
Defunct American football teams
Independent Women's Football League
Women in Florida
Sports in Orlando, Florida
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