Red Sox v. Yankees? Baby games.
Celtics v. Lakers? Yawn.
Ali v. Frazer? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Blondes v. Brunettes? Now THAT’S a storied rivalry.
For the fourth consecutive year, dozens of D.C.’s finest philanthropists descended on the gridiron of Foggy Bottom’s Francis Field Saturday for Blondes v. Brunettes, the annual Powder Puff football fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association National Capital Area Chapter. Although the event’s primary goal was to raise $100,000 for Alzheimer’s services, research and advocacy, the game also sought to settle one of the most intensely debated questions in history: do blondes or brunettes in fact do it better?
To say the least, Blondes v. Brunettes is not your typical D.C. charity outing. “We wanted to create something different from the usual black tie event,” explained Sara Abbott, co-founder and co-chair of the event. “Something fun and not quite so expensive, since many of our supporters are government employees.”
Her vision? A four-quarter clash of impeccably shampooed and conditioned titans. Sure, it’s just a friendly flag football game among socially-conscious young women supporting a common noble cause; but that doesn’t mean the day is free from trash talk, late hits and heated arguments with the refs.
What began as a casual game among mutual friends of Abbott and co-founder Ryan Triplette has erupted into a national phenomenon. Blondes v. Brunettes has doubled its fundraising each year since 2005, and similar events have begun popping up in LA, NYC, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Chicago and Denver. Altogether, the event has raised over $300,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Though the game was the undeniable highlight of the day, players and fans celebrated (or drank away their sorrows) well into the night in Glover Park, with a Victory Party at Breadsoda, a Victory Dinner at Town Hall and a Victory Dance at Gin & Tonic. Prior to the game, fans were invited to a Tailgate Brunch at Foggy Bottom’s Hudson’s, including all-you-can-drink Peroni.
Rundown of the Game:
The Brunettes (reigning champs for each of the event’s four years) drew first blood with a dramatic run into the end zone by Lauren Schram. The Blondes stuck to the running game and struggled to get it going early, but eventually answered back with a TD run in the second quarter from Stephanie Heil. As the first half came to a close, the Brunettes capitalized on a costly interception with a remarkable TD pass from quarterback MJ Zaring to Morgan Cisterino.
The Blondes came out firing in the second half, tying the game just before the start of the fourth quarter with a touchdown from Josie Taylor. Following an impressive march down the field by the Blondes, an untimely turnover on downs left the door wide open for the Brunettes to steal the game. With just under ten minutes left in the game, the Brunettes responded to the pressure with a clutch TD run by Samantha Dredge. After a witty comment about “Blonde Ambition” from announcer Tommy McFly (of Mix 107.3) and another unfortunate turnover, the Blondes effectively sealed their fate. A second late-game touchdown by Dredge gave the Brunettes a little breathing room as they cruised to a 27-14 victory.
Superlatives:
Metromix MVP: Though winning coach Ali Tulbah insisted that the game’s MVP(s) were the four dedicated Brunettes that did not get to see any live action, the day’s true standout star was Wide Receiver / Communications Consultant / Rockstar Samantha Dredge. Her two touchdowns matched the team output of the Blondes. For the record, Dredge also nailed the National Anthem at the start of the game and won the female division championship of D.C.’s Battle of the Biceps a few months ago. She’s quite the renaissance woman.
Top Play: The impossibly acrobatic TD catch by Wide Receiver Morgan Cisterino. Randy Moss ain’t got nothin’ on that brunette bombshell.
Chant of the Day: “Show your roots!” from the Brunettes fan section. Clever.
Fan of the Game: Current “Miss D.C.” Kate Marie Grinold. As you can probably deduce from her title, she was cheering for the Blondes.
http://dc.metromix.com/events/article/it-s-official-brunettes/759804/content
I know what you’re thinking. Does downtown D.C. really need another upscale dance lounge? Is there anything left for a newcomer nightclub to offer that can’t already be found on K Street or Connecticut Ave? Given the buildup and impressive turnout for Midtown Lounge’s grand opening party this weekend, the answer to both questions is a resounding “YES!”
