What's that? Gay slurs run rampant in sport? Indeed! So how honorable of Britain's professional soccer league to spit out a PSA video of its stars speaking out against homophobia. CONTINUED »
Based on our very limited French, and even more limited understanding of French sport, the best we can surmise is last month, this player was conducting an on-camera interview while his teammates in the background were showering and making out with each other, and now it's a big scandal in French sport. It starts around the 0:40 mark. Update: Alas, it appears to be a hoax. Still hot, though. CONTINUED »
Outsports presents its annual "Best of Picture This" for 2008, a gallery of the past 12 months hottest photos. We like this one in particular, but there's something for everyone. [Outsports]
QUEERTY REPORTS — Like a burning forest fire, the global financial panic is burning everything in its path; businesses are folding, workers are being laid off, and now the burning embers of recession threaten to melt the ice for GForce, America's national LGBT hockey team.
The team, made up of LGBT athletes from L.A., New York, Atlanta, Denver, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and elsewhere across the country lost their sponsors this year — and the team's continued existence is in peril.
"We were saddened but not surprised that our private philanthropists and corporate sponsors pulled out this year," David Farber, one of the team's centers, tells Queerty. "With a hard fought political campaign, Prop 8, and a severe economic downturn we were expecting to lose some sponsorship, but not all of it! We are now looking to non-corporate sponsors and grassroots support to help keep this great non-profit alive and spread the message of GForce." CONTINUED »
From a press release: "Sports Out Loud, the world's only gay sports magazine, announced today that the groundbreaking magazine will re-launch as Compete, beginning with its January February 2009 issue. While in the process of choosing a new name, the publishers of Sports Out Loud were inspired by Billie Jean King. During a conversation, King spoke of her toughest competitor being herself. The Compete name speaks to the common drive to overcome personal limitations in sports and in life."
Orlando Magic owner Rich DeVos donated $100,000 to further ban gay marriage in Florida. And gay activists aren't happy about it, obviously. [Orlando Sentinel]
"Associated Press editor and author Bill Konigsberg, one of the few openly gay people in sports media, will be a guest at Vassar on October 5-6. Over the two days, Konigsberg will talk about his journey as a gay journalist and discuss his first novel, Out of the Pocket, the story of a gay high school quarterback." On a sort of related note, our editor attended Vassar, as did fellow gay blogger Andy Towle. [VC]
Bob Costas discusses the failure of the NBC team to cover Olympian Matthew Mitcham's sexuality and on what it means to be gay in professional sports. Costas seems completely relaxed and informed on the topic and promised to focus on it more often on his program. He said, "from my perspective, I think that these issues are more than valid. And if a person is already out and willing to talk about it, then certainly that’s significant in its own way."
There's some major drama going down in the world of gay softball!
Top team D2, which hails from San Francisco, found itself disqualified from the Gay World Series after a "review" found that six of their players were straight, a violation of officials rules stating a gay team can only have two straight members.
The team's furious, of course, and plan on appealing the disqualification.
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Here's some simply adorable video of gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham - flanked by his mother and boyfriend - working the press after his gold medal win.
[Via OutSports]
Australian diver Matthew Mitcham sure had a weekend to remember. After retiring in his teens, the 20-year old emerged victoriously at the Olympic games in Beijing, where he took the gold for the 10 meter platform dive.
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Some of the Association of Tennis Professionals' male members are shedding their sports gear for more natural attire in a new calendar being released this Friday.
While many of you are no doubt celebrating the news, sources tell us the US Tennis Association's quite displeased with the display, which they equate with porn. Prudes!
Above you see Fernando Verdasco and Ivan Ljubicic doing their thing. Below: Tommy Haas, Juan Monaco, Paradorn Srichaphan and Dmitry Tursonov preen for you - and only you!
"Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo now has another winners’ medal to add to his impressive collection after he was awarded the prestigious 'Gay Icon' award by [webiste] 'gaygolddiggers'…" [Goal]
Michael Phelps done did it. The American Olympics swimmer cinched his eighth gold medal in Beijing yesterday, giving him a grand total of eleven such wins, which beats out Marc Spitz's previous record of ten.
Having completed his mission, the ever humble Phelps said, "I wanted to do something nobody ever did." He also said he wanted to hug his mom. Awww.
Meanwhile, did anyone see the American basketball team whoop Spain 119-82 yesterday? Could they be better than the Dream Team?
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