Out in Sports: April 2007 Archives

Roger Federer may be on something of slump (he's lost THREE matches this year) but he is still the world's top tennis player having won the last three grand slam tournaments. He's also handsome and articulate which is apparent in the new issue of Men's Vogue. To read excerpts from the magazine profile, about Andre Agassi's charitable activities and about Rafael Nadal's clay-court winning streak reaching 70 matches on Friday, check out my tennis blog:DEUCE!

I knew it! You really miss seeing pictures of Spanish hearthrob Rafael Nadal playing tennis in various cities around the world posted on Out In Hollywood! Well, here is some good news: I am following Nadal's progress and that of other players on the men's and women's pro tennis tours on my other blog Deuce! Today, I post the world rankingsand recap the weekend's tournament results. Also be sure to read a post from a few days ago reflecting on Chris Evert's historic 125-match clay court winning streak.
And as a bonus, here are a few more pics of Rafa!

We all know that closeted gay athletes will never start coming out during their playing careers unless they have more straight allies in the locker room - top players who make it clear that the fact that their teammate is gay is not a problem for them.So how heartening it is to read a column written for The Observer by British footballer [soccer player] David James on Sunday. Here are some excerpts:
Football, it seems, is one of the last professional environments where you can't be out and proud. In every other entertainment industry we have gay stars. Why should football be different? Are football fans really so incapable of watching a gay player without abusing him? The same bunch of fans who are routinely homophobic always sing along to the camp-as-you-like Scissors Sisters anthems played at grounds up and down the country or the Pet Shop Boys song 'Go West'?...
...Sportsmen and women have come out in other sports, but it hasn't always been a straightforward process - although Martina Navratilova continued to be successful on the tennis court, she claims she lost out on $12million in sponsorship deals. Many athletes prefer to wait until they retire, like John Amaechi, the British former NBA player, did earlier this year. I was watching the TV when his announcement flashed up. I know John because our paths crossed working for the Special Olympics, but I would never have guessed he was gay...
...I have a number of gay friends and although they wouldn't want me shouting from the rooftops about their sexuality, I'd like to encourage them to come out. I accept that it's easy for me to say that, but how many more years will it be before we can talk openly about gay men playing professional football? From next season homophobic chanting is outlawed, which is a start. It'll still take some sort of new age hero to be the first to come out, but I just hope, for football's sake, that it happens soon.

Click HERE to read his entire article as it appeared in The Observer.

I hope this picture of Spain's Rafael Nadal got your attention. It's my way of promoting my little side project, a tennis blog called Deuce! Check it out!!!

How do I get myself into these things?
Our food editor at the Daily News, Natalie Haughton, needed a favor. Could I meet her at Dodger Stadium on a Friday morning to participate in a taste test of some healthy new menu items? I thought, well, sure. I need to start eating healthier and I might as well do it at Dodger Stadium.
The whole thing ended up being a lot of fun. We were given a tour of the Stadium Club then seated in some area usually reserved for bigwigs overlooking the feild. These cool chefs began to bring out a steady stream of grub for me, Natalie and this dude named Jorge Rodriguez who was the designated Dodger fan. You can read about what we like best in today's edition of the Daily News.
But, I'll give you the REAL story right here:
Spinach Salad w/Strawberries: Excellent! My dad makes this salad and this was ALMOST as good as my dad's. The real secret is the pecans.
Fruit Salad: It's diced melons with grapes and strawberries along with a raspberry yogurt dressing that elevates it from just a run-of-the-mill fruit bowl to something pretty deliish,
Grilled Vegetable Wrap: This was gooooood. Grilled veggies inside a warm spinach torilla. Great flavor and something that's easy to eat in your seat. You could hold this sucker in one hand and catch a fly ball with the other.
Hummus and Assorted Vegatable Crudite: OK, the veggies are the run-of-the-mill carrots and celery but also some good little cherry tomatoes and peppers. But the real deal is the hummus. I love hummus but a really terrific hummus is hard to find unless you are at a restaurant that makes it well. The flavor and texture of this hummus sent me to the moon. Loved it.
Oven Roasted Tuirkey Wrap: Did you think I was going to love EVERYTHING those chefs put in front of me? Give Greg some credit! The turkeys they used must have been raised around a salt lick because it was...SALTY! I've never known such thirst after taking a nibble of that vittle.
Grilled Turkey Hot Dog: This is good. Guess these turkeys didn't go near that salt lick.
Vegetable Hot Dog: OK, I gotta be honest. I wouldn't feed this dog to my dog, mmmmmkay? I suppose a vegetarian who wanted to have a pure ballpark experience might find it edible but not me. It was nasty!
Dodger Dog: As you can see from these embarassing pics, no complaints about a Dodger Dog. They are terrific. I hate to say it, but I've had the dogs at Wrigley Field and Coors Field and found them more delish than the Dodger Dog. But, I live closer to Dodger Stadium than to Chicago or Denver!
Footlong Andouille Sausage: This sucker is hot! Verrrry spicy. If ya like that kinda thing, go for it. I try not to eat anything that makes me wanna cry. The sausage does come inside a really good baguette roll.
Chicken Sandwich: This is fine but not inspired. It reminded me of the BBQ chicken sandwich that you can get from Carl's Jr. with the skinless chicken breast and BBQ sauce.
Steak Sandwich: This one though, is inspired. The meat has a terrific flavor and the lettuce and tomato are very fresh on a delicious sourdough roll that compliments the meat perfectly.

OK, so we tasted all this stuff, usually just a bite of two of each so we wouldn't hurl all over Tommy Lasorda or someone. But as we were leaving, the staff told Natalie and I to take anything we wanted to from the dessert tray (pictured above). I'm usually more of a savory than sweet kinda guy but these desserts were pretty damned tempting. So, I loaded up a container with a slice of some unbelievable carrot cake that is among the best I've ever had; and this amazing dessert called Smores Pie. I can't even begin to explain it but trust me, if you order some, you will be happy as a clam at high tide.
If you'll excuse me now, I've gotta go out and get some TUMS!

Found this via Towleroad.com and thought it was so cute: During the Seattle Mariners' home opener earlier this week, they grabbed a photo op with some former players, including Jay Buhner, an outfielder who retired in 2001. Buhner took the opportunity to grab a few things of his own, making it one to remember for Raul Ibanez and Willie Bloomquist.

For all of you "Out In Hollywood" readers who enjoy my tennis coverage, most of it will now appear in a seperate blog that I launched today called "Deuce!" I reserve the right to post a beefcake shot of Rafael Nadal on this blog but "Duece!" is be more pure sport-talk about the game I love. And for those of you who quickly scrolled past anything tennis-related...you're free!
Please check out the new blog, add it to your favorites and send a link to your friends!

Former NBA player John Amaechi will be the grand marshal for a gay pride festival in West Hollywood this summer.
It is a GREAT choice...certainly better than Paris Hilton who somehow was picked a few years ago. I'm still not over that one.
Organizers said Amaechi was selected because he showed courage and conviction despite personal risk in coming out publicly earlier this year when his book, "Man in the Middle" was published.
"We are inspired by Amaechi's courage and convictions. Despite personal risk, he opened himself up to the world and showed his authentic self," said Rodney Scott, president of Christopher Street West, an organization that advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community."
Here is a link to my STORY on Amechi that ran in the Daily News a few months ago.
The Los Angeles LGBT Pride Celebration is set for June 8-10 and includes a parade on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Says Amaechi: "I am honored to be the grand marshal at this year's Pride Celebration celebrating equality for each of us."

I am so happy to post this! The HBO documentary, "Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer," was announced as a winner of the coveted 2006 George Foster Peabody Awards.
Anyone who saw this program profiling the extraordinary life of BJK came away with such respect for this force of nature. I think the documentary is largely responsible for bringing Billie Jean back in the public eye in a big way. She has always been busy doing various things but suddenly this summer, she was Billie Jean King superstar again. The United States Tennis Center was named after her in late August at the U.S. Open, she received an award from the Human Rights Campaign, and was even a model during a fashion week fundraiser in New York getting the most applause when she strutted down the catwalk in a red pantsuit to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."
Anyway, congrats to the people behind this magnificent documentary and to its legendary subject.

Also winning Peabody's: NBC's "The Office," "Friday Night Lights" and "Scrubs" along with ABC's "Ugly Betty."
The awards will be handed out June 4 at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. It will be hosted by NBC-HBO sportscaster Bob Costas.

It is a glammed-up Monica Seles! It looks like retirement agrees with this former number one who ruled tennis with Steffi Graf for several years in the 90s winning four Australian Opens, three French Opens, and two U.S. Opens between 1990 and 1996. To put her accomplishments in perspective, the only players to have won more Grand Slam titles during their careers are all tennis legends: Graf, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Margaret Smith Court.
Her career was interrupted tragically in 1993 when she was stabbed by a deranged fan of Graf's while playing a match in Hamburg. Monica was out for 2.5 years healing from her physical and psychological wounds. She was never the same player again but she was still damned good and won many more titles before chronic foot injuries drove her out of the game for good around three years ago.
I'll always cherish being in the second row of Monica's match against Lyndsay Davenport at the year-end championships at Staples Center. I think it was four years ago. Davenport appeared poised for a straight sets win but Seles fought off seven match points - most of them with winners - and ended up winning the match!

Novak Djokovic is a big hero in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia, and was treated like a rock star upon his return Monday. I'm just nuts about this kid ands the breath of fresh air he brings to tennis. When you can hold your nerve and win such a big title so young (he's 19), the sky is the limit.
Reporters asked Djokovic how he succeeded in defeating Guillermo Canas in the final of the Sony Ericcson Open on Sunday after Canas had upset top-ranjked Roger Federer twice within a two-week period.
"I cannot now give any advices or tips to Roger," Djokovic said with a smile. "It would be not so nice, you know. He's No. 1 and probably the best player ever in the history of this sport."
Djokovic, a Serb, and Scotsman Andy Murray, both 19, have been touted as future Grand Slam champions.
"Two young players, it's always nice," Djokovic said. "I think it's a great thing for tennis to see Rafael Nadal, Murray and myself playing so well and bringing something so new into tennis. "I think you all had enough of Federer winning every tournament, so it's good."
Despite his two bizarre losses to Canas, Federer is still the man at the top of the heap. On Monday, he began his 166th consecutive week at No. 1, a record, and leads by such a wide margin he's almost certain to remain on top through Wimbledon. He has won the past three major events and needs four more Grand Slam titles to equal Pete Sampras' record of 14.
But I think Novak will be a factor this year. And more than his beautiful game, he is like Federer in that he is a gentleman. Look (below) at how he greeted Canas at the net after beating him:

Gee, this is a real sports-oriented Sunday for Out In Hollywood. It's nothing planned, this blog just goes where the news is and right now, that news happens involves a good looking Olympian named Michael Phelps making history Sunday at the World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.
Phelps equalled the most hallowed mark in swimming by winning his seventh gold medal and also achieved his fifth world record. He smashed his own world record in the 400m individual medley by 2.04 seconds, becoming the most successful swimmer ever at the worlds.
The 21-year-old American joined countryman Mark Spitz as the only swimmers ever to win that many golds at a major international meet. Of course, Spitz' achievement came on the sport's grandest stage — the Olympics. Phelps hopes to equal the feat or go one better at next year's Beijing Games.
You can count on this blog to follow his progress...

His name might be a little difficult to say, but boy, is he easy on the eyes.
He's 19-year-old Novak Djokovic and on Sunday, he became the youngest man to ever win the Sony Ericcson Open. I was visitng my parents in The OC and I half-heartedly turned on the match (it was Novak vs. Guillermo Canas, the dude who has beaten Roger Federer twice this month). I figured, let me catch a few minutes of this no-name final and maybe they'll show a recap of the Serena Williams win yesterday. I was so annoyed that Canas had taken out Federer that I decided, early on, that I was annoyed by his hairbun - a very unnattractive way for a man to wear his hair. Petty, yes. But also true.
But something glorious happened: Djokovic, of Serbia, played such superb tennis that was an absolute joy to watch. He has a terrific serve, a great variety of shots, wonderful imagination in the way he constructs points, and is extremely competitive.
I've seen lotsa guys win big tournaments then go away. But I have a feeling about Djokovic, that he's the real deal and is on the rise the way that Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and Andre Agassi were as teens. I actually think he might emerge as the primary challenger to number one rather than Rafeal Nadal, who he lost to in the final of the Pacific Life Open a few weeks ago but stopped in the quarterfinals in Miami. I think Djokovic has the more complete game, so graceful and fluid and not as likely to go south.
And here's another nice thing: He is an intelligent and articulate man who showed such great poise and charm during the trophy presentation and on-court interviews with CBS. Plus he's a great looking guy! I think he's got it all and as of Monday, he will be ranked seventh in the world...with a bullet!

I was watching Serena Williams getting whipped in the final of the Sony Ericcson Open yesterday morning on television but had to leave mid-match to meet my dad at the movies (We saw "The Shooter" and we both liked it a lot!). Serena was down 0-6, 3-4 to top-ranked Justine Henin when I turned the set off wondering if she would be able to find a way back. Well...she did! In an extraordinary display of heart and competitive fire, Serena saved two match points late in the second set to prevail over Henin, 06 75 63, for her fourth career Sony Ericsson Open title. Serena whipped second-seed Maria Sharapova, who she beat in January for the Australian Open title, in an earlier round.
"When I get down, a part of me just plays better," Williams said after the match. "I think all champions have that."
The comeback was nothing new for Williams, who revived her career by winning the Australian Open in January for her eighth Grand Slam title. Once ranked No. 1, she fell to 140th last July because of long layoffs, but will climb back to 11th next week.
This is the most dramatic comeback since Andre Agassi, ranked number one in 1995, fell all the way down to 141 by late 1997. By 1999, he was number one again.
Like Agassi, Serena has enough talent and self-belief to weather these peaks and valleys that most players can never climb out of.