Remembering the Denver Dream

Best is most coveted, but sometimes there’s just something more fascinating about worst, especially all-time worst, and when it comes to the now-defunct Lingerie Football League, that (sort of) evolved to the also now-defunct Legends Football League, we’re talking about the Denver Dream.

After the end of the first Lingerie Football League season (2009-2010), it was evident from the statistics, the short-lived New York Majesty would have been the team to have gotten the first draft pick for the following season. However, the Majesty folded after that first season, leaving a legacy as being the worst team of the LFL’s inaugural season, but not the worst ever. That title goes to the subject of this article; the Denver Dream. Not a bad looking team (above left are players from the 2009-2010 squad and right, from the 2019 squad), however, they just couldn’t seem to get it together on the field.

Even though the Majesty put up some pretty dismal stats that first season, they weren’t the only LFL team that did. The San Diego Seduction was a close second to being the worst team, followed by the Denver Dream. Alas, since the Seduction was in the Western Conference and the Majesty in the Eastern Conference, a game between the Seduction and the Majesty never happened and a scheduled game between the Dream and the Seduction was cancelled, so fans never were treated to a “battle of the worst” game during the first LFL season. One could say the Majesty earned the title by default, based on their on their performances against the teams they did face and their record. The Seduction continued on for one more year and improved to go 2-2 during the 2010-2011 season before folding. Had the New York Majesty continued on beyond the first season, perhaps they would have improved or, more than likely, achieved the title of the worst LFL team ever, but it was the Denver Dream that earned that infamy. The Dream, like the Majesty, folded after the first season, but were reactivated in 2017, only to end their existence in the Lingerie/Legends Football League at the end of the 2019 season with an 0-15 record after four seasons in the league, often suffering some pretty embarrassing losses. A writer at the Denver-based magazine Westword pretty much summed up the team’s existence with a caption that read; “the Dream was sort of a nightmare.”

In December 2019, the LFL announced it would once again rebrand the league and become the X League, billing itself as a “new era in women’s empowerment.” The inaugural game was slated to kick off in April 2020, but the pandemic put that on hold until June 2022. Unlike what we’ll call the “Lingerie-to-Legends” transition of 2013, the X League is considered an all new league, rather than a continuance of the LFL. The Denver team in the X League is known as the Denver Rush and they wear teal and black rather than orange and blue. There are a few ladies who were on the 2019 LFL Dream squad who made the transition to the Rush, but like the X League itself, the teams are considered all new and not carryovers from the “old” LFL. By the way, the Denver Rush ended the inaugural X League season, in which they only played two games, 0-2. Both of those games ending with the Rush being on the low end of pretty lopsided scores (84-26 against the Seattle Thunder and 28-0 against the Atlanta Empire). Perhaps the Rush may carry over at least one Dream tradition, which is; “still dreaming of that first victory” (and thanks again to Teague Bohlen at Westword).

Jecole Hockaday (#9), Tessa Burtwistle (#8), Trisha Lea (#11), Jenny Yukich Gardenhire (#2), and Erika Trujillo (#4) during a 2009 practice.

As previously mentioned, the Dream’s operations were suspended after the LFL’s first season, along with their fellow cellar-dwelling team to the east, the New York Majesty. After the Lingerie Football League was rebranded as the Legends Football League in 2013, there were rumors buzzing around that the Denver Dream may be reactivated. The team was reactivated, however, it wasn’t until the 2017 season that the Dream, then calling the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, Colorado home, had their rebirth. Sporting new uniforms and, since it had been seven years since the team existed, an all-new roster of coaches and players, the Dream picked up where they left off; still hoping for that first victory.

One of the many “lowlights” during the Dream’s existence, was being on the losing end of a 2017 LFL record-setting rout by the Seattle Mist, in which the Mist scored 106 points, the most points ever scored by one team in an LFL game. Also, since the Dream didn’t even score a single time during that game, that 106-0 contest also holds the record for the most lopsided score in LFL history. A record that will probably stand for the unforeseeable future, that is, if LFL records are carried over to the X League. The Mist could have probably easily scored once again on their last possession of that game, but decided to show some mercy and sit on the ball and let the clock run out.

    

Evolution of the Denver Dream’s uniform (less helmet and pads, left to right): In 2009, the uniform, as shown worn by running back Heather Mae French, had the frilly accents and included garters, in an effort intended to keep the lingerie in the Lingerie Football League. When the LFL became the Legends Football League in 2013, they dropped the garters and frills for a more activewear look, as shown on cornerback Alyssa Stongle, wearing the Dream’s 2017 uniform. 2018 saw the introduction of tights as running back Lindsay Fields sports. 2019 saw the return of the shorts as wide receiver Catlin Burke is shown wearing. The 2017-2019 uniforms were also less prone to “wardrobe malfunctions” on the field, as that seemed to be a common problem with the original 2009 uniforms.

The 2018 squad, posing in their away uniforms before a game with the Nashville Knights which the Dream lost 94-20.

Left: September 2009 Boulder Vidcast interview with Lindsay Fields, Melissa Mikkelsen, Erika Trujillo, and Mallory Revard (who, according to the roster, wore #10 on the field, not #6 as she has on here). This interview was conducted just days before the Dream’s debut game against the Los Angeles Temptation, which the Dream ended up losing 26-20. Not a lopsided score ….those blowouts came after the Dream’s reactivation seven years later. (Thanks to JVonD). Right: The Dream’s second game of that season against the Dallas Desire on 9-25-2009 in its entirety.

2017

2018
(Their uniforms appear to be dark gray in the photo, but they were dark blue.)

For those who’d like to see the May 20th, 2017 106-0 blowout of the Denver Dream by the Seattle Mist, above left is the game in its entirety. Above right is defensive back Alyssa Stongle giving her teammates some words of encouragement during halftime ….when the score was only 62-0.

Denver Dream Rosters
(Not surprisingly, none of the ladies on the 2009-2010 team returned to the reactivated 2017 squad. Blank fields
indicate no player wore that number, that season. Linked names go to a current social media page or website.)

Denver Dream’s Season Schedules

2009-2010

*It was unfortunate for the Dream that this game was cancelled because the Seduction was the one team the Dream stood a fairly decent chance of beating.

2017**

**Why the Dream played the Mist twice and the Bliss (who aren’t even in their conference) twice, rather than play each of the teams in their conference once, like each team should have, is beyond comprehension, besides being brutal for the Dream since the Bliss and Mist were two of the best teams in the LFL that year and handed the Dream some pretty embarrassing losses.
†LFL All-Time Record

2018

2019

LFL Seasons’ Final Standings (when the Dream was in the league)

2009-2010

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

2017

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

†LFL All-Time Record

2018

Eastern Conference

Western Conference

2019***

*** Mid-season, on June 19, 2019, the LFL announced a change in the playoff format. Instead of the two best teams from each conference playing for their respective conference titles and then the two winners going on to meet in the Legends Cup, the league would do away with the Eastern-Western conference titles and pit the top four teams in the league with the best records in an elimination tournament. Of course, that change meant nothing to the cellar-dwelling Dream. Also interesting for the 2019 season was that the formerly dominant Chicago Bliss put up the second worst stats.

“Denver Dream Theme” by Blue Dog and Sponge Cake