Updated:
May 3, 2000
TOP
OF THE WEEK
COREY JOHNSON
Corey Johnson had a Sunday few 18-year-olds can match.
Johnson is the openly gay high school football captain from Massachusetts, whose inspiring coming-out tale has garnered great publicity since surfacing in March. But he was a coast-to-coast phenom on Sunday. Readers of the New York Times, which has a large national readership, saw Corey's story on the front page, written by Times terrific columnist Robert Lipsyte. The story recounted the almost-universal support Corey received at his school and revealed the existence of a boyfriend (one he'd like to take to the prom).
Then, anyone watching C-SPAN's live coverage of the Millennium March on Washington, saw Corey tell his story before an enthusiastic crowd on the National Mall. He's here, he's queer, he plays middle linebacker.
BOTTOM OF THE WEEK
BUTCH CARTER
The Toronto Raptors coach was more like "Bitch" Carter this week. Talk about burning bridges. Carter first filed, then withdrew, a defamation suit against former player Marcus Camby, who called Carter a liar. Carter backed down only after intense public outcry about free speech.
Then, in Game 2 of his team's NBA playoff series with the Knicks, Carter diagrammed a play to win the game with his team down by 1 ... a 3-point attempt by Dee Brown. Now, Brown has hit some clutch shots in his career, but in Game 2 he was held scoreless, and besides, why launch a 3-pointer when you only need 2 and you have the dynamic Vince Carter on your team? Butch Carter never explained, instead lashing out at his team for not having any leaders. Hello? Isn't leadership the coach's job? The Raptors were mercifully swept from the series and expect Butch to spruce up his resume; not that anyone would hire him.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
AH, TO BE A BENGALS' TOWEL BOY
The Cincinnati Bengals have a reputation for being the cheapest team in the National Football League. They were cheapskates in player negotiations and their former practice field was located near industrial warehouses.
But all that may be changing. The team is moving into a new stadium and they finally have a first-class practice facility. But what really has the players jazzed are towels. Big towels. Big enough to wrap around a manly football stud. Just ask kicker Doug Pelfrey.
``The towels-they didn't even wrap around me and I'm one of the smaller guys on the team,'' the 5-11, 185-pound Pelfrey told Associated Press. ``It's the little things that count. They've gone a long way. I think they're starting to recognize that some of these little things can make a big difference.''
Towels that fully cover a guy's privates. Can the Super Bowl be far behind?
MOON OVER CHAVEZ RAVINE
Who says Los Angeles fans are a bunch of laid-back yuppies who leave in the seventh inning? You wouldn't know it judging from the reaction to John ``I Hate Foreigners-Gays-And People Different From Me'' Rocker.
Rocker, the Atlanta Braves pitcher who has gotten ovations in other places, received quite a different reaction at his first appearance at Dodger Stadium on Monday-Boos, debris thrown his way, more boos. Then, he was mooned by a fan who raced onto the field.
Rocker laughed off the mooning and his teammates were also amused.
``I thought it was one of the funniest things I've seen in my life,'' third baseman Chipper Jones said. Funny, perhaps, but also a fitting gesture toward a player who's been a you-know-what.
TIGER WOODS, UNION ACTIVIST
With 100,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild on strike, one of its most famous members is honoring the picket lines.
Golfer Tiger Woods postponed filming new commercials for Nike after the strike was called on Monday. But don't expect Tiger to be applying for food stamps. Woods is reportedly renegotiating his deal with Nike that could pay him a reported $80 million to $90 million over five years.
While we applaud Tiger's stance, it would be nice if he were to speak up against Nike's overseas labor protests. But that would involve taking a riskier stance so don't hold your breath.
NHL
All-World, All-History, All-Time, All-Star Ray Borque was traded midseason from the struggling Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche to improve his chances, and the chances of the Avalanche, to win a Stanley Cup.
Now, with Colorado up 2-1 against the Detroit Red Wings, Borque is sidelined with an injury for a Game 4 that could either bury the Wings or give them new life. That means that the rest of the Avs, like Outsports' All-Hot Team member Peter Forsberg, will have to step up to fill a very big hole.
Injuries have taken a toll in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, as the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers lost
their first two home playoff games with All-Star Eric Lindros on the bench.
NBA
The bleached hair thing isn't just for Dennis Rodman anymore.
Jason Kidd returned to the Phoenix Suns' lineup Tuesday sporting a new bleached 'do that lit up
America West Arena and sent the NBA Champs home.
Kidd shot 4 for 5 for 9 points and 10 assists in knocking off the San Antonio Spurs, 89-78 and winning the series 3 games to 1. The Spurs are the first defending champion to be knocked out in the first round since Philadelphia in 1984.
Meanwhile, the team with the best regular season record-the Lakers-have been forced to a Game 5 by scrappy Sacramento. A Laker loss would make this perhaps the most shocking playoff upset ever.
``The towels-they didn't even wrap around me and I'm one of the smaller guys on the team,'' the 5-11, 185-pound Pelfrey told Associated Press. ``It's the little things that count. They've gone a long way. I think they're starting to recognize that some of these little things can make a big difference.''