The Gayest Sports Things You'll See This Week

Michael Sam

University of Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam, almost assuredly a draft pick for the NFL next season, has come out. It is my fervent hope that Michael Sam is the gay Jackie Robinson. What a scary position to put oneself in. And how courageous and loved Mr. Sam must be. And the great thing is, if he's not drafted, then the NFL proves itself the bastion of homophobia that Chris Kluwe claims (undoubtedly so), it is.

Regardless of whether or not Sam is drafted, the good news is that more and more high-profile LGBT people are coming forward, refusing to be silent and refusing to deny who they are. The world over,  athleticism and physical prowess are celebrated far more than scientific. literary or artistic achievements. And while that hardly makes me happy, it's good to know so many high-profile athletes are stepping up for young fans to know that being gay is not a bad thing. Sam joins my personal list of sports heroes, which includes Greg Louganis; Orlando Cruz; Jason Collins; Martina Navratilova; Chris Kluwe; Brendon Ayanbedjo and British Rugby Bear Ben Cohen, among others. 

Speak out. Speak up. Visibility and Familiarity are the keys to Equality. 

So, sociopolitical rant over, here's a video by The Perez Brothers called "Weigh In." It's hardly surprising or unexpected but then, that's hardly the point. Enjoy the possibly NSFW short, below (via):

Maybe I should start training for ring...

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Bears / Ben Cohen / Boxing / Brendon Ayanbedjo / Chris Kluwe / Coming Out / Equality / Football / Gay / Greg Louganis / Homophobia / Hot / Nonsense / Professional Sports / Sexy / Short Films / Sports / The Gayest Thing with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-gayest-sports-things-you-see-this.html. Thanks!

Get a Kluwe

A Man Whose Hand I'd Like to Shake - Chris Kluwe

One of my personal sports heroes has struck again. Writing for The Guardian, former NFL Kicker and staunch LGBT ally Chris Kluwe implores Olympians attending the 2014 Winter Games to be outspoken advocates for civil rights. 

Personally, I'd like to say that I agree with Mr. Kluwe. "We're Here! We're Queer! Get Used to Us!" has just as much meaning today as it has throughout the LGBT Rights movement. And while the fact that straight athletes like Kluwe; Brendon Ayanbedejo and Ben Cohen have lent their voices to the cause does a world of good, there are still so many unenlightened and superstitious asshats out there. Yes, the ignorant and therefore, scared seem to be slowly but surely dying out. Straight people my age (my friends already agree and my regular readers have figured that out, long ago) and younger, know how ridiculous it is to be so stupid and backward. Of course, lots of people my parents' ages have long ago agreed, but weren't able to do so publicly, until recent events have proven them to be on the right side of history.

Still... were I a gay athlete participating in the Sochi Olympics or a gay friend and/or family member of a gay and/or straight Olympian, I would completely understand your reluctance to speak out. I may not like it (visibility is our strongest asset), but I would respect your decision to remain silent. 

You can read Kluwe's piece here (via).

And just to keep things weird, here's some Olympic Nonsense:

Zombie-lympics?



It's somehow comforting to know that Rednecks are Universal:



Hmmmm... Does that make Yakov Smirnoff the Russian Jeff Foxworthy? The mind boggles.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Ben Cohen / Brendon Ayanbedjo / Chris Kluwe / Gay / Hot / LGBT / Nonsense / Olympics / Rednecks / Sochi / Sports / Zombies with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2014/02/get-kluwe.html. Thanks!

A Very Gay Olympics Quickie

While the competitions officially start tomorrow night, the Opening Ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics aren't for two more days. 

First, I have to ask if anyone is really all that surprised by the two major stories trending on the web, right now? First, are the hilarious horror stories being tweeted from journalists about their unfinished; easily broken; water tainted; heatless accommodations. And I thought I had a bad hotel experience in Chicago, last summer! Of course, foreign war correspondents are understandibly less than sympathetic...

Then there's NBC's story about the prolific electronics hacking taking place among the tourists pouring in from all over:

Oh, dear. Not that I would have gone, but I somehow feel better knowing there is nothing on my phone I wouldn't be willing to share with my 85 year old great aunt. I don't use my smartphone for much more than pictures, calls and texts (and the occasional GPS) and have no fear of my personal and/or financial information being stolen from it.

Listen, I get it. The Olympics are the Oscars for athletes. The winners' names will be recorded for the remainder of Human History (forget about eternity... humans will most likely be extinct long before our sun goes supernova). The participants spend lifetimes preparing to compete and no one should be denied the right to do so. But no one should be afraid to be arrested, beaten or worse, just for being who they are. Thankfully, this video from the Canadian diversity group CIDI ICDI isn't about to let the Russians off the hook quite so easily (via):

As George Takei might say..."Oh, myyyyy!"

I will not be watching the Winter Olympics this year. Not that I would normally, though I occasionally stop while clicking through channels to see the medal count or watch some figure skating (I am so effing gay, I almost can't stand it). This time, though, I think it would feel... icky, to watch, knowing how bad things are for LGBT Russians. It makes me sad that what should be a Celebration of World Unity has instead become a lesson in homophobia, incompetence and an egotistical Tsarist's whims. Personally, I'd be happy to never see Putin's nipples again, for as long as I live.

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Canada / Funny / Gay / Homophobia / Olympics / Russia / Sex / Sports / Technology / The Gayest Thing / Travel with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-very-gay-olympics-quickie.html. Thanks!

Chris Kluwe; Keith Olbermann; Civil Rights & Tolkien?

Is Kluwe really Thranduil?

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe is an undeniably valuable straight ally in the continuing fight for LGBT Civil Rights. He and former Ravens' player Brendon Ayanbedjo have almost certainly lost lucrative sports careers over their stances in support of LGBT rights. 

Both Kluwe and Ayanbejo are young, attractive and athletic. Both of them came of age in a very different era than Uncle P and both of them (because of their celebrity) are able to make their opinions available to the public at large in venues that are widely accessible to just about the entire world. Both of them have also had Major League sports careers which will allow them to support themselves for the foreseeable future. Kluwe has even managed to write a book from which he will see residuals for quite some time. 

All of that is fine and well, and even commendable. I will never knock or abrade anyone who understands that being gay is not a choice (as do every one of my friends and most of my family). 

Still... I can't help but note that no matter how much these two support our community, neither of them will ever really know the kind of discrimination, hate and abuse the LGBT community experiences on a daily basis.  Both are attractive and fit and both have very public forums in which to express their views. But both of them are straight and neither of them can truly know the kind of hatred expressed solely because of their innate sexuality (despite the by now far-more accepted bi-racial status of Ayanbedjo). 

Hear me out - No one can know anyone (you should excuse the old adage) until they have walked in another's shoes. Straight supporters or LGBT civil rights are all well and good (and more important to our cause than most of us realize) but they will never really know the kind of hatred directed at the people they support. 

Okay - LGBT Rights rant over, for now. 

On a much sillier note, look at Kluwe's ears in the interview below with long-time LGBT advocate Keith Olbermann. Is it me, or do his ears appear to be nothing less than Elvin? I think JRR would agree...

Yes, Uncle P knows his view of the world is slightly askew, but would you have it any other way? I should hope not. Why else would you be reading my nonsense?

More, anon.
Prospero

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Homoerotic Spanish & Pervy Kiwi Advertising (Possibly NSFW Edition)

It's not like advertisers never knew we existed as a target audience. It's just that now it's finally cool to acknowledge our dollars may well be 'pink,' but they're also just as green as everyone else's.

And while neither of these ads is specifically targeting gay audiences, there is a certainly homoerotic quality to the running pants ad (via - link may be NSFW) from Spain's ES Sportswear, I've embedded below. Loaded with crotch and ass shots, butt-slapping, chest-stroking and arm-linking; its rather obvious to whom ES really wants sell their brand.

Then there's this parody commercial purporting to be for product from New Zealand, featuring a spokesperson whose highly exaggerated Kiwi accent turns it into something hilariously and possibly NSFW pervy (also via):

Some NZ folks are unhappy about that clip, while others find it as childishly hilarious as Uncle P did. It was probably made by an Aussie... or a Tasmanian. (Ha! I bet you were expecting a Warner Brothers joke there. Nope! Pwn'd). 

I almost did another Retro-Review of a recent Indy and Oscar favorite tonight, but I'm still mulling parts of it over. There was some beautiful imagery; lots of wry humor and some beautifully underplayed performances, but it all seemed a bit too self-aware. I'll elaborate soon (or not - it all depends).

More, anon.

Prospero

You have read this article Accents / Ads / Commercials / Homoerotic / Hot / New Zealand / Nonsense / Parodies / Sex / Sports / The Gayest Thing with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/09/homoerotic-spanish-pervy-kiwi.html. Thanks!

It's On First

Sadako (Samara in the U.S.)

I have never been the athletic type, nor the kind of person who enjoys watching sports. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule - Olympic swimming, diving, gymnastics and wrestling can provide many hours of entertainment... ooh -- what a give-away! 

Of course, sport in the U.S. is all about competition, machismo and pain (well, at least when it comes to American Football). Baseball, the so-called "Great American Pastime," is just plain boring. But leave it to the Japanese to make baseball interesting. Well, at least the opening pitch. At a recent Japanese baseball game. the opening pitch was thrown by Sadako, the vengeful ghost from the Ringu series of J-Horror movies. This video (from a Facebook friend) says it all:

I would so see a game where Sadako (or Freddy, Jason, Pinhead or Pennywise) threw the opening pitch. Though I doubt they could do it quite as well as Sadako did in that clip. Freddy's glove would shred the ball; Jason would pitch it through the batter's head; Pinhead would throw a puzzle box and Pennywise would just drag the all the players down into the sewer. 

And since we're talking about Japanese horror and Japanese sensibilities, another Facebook friend posted the below clip from a Japanese "Candid Camera" style show:

Hilarious and rather mean, I don't know that I would have fallen for this, especially with the puppeteer's legs so clearly visible. Still, it's a prime example of how Japanese humor and horror seem to go hand in hand. Hmmm... kind of like Uncle P's sense of humor, when you think about it. 

Anyone know where I can get my hands on a velociraptor suit?

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Most Positive Gay Things You'll See This Week

Pope Francis I

I'm torn. Do I write about the story that impacts LGBTQ people here in the U.S. or the the story that impacts LGBTQ people all over the world? I guess I have to talk about both, if I'm going to write about either. Let's start with the whole world, shall we? (Hey - go big or go home, right?)

On his flight back to Rome from Brazil, Pope Francis I gave an impromptu, jovial, no-holds-barred press conference for the reporters on board. And in answering one question, he moved the HRC (no, not the HRC) into the 21st Century. When a reporter asked what he would do if he found out a priest was gay, he responded "Who am I to judge a gay person of goodwill who seeks the Lord? You can't marginalize these people." Of course, this is no way means that Francis thinks gay sex (the biggest hang-up most religious folks seem to have about gay people) is okay, but his answer to that question is probably the most progressive statement ever made by any Pope, ever. Historically, there have been married Popes; adulterous Popes; sadistic Popes and (in 2000-odd years), undoubtedly at least one gay Pope. I mean, come on. 265 men (and possibly 1 woman) have held the title. Statistically, at least one or more of them had to be gay.

Francis is proving himself to be even more "The People's Pope" than the much-beloved (and on the track to Sainthood) John Paul II. Smart, modern and accessible, Francis knows the Church is hurting. In South America, Catholics have been leaving the Church for evangelical congregations, while in the U.S. and Europe, they have been leaving because the Church has refused to evolve on issues like homosexuality, women's rights and birth control. Of course, Uncle P still views all religion as detrimental to progress and an affront to science, but that doesn't mean I hate religious people. I just wish they would wake up and smell reality. Francis seems to at least caught a whiff and that's terrific.

Tim Hardaway

And the other big LGBTQ news comes from retired NBA star Tim Hardaway, who in a 2007 interview said "I hate gay people... I'm homophobic." After spending time at Miami's YES Institute and seeing the way LGBTQ people have been abused, bullied and vilified, Hardaway had an epiphany of sorts. Earlier this month, he was the first person to sign a petition challenging Florida's marriage laws. 

"With what I said, people could think it's OK to throw rocks at them or bully them... I just wanted to make people understand that what I said wasn't cool. I wanted to make amends for it.'' Hardaway says he hasn't become a voice for Equality because he wants publicity (he rarely gives interviews). As a young man growing up in Chicago, he had a gay relative to whom he was apparently close. He says now that his comments were 'thoughtless.'

Wow! A little education goes a long way. And while my faith in Humanity hasn't been fully restored (at least while Vladimir Putin and Robert Mugabe are still spewing ignorance and hate), it has been elevated by the words and actions of two very influential people who have had a change of heart and mind. I still have issues with Pat Robertson, who yesterday said that Trans people aren't sinners, but gay people are (don't get me started about that old fossil), but it is amazing to see the tide turning so quickly and so dramatically. 

We still have a long way to go. Next month, 13 U.S. States will officially recognize same-sex marriage (Yay, Minnesota!). I suspect that Illinois; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Hawaii and Virginia will be next with Colorado; New Mexico; Nevada and Ohio to follow.From there, it's just a matter of time before America finally embraces everything for which our Constitution stands.

Last week, Queen Elizabeth II signed her approval of Marriage Equality in the UK. New Zealand is likely to be the next country which fully embraces Equality, with Australia probably soon to follow. I now have real hope that before I leave this world, it will be changed for the better in so many ways.

The Roger Waters' song embedded below may be about the end of the Cold War, but I can't help but think it applies here (and the animation by my favorite artist certainly doesn't hurt):

More, anon.

Prospero

You have read this article Basketball / Civil Rights / Equality / Gay / Hope / LGBT / LGBT News / LGBT Rights / Love Is Love / Marriage Equality / Roger Waters / Salvador Dali / Sports / The Gayest Thing / The Pope / Tim Hardaway with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-most-positive-gay-things-you-see.html. Thanks!

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week: The Beginning of the End?

Jason Collins

Putting aside my Essential Movie Guide for the night, I had to talk about today's huge LGBT/Sports news. Former Nets, Lakers and Celtics (now a Free Agent) NBA player Jason Collins made history today by coming out of the closet in the latest issue of Sports Illustrated. 

For many weeks, there has been speculation that a group of three or four NFL players might come out collectively, so as to 'soften' the impact. But Collins beat them all to the punch and became the first active professional team sports athlete to embrace and proclaim his queerness. The 33 year old, 7' tall twin says he started thinking about his life during the 2011 NBA shut-out, though he doesn't say why it took him another 2 years to come out. Of course, coming out publicly is a deeply personal and often painful process (though I personally know of no one who has regretted doing so). I was in my mid-30's before I came out to my family (all of whom said they already knew), though all of my friends already knew, so I can totally sympathize with Collins. 

As more and more countries and U.S. States are affirming that LGBT people have the same basic human rights as straight people, Collins' announcement couldn't come at a better time. Not only has he set a precedent for other professional athletes (who I hope will follow his lead), he joins the growing ranks of celebrities who raise both our visibility and (though I hate to use the word) 'normalize' homosexuality. The last ten years have seen great strides in LGBT rights and the last 2 years alone have shown leaps and bounds in people's attitudes about what being gay means. 

Of course, there are still homophobic asshats out there who want us to stay silent and 'repent' for our 'sins.' As an atheist I don't believe in sin. What I do believe in is common decency; human rights; doing good for its own sake and accepting people for who they are. Yes, there are horrible people who want to plant bombs at public events; take out thousands of innocents with hijacked planes and generally destroy all that is good and right in the world, simply because some religious fanatic brain-washed them into doing so. But those people are the exceptions. And yes, there are those who would twist the words of 'holy' books to suit their own needs and persecute those who disagree. Again, these are the exceptions. Seriously, if you believe in "God," how the hell can you say what "He" (or "She") thinks? Get over yourselves, already.

Here's the thing: We are still just at the very beginning of the 21st Century. As more and more famous LGBT people make themselves visible, the more the public at large will realize we aren't freaks, perverts or sinners. We are simply people; living the lives we were born to live; loving the people who make us happy. Isn't that what life is really about, anyway? As we move further into the century's second decade, I can only imagine that things will continue to improve and can very clearly imagine basic human rights for everyone, regardless of sex; race; creed or orientation. I'm very much looking forward to other pro athletes inevitably following Collins' lead and a time when sexuality is no longer a dividing issue. The Bryan Fischers and Maggie Gallaghers of the world have already seen the writing on the wall (you should excuse the Biblical reference) and they are becoming more and more desperate in their attempts to defame and decry our rights as fellow humans. And while I would never deign to deny them their right to believe what they want to believe, I will happily stick out my tongue and make fun of them for being the losers in the fight for what's right.

I am so happy that I am alive to see at least the beginning of the end of homophobia and a new path towards acceptance and understanding. It's been a long time coming and it's actually exciting to see it happening. 

More, anon.
Prospero

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The Beyonce Concert or: You Made HOW Much?

Stevie Nicks Called. She Wants Her Song Back

Like many folks, I honestly couldn't care less about professional sports if you paid me. Personally I think it's criminal that professional athletes, musicians and movie actors make millions, while teachers; cops; cancer researchers; nurses; EMTs and any number of people working in fields which actually add to the quality of our lives often live paycheck-to-paycheck. Not that I would deny anyone the right to make money but it seems our values are rather screwed up when it comes to professional salaries.  Think about this - Adam Sandler makes $20M for every awful, unfunny movie he makes. A high school English teacher who has been working for 20 years; dealing with uninterested, bored and even drug-addled students; is lucky to make $50K a year. 

I don't even want to know what Beyonce Knowles was paid for her 13-minute half-time appearance* at tonight's Superbowl. 13 Minutes. Surgeons can spend hours on end saving lives and are paid a very small fraction of what Ms. Knowles made for singing and dancing  in a leather and lace bathing suit for 13 minutes during the break in a game.

"But Uncle P, you're an actor/director/designer/writer. Shouldn't you be paid for your work?" 

Of course. As should everyone, no matter what they do for a living. And as much as Sports and the Arts contribute to the quality of life, it just seems insane to me that people who play games, sing songs and pretend to be people they're not should make so much more money than someone who teaches children to read; removes a life-threatening tumor; comforts the dying or protects us from those who would do us harm. There's a strange disconnect here, don't you think? Why does a guy who can kick a football earn more than a person who can literally save your life? Why does a woman who can sing and dance earn more than a woman who can make us understand the squiggles and symbols that make up the written word? 

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for Capitalism and the right to earn as much money as one can. I just think that our value system is a little more than askew. Beyonce is indeed a talented woman who deserves to be paid for what she does. But ask yourselves this: Does she deserve to be paid more for singing and dancing for 13 minutes than the surgeon who spends six or more hours removing a complicated tumor from someone's brain or the cop who puts his/her life on line to protect you from criminals? I think not.

*Some are reporting that Knowles actually lost money by performing at Superbowl 47. I can only imagine that such an appearance just added to her future revenues.

And I'm so glad that so many Superbowl winners are going to Disney. Like they need more money...

More, anon.
Prospero

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I Want to Be a Football Hero

Minnesota Vikings' Punter, Chris Kluwe

Well, sort of. 

American Football (as opposed to Soccer, which is called 'Football' everywhere else in the world), has always been perceived as an exceptionally masculine sport, played by (presumably) straight men. And while no professional player has come out of the closet while actively playing, a few have done so after retiring. And several straight players have recently come out in support of both LGBT rights and Marriage Equality.

Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo recently made a video supporting Marriage Equality in Maryland. Maryland state delegate Emmet C. Burns consequently wrote to the Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, admonishing him for allowing Ayanbadejo to express his opinions on the subject and asked Bisciotti to "inhibit such expressions from your employee." Seriously? An elected official asking a private employer to suppress someone's First Amendment rights? Thankfully, both Bisciotti and the NFL have voiced their support of Ayanbadjo's right to Free Speech.

Minnesota Vikings Punter Chris Kluwe (pictured above) was just as outraged over this as every American should be and he wrote the delegate to express his displeasure in an expletive-filled letter, which you can read here.  Among other things, Kluwe wrote: "The views you espouse neglect to consider several fundamental key points, which I will outline in great detail (you may want to hire an intern to help you with the longer words)"* and "I can assure you that gay people getting married will have zero effect on your life."

Here's the thing: If professional football players have begun to realize (and publicly announce) that LGBT people should have the same rights as everyone else and that Marriage Equality in no way affects anyone else's marriage, shouldn't the rest of of America do the same? If we are "the land of the free and the home of brave," shouldn't we prove that to the rest of the world? Are we going to allow Canada to one-up us on this issue (no offense Joyce, Mark & Jon)?  To quote many of my friends on Facebook "Opposing gay marriage because of your religion is like opposing my eating a doughnut because you're on a diet."

And while I grew up with both a father** and a mother, there is zero evidence that growing up with two dads or two moms has any negative effects on a child. In fact, I'd say it's quite the opposite, given the amazing speech made by Zach Wahls at last week's DNC:

So I have to ask, on which side of history do you want to be? I'm guessing that 10 years from now, folks will be reading this post and asking themselves why this was such a big deal. And even if the majority of the Western U.S. is destroyed by an eruption of the Yosemite supervolcano, it will be the result of purely natural events and will have nothing at all to do gay marriage, even if senile old fossils like Pat Robertson claim it does.

*I so dearly love that parenthetical.

**My dad grew up Catholic in the 40's and 50's, and while I may suspect certain things about him, I can't hate him for ideals imposed upon him by the society of the times. Of course, I can fault him for not evolving...  or for being a douche nozzle, in general. My mother, on the other hand, is probably one of the most progressive-thinking women of her era. I will always be thankful for her support of both myself and my sister. Talk about dichotomies!

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Football / Gay / LGBT / LGBT Rights / Marriage Equality / Politics / Sports / The First Amendment with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-want-to-be-football-hero.html. Thanks!

My First Hate Comment

I've been writing Caliban's Revenge for just over four years now and I have published just about every comment I've ever received, though they are sometimes few and far between. While I have less than 60 followers, I know plenty of people who read the blog regularly. Those who do comment, are usually polite and often agree with me. And even when they don't agree, as long they are civil, I approve their comments in order to present opposing points of view. I think I've rejected two comments in all that time, both of which were rude, but neither of which were outright hateful. That changed today.

In my Gmail inbox today, I found a request for comment moderation on a "Gayest Thing" post I wrote over a year ago about wrestling. Specifically, about a video that featured hot guys in sports set to the Backstreet Boys' song 'I Want It That Way.' I posted a picture of a wrestling singlet and talked about how some wrestlers get a little 'excited' when competing. It was all in good fun and two of my gay blogger friends, Michael Offutt and Pax Romano, both left amusing comments at the time. Anyway, I opened my Gmail tonight to find to this comment waiting approval by an anonymous troll:

 "F*ck you f****t! Wrestling is the least gay sport" (the stars are mine).

Needless to say, I did not approve the comment. But I still felt I should share it because it goes to prove how far the LGBTQ community has to go in making people understand that we are not sick, evil, pedophiles who want to turn everyone gay. Seriously, I'm actually glad that men like Newt Gingrich and Bryan Brown aren't gay. Ew! And honestly, how can anyone say that "Wrestling is the least gay sport?" What other sport lets men roll around in Spandex onesies, grabbing each other's crotches and butts while trying to assert their dominance? Seems pretty gay (not to mention lots of fun) to me.

So I am dedicating the probably NSFW videos and photos below to you, Anonymous, homo-hating troll. I hope you enjoy how manly they are:

Of course, the phenomena is not just limited to wrestlers:

So, Anonymous, I guess wrestling is the least gay sport, as long as you define "gay" as men who don't get boners while wrestling. Oops!

More, anon.
Prospewro

You have read this article Boners / Gay / Hate / Homophobia / NSFW / Sports / The Most Homophobic Thing / Wrestling with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/08/my-first-hate-comment.html. Thanks!

Why I Watch the Olympics

Danell Leyva

Martin Reader

Iain Percy

James Magnussen

Alexandre Despartie

Clemente Russo

Jake Dalton

Arthur Zanetti

To quote the fabulous George Takei - "Oh, my..."

Sometimes it is good to be shallow... But don't get me started on the absolute messes that were this year's opening and closing ceremonies. The games themselves may have been amazing, but the opening and closing were two hot messes that just didn't work at all. I'm all for stage directors making movies, but dead-set against movie directors doing live theatre. They just don't get it, as very well evidenced at this year's games. Pity. BTW - If you know the names of the hot Olympians I have not identified, please let me know in the comments, so I can rectify this post.

More anon,
Prospero

You have read this article Athletes / Gay / Hot / Muscles / Olympics / Sports / The Gayest Thing with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/08/why-i-watch-olympics.html. Thanks!

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

Adorable Aussie Olympian Matthew Mitcham

So many things at the Olympics to talk about in this insane digital age. Yes, Twitter and Facebook were both around during the Beijing games, but London is proving to be the first truly E-Olympics. People have been disqualified and ejected from the games for Tweeting. Granted, they tweeted stupid, hateful things without thinking. They thought they were being funny. A-holes! Of course there's the new record for Best Olympian Ever (wouldn't that always be Zeus?), Michael Phelps - the new patron saint of swimmers and stoners everywhere. 

Butta Face Phelps (like I'm such a 10) may well be the Best Olympian, but openly gay Australian diver Matthew Mitcham has been declared Most Adorable Olympian Ever by BuzzFeed Sports (via) and I must agree. Just look at the boy's impish expression in that picture. How can it not melt your heart? 

Okay - that's maybe a bit too Zooey Deschanel quirky for my taste, but who can stay mad at that punim? Seriously. Of course only another athlete could keep up with a boy that flexible and strong. The first Cirque show I ever saw live was Saltimbanco. I practically had to drag my dear Elizabeth (of whom I do NOT see enough, these days) to go, trying to convince her she wasn't about to see a traditional circus. As if I would travel all the way into the city for some lame circus. Her objections were silenced in the first 60 seconds of the show. Our mutual obsession was born. Part of that show featured a pair of brothers who did an amazing and breathtaking lifting act that had us both drooling. She and I both decided that they would only ever be able to be satisfied by each other, whether it was true or (99.999% more likely) not. Of course, it was merely a fiction we created to feel better about neither of us ever having a shot in hell with the muscled beauties.

Cathy's House of Hate continues to be in the news, but mostly because the LGBT community's response was pretty lame. Friday's kiss-in was not nearly as well attended as the response to the Right's lies about this being a First Amendment issue. I think, sadly, a lot of people were actually afraid to go. And that's a shame. There were no reports of problems at any of the company's stores where people did participate. 

More than a few restaurants have come up with anti-CFA chicken sandwiches. A Houston restaurant called Beavers is offering a "Chick-on-Chick" sandwich, described as: ”two loving chicken breasts married on toasty buns with a honey mustard witness and joined in celebration with tolerant fries.” Closer to my home is Schnipper's Quality Kitchen, with two locations in Manhattan. All through the month of August, Schnipper's is going to donate $1 to Marriage Equality for ever chicken sandwich they sell. I am currently working on a Facebook event to eat chicken sandwiches at Schnipper's. 

I made my own hate-free,  Bass Ale-battered chicken for dinner tonight, along with sliced garden tomatoes and sweet bi-colored corn on the cob... simple, delicious and decidedly gay. You want an incredibly delicious fried chicken sandwich, baby? Come on over. I'll make you one.  (Wow. Just creeped myself out - lol).

Finally, here's also adorable Randy Rainbow's take on the latest battle in the Culture Wars (via):

Have a fabulous Monday!

More, anon.
Prospero

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Super Bore

Model Jed Hill - NOT a Pro Football Player

When my sister and I were kids, our father basically kidnapped the TV each Sunday so he could watch the Eagles play. My sister tolerated it, but I hated it. Imagine that! A gay kid who hated and didn't care about sports.

These days, when folks get all worked up about "The Big Game" (be it football, baseball, basketball, soccer or whatever else happens to be in season), I proudly admit my indifference. When co-workers approached me last week with their Super Bowl pools, they asked jokingly if I wanted in, knowing full well that I couldn't care less. And I (less than jokingly) responded that I would rather eat glass. And don't even get me started on the Half-Time appearance of the by now completely irrelevant Madonna. Yawn.

Perhaps if modern sports were played in the nude, like the ancient Olympics, I'd pay more attention.

Of course, there are the occasional sports stars who pique my interest in one way or another. Tim Tebow may very well have a great body, but his constant praying and very public anti-gay/anti-choice attitudes are a major turnoff (as are his sneaky-looking thin lips). And former NBA player Dennis Rodman was always a provocateur, though no one likes a show-off (or an ugly man in a dress).

Every once in a great while, an athlete with a twisted sense of humor comes along and throws everyone into a tizzy. Such is the case with San Francisco Giants baseball player Brian Wilson.

Brian Wilson

Known for his practical jokes and questionable sexuality, Wilson famously made an appearance at last year's ESPY awards wearing a tuxedo unitard and has been known to give hilarious and bizarre interviews. Most infamously, Wilson appeared in a 2010 interview on 'The Cheap Seats,' during which a man (reportedly Philadelphia Phillies hot left-fielder Pat Burrell) dressed in a leather fetish-wear walked through the background.

The clip (embedded below) caused a sensation, though Wilson denied any knowledge of the existence of  the man known as "The Machine" or who he might be.

Wilson's the kind of athlete I could get behind, you should pardon the expression.

Here's the thing I don't understand. Athletes (and movie stars) are paid millions of dollars to do what they do. Yes, there are many more millions to be made from what those athletes and movie stars do. But there are brilliant doctors and scientists working on the cures for often fatal diseases like cancer, AIDS, diabetes and who knows what, who toil for far less. Why do we exalt those whose physical prowess excels, while ignoring those whose mental prowess improves our lives? Why is an athlete or an actor worth more than a scientist, mathematician or physicist? Shouldn't the Secrets of the Universe be worth more to humanity than who is better at making touchdowns?

What the hell do I know, anyway? Here's that clip of Wilson and "The Machine," which I think I have embedded before. Notice how Wilson can barely keep a straight face (all entendres intended).

While I remain convinced that Art can save humanity from it's demise, I fear that soon only brute force will matter to the masses and (much like the Roman Empire), it will lead to our inevitable downfall.

Perhaps author Suzanne Collins isn't so far off the mark.



More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Football / Hot / Kinky / Ramblings / Sports / Superbowl / Trailers with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2012/02/super-bore.html. Thanks!

How Did This Happen?

I am not a sports fan, by any means. In fact, I hate football. But this post isn't about football. This post is about pain; betrayal; indifference; criminal behavior and a particularly vile human being.

Yes, Joe Paterno led the winningest college football team of all time for more years than I've been alive. That's something to be proud of, I guess. But at what cost?

When the scandal first broke, many of my friends and co-workers were stunned. I was horrified. You all know the details, I'm sure. Jerry Sandusky, a married man with children and former assistant coach at Penn State, has been accused of molesting boys he mentored as part of the Second Mile Foundation, a charity he founded. Some of these boys were as young as seven years-old!

Sandusky was caught twice; once by a janitor in 2000 and again by Graduate Assistant Mike McQueary in 2002. Neither of them went to the police. The janitor, Jim Calhoun, told a co-worker but feared for his job. McQueary went to Paterno, who in turn reported the incident to his supervisor. NO ONE went to the police and neither of the men tried to intervene, even though they walked in on Sandusky while he was raping a young boy. Yes, you read that correctly. The two men walked in on the acts, but neither tried to stop them. WHAT?!?

There are so many things wrong about this whole mess, I can't even begin to count them. And just as sickening as the abuse, is the cover-up. Why has it taken 11 years for this to come to light? Why was Sandusky allowed access to these children? Why didn't anyone call the police? Jesus wept!

To me, there is nothing worse than the abuse of a child; be it mental, physical, emotional or sexual. As far as I am concerned, Sandusky should be castrated and locked away alone in a dark room for the rest of his life. As for Paterno and the others who have lost their jobs, I don't feel sorry for a single one of them. It's called "silent assent" and by not reporting the abuse to the police immediately, they are just as culpable. 

And of course, homophobic a-holes are using the whole thing to make the point that gay men are pedophiles, which just makes me angrier at Sandusky. The truth is, pedophilia has nothing to do with sexual orientation. Still, creeps like Bryan Brown, Maggie Gallagher and Rick Santorum will use the situation to promote their anti-gay platforms, despite every report which confirms that sexual orientation is never the motivator in such cases.

Everybody loses here. Paterno; the former President of Penn State; McQueary; Penn State students and players; Penn State fans and supporters, and the LGBT community. Of course, those most hurt -- the victims of Sandusky's assaults -- are the ones we should be concentrating on. These poor kids will never trust an authority figure again. And can you blame them? No. Blame Sandusky and everyone else who lied and covered for him. I  have absolutely zero sympathy for those who ruined their own lives by doing nothing to stop a monster from destroying the innocence of so many. In fact, the whole thing makes me sick to my stomach.

OK - another rant over, though I'm sure as more details come to light, I'll be angrier and angrier about the whole thing.

More, anon.

Prospero

You have read this article College / Criminals / Disgusting / Penn State / Ramblings / Sports with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-did-this-happen.html. Thanks!

The Gayest Things You'll See This Week

That's Major League Soccer player David Testo in a still from an interview with the CBC's Radio Canada, coming out publicly. OutSports.com has the story (via). Testo, who until recently played for the Montreal Impact, was a soccer star at both the University of South Carlina and North Carolina and played professionally for the Richmond Kickers and the Columbus Crew before being drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps. He was just let go by Montreal and is looking for a new team. He says he regrets not coming out sooner and that living as a closeted gay man was "incredibly difficult" (Ya think?).

Uncle P has always thought that soccer (while boring as hell) has the hottest players. I can only hope that other gay athletes will follow Mr. Testo's lead and come out. The more that do, the easier it will get for others who are afraid, including LGBT youth who need as many inspirational folks to whom they look up, as possible. It really is getting better...

In other LGBT news, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the "Respect for Marriage Act" in a 10 to 8 vote, moving the repeal of DOMA that much closer to reality. Of course, the repeal of DOMA would pave the way for national Marriage Equality. I am sure that the morons at NOM are having apoplectic fits over this news. You can read all about it over at Towleroad.

Finally, while not particularly gay, TV's gayest show "Glee" has an upcoming mashup of gay icon Adele's "Rumor Has It" and "Someone Like You" featured on next week's episode (Hmm... maybe it's pretty gay, afterall). Anyway, gorgeous "Glee" cast members Amber Riley ('Mercedes') and Naya Rivera ('Santana') tear it up:

Wow! After this week's "West Side Story" episode, I can't wait to see next week's show. 

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Coming Out / DOMA / Glee / Hot / Politics / Sports / The Gayest Thing with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/11/the-gayest-things-you-see-this-week.html. Thanks!

The Gayest Thing You'll See This Week?

Uncle P is not a sports fan by even the broadest definition of the term. I'll watch Olympic diving or gymnastics for about 10 minutes before becoming completely bored, no matter how hot the guys are. I understand the rules of baseball and American football. I know that soccer is 90 minutes of neither team scoring. And while I have played a game or two of Horse in my youth, I was really more interested in playing "Horsie" (if you catch my meaning -- nudge, nudge; wink, wink).

The Philadelphia region just hosted a major college rugby event, which was (from what I've seen on our local news) a huge hit. Rugby is sort of like American football, without the padding. Players often leave the field bruised and bloodied, which is apparently how they like it. And while I love Ben Cohen and his efforts to promote tolerance both here and in the UK, I'd honestly much rather watch him shower than play (TMI?). 

So when I came across the video embedded below on Towleroad, I knew I had to share. Apparently the Toronto Gay Rugby Club is looking to recruit new members and they've put together this video in an effort to do so. Ladies and Germs, I give you "The Gay Who Wasn't Gay Enough:"

Can I be the on-site medic? I'm very good at kissing boo-boos...

More, anon.
Prospero

You have read this article Ben Cohen / Gay / Hot / Rugby / Sports / The Gayest Thing with the title Sports. You can bookmark this page URL http://tammycross.blogspot.com/2011/06/the-gayest-thing-you-see-this-week.html. Thanks!