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Outsports Clubhouse: Membership For Gay Sports Fans And Athletes
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Navajo Distance Runner Gets Nike Support
 TODAY'S NEWS AND NOTES:
Timothy Mariano is a very rare participant at these Gay Games ? one of the few Native Americans here. Navajo by blood, Mariano says that while his tribe doesn?t necessarily frown upon his sexuality, ?it?s kind of like the military ? don?t ask, don?t tell.?
It was during a traditional tribe run when he was six that Mariano first showcased his distance running ability. Originally from Sedona, AZ, Mariano went on to win the state cross-country championship for four years at Window Rock High School. In Arizona, the cross-country courses are closer to 10K than the approximate 5K most other states run in high school.
When he began to prepare for his trip to the Gay Games, funds were short. Mariano turned to one of the largest sporting goods companies in the world ? Nike ? for help. He wrote a letter ? in English and Navajo ? to Nike telling them about himself, that he was headed to the Gay Games, and he?d love to be sponsored by them. He soon got a call telling him they?d love to be a part of his trip. In Sydney, Mariano will be running the 5000 and the 3000 meter steeplechase. It will be easy to spot him ? he?ll be the one wearing traditional Navajo face paint to protect him from the sun and to represent his lack of fear; he also wears turquoise during his race - a clan tradition.
Mariano now lives in Oakland, CA and goes to UC-Berkeley. Off the track, he has made another name for himself in the Bay Area: Tytekk ? his DJ name. Tytekk DJs regularly at one of San Francisco?s hottest clubs, 1015, and has done some spinning here in Sydney ? he?ll be featured at the men?s Black Party on Thursday. by Cyd Zeigler
Field Hockey Isn?t Just for Women: Field hockey gets its Gay Games premiere here in Sydney, and it is being played on the same field the Netherlands won gold at the 2000 Olympics. The Netherlands team, one of the friendlier bunch of guys we?ve met, wants more than anything to back that gold medal up with a gold of their own here. Their competition is two teams from Sydney ? the Bent Stix and Mixed Nuts. The guys told us that, in the Netherlands, field hockey is the second or third most popular sport (behind soccer and, maybe, tennis) for men. by Cyd Zeigler
And They're Off: Sydney and all of Australia
stopped Tuesday at 3:10 p.m. Businessmen rushed into
pubs, hotels set out special buffets and giant TV
screens went up in public places.
The reason
for all this madness was the Melbourne Cup, an annual
horse race that's an Aussie obsession. Untold millions
were wagered by a betting-mad people on the field of
24. Cyd and I took in the action at the One World
sports pub in Darling Harbor.
Inside, a few
dozen TVs were tuned to the action (though one lone
monitor had the live feed of the Miami-Green Bay
Monday night game) and the crowd erupted as the horses
took off.
On a hunch I had placed a $10 wager
on Media Puzzle, since I'm from the media and am often
puzzled. My hunch started slowly but came on at the
end, pulling away down the stretch for the win. I came
away $60 richer. --Jim Buzinski
Quick Hits: It?s been comical to listen to the announcer at the track stadium talk, in a very masculine voice, about hairstyles, reminding everyone to ?stay lubricated? . . . The flies here are out of control ? they don?t just fly around your head, they actually land on you constantly ? it?s like they?re drunk . . . Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler advanced to the 200m finals on Thursday finishing third in his heat . . . Carlos Vizcara, who was featured in the Advocate with Cyd in August, won the gold medal in the triathlon . . . the West Hollywood water polo teams are looking very good ? the A-team was undefeated as of last night and the B-team had one loss . . . Congratulations to former Federation of Gay Games president Gene Dermody who won his first gold medal at the Games yesterday . . . We overheard one foreigner telling another that ?the L.A. guys love the steam room.?
The official Gay Games site is posting results each day.
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