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4.29.2006
"Hey, how *you* doin'?": I love this story. Vanderlei Luxemburgo is a futbol coach who mainly works in Brazil; he's also coached Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid for a brief spell, as well as the Brazilian national team. Now coaching Santos in the Brazilian Paulista, he was banned from coaching on the sideline for 60 days by the Brazilian futbol authorities. Why? For accusing a referee of flirting with him.
On Fox Soccer Channel highlights shows, they often show coaches in various countries talking after the game. Mostly, it's the usual bland "Well, we played good enough to get a point..." kind of cliche-mongering, so it's nice to see Luxemburgo break the mold a bit.
He accused the referee, Rodrigo Martins Cintra, of flirting with him as he was mad with Cintra's decisions after Santos lost a match 3-1. "He was flirting with me. He blew his whistle and looked at me with every decision he made....Maybe it was because of my pink shirt". Oh, if attracting the attention of a man was only that easy! You can judge for yourself whether Mr. Luxemburgo is flirt-worthy.
Keep your damn clothes on: Another story from the world of football (i.e. soccer) had me smiling today. To stereotype a bit, the German football authorities are pretty efficient; they seem to be thinking of everything regarding the World Cup that is being played in their country in two months or so (see: the prostitution issue that we've previously discussed). This week came the news that if you're thinking of stripping off your clothes, possibly daubing a message on your chest or back (or elsewhere) and running on to a World Cup venue pitch, running around for a bit and then getting gang tackled by security, don't do it.
Hansa Rostock plays in Germany's top division, the Bundesliega. In a 2003 home match against Hertha Berlin, two different streakers made it past security and did their thing. Apart from how security could miss someone who naked or taking off their clothes at the edge of the pitch, the German footballing authorities were not amused.
They fined Hansa Rostock 20,000 Euros (about $25,000) for the security breaches. Hansa promptly turned around and sued both of the streakers for damages. A court awarded them 10,000 Euros ($12,500) in damages from one of them and the DFB, the German governing body for football, took the opportunity to issue dire warnings against any potential law breakers. I can't wait for the World Cup to begin. --Jim Allen
4.28.2006
Good for Kraft: When I went to the Gay Games in New York City in 1994, there was nary a peep of protest from anti-gay forces. Those days seem long ago, now that homosexuality is a political football in this country like never before.
The giant food maker Kraft -- mmmmmm....Kraft mac and cheese -- had donated $25,000 to the Chicago Gay Games. That's small beans to Kraft, which spent $85 million on charitable activities last year. However, that was more than enough loot to get some board members complaining. One in particular, Dr. Marcella Meyer, used a shareholders meeting to argue that Kraft should not tie itself to events that promote "homosexual activities and lifestyle". Yawn -- it's my freaking life, not a lifestyle, like yachting -- but in any case, her "reasoning" was fairly novel, as these things go.
Because, as we all know that being gay = dying very young of hideous diseases [/sarcasm], Dr. Meyer argued that Kraft could be held liable if someone went to Gay Games and picked up something other than a gold medal. I'm not at all conversant about corporate governance, so while that stance seems somewhat plausible despite the underlying premise (i.e. all gays die are rampant disease carriers) being utter crap, it was rejected by 99% of the voters at the shareholders meeting.
Said a coporate spokesperson, "Diversity makes us a much stronger company and connects us with the diversity that exists among the consumers who buy our products". I'm too cynical to believe in the shiny rhetoric of that statement; the gay and lesbian dollar has a bit of clout in corporate America these days. Still, in an era when companies are terrified of the slightest bit of controversy and run from it at the first signs of trouble, it's nice to see a company like Kraft stick by its decision. --Jim Allen
4.27.2006
Stick It! It's always interesting to see what films studios decide to market to gay people. Disney has decided that it's upcoming women's gymnastics movie "Stick It!" falls into that category. They have been sending us here at Outsports information about the movie for weeks.
It's understandable. The 2000 cult hit "Bring It On," about a high school cheerleading team in Southern California, drew a big gay audience with its wit, hot guys and gay characters. "Stick It!" is written and directed by Jessica Bendinger, the same woman who wrote "Bring It On." And the basic storyline doesn't seem so far off, either: Girl with a rebellious attitude joins an elite women's gymnastics team and it results in ? great teamwork. You just can't write that stuff. Or, rather, you shouldn't write that stuff.
With the same witty cuts and cuties like John Patrick Amedori and Kellan Lutz, "Stick It!" just might do well in Chelsea, West Hollywood and South Beach.
Still, it is pretty sad that it's movies like this that Hollywood thinks it should market to gay men. In recent years, Disney has produced sports movies about overcoming adversity focused on an over-the-hill rookie pitcher, the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team and a 20-year-old winning the 1913 U.S. Open. While the theme of overcoming adversity is something every gay man can relate to, these movies have not been targeted to us. Instead, Hollywood tells us to go see campy cheerleading and gymnastics movies. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.26.2006
DC judge reopens gay bashing case involving Duke lax player: Accused Duke lacrosse player Collin Finnerty, 19, is in deeper trouble than he had bargained for. Because of the indictment against him for allegedly raping an exotic dancer at a team party, a judge in Washington, D.C., has ordered that he stand trial for the alleged gay bashing of a man who asked Finnerty and two friends to "stop calling him gay and other derogatory names" before they began beating him, according to court documents.
Finnerty could have avoided this. Despite the D.C.-based allegations, all he had to do was perform 25 hours of community service and stay out of trouble and the charges would have been dismissed. Guilty or not of the rape allegations, the kid got himself involved in a party that clearly had some issues, and it's his own damn fault.
Finnerty faces up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Ricky suspended for entire season: If only this guy would get off the weed, he could be one of the most dominant backs in NFL history. Instead, Ricky Williams will be watching the 2006 season on his big-screen TV. He was suspended for the season by the NFL for testing positive for illegal substances. For the fourth time. Doh!
This time, according to the Associated Press, it wasn't marijuana Williams tested positive for, which all three previous tests captured.
It's so sad to see what has become of this guy. To be sure, football isn't everything. But, in 2002, he was at the top of his game, leading the league in rushing for his new team, the Miami Dolphins. Now, he'll miss his second season of the last three after "retiring" in 2004 and serving a suspension the first four games of last season. He played the last 12 games of the season, averaging a respectable 4.4 yards per carry while sharing playing time with rookie back Ronnie Brown. His first two games back, he rushed 11 times for 7 yards. When Williams carried the ball over 12 times, the Dolphins were 5-0; they were 4-7 when he did not.
After winning their last six games, the Dolphins now have to figure out what to do without Ricky. And it's all because he couldn't stay clean despite knowing he would be tested up to 10 times per month. I hope he finds whatever he's looking for on this wild journey of his. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.25.2006
A closeted athlete sees 'Brokeback Mountain': The legacy of Brokeback Mountain certainly didn't end at the Academy Awards. Patricia Nell Warren, author of "The Front Runner" and a series of gay-sports history installments on Outsports.com, reminded us of this review we first wrote about in January. It appeared on IMDB, and its powerful words bear repeating.
"I am 29 yrs old, still in the closet, and hiding who I truly am. I grew up in a small town where I was a star athlete, prom king in high school, the all-American boy. I cannot come out to my family or friends for reasons of maybe losing them as well as my job.
"I once had a very special love in my life. He is dead now. He took his own life when he was only 23. He could not accept himself or could not trust others to accept who he was, and I don't blame him for killing himself?I blame society. I miss him and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him, and I am trying to hold back the tears as I write this.
"We met in college and our story is very similar to the one in this movie?If Tim were alive, I know he would have fallen in love with this movie as I did and could now see the bit of hope that this film has shown me. I saw this film by myself and sat in the back of the theatre and in a sad beautiful way I felt like Tim was there with me. I hope to God this movie makes it to main street theatres and not only limited ones where I had to drive two hours away from my home to see it.
"If anyone reads this, please spread the word to people and tell them the importance of this film it really could get people to think a little more, and maybe then more gay young men in the world would stop killing themselves, and more gay young men will stop being infected by HIV because they have no self worth or love for themselves to put on a condom. But can you blame them when their own families, churches, friends, society is telling them that they are not to be loved or to love themselves!
"So when this movie finished I walked to my car, drove down a dark alley way, locked the doors and did what any other tough young cowboy did, I cried?some days I'm just barely hanging on, but movies like this want to make me keep fighting. Thank you Brokeback Mountain."
Thank you, our anonymous gay athlete. It is sharing like you've done here that will continue to reach young gay athletes and inspire them. And who knows, they may just have "The Front Runner" movie to inspire them in the coming years. We can hope. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.24.2006
Norwegian shooter gives the word "target" a whole new meaning: Why oh why can't more American athletes think like French rugby players and Norwegian shooters? Dieux Du Stade has grabbed our attention for several years now with calendars and DVDs featuring hot naked rugby players (of course, they've expanded to athletes in other sports, but it was rugby that started it all). Now, Are Hanson, a 24-year-old shooting champion from Sarpsborg, Norway, is posing nude in hopes to raise enough money to pay his way to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, according to Aftenposten. (Story and photo found here.) Hanson is selling copies of the photo, which features the nude athlete with a well-placed rifle; it's sales of the photo that he hopes will raise the 150,000 Norwegian Kroner ($23,000) and up that he will need to fund this shooting season and beyond.
Hanson does have a great shot at the Olympics. He participated in the World Cup opening last month in China and finished eighth.
Unfortunately, many of the athletes we'd like to see try this kind of thing already make enough money that they won't need to be selling naked photos of themselves. The trouble with shooting is that the rifle is large enough to cover most ? packages. But if we could get golf's Sergio Garcia to do it, short of using a bucket of balls, we might get a slightly better ? perspective. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Keith Hernandez joins growing list of stupid former athletes: Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez, who won the World Series with the "Amazin's" in 1986, said on a Mets-Padres broadcast on Saturday that women don?t belong in the dugouts of Major League Baseball teams. The comment came after former Met Mike Piazza homered for the Padres and exchanged a high-five with a female massage therapist for the Padres.
"Who is the girl in the dugout, with the long hair?" Hernandez said of the woman on the receiving end of Piazza's high-five. "What's going on here? You have got to be kidding me. Only player personnel in the dugout."
Hernandez stuck to his guns, even after he found out that the woman has been with the team since 2004. "I won't say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don't belong in the dugout," he said.
I can only imagine what he would say if there was an openly gay man in the dugout. Something like, "What's that gay guy doing in the dugout? He's supposed to be in the closet." What a jerk. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.22.2006
NHL playoffs begin: I'll state this from the get-go: since the Vancouver Canucks, who have been my favorite hockey team since 1972, didn't make the NHL playoffs this year, I'm about 50% less interested in them than I normally would be. Still, after no playoffs last year due to the strike, it's cool to have them back. But man! do they seem to last forever; one of the culprits, I think, is that even the opening round of 16 is a best of seven series. In any case, the playoffs can be really fun to watch and follow.
Two things are always on my radar: who is going to be the goalie who gets hot at the right time that carries his unhyped team on his back and which team is going to do the lame "we're not going to shave until we're eliminated" thing? In 1994, the Canucks rode the amazing goaltending of Kirk MaLean all the way to the Stanley Cup finals, losing to the *grrrrrr* New York Rangers in a heartbreaking game 7; that the Canucks were even there was mostly down to McLean. The hideously named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (as they were then) pulled the same trick in 2003 ago with hottie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Some people I know think it's a flaw that one player can control some much of a team's destiny, but how is that different from a quarterback getting hot in the playoffs? As for the facial hair growing like forests the longer a team stays in the playoffs, that's an abomination, full stop.
On to the first slate of games on Friday. The Detroit Red Wings had the best record in the NHL during the regular season and they're heavily favored to win the Cup this year. They didn't exactly dominate coming out of the gate, needing a goal by Kirk Maltby in a second overtime to beat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2. The rechristened Anaheim Mighty Ducks went to overtime as well, losing 2-1 to the Calgary Flames on a Darren McCarty goal.
I've long liked the Ottawa Senators, largely because they keep being threatened either with moving to the United States or simply folding; I'm all for more teams in Canada and less in the U.S. Sun Belt in general (see also Edmonton and Calgary). They got off to a great start, beating the defending Stanley Cup champions (from all the way back in the 2003-04 season) Tampa Bay Lightning easily, 4-1. The Nashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks in a slugfest 4-3 to round out the first day of games. The second batch starts Saturday, the beginning of a very long road. --Jim Allen
4.21.2006
Mo' money: In addition to donating a signed racket to the winner of a trivia contest to Outsports, out tennis legend Billy Jean King (BJK hereafter) has been busy keeping one of her pet causes in the spotlight. For years, BJK has tried to get The All England Club, who run Wimbledon, to even up the amount they pay to men and women players. As befits Wimbledon, they've stuck to tradition and are the last of the four major tennis tournaments to have a pay disparity.
Normally, complaints about money by pro athletes fall on my totally deaf ears, but in this case, I think BJK is correct. It'd be one thing if Wimbledon wasn't the only tournament to have unequal pay rates, but they stand alone. More importantly though, is that unlike golf or basketball, the women's game is just as popular, if not moreso, than the men's game. If the ladies are bringing in the cash, they should share in the payout of same.
The counter argument to this plea is risible: since men play best-of-five sets to the women's best-of-three in the majors, they should get paid more. This bogus assertation can be swatted away quite easily: the 5 v. 3 construct is imposed by the ruling bodies of tennis; in fact, I'd argue that since the men's game is a power game, with points often consisting of just a few strokes (a major reason I find it kind of boring), the dudes should be paid less than the women, who often have long rallies in their matches.
As BJK was quoted as saying "Entertainers don't get paid by the hour. They get paid, period. If Elton John does a concert, it could last one hour or fours hours, it's a done deal". Apart from the fact that I'd love a four-hour Elton John concert, she's absolutely correct; the arguments against pay equality have no real basis in reality. Shockingly, Wimbledon officials had no comment on the latest edition of this flap. [/sarcasm]
By the way, an industry insider tipped us off that the BJK documentary on HBO, Billy Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer, premiering on April 26th and airing about a zillion times after that, is terrific. --Jim Allen
4.20.2006
More classics from Johnny Weir: I've heard a wide range of reaction from gay people to figure skater Johnny Weir. Some of them love his brash style and his willingness to be "out" there. Others think he's too stereotypical, setting the gay movement back 10 years. But whether you like him or not, you've got to respect the kid's unwillingness to compromise.
The latest New York Magazine features this ballsy statement from Weir: "You have young kids being judged - literally - by people who grew up in the fifties. It's the American judges. They're so stodgy. At least international judges can appreciate elegance and crazy costumes and not care if you're gay or straight or sleeping with a horse."
In February, New York Magazine ran an article about Weir's fitness routine. It includes heavy doses of ice time and pilates, plus these excerpt about his diet: ?'I don?t eat as much as an athlete should,' says Weir. 'I just don?t like it.' Breakfast is coffee and vitamins. Lunch is fruit nectar. When he eats dinner, it?s steak and salad. Weir treats himself to Zone bars during competition and?once a year?angel-food cake with strawberries and heavy whipped cream. 'I love black caviar, but it has to be from Astrakhan,' says Weir. 'I drink Vitamin Water nonstop?I should have an IV.'
Add a Tic-Tac and he could trade dieting tips with Naomi Campbell.
Finally, it had been a few weeks since I logged onto his official Web site, where Weir has a copy of his signature for all to see. I had never noticed the little heart he puts next to the capital J. Oh my. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.19.2006
Brett in the Showers: Years ago I was once asked by a gay Kansas City reporter whether or not Royals superstar George Brett was gay. Brett was single at the time (he has been married for years and has three kids) and a total hottie. I had no answer to the question and chalked it up to wishful thinking. But I did find this quote Sunday in the Wichita Eagle, to be quite amusing if placed in a certain context. The article dealt with Brett's comments on Royals minor league prospect Alex Gordon, who has the look of a star about him.
It's Gordon's physique that awed Brett, the team's vice president of baseball operations, the paper said. "One day I'm in the shower with Alex and kind of looked over, and he had his back to me, and he was washing his hair," Brett said. "So I went over and put shampoo in my hand, started washing my hair right next to him. About eight other guys were in the shower, and I said, 'Who's got a better body, me or Alex?' It was the funniest thing said all spring.
"He's got a body. I don't have a body."
Then there was this gem from the Springfield (Mo.) News Leader newspaper during spring training: "How interesting, then, to spot a recent spring training photo in the Wichita newspaper of Royals Hall of Famer George Brett rubbing Gordon's shoulders as if the organization is pinning all of its hopes on its new 6-foot-1, 220-pound talent." Alas, we couldn't find the picture. --Jim Buzinski
4.18.2006
Two Duke lax players indicted: According to defense attorneys, to Duke lacrosse players have been indicted in connection with accusations of rape made by a female North Carolina Central student. Last week, defense attorneys announced that initial DNA tests had found none of the players' DNA on the student after the alleged rape. Prosecuting attorneys responded last week saying they would push forward with indictments regardless of DNA tests.
The names of the indicted players are being kept confidential until they arrested, per an order of the judge based on a North Carolina state law.
Meanwhile, a second dancer at the infamous Duke lacrosse party has told Raleigh-Durham local NBC17 that the accuser seemed fine when she arrived at the party but her demeanor was different when they left.
"She was definitely a totally different woman than when I first met her. She definitely was under some sort of substance," the woman said.
From the first moment, this case has taken on storylines of racism, sexism and classism. What is becoming more and more apparent, as big-name lawyers and high-profile organizations line up behind the two sides, is that the public battle will have nothing to do with the truth, just as the truth was lost in the O.J. Simpson and Michael Jackson trials. As we all watch what unfolds in this case, I will be simply hoping that the truth is somehow revealed to the judge and jury and that the right decisions are made. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.17.2006
British footballers say game is homophobic. Duh! The UK newspaper The Independent last week released results of a survey they conducted among British soccer players of various leagues about various issues including homosexuality in the sport. Some of the results were curious and others were suspect indeed.
The number that probably stands out the most is the percentage of players who say they even have a friend who is gay; of the players who responded (the article did not contain the actual number of respondents), only 20% said they in fact did have a gay friend. To give some context, a Newsweek poll 10 years ago revealed that 56 percent of Americans had a gay friend or acquaintance. That was before Ellen came out, before Billy Bean, Esera Tuaolo and Sheryl Swoopes made their announcements, before same-sex marriage became legal in Massachusetts. It's doubtful that the soccer players lied to this question. Rather, it's more likely that they're just ignorant about the issue or just don't want to know.
The players were also asked if they think soccer is a "homophobic industry." Over half, 57%, said they did think so. Among the 20% of players who say they have a gay friend, that number goes up to over 64%.
While at least one of the respondents claimed to have never played with a gay person (on the field), The Independent points out that it is statistically improbable (and I would assert, impossible) that there are no gay players among the 2,500 professional soccer players in England. "Indeed, it is privately acknowledged within the FA and other organizations that have worked to eradicate homophobia, that there are numerous gay footballers in England. In some cases they have been advised (and assisted) by their clubs to find girlfriends to maintain an image."
Only one professional football, Justin Fashanu in 1990, has ever come out of the closet, according to The Independent. He killed himself in 1998. There is only one openly gay man serving on The Football Association's Council. Peter Clayton is the chief executive of the Middlesex FA and a long-serving FA councilor.
"The main difficulty at the moment is that players are assets," Clayton told The Independent. "They have a market value, which clubs might feel could be affected. I think there's a concern too about the wider price, in terms of negative effects [on business]. This is my personal view, but there are clubs who think it's in their interests to counsel players not to come out." (Special thanks to Dan Woog for the tip.) -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.15.2006
Johnny Weir, again: Via Deadspin, comes a bit of speculation regarding our favorite not offically out figure skater, Johnny Weir. This item comes with a huge * in that it doesn't appear that the source for the information is anything more than a person who advised Deadspin about figure skating during the recent Olympics. Salt, huge grains, you know the deal.
Deadspin's source claims that the ruling body of U.S. figure skating, the USFSA, is not at all amused by Weir's exploits with the media in Torino and is taking to steps to minimize him within the sport. The next U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be held in January in Spokane. Despite having a threepeat as men's champion, Deadspin's mole claims that Johnny Weir is nowhere to be found on either the brochure or website hyping the event. (on Friday, a photo of Weir did appear on the front of the site).
The figure skating establishment's relationship with gays is mind boggling. Here you have a sport that almost every sentient being considers to be Gay Gay Gay, that has male skaters who wear costumes that no self-respecting drag queen would be caught dead in, costumes they wear in an area where they receive huge boquets of flowers, an area called the "kiss and cry" area and they freak out because one skater doesn't want to play their "Oh, no, I'm totally hetero! Hey, stop laughing! I am really, really I am!" games. --Jim Allen
Weir, in Context: Sometimes, we at Outsports have minds of our own, hence Jim Allen's commentary above, which I had been unaware of until it was published. I had received the same e-mail as Deadspin, complaining about Weir's alleged snub for the 2007 figuring skating championships, but held off since none of it could be verified. It used some shaky "evidence" to allege a conspiracy against Weir, and as much as we at Outsports love Johnny, we didn't want to rush to judgment without trying to get all the facts.
We ran the letter by our skating expert, Lorrie Kim, and she said: "As usual in the skating world, the first question is, Who wrote this? Someone credible? Someone who's credible and also knows how to get their facts right?" Lorrie, while agreeing that Weir has had his troubles with the U.S. Figure Skating Assn. (documented on Outsports), was not ready to call this a snub. " I think the Spokane Local Organizing Committee [for the 2007 nationals] does their website, and the USFSA does the main USFSA website," Kim said. "Johnny is heavily featured on the USFSA site, and has been for three years."
As for the letter writer claiming that the USFSA is favoring Evan Lysacek over Weir, basically because Lysacek is more butch, Kim said: "Evan has better international results than Johnny does. He has two world medals and Johnny has none. So, once again, the USFSA has a basis for favoring one over the other. I agree they should promote Johnny, of course."
The letter writer concludes ominously: "Many who have followed figure skating for years are whispering that this year is going to be hell, because the USFSA is seen as mounting an all out assault to remove Weir from the pinnacle of his sport in the U.S and replace him with Lysacek." To quote Kim again: "All right, in skating when one says, 'Many say ...' they must follow up with names and specifics. What committee meetings? What influential chairpersons? Who can speak on the record? Otherwise, it's just all part of the fear and gossip that run skating (into the ground)."
We will be monitoring this, but it doesn't help when some people yell homophobia on the slightest of evidence. --Jim Buzinski
4.14.2006
More collegiate homophobic hijinks: When I saw this story, I pretty much had no reaction. It's so common, a story told by so many out and closeted athletes that it just blends in to the background of life. The details: the University of Washington dismissed two members of the men's crew team after they painted a homophobic slur on a fence on the property of a teammate. The kicker of this: it was only after he painted over the slur and replaced the fence at a cost of a couple hundred dollars did the crew team member find out that the vandals were two of his teammates.
The man whose fence was vandalized said he is not gay but was being targeted for two reasons: a) he was sick and missed practice the day before and b) he's been outspoken against hazing on the team. Ding! I've long thought there was a direct correlation between homophobia and some types of hazing and this is another piece of that puzzle. Homophobia in a team sports context is used to humiliate and/or intimidate and it's a depressing reminder of how much work needs to be done for athletes at all levels to play while living their lives openly.
One thing that was weird about reading the stories about this is that they all said "a six-word anti-gay slur" or some variation. Why not just say what the word was, which clearly was faggot? It's one of those weird journalism things that I don't get, like the old British habit of using f**k or s**t when quoting a profanity. Expose the bigots, don't soft pedal their nonsense.
Baseball fans: Cyd's item yesterday about the hysterical (in the "oh give me a break" sense of the word) reaction to developments in baseball after two weeks of play cracked me up. I'm an avid reader of Anaheim Angels blogs and I see this all the time. After the Angels lost two of three to the Seattle Mariners in the opening series of the season, doom and gloom reigned in the comments section. "We have no bats, our pitching is overrated, Mike Scoscia is a Manchurian Candidate sent by the Dodgers to destroy the team" etc. etc.
The team came home, won two games in a row against the New York Yankees and people were ready to pop the World Series champagne cork. The rise of blogs has fed this manic depressive cycle, but one of the things I love about baseball is what turns a lot of people off (*cough* Jim B. *cough* Cyd *cough*): the fact that the season IS a death march of sorts, that one loss won't kill your season like it can in the NFL.
I remember when the Oakland A's played their butts off for about two months last year, people were saying crap like "This is the year the A's make the Series at last! Moneyball will be vindicated!". Um, the A's watched the playoffs from their couches just like I did and Moneyball is just a bunch of arrogant statheads blowing smoke out of their a***s.
Now, I'm certainly not immune to the ups and downs of a long baseball season. Somewhere in the Jock Talk archives is a jeremiad by me against Angels manager Mike Scoscia, as I called for his head on a platter for his mismanagement of the bullpen. That was all forgotten, of course, by the time the Angels made the playoffs. It's a long way until October 1, the last day of the regular season, so patience will be vital to teams and fans, me included. --Jim Allen
4.13.2006
Heath Ledger's sweat: Forgive me for rehashing old news, but this is a tidbit I never knew. It was a pretty slow day in gay-sports news and I was digging, digging, digging for something. Low and behold, I came across what was news to me: Heath Ledger's role in 'Brokeback Mountain' was actually the second onscreen gay role of his career. The first was as a gay athlete in the Australian TV show 'Sweat' in 1986.
It seems Ledger portrayed Snowy Bowles, a gay cyclist at an elite training academy for young athletes. Sorry it's not great newsflash, but it makes a hell of a trivia question. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
MLB in NYC 1/20th the way through: With nothing of huge note from the day in sports, I figured I'd give my quick read of the first twentieth of the baseball season:
The New York Yankees were left for dead three games ago at 1-4. They're now 4-4 and trail the Boston Red Sox by two games. And with only 154 games left. The way my co-worker/Red Sox fan was celebrating with the Yankees down 7-4 in the eighth inning yesterday, you'd have thought the Red Sox just landed A-Rod or something. Alas, the reigning MLB MVP is still wearing pinstripes and the Yankees came back and won that game as part of their three-game winning streak.
It's almost funny that the New York Mets have the best record in baseball. At 6-1, they've allowed only 23 runs and have won both of their road games. And to think just last year they sucked. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.12.2006
Swiss men want footballers' wives: Leave it to Towleroad.com to dig up this cute little tidbit. The Swiss tourist authority is going to launch a TV commercial targeting footballers' wives during this summer's World Cup being held in neighboring Germany. The message of the ad: Our men are prettier, hunkier, and watch less football than your husband.
The commercial offers plenty of proof. According to Reuters, it shows a hot young farmhand, an athletic-looking mountain climber and even features Mr. Switzerland 2005 Renzo Blumenthal milking a cow.
The ad is meant to attract women looking to get away from their husbands during the World Cup. But, if there's any truth in this advertising, I can see Switzerland having an immigration problem that rivals the United States'. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Another Duke DNA test coming: While the first DNA tests may have come back the way the Duke lacrosse team wanted them, there is still a second, reportedly more precise, test coming from nearby Research Triangle Park. So for everyone who just assumed this story is going to go away, we have at least a few more days before we get more answers. Stay tuned.
Chief Cooking Showdown: For all of you who thought tall, dark and handsome Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzales might have a flaw, he's about to prove you wrong. Gonzo will be one of the featured "chefs" on NBC's 'Celebrity Cooking Showdown' set to air every night next week. He'll be baking off against other celebs like model Naomi Campbell, comedian Tom Arnold, rapper Ja Rule, volleyball player Gabrielle Reese and actress Allison Sweeney. I've always had the utmost respect for the tight end who was a fixture to my fantasy football team for several years. But, outside of Kansas City and the Bay Area where he played basketball and football at Cal, I highly doubt your average 18-49 female watching NBC next week will have any idea who he is. After watching him whip up a lemon chiffon, I imagine they'll all want to find out. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.11.2006
Just when you thought Duke lacrosse couldn't get uglier: Don't look now kids, but the Duke lacrosse scandal is about to take quite possibly an even worse, sinister direction than it was already headed on. Attorneys defending some of the athletes say that DNA tests have come back and that they exonerate all of the athletes. Plus, another attorney says he has photographs of the alleged victim with bruises and scrapes on her time-stamped at a time before she claims to have been raped.
It's been almost a month since a Black female student from North Carolina Central University claimed she was raped by members of the Duke lacrosse team at a party for which she was hired as an exotic dancer. DNA was taken from the woman and all of the White players on the team; the woman said it was White men who raped her. District Attorney Michael B. Nifong did not dispute the lawyers' account of the DNA results, the Raleigh News and Observer said, but added he still believed the accuser's account and would continue investigating. "I believe a sexual assault took place," he said, according to the paper. "I'm not saying it's over. If that's what they expect, they will be sadly disappointed."
If the DNA evidence helps to exonerate the players, then there are lots of people with lots of explaining to do. The first is the accuser herself. Some of the lacrosse players said she was trying to extort money from them. What were her motives in saying she was raped? Duke University itself also has some explaining to do. They accepted (if not forced) the resignation of the men's lacrosse head coach and cancelled the team's season. Without any evidence, why did they do it? The answer, most likely, is the one that is painfully obvious: political pressure from women and minority groups.
As more details come in, we'll stay on top of them. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Brazilian soccer boss isn't gay: Former coach of Brazil and Real Madrid coach Wanderley Luxemburgo is in hot water with the Brazilian Court of Sport Justice for making an inappropriate comment about a referee to the press.
"The referee was looking at me all the time. I don't know if he likes me, but I'm not gay," Luxemburgo, the present coach of Brazil's Santos, said after a 3-1 season-ending loss to Sao Paulo.
For his comment, Luxemburgo faces a suspension of 60 to 360 days. All that, and all he said was the he wasn't personally a card-carrying homo. Just think what he might be facing if he actually said the guy is gay! -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.9.2006
The Masters, days 3 & 4: I didn't bother writing about day 3 of The Masters golf tournament on Saturday because most of the round was washed out by bad weather. On Sunday, it was all about Phil Mickelson. It's funny how things can change in the sports world. Three years ago, before every one of the four majors, there was a raft of stories that were variations on the theme of "Why Can't Phil Mickelson Win a Major". He finally won his first, The Masters, in 2004, added the PGA in 2005 and after dominating proceedings at Augusta National on Sunday, has his second Masters title. He now becomes of one of the few players --with Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus among them -- to have won at least one of the four major tournament for three consecutive years.
Unlike in earlier tournaments, Mickelson played really steadily all weekend and let others make crucial errors on the back nine holes. He made par on 13 holes, birdies on four others and that was that. Contrast him with poor Rocco Mediate, who needed 10 strokes to complete the 12th hole. Wow, even my boy David Duval wasn't that bad this weekend.
As I expected, the Young Unknown, Chad Campbell, faded after leading following the second round. A 75 in the third round did him in (par is 72). The leader after the first round, Vijay Singh, totally faded, shooting a 74 and 73 in the middle rounds to drop from contention.
And Tiger Woods? His putter failed him completely on Sunday, as he had numerous chances with fairly short putts to make up ground, but he just couldn't get it done. "I putted atrociously today. As good as I hit it, that's as bad as I putted". Well, that's a blunt assessment, isn't it?
Good for Phil Mickelson, who had to have gotten soooo tired of all the "Hey, when are you going to win a major" talk; he handled the whole thing pretty well and now he's on top of the men's golf heap. Next up is the U.S. Open in June; I can't wait. --Jim Allen
4.8.2006
The Masters, day 2: I don't pay that much attention to men's golf outside of the four majors, but I do know one storyline that keeps repeating: "Young Unknown Leads [Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA]" the headlines blare. The problem is, it's usually a lead on the second day and more often than not, the Young Unknown ends up tied for 23rd at the end of play.
The latest potential 2-day wonder is the man with the wonderful golf name, Chad Campbell. The young Texan actually played better on Friday, shooting a 67 to best his Thursday 71 to go 6 under par. Thursday's leader, Vijay Singh didn't have a great day, shooting a 74 to drop three shots back. "You can't win the tournament today" was Singh's common sense remark after his round. Tiger Woods was one under par for the day to stay in the hunt at five shots back. He's been this far behind and won a major before, so look for CBS to hype the heck out of him on Saturday.
After the second round of a tournament, it's interesting to watch who didn't make the cut. Most notable of those going home is Chris DiMarco, who lost to Woods in the thrilling playoff last year; hottie Trevor Immelman; three-time winner Nick Faldo; two-time winner Bernhard Langer and alas, David Duval. My boy had a nightmarish first two holes on Friday: a double-bogey on #1, then a quintuple-bogey on 2. He never recovered and so one of my supreme lust objects goes down in flames. *sigh*
The weather is gorgeous here in Los Angeles -- windy, fairly mild -- so of course I'm going to spend my Saturday planted in front of the moron machine, watching guys about whom it is still debated whether they are real athletes or not (I vote: Yes). I'm definitely one of those sports fans who has zero interest in actually doing any physical activity more strenuous than lifting a beer to my mouth. --Jim Allen
4.7.2006
The Masters, day 1: I love the four major men's golf tournaments. The Masters is *the* major and, as usual, Tiger Woods was the major story going in to this year's edition at Augusta National. Going for his fifth green jacket, blah blah blah, everyone else is just window dressing to the major media (and website pundits). OK, David Duval and Justin Leonard are not "window dressing" to me, oh no, but still.
The men's golf Powers That Be love it when Woods is in the hunt at a major as it translates in to big ratings and money. How much dough is involved? Remember Tiger's astonishing putt from the 16th green on the last day of the 2005 Masters? The one that defied gravity and snaked it's way in to the hole? Nike, whose ball Woods plays with -- um, that doesn't sound quite right, does it? -- was delirious because while his putt hung on the edge of the cup, the Nike swoosh was clearly visible. Taking in to account the amount CBS charges for commercial time during the tournament, that bit of exposure was worth over $300,000. Tiger Woods, money, in more ways than one.
So how did the first day of The Masters go? If you were Vijay Singh, very well indeed. The course has been lengthened again, and Singh simply shrugged all the hype off and shot a 5 under to take the lead after one round. Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen are within 3 shots and Tiger Woods is five shots back, not insurmountable for him. Sadly, my lust objects are not doing so well: David Duval is 17 shots back, tied for 89th (!!) and Justin Leonard is mired in mid-pack mediocrity at eight strokes back. I suppose I won't see much of them during the coverage this weekend, but oh well, there's tons o' golf to go.
Find me a deserted island: I'm fanatical about the show LOST, and after seeing the full NFL schedule that was released on Thursday, I'm going to wish I was on a remote island with no communication with the outside world in the week leading up to October 8th. That's when Terrell Owens and his new Dallas Cowboys teammates visit his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. I'm already sick of the hype from the major sports websites that had the story. Wow! Eagles fans might boo the most tedious figure in all of sports! That's such a stunning revelation. Oh wait..... --Jim Allen
4.6.2006
Page Six claims hockey pro sleeping with Latino stud: Thanks to Towleroad.com for finding this nugget buried in yesterday's New York Post's Page Six: "WHICH closeted local hockey pro is having a secret affair with a 19-year-old Latino hunk, who is rumored to sleep with "lots of old men" around town for money and gifts?"
It isn't the first time Page Six has dropped a bomb like this. In May 2002, the Post printed an item about a New York-based gay baseball player that led many fingers pointing at the Mets' Mike Piazza. Piazza called an infamous press conference to deny the rumors. Wonder if any Ranger, Devil or Islander will deny the rumor this week. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Tuaolo testifies against marriage ban: Openly gay former NFL player Esera Tuaolo stepped up to the plate and went to bat for same-sex marriage in his home state of Minnesota on Tuesday, testifying before the State Senate Judiciary Committee that they should reject a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. The committee ultimate rejected the amendment, proposed by Sen. Michele Bachmann, R-Stillwater, by a 5-4 vote.
By all accounts, Tuaolo's testimony was emotional and powerful. He certainly speaks about gay marriage from a place of knowledge. He has been with his partner Mitchell Wherley for over eight years and the couple has two adopted children. While many offer up religious arguments against same-sex marriage, Tuaolo himself is a devout Christian and reportedly balked at the religious arguments before the committee on Tuesday.
What's great about Esera is that he knows who he is. He doesn't go out there, trying to be a champion for every gay cause people throw at him. He's passionate about family and kids, and he works his ass off to help all the gay families he can. It's great to see that, right now, he's on the winning side in his home state.
(Read a chapter from Esera's terrific new book, now on sale.) -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Duke lacrosse story gets vile: Courts in North Carolina have released a disgusting email intercepted by local police in Raleigh, N.C., sent by Duke lacrosse player Ryan McFadyen after an exotic dancer claimed she was raped by members of the Duke lacrosse team. It's hard to believe anyone would be disgusting enough to think the acts that are described in this email, let alone stupid enough to write it down and send it around to other people. Given how sloppily the email is written, we almost hope the guy was drunk and high when he wrote it:
"tommrow night, after tonights show, ive decided to have some strippers over ? all ar welcome.. however there will be no nudity. I plan on killing the bitches as soon as the walk in and proceding to cut their skin off while cumming in my duke issue spandex?."
Not sure if the email is incriminating; but, it certainly does show some proclivity for vicious, violent thoughts toward women. I'm still having trouble figuring out what cutting of someone's skin has to do with cumming in your spandex.
Partly as a result of the e-mail, Duke has cancelled the rest of the lacrosse season and has accepted the resignation of head coach Mike Pressler.
It's hard to figure out what exactly happened the night of the alleged rape, but this email certainly confirms one thing: the Duke lacrosse team incubates a culture that is not representative of the university, the sport, or sports in general. What is contained in this e-mail is something you'd expect to see in a sequel to 'Silence of the Lambs,' not on a team representing a preppy college in North Carolina. I'm just afraid we haven't heard the worst of this story. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.5.2006
Terps Win Title: Another favored Duke Blue Devils team choked in an NCAA basketball tournament on Tuesday, this time the women blowing a 10-point halftime lead to the Maryland Terrapins in the national championship game, 78-75, in overtime. It was Maryland's sixth victory in six overtime games this season.
"Overtime is our time," Terrapins forward Marissa Coleman told the Associated Press. "What a better way to win a national championship than in overtime, which was our time all season long?"
With that title game, we now have a seven-month repireve from college basketball. It's been real, but I've got to agree with Jim's note yesterday: the seasons were kind of boring. The press really tried to play up the J.J. Redick - Adam Morrison "rivalry," but it fell short. The women's final four was dominated by one conference; yawn. The ramblings by the old guard - Dick Vitale, Jim Nantz and Billy Packer - seemed out-of-touch and, well, old hat. Hopefully CBS, ESPN and the NCAA can do better next year. I can already barely remember who won either of these tournaments. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Bonds Bawls: Barry Bonds broke down and cried in an interview that aired on ESPN on Tuesday when asked questions about coping with the accusations of him taking steroids.
"If it makes them happy to go out of their way to try to destroy me ... go right ahead. ... You can't hurt me any more than you've already hurt me," he said at one point.
"You don't see me bringing anyone else into this. I'm going to take it myself. And I'm going to take it because there's so many people who depend on me."
In Bonds' season debut on Monday in San Diego, Padres fans rained boos down on him. At least one person also threw a syringe toward Bonds. Bonds' Giants lost to the Padres, though Bonds scored his team's only run.
I'll never understand the hatred so many feel toward Bonds and the joy so many take in seeing him come under fire now. I mean, this is the same guy who dressed up like Paula Abdul (wig and all) at spring training. How could he be that bad? -Cyd Zeigler jr.
4.4.2006
It's all Gators: The Florida Gators did trail the UCLA Bruins, 2-0, at one point. After that, they never looked back, taking the men's basketball national championship by storm Monday night, 73-57. In the end, UCLA's defense played pretty well, but their offense sputtered under the pressure of a Florida defense that looked as athletic as any I've seen this year. It was the lowest-scoring championship game since Maryland beat Indiana in 2002 and tied for the third lowest total in the last 20 years. Florida scored three fewer points than they did in the 2000 final loss to Michigan State; the result this time was much different.
The Gators' win is a fitting end to the season. While many fans heralded this as the most even season ever, with just about any team being able to beat just about any other team on a given day, many of the "experts" heralded it as the crowning season for Duke and Connecticut, who shared the top spot the entire season. Instead, both teams failed to make it to the final weekend and a team that wasn't ranked in the Top 25 at the beginning of the season won it all, knocking off a team from the lowly Colonial Athletic Association in the semifinals and a team from the oft-maligned Pac-10 in the final. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Finally It's Over: Thus ends the worst Final Four in memory, with three lousy games and not an ounce of drama in a combined 120 minutes of basketball. The three losing teams (George Mason, LSU and UCLA) all played pitifully in defeat and all three games were over by early in the second half. Overall, it was a rather lame tournament (despite some exciting endings), as teams seemed to have failed to grasp that the object of the game is to put the ball through the hoop, not just near it. A college basketball game with a shot clock should yield more than 122 points per game averaged in the Final Four.--Jim Buzinski
Family Affair for the Women: Maryland plays Duke tonight for the NCAA women's title, an all-ACC contest. Outsports poster Charlie from St. Louis likes the Lady Terps chances: "The Terrapins are a very good team. They were my outside shot all along. I think they just have all the pieces and parts. Plus, they have the chance to be back for the next year or two as well. ? Duke and Maryland played 2 times in the regular season, with two pretty easy Blue Devil wins. Then Maryland took it to them at the ACC tourney. It will be an exceptionally rare four-time-in-one-season matchup."
Baseball's Back Hey Yankee fans ?- the dreams of a 162-0 season are still alive after the Yanks pasted Oakland in the opener, 15-2. In Cincinnati, the Chicago Cubs scored one touchdown and kicked three field goals in a 16-7 win over the Reds. President Bush threw out the first pitch in Cincinnati, prompting MSNBC's Keith Olbermann to suggest that Bush did a better job pitching than anyone else wearing a Reds' uniform.
In Philadelphia, the only bright spot for the Phillies was Jimmy Rollins extending his hitting streak to 37 games (he ended last season with 36 in a row), still 19 shy of Joe DiMaggio's mark. Otherwise, it was a 13-5 shellacking at the hands of St. Louis, the Phillies' worst Opening Day loss since 1935. --Jim Buzinski
4.3.2006
Final Four: Only one person out (Rob Hisey) of 443 entrants in the Outsports NCAA men's tournament pool picked UCLA to play Florida in the final, a testament to the parity that has set in in college basketball. It's also reflective of how the voices of a few can dominate how people pick their pools. In the final AP pool, UCLA was ranked No. 7 and Florida was ranked No. 11. That either of these teams are in the final isn't a surprise. But, we hear for weeks how Duke and Connecticut were unstoppable, and several commentators said that this would be the year that all four No. 1 seeds went to the final four. Instead, none did.
For our money, Jim and I are both taking the better defense in the final. Jim: UCLA 63, Florida 59. Cyd: UCLA 79, Florida 68.
On the women's side, the feel-good story of LSU being in both final fours blew up in two blowout losses, the Lady Tigers falling on Sunday to Duke, 64-56. In the all-ACC semifinal, Maryland toppled UNC, 81-70, to set up an all-ACC final. -Cyd Zeigler jr.
Cattle Call There's something odd about the industry that's been built up around the NFL Draft ? combines, draft gurus, consultants, agents and such, all in the service of trying to gauge the potential of early twentysomething jocks. It was on display in a big way on the campus of Southern Cal on Sunday, which held workouts for 19 players who hoped to be picked in the April draft.
The stars on hand were running back Reggie Bush, widely expected to be the top pick, and quarterback Matt Leinart, who should go in the top five. Both looked great, with Bush running a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash and Leinart being very sharp in his passing drill (he threw the deep out pattern well, considered a tough pass to complete in the pros).
In addition, safety Darnell Bing was impressive with a 4.53 in the 40 and has great size at almost 6-2 and 225 sculpted pounds. In contrast, running back Lendale White was able to bench press 225 pounds only 15 times; for comparison, punter Tom Malone did 14, Bing did 21, Bush 24 and fullback David Kirtman 26 (despite White outweighing him).
It had all the feel of a livestock show, with the players being the stock. In one amusing moment, I saw 20 NFL scouts crouched down and staring intently at the butts of playerswho were lining up to do an agility drill. I wonder how many of the scouts wished they were at a women's beach volleyball match instead, and how many would rather have been no place else.--Jim Buzinski
4.1.2006
Gay Jays: Currently, there are seven major league baseball teams that sponsor days geared towards gay and lesbian fans: the Red Sox, Cubs, Phillies, Pirates, Giants, Blue Jays and Nationals. This is a pretty amazing change from even five years ago. In that context, it's interesting to figure out what to make of this story sent to us by reader Peyton's Lips.
Aaron Hill and Russ Adams are young players for the Toronto Blue Jays, slated to play second base and shortstop for the promising Jays this year. Pranks are a part of baseball, and this one started with Hill and Adams mocking teammates Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett, both pitchers, for being workout partners by printing up t-shirts that said "Brokeback Mounds". So, in the bizarre macho world of baseball, this demanded payback from Halladay and Burnett. Considering that the two are scheduled to make a combined $120 million US over the next five years, their "revenge" was considerably more lavish.
The two set up a mock gay wedding for Hill and Adams. It seems that it was quite the affair: the pitchers had a plane circle the Jays training field with a banner that read "Aaron, will you marry me? I love you. Russ". On reaching the clubhouse, the two middle infielders were greeted with a fully catered affair, a fondue pot (how, like, 70's), a DJ, the getaway car covered in writing -- some not fit for this upright family website -- and ribbons, the works. Asked what he thought Halladay and Burnett spent, Adams said "Enough to let you know not to mess with them again". Yeah, I hope you two have learned your lesson, that catering and DJ thing must have been brutal.
I saw nothing in what I read that set off my homophobia radar except maybe the assumption that any two guys who are good friends might be gay. Apart from the whole tired Brokeback Mountain thing, it seems pretty harmless. However, some see it differently. At one of my daily blog stops, Queerty, they wrote "While we are annoyed by the Fred Phelps crazies of the world, who are out to be offensive, we are much more bothered by people who appeal to the common public, and try to mask their bigotry with a touch of humor". Then there was the odd comment by Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who suggested that the whole prank will sell tickets to the Jays Gay Day. Not to the writer at Queerty, we suspect. --Jim Allen
3.31.2006
Buwahahaha, yeah, right: Bud Selig, commissioner of baseball, announced this week that major league baseball is going to get serious about steroid use among players. No, really, he means it this time, honest. Stop laughing, he really, really, really means it.
Pardon my cynicism, but the latest pronouncement from Beelzebud reeks of P.R. flacks, damage control and a whopping dose of hypocrisy. Selig announced Thursday that George J. Mitchell, former Senate majority leader and a negotiator in the Northern Ireland peace proccess, would lead an investigation in to the steroid issue in baseball. This sounds good on the face of it -- anyone that could broker an agreement in Northern Ireland gets my full respect -- but already there's murky conflict-of-interest issues being raised, for a start.
Mitchell is on the board of directors of the Boston Red Sox and is chairman of Disney, owners of ESPN, a major baseball media partner. Additionally, the law firm that Mitchell is with has a long history of working for baseball's owners. Responding to a question about what would happen if a Red Sox player were caught juicing, Mitchell replied "If, in any way, anyone associated with the Red Sox is implicated, they will be treated just like everyone else". We'll see, we'll see.
The Mitchell appointment is a step in the right direction but there's other aspects that beg questions. I'm firmly in the camp of those that think that steroids are a huge taint on baseball -- I firmly reject the "it's meant more home runs, who cares how they do it?" mentality.
The problem with Selig's announcement for me is that the ponies have long bolted the barn, closing the damn door now won't do a bit of good. 'Roids have been around in baseball since at least the late 80's, definitely the mid 90's (see: Brady Anderson going from 13 home runs in 1995 to 50 in 1996 and back to 18 in 1997). After the devastating strike and cancelation of the World Series in 1994, Mark McGwire breaking Roger Maris' single season home run record in 1998 is widely credited for "saving baseball".
Is there anyone at this point who would seriously argue that McGwire wasn't chemically enchanced, at least a little? Yes, yes, steroids weren't illegal in baseball in 1998 but that's not the real point: the point I'm making is simply that when it was good for the game in terms of exposure and selling tickets, the owners and their sock puppet Bud Selig looked the other way. Now that public opinion has turned against the "don't ask, don't tell" attitude towards steroids, they're finally going to do something real about the problem?
The players, via their union, of course, deserve a large part of the blame for any delay in to real investigation happening sooner. Selig claims to have approached the players union in 1994 about steroid testing, but that the idea was rejected. I'm excited that the baseball season starts next week, but sadly, it looks like the steroid issue is going to dominate baseball news for a while. --Jim Allen
3.30.2006
Gay Games Support: Normally, government proclamations elicit nothing but big yawns, but the Chicago City Council's endorsement of the Gay Games sends a positive message around an event that has been dominated by controversy.
"Be it resolved that the City of Chicago welcomes the Seventh Quadrennial Gay Games Sports and Cultural Festival," read part of the proclamation signed by the council on Wednesday. The Gay Games take place July 15-22.
"We are proud that Chicago was chosen as the host city for the 2006 Gay Games," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Chicago celebrates diversity, and the Gay Games foster that celebration. On behalf of the city, I welcome the organizers, sponsors, participants, volunteers and spectators for the Gay Games, who will come from around the world. We encourage you to explore Chicago's rich cultural communities while you are here, and we invite you to visit us again in the near future."
The Games have been targeted by anti-groups inside and outside Illinois. One suburb first rejected, then preliminarily accepted the Games' bid to hold rowing on a nearby lake. In addition, a move is underfoot by these same hate groups to have the U.S. rescind its decision to grant waivers to HIV-positive athletes entering the country for the event.
The City of Chicago's proclamation, while not a surprise in the tolerant city, still sends a message that should blunt the negativity that has surrounded the event, fueled by those who hate.
Cockfighting Phillies: Some things you just can?t make up, courtesy of Deadspin. -- A television station in Philadelphia is reporting that the Phillies made a bit of a mistake with a promotional DVD they sent out. The DVD was supposed to be full of highlights from the Phillies, meant to fire up the hardcore fan base to re-up on their season tickets. But, it turns out, a few of the DVDs weren't of Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins; instead, they featured hours of cockfighting, in Spanish.
As Outsports poster Adam quipped: "Even worse: someone who wanted a Spanish language DVD of cockfighting was stuck with Phillies highlights! I see a lawsuit."--Jim Buzinski
3.29.2006
Sexual Assault Charges Roil Duke: The words "Duke Lacrosse" conjure up an image of intelligent, athletic young men from privileged backgrounds. "Rape" is not a word normally associated, until now. The Duke program was a powerhouse, with nine of 10 starters back, and was a favorite to win the national title. That is all in shambles now because of an incident involving a woman who danced at a private party.
The university suspended the team for the season after charges that several team members raped an exotic dancer. Last week, 46 of the 47 members of the team provided DNA samples to Durham police. In a twist that has heightened the tension between town and gown, the woman making the allegation is black, most of the team is white and allegations are that racial epithets were used in the incident. City residents are upset by the lack of cooperation by the players at the party.
The charges are very serious: First-degree forcible rape, common law robbery, first-degree kidnapping, first-degree sexual offense and felonious strangulation. According to the AP: A woman told police she and another dancer were hired to perform March 13 at a private party in an off-campus home. The dancer, a student at North Carolina Central University, told police she was pulled into a bathroom, beaten, choked and raped by three men. Police say they are confident a rape occurred and are gathering more evidence before filing any charges.
"The thing that most of us found so abhorrent, and the reason I decided to take it over myself, was the combination gang-like rape activity accompanied by the racial slurs and general racial hostility," Michael B. Nifong, the Durham County district attorney, told the New York Times. "There are three people who went into the bathroom with the young lady, and whether the other people there knew what was going on at the time, they do now and have not come forward. I'm disappointed that no one has been enough of a man to come forward. And if they would have spoken up at the time, this may never have happened."
The alleged victim, a student at North Carolina Central University, told the Raleigh News & Observer that she thought her and another dancer were going to a bachelor party for five men at a house rented by three lacrosse captains. Instead, more than 40 were there and they surrounded the two women and began uttering racial taunts, she said. "We started to cry," she said. "We were so scared."
A statement issued Tuesday by lacrosse team said, "The captains of the team met this morning with President [Richard] Brodhead, and expressed sincere regret over the lapse in judgment in having the party on March 13 which has caused so much anguish for the Duke community and shame to our families and ourselves. We also stated unequivocally that any allegation that a sexual assault or rape occurred is totally and transparently false."
One college administrator from North Carolina told Outsports: "It is rather shocking stuff and
while every one is of course innocent until proven guilty, this incident has completely poisoned an already incendiary relationship between Duke and the residents of the city of Durham.
"I live in Durham and I've never been anyplace or seen or read of anyplace where the town/gown relationship is as bad as it is here. I genuinely feel sorry for Duke President Brodhead. He is in an impossible situation. While none of the rape and sodomy charges may end up being proved in a court of law, the damage to their program has already been done. It is amazing to me when athletes show such an enormous lack of judgment." --Jim Buzinski
3.28.2006
Homophobia at Penn State: The NCAA women's basketball Final Four is in Boston next weekend and it was a perfect time for the Boston Globe to write comprehensive article on the charges of homophobia against Penn State coach Rene Portland.
It's an excellent article for anyone wanting to catch up on the Portland situation, especially in light of the suit filed against her and the school by Jennifer Harris. The former player claims she was cut from the team because Portland thought she was a lesbian. Harris is seeking monetary damages and institutional changes at Penn State. Portland has denied the charges and did not consent to an interview with the Globe.
"The Portland case looms as a watershed chapter in a decades-long struggle to eradicate prejudice that has long festered in the sport against homosexual players and coaches. Numerous athletes and coaches said in interviews that nearly every facet of women's college basketball, from recruiting to hiring practices, has been affected by discrimination based on sexual orientation," reporter Bob Hohler wrote. "I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, the horrible, humiliating, painful things she put me through," Harris said of Portland in an interview at her family's home in Harrisburg. ''I don't want anybody else to ever experience it again."
Among those quoted in the article is Helen Carroll, the former coach and athletic director who heads the homophobia in sports project for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. ''The big question is, will the Penn State president take action and enforce the anti-discrimination policy if the investigation shows Rene Portland discriminated? Or are some people in athletics so powerful that no matter what they do, nothing will happen to them?" said Carroll.
A pervasive undercurrent of homophobia in the women's game was acknowledged by other coaches, including the tactic of "negative recruiting." One anecdote perfectly summed up the fear in the sport.
"The climate of fear was documented in a study of 13 lesbian college coaches published last year by Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. Researchers from the University of New Hampshire and Bowling Green University reported they needed two years to persuade all the coaches to participate in the survey even though the coaches and their schools would not be identified (only one coach was openly gay)," the story said. "The researchers said the coaches reported coping with daily tensions involving their sexual orientation and job performance. Coaches who are perceived as lesbians battle the stigma in recruiting, most often when rival coaches cite their sexual orientation in trying to turn prospective players against them."
"This negative and sometimes hostile climate reinforces the perception that it is not safe to reveal a lesbian identity and to do so may result in negative consequences, such as loss of one's job," the study said.
How important is Harris' lawsuit? Pat Griffin, a University of Massachusetts professor, called it "the most significant thing that has happened in trying to address homophobia in the sport to date. It's a cautionary tale for coaches and athletic directors that they cannot discriminate with impunity anymore." Griffin should know: Her educational program, the Globe said, aimed at curbing bias against homosexuals has been distributed by the NCAA to every member school.--Jim Buzinski
3.27.2006
Cinderella in Indy: The dance card for the NCAA men's Final Four is now set and for the first time ever in the field of 64, no top seed has made it. We have a #2 (UCLA), a #3 (Florida), a #4 (LSU) and a #11 (George Mason), making this the most wide-open field ever. Count me underwhelmed.
I've discovered that I love when Cinderella teams like George Mason give the big boys a tough fight, but hate when they actually win. It gives the rest if the tournament a "whatever" feel to it. Why bother having a 30-game regular season? Just start the tournament earlier and invite 256 teams; maybe we can get someone who was winless in the regular season get hot and go all the way. College basketball has a sameness to it already and this Final Four only adds to it ? there's not a household name among any of the remaining starters. Contrast this to college football, where everyone had heard of Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Vince Young in the national championship game. It seems that every tournament game, regardless of how big a margin one team had, will still come down to the final minute; which in college basketball time means 30 minutes. Time out followed by time out, followed by a foul, followed by more time outs etc.
I bet fewer people will watch George Mason-Florida in the Final Four than would have Connecticut-Boston College; there's zero buzz about the former save for the curiosity factor. It's kind of like in baseball, where some people claim they get sick of the Yankees and Red Sox, yet without those teams the ratings suffer.
Of the Final Four teams, the highest rated at season's end was UCLA (tied for #7 in AP). That's parity of the worst sort.
Hoops Drag Queen: LSU forward Glen Davis has been a force for the Tigers in the tournament and he did an awesome imitation of a drag queen after they clinched a Final Four berth on Saturday. Standing on the winner's podium, with CBS cameras rolling, Davis was handed a feather boa that he wrapped around himself while doing quite-the-gay sashay fir for a draq queen. It was finished off when one of his teammates reached over and kissed Davis on the cheek. Tigers on the DL? --Jim Buzinski
A Reader Replies: Your point of view on the NCAA Basketball Tournament is ridiculous. 65 teams get a chance to go all the way to the final, if you win you advance just like the NFL playoffs.
George Mason has had an outstanding tournament by beating big, big teams. What other team in recent years has had to go through Michigan State, North Carolina and UConn to get to the Final Four? Even if those teams aren?t at their best, they are phenomenally talented basketball teams with great coaching.
Do you prefer the NCAA Football BCS? Every year that thing is mired in doubt and ridicule over the selection process (the A.P. pulled out of that charade.) And we are talking about two or three teams in the BCS not 65. What you are seeing is parody at a very high level. --Bradley
3.25.2006
Wow, Part 2: Another very interesting day of men's college hoops unfolded on Friday. The George Mason Patriots, of Fairfax, Virginia, continued their Cinderella run -- calm down Cyd -- by beating Wichitare State pretty handily, 63-55. They will face the #1 seed in the Washington DC bracket, the UConn Huskies. It was almost another team of Huskies, the University of Washington's, that was going to be playing GM, after Washington played UConn tough, but ultimately losing in overtime, 98-92.
It was another wild game, with UConn committing a season high 26 turnovers, but Rashad Anderson hit a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left to send the game in to overtime, which UConn fairly strolled through. I saw some Washington fans online complaining about the officiating and I can understand why: UConn shot 47 free throws to Washington's 23, which meant that several key Washington players were in foul trouble for most of the second half.
Speaking of fans complaining about refs, Boston College fans were definitely not happy with a close call that went against them in their game against the #1 seed in the Minneapolis region, Villanva. Scene: in overtime, 'Nova is down 59-58 with three seconds to go. They have an inbound play under the basket that BC is defending. I know how hard it is to guard people on inbounds plays, but wow, Boston College just got torn to bits on this particular one. Will Sheridan of 'Nova was wide open after setting a pick and when the shot he put up was blocked by Boston College's Sean Williams, it initially looked like BC had won.
What outraged BC fans was the subsequent goaltending call. "We were robbed by cheating, paid off refs" was one of the milder comments that I saw online from an Eagles fan that I can print on this fine family website. The call could have gone either way, as the cliche goes, and it went Villanova's way on Friday. It's nice to see that people other than Super Bowl referees can be blasted for their calls. Special mention must be made of Villanova's Randy Foye. He played his socks off, scoring 29 of 'Nova's 60 points; it was one of those performances where a single player just simply wasn't going to let his team lose. Amazing.
Villanova will play Florida on Sunday after the Gators beat plucky Georgetown 57-53. There's some great matchups on Saturday and Sunday: UCLA v. Memphis should be interesting, though I suspect that UCLA spent everything they had in beating Gonzaga. Texas v. LSU is very interesting as well, two strong, physical teams going at it. UConn should handle George Mason, but the Huskies have lived dangerously this tournament, so who knows. And in the other Elite 8 game, Villanova might have the same problem as UCLA: getting to the Elite 8 game might have been their big achievement. The weather has been amazing here in Los Angeles for the last two weeks, so while parts of the country are wet and cold and freezing, of course I'll be inside watching basketball all weekend. --Jim Allen
3.24.2006
Wow: What a Thursday night of men's college basketball: the #1 ranked team in the country gone at the Sweet 16 stage and two amazing finishes.
I'll admit it: I thought Duke could go all the way this year based more on lust than on sound basketball reasoning. I simply wanted to see more games with J.J. Redick, Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts playing. Alas, Duke is going home after getting thoroughly schooled by the LSU Tigers. One of the reasons was Redick's woeful performance in his final college game: 3-18 from the floor, 11 points in all. "The last four years have been pretty amazing and I didn't want that to end" said the hottie senior. Unfortunately for him and the Blue Devils, it's the third time in the last four years that Duke has gotten bounced in the Sweet 16 round.
Cyd mocked the Cinderella concept before the tournament, so he must have been happy to see this year's Cinderella team, the Bradley Braves, get trounced by the superb Memphis Tigers, 80-64. It was a nice run by Bradley but they simply ran in to the buzzsaw that is Memphis.
In contrast to those two snoozers, the other two games on tap had amazing finishes. Getting outplayed by a very good Texas team, West Virginia fought back from a 12 point halftime deficit to tie the score at 71 with five seconds left. Kevin Pittsnogle made a great clutch 3-point shot--the Texas defender played great D--and what happened next kind of surprised me. Normally in that situation, the team that got scored on will call a time out to set up a game winning shot. Instead, Texas inbounded the ball and pushed it up the floor. As soon as the ball left Kenton Paulino's hand with .8 seconds left on the clock, I knew Texas was going to win and, indeed, the ball hit nothing but net to give the Longhorns a great win.
I was so sure that the team I've loved since 1972, UCLA, was going to lose their game at one point that I got up and made dinner. They were down by 17 points in the first half to Gonzaga, trailed by nine with three mintues to go and simply looked done, a great season under coach Ben Howland coming to an end. Then, in one of those things that will be debated for years, either Gonzaga choked big time or UCLA staged staged an amazing comeback.
UCLA scored the last 11 points to pull off an improbable 73-71 win to advance to the Elite 8. Gonzaga really have themselves to blame for the loss: leading 71-70, they inbounded the ball with 20 seconds left; this set up a typical scenario: UCLA fouls, Gonzaga makes the freethrows, the last minute of the game takes 15 minutes to play and so on. UCLA was obviously trying to foul, but Zag's forward Adam Morrison made a good pass to teammate J.P. Batista.
I'm prone to yelling at my TV when watching a game that I have an emotional interest in. If I was a Zags fan, I'd have been screaming at what happened next. Batista had an open teammate to pass to and run off more clock before someone was fouled but he tried to....um, I've watched it four or five times and I can't figure out *what* he was trying to do. The result of this indecision is that UCLA's Jordan Farmar was able to sneak up behind him, steal the ball, and pass it to Luc Richard Mbah for an easy layup and UCLA's first lead of the night with 9 seconds to go.
Gonzaga ran the ball up the court, lost the ball and that was effectively that, though to be fair they had a decent shot that missed to end the game. The Zags and coach Mark Few are probably going to lose stud Adam Morrison to the NBA draft so they might have blown their chance to make a good title run for the foreseeable future. Whew, what a night of hoops and there's still three more days to come of this insanity. --Jim Allen
