Jim at Outsports is quoted in an article in this week's Wash. Blade about the use of the "Kiss Cam" during timeouts in NBA and NHL games.

A camera focuses on a straight couple who smooch -- and the tongue action is seen on the screens in the arena. The Kiss Cam usually ends by showing "two burley-looking gentlemen standing next to each other weariong opposing jerseys, looing tough and trying to watch hockey. ... They usually get real embarassed and try to hide their faces."

Jim's quote: "There is still a certain subtle homophobia because they are excpecting a sort of 'eeeww' reaction from it. You would hope that they would follow up with some positive actions."

The article does state that during one game the two men on the Kiss Cam hugged, and received warm applause.

So here's my action plan -- next time the Penguins are here at the MCI Center my partner and I will go clad in black-and-gold. Let's hope we get on the Kiss Cam, because we'll show them a few things!
Click here for Kiss Cam article.

Also at the end of the article:

Wonder what the Flyers here in the "City of Brotherly Love" have done for gays lately.

well, we see how well I read the Blade, as I never saw that. okay, well, I rarely read the Blade.

Anyway, I don't know who this columnist is, but perhaps he lives in Atlanta, but has not been at the MCI center. The MCI center rarely ever shows two opposing teams players at Caps games. While they do employ the "Kiss cam," it is very rarely aimed at two men. I have seen it done once so far this season. Once in all those games isn't enough to make me worry.

I have, though, often thought about this whole thing, and how you never see two gay peopel on this thing. They'd probably be lynched.

Trevor

When we were at the Staples Center for the Clippers-Celtics game, they did the KissCam. Didn't seem too bad to me, but it does seem they are trying to get a laugh at the expense of the two guys they show. I was sitting next to Seph, so if I HAD TO, I suppose I could have taken one for the team! wink (Of course, the fact that Seph would have hurled himself off the mezzanine is totally irrelevant!)

And as there were as many Celtic fans as Clipper fans at the game, they showed alot of people in Boston jerseys so the Clip fans could boo them. Seemed like it was all in good fun.

I'm at Thrasher and Hawk games all of the time and I can tell you the crowd routinely laughs at everyone that is shown in the cam. Also, you will be hard pressed to find a sports org that is more gay friendly than the Thrahsers.

Z

I was interviewed by the Southern Voice specifically about Atlanta. I guess the Blade must also run their stuff.

Actually last year Flyers center Jeremy Roenick kissed winger Mark Recchi when the Kiss Cam was pointed their way in the Air Canada center. See the quote below from Jeremy.

"How many guys in the National Hockey League would actually do that? You guys thought I wouldn't do that. Recchs is a good friend of mine. I like to have fun. I'm stable in my sexuality."
-- Flyers center Jeremy Roenick after kissing teammate Mark Recchi when the two appeared on the Air Canada Center scoreboard’s “Kiss Cam” during a break in play.
.

At the convention I went to both the Clippers and the Lakers games. Both had the "kiss cam." I warned the Outsporter sitting next to me that I would plant one on his lips if the camera panned on us. I wanted to make ESPN highlights or something. At the Clippers game the camera panned on two guys, but not at the Lakers game.

I love him more than ever!

Conversely, the eternal flame of my Roenick hatred is fanned even higher by jealousy over him getting the chance to mack on Mark Recchi.

Kiss Cam on the Phanavision screen tonight at the Vet!

After featuring a bunch of male/female couples, the camera focused on two middle-aged gentlemen. One already had his arm around the other and his head was really close to the other, like either he was about to kiss the other (or already had done it?). After a few more male/female duos, they zoomed in on one of the "fan clubs" in the upper deck (this started with the Wolf Pack and now there are a handful of bedsheets for a number of players--Burrell's Babes, Duckworth's "Duck Pond," Millwood's Militia, etc.). This club was called "David Bell's Belles"--five guys in dowdy housedresses, at least one with a lady's hat. Two of them grabbed each other but I didn't notice a kiss.

Earlier, while some uptempo song was playing between innings and the camera panned the seats, it came upon two men--on the left, a guy in a Phillies jersey and jeans; on the right, a guy in a suit and tie. Both of them dancing to the music, with the suit guy really gyrating and shaking his pelvis. He proceeded to turn around, bend over and thrust his butt forward and back, while the other guy proceeded to pretend to swat his butt several times.

So, let's recap: Friends on the verge of expressing their love. Men in dresses. Spanking.

If you're not going to be at the Vet on August 12th, WHY THE HELL NOT?????

Judging from Joe in Philly's posting, the Vet is definitely the place to be! Makes my beloved Chavez Ravine seem downright dull & dowdy!! We don't even get a lot of bedsheet signs--but we do get beachballs throughout the stands.

~Adam

Thanks for a great post Joe. Some of my other favorite "bedsheet signs" in the stands are "generic fan group", "(Jim) Thome's Homies", "(Marlon) Byrd's Nest" and from last year, when Scott Rolen returned playing for St. Louis "you're still a hottie to us scottie". wink

Did you use an old bedsheet or buy an inexpensive one just for the occasion?

ok my scale tetered towards roenick and recchi!

From the Blade this week, an (apparently) same-sex couple smoochin' on the kiss cam at the Caps game. Cheers followed.

(Do we know "season ticket holder and gay hockey fan" Warren Arborgast?)

Well, if the media people thought it was a hetero couple, the fans probably did too. I think this is more a wishful thinking article than anything.

Trevor

As I posted on the Kings thread, last night Ian Laperriere and Joe Corvo made the Kiss Cam at Staples Center following Lappy's second goal of the night...of course, it was Lappy's birthday, so maybe it was part of his present.

~Adam

[ January 21, 2004, 09:05 AM: Message edited by: Adam ]

Just found this commentary by a Tampa Bay Devil Rays fan complaining about the lack of fun at D-Rays games. Seems like they did once have a gay kiss.

couldn't help but notice that the link talking about the gay kiss at a caps game features a photo of Adam Oates, whom I have often heard is gay, battling in front of the net (77 on the Oilers). Coincidence?.....probably.

Probably. A friend of mine who used to work for the Fleet Center is convinced that Oates is straight. And since she once thought Mikhail Shtalenkov and Darren Van Impe were a couple, it's not as if she finds the idea of a gay player unlikely in principle.

[ July 17, 2005, 09:21 AM: Message edited by: Matt the Bruins fan ]

They do the KissCam at the Colorado Mammoth lacrosse games, and they usually end with either two refs or two opposing players. Once, they ended by showing two Calgary Roughneck players who saw themselves, shrugged, and kissed. The place went ballistic...in a good way. Calgary is supposed to be Colorado's rivalry team, but it's hard to hate them after they do things like that.

LXN