Compete June 2013

WNBA: Women with Balls SPORTS. DIVERSITY.

GAY GAMES

IX

COMING TO CLEVELAND +AKRON

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A WOMEN’S SPORTS ICON A NEW GAME FOR

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The Team at Compete Magazine is honored to be a part of the rich and diverse Phoenix Area LGBT community.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, READERS, ADVERTISERS AND SUPPORTERS! From all of us at Compete, Karrington Valenzuela Shane Martos Jay Gelnett Ty Tafoya Chris Lembke Connie Wardman David Riach Eric Carlyle Content is copyright protected and provided for personal use only - not for reproduction or retransmission.

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FROM THE SKYBOX

BY ERIC CARLYLE, CO-FOUNDER

Let’s Work Together T

HE LGBT COMMUNITY IS TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT TO

any business dedicated to serving it. As Compete transitions to a regional focus that showcases sports culture in local communities such as Phoenix, we look to enlist the help of everyone in the LGBT community as well as the growing number of allies – local athletes, sports enthusiasts, our readers, local business owners and community leaders.

Compete Magazine was founded in 2006 (as Sports Out Loud) and was the first print magazine dedicated to covering LGBT athletes and sports.

As with any new business without a model to follow, it was a rocky road at first.

While we have made some missteps on our journey, we have also learned a lot. We know from past experience that we make the biggest positive impact when we work together. And those positive changes generated locally expand and grow beyond those confines, ultimately making the world a better place for all of us.

We are happy to be starting our regional focus in our home base of Phoenix and we ask all of you to join us in changing the sports culture by making it more diverse, more inclusive and supportive.

ARE YOU AN ATHLETE? Everyone has a story to share so please share your stories with us. As we grow we will be adding more local sports pages to cover more athletes.

ARE YOU A COMMUNITY LEADER? Help us by introducing Compete to local sports organizations, nonprofit groups and prospective advertisers.

ARE YOU A SPORTS FAN? Pick up a copy of Compete and ask local businesses to carry Compete in their store or establishment.

DO YOU OWN A SMALL BUSINESS? We need advertisers to help us in supporting your local community.

If you are a small business owner, an advertising partner or decision maker please let us know.

Let’s partner and grow together.

Sport on,

Eric Carlyle Publisher eric.carlyle@mediaoutloud.com

4

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COMPETE MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Connie Wardman connie.wardman@mediaoutloud.com Community Editor Ty Nolan • ty.nolan@mediaoutloud.com Art Director Jay Gelnett • jay.gelnett@mediaoutloud.com Contributors Harry Andrew, Bryce Carter, Renee Chase, Ian Colgate, Amy Jones, Jeff Kagan, Miriam Latto, Chris Mosier, Jimmie Munoz Jr., Brian Patrick, Chris Schiffer Photographers Gregg Edelman, Don Thompson, William Waybourn COMPETENETWORK.COM Associate Editor Ty Nolan • ty.nolan@mediaoutloud.com

Cleveland’s Terminal Tower Photo by Larry E Highbaugh Jr.

FOUNDERS Publisher/Sales Manager Eric Carlyle • eric.carlyle@mediaoutloud.com Publisher/Website Production David Riach • david.riach@mediaoutloud.com

JUNE 2013

Volume 7, Issue 6

12 GAY GAMES SET SAIL IN 2014 20 THE CHANGING FACE OF THE WNBA

COMPETE RADIO Executive Producer Joe Dugandzic • joe@qtalkaz.com

28 WNBA PIONEER LYNETTE WOODARD

SOCIAL MEDIA Chris Lembke • socialmedia@competenetwork.com

KICK–OFF

COMPETE SALES & PARTNERSHIPS (ALL BRANDS) Media Sales Executives Karrington Valenzuela karrington.valenzuela@mediaoutloud.com Matthew Martin matthew.martin@mediaoutloud.com Shane Martos shane.martos@mediaoutloud.com

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Copyright 2012 MEDIA OUT LOUD, LLC 4703 South Lakeshore Drive, Suite 3 Tempe, Arizona 85282 P 480.222.4223 • F 480.889.5513 Compete is a trademark of Media Out Loud, LLC

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MISSION STATEMENT Compete unites the world through sports.

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DEPARTMENTS Billy Bean’s New Game – Sports Equality

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KICKOFF GRANDSTANDING

LETTERS TO COMPETE MAGAZINE

LET’S GET WET That Swimsuit issue [May issue] is HOT! Kevin Jimenez – San Francisco WOW – love it!

Jim Guinn – Phoenix Can you do a swimsuit issue more often?

Julio M. – Los Angeles

ONE N TEN Thanks for the story on the LGBT kids playing softball [May issue]. Wish I had that option at their age.

Paul Keller – New York City

SHE’S FABULOUS! I love the Mercury and with the fab Brittney Griner as new kid on the block [May issue], I can’t wait to see what she does for the team.

Stacy Smith – Tucson Can you believe the arm span on Brittney Griner?

Marc Ortenburg – Chicago

FROM THE CATBIRD SEAT

BY CONNIE WARDMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE TIMES ARE DEFINITELY CHANGING

Y

ES, TIMES REALLY ARE CHANGING – AND it’s for the better. I’m attending the 2nd Nike LGBT Summit in Portland this month. The goal of ending LGBT bias in sports by 2016 is already well underway. This is the time for all of us who are deeply committed to ending homophobia in sports to stand up and be counted! I’m so proud to be part of Compete’s mission to unite the world through sports and I invite you to join me as we continue to change society’s image of LGBT athletes.

June is considered by many as the “official” time to celebrate gay pride. As you celebrate it in your community, take a look at how many straight allies are now involved in pride celebrations. More and more individuals, straight and gay alike, are looking at the double standard that has long been applied to the gay community and saying that it’s finally time for that to change.

I love the fact that we’re looking at the WNBA in this issue. There are lots of great women athletes out there – always have been. But this latest WNBA draft has produced multiple women players who everyone expects will change the face of the game as well as the face of the league. It also feels like a personal milestone for me since the first story I ever wrote for Compete was a 2007 piece on the 10-year anniversary of the league.

Another amazing part of this issue is the story of former MLB player, Billy Bean. He was playing for the Padres and deeply closeted when his partner died. It rocked his world so severely that he walked away from his dream career as a professional baseball player and moved to Florida to come to grips with everything that was going on in his life.

But he’s now become an open LGBT advocate and was recently named by Ben Cohen as the vice chairman of the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation board.

To quote Mr. Rogers, “it’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood,” … and getting better every day!

Keep Smiling,

Connie Wardman, Editor-in-Chief connie.wardman@mediaoutloud.com

6

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KICKOFF

LEFT FIELD

FROM THE COMPETE BLOGS

DISNEY GAY DAY ATTACKED BY ONE MILLION MOMS FROM MAY 25 BLOG

As the mother of a gay son who was a professional dancer and singer who worked for the Disney parks worldwide over the course of his career, I’m truly saddened that One Million Moms (OMM) is trying to stop Disney’s Gay Day held this year on June 1 at Disney World, their Florida location.

We all need a little “magic” in our lives and Disney’s Magic Kingdom offers that beautifully to children of all ages, gay and straight alike. Ironically, if they banned ALL gays from the park on any given day, they’d be missing a huge chunk of the entertainment and service staffs as well as the gay patrons – Disney World would indeed be a very” small world” that day!

Here is a picture of my son, Jeff with Mickey. Oh no, do you think Mickey knew he was posing with a gay guy???

Or worse, do you think Mickey is gay?

Horrors for OMM! The same group that protested J.C. Penney for using Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesperson and even rainbow Oreos, OMM accuses Disney World of “forcing captive audiences to see public displays of affection.” They actually contend that the annual Gay Day is planned with the express intent of exposing and desensitizing children to a gay lifestyle by same-sex couples holding hands, hugging and kissing.

Thank heaven gay people’s children aren’t exposed and desensitized to a straight lifestyle by straight couples doing the same thing!

The organization has encouraged their members to email the following boilerplate message to Disney World: “I insist you change your policy and protect unsuspecting families and children from being forced as a captive audience to witness future Gay Days at the Magic Kingdom.”

No one is forcing them to attend that day. And I hardly think Disney takes captives – there are no armed guards at the gates and of all those who have ridden The Pirates of the Carribean, not a single one has been taken and held captive. If these mothers are so concerned about protecting their children, you’d think that they or even the OMM staff would send out a warning about the date of Gay Day each year so they can avoid attending the park that day.

No one is forcing them to attend on Gay Day. Disney World, whose current president is openly gay, responded to this same demand several years ago, telling OMM that this is not sponsored by Disney. These special days, like special days at any major sporting event, are arranged by separate organizations. But that hasn’t stopped OMM from continuing to press the issue. They could organize and sponsor their own Straight Day if they chose

8

to have a day in the park surrounded by only their own kind. Where on earth are their logical and critical thinking skills? What a shame they’ve chosen fear and anger over love and inclusion!

In the meantime, Gay Days for the park means big business. First held in 1991 with about 3,000 gays in attendance, it has grown to now rival pride parades in San Francisco and New York City. So if you’re looking to display your gay pride on an annual basis, may I suggest booking your reservation to Orlando and being part of Disney’s Gay Days each year? Maybe Ellen can be the Grand Marshal of the Disney Parade and we can get Kraft Foods to bake some rainbow Oreos. Sounds like a good time to me!

SF GIANT’S JEREMY AFFELDT NOW LOVES HIS NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF FROM MAY 26 BLOG

Giant’s relief pitcher Jeremy Affeldt has given up his admitted homophobia for a newly-developed belief in tolerance, saying that “It’s a matter of love your neighbor as yourself.” Over the course of his baseball career he admits to staying locked in his hotel room when playing games in Oakland and San Francisco, afraid he might meet gay people. In his new book revealing his evolvement from homophobia to tolerance, “To Stir A Movement: Life, Justice and Major League Baseball,” Affeldt says he may “get a lot of flak from the church for it, but I believe I’m right.”

Talking about the LGBT community, Affeldt says, “I’m going to look at a group of people who maybe don’t share the same views as I do morally but the reality is there is no difference, none” He continued to say “They’re human beings, and I’m going to love on them just as God told me to love all human beings. I’m not going to sit there and worry about all that other garbage.”

He says he’s now proud to live in San Francisco, a town that has made him a better man. “I see more San Francisco as a city of love and a city of passion and compassion. It’s unbelievable, this city. To see that and to have my heart change as a city I didn’t ever want to come to, to a city that I’m so thankful I’m going to be part of for a long time. ... For me, it was an awesome deal.”

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THUMBS UP THUMBS UP TO BILLIE JEAN KING

… for continuing to be a positive voice for sports diversity, reminding everyone that before the NBA’s Jason Collins came out while still playing, there was Glenn Burke who played for the LA Dodgers and Oakland A’s.

Playing during the late 1970s and early 80s he was openly gay to his teammates, coaches and team but suffered for his honesty. King says “He was the Jackie Robinson of our rights and no one listened to him and he died very, very young, a broken person.”

THUMBS UP AND DOWN TO

THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA THUMBS UP for deciding to include openly gay boys as members. THUMBS DOWN for discriminating against gay men 18 years of age and older by not allowing them to act as scout leaders as well as to serve in other capacities. How do parents explain to their boys that being gay is only acceptable and honored for your first 18 years – after that you are a menace to society in general and to boy scouts in particular. Did anyone think this through?

QUIZ

THUMBS UP TO FORMER FIRST DAUGHTER CHELSEA CLINTON

… for co-founding and becoming co-chairwoman of New York University’s Of Many Institute, a program for multi-faith education. Its website says the institute “supports a new generation of religious and civic leaders who, deeply rooted in their own religious and spiritual traditions, reach across faith boundaries to solve social problems together.” She has positively influenced her father to become an ally to the LGBT community so let’s hope her tolerant and inclusive beliefs are infused into this new organization.

THUMBS UP TO

ROBBIE ROGERS AND THE LA GALAXY

… for their courage. THUMBS UP to Rogers for being willing to come back to Major League Soccer as its first gay player. And the same to the LA Galaxy for being willing to sign Rogers knowing that he is openly gay. It takes courage on both sides of this wonderful new development in pro soccer and both deserve lots of credit!

THUMBS UP TO ROGER FEDERER AND ANDY MURRAY

… the second and third-ranked professional tennis players who say they’d have no problem with a tennis pro coming out of the closet.

Who was the first player signed by the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association)?

Sheryl Swoopes was the first player signed by the Houston Comets in the WNBA’s 1997 inaugural season and led the team in its 1997 WNBA Championship win.

SPORTS

THUMBS DOWN

?

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Next year, it will be 20 years since Greg Louganis came out publicly at the Gay Games hosted in New York. It will be 30 years since he came to Cleveland to practice as a member of the U.S. Olympic diving team. Next year, Louganis’ news-making events will be brought full circle when the Gay Games make history by coming to America’s heartland – Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

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GAY GAMES SET SAIL ON A GREAT LAKE C “

leveland+Akron is the smallest region to ever host the Games.

They were chosen in part for the great sporting venues offered in the region,” says Kurt Dahl, cochair of the Federation of Gay Games, which selected Cleveland as the host city for the Gay Games scheduled August 9-16, 2014.

So not only will divers get to jump from the same platforms where Louganis trained, the hundreds of swimmers expected for the Gay Games will compete in the same pool where the U.S. Olympic swim team trained in 1976 and 1980. Participants in softball, volleyball, marathon, bowling, rowing, sailing, basketball and more than two dozen other sports will be playing on some of the “coolest” fields, courts, courses, alleys and more, according to Rob Smitherman, associate executive director for the 2014 Gay Games presented by the Cleveland Foundation.

“Many bigger cities don’t have a lot of venues within a smaller, more convenient area to get to,” Smitherman says.

“In Cleveland+Akron, most venues are within 20 minutes of the cities, and many are even walkable from the hotels.”

The convenience of venues also makes the 2014 Gay Games an ideal opportunity for participants of all athletic abilities, from rank beginners to almost-professionals, and everything in between. “You can compete at your level and you can compete being who you are,” Smitherman says.

NO WAVES AT BUSBEY NATATORIUM Gay Games swimmers and divers will jump into the same pool that the U.S. Olympic swim team used to train prior to the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. The natatorium at Cleveland State University was so well received that the U.S. Olympic diving team even came back in 1984. “Greg Louganis has lived in Cleveland and practiced in that pool,” Smitherman explains.

Built in 1974, the Busbey Natatorium at Cleveland State University in downtown Cleveland was state of the art. It was a training site for the U.S. Olympic swim team prior to the 1976 and 1980 Olympics, and was so well received that the U.S. Olympic diving team, which included Louganis, returned in 1984. Busbey was one of the first pools in the country to offer wide gutters– something that swimmers

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prize. Instead of splashing against the wall and creating waves to disrupt the swimmers’ rhythm, the water falls into the gutters, creating smoother water.

Smitherman says it remains one of the top pools in the country. The 50-meters long course is very fast and the swimmers will love it, he notes.

Divers will appreciate the diving well with 1- and 3-meter platforms. “It’s a beautiful diving well, warm-up pool, hot tub. It has everything an international swim meet would want.

The natatorium will host all swimming and diving events except water polo and open water swim.

Pink Flamingo, the entertaining pool showcase, also will be held at Busbey Natatorium.

The Gay Games will be the largest international gay and lesbian aquatic event in 2014 because the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics, which supports the Gay Games, doesn’t hold its championships in the same year as the Gay Games. (IGLA’s 2013 championships are in Seattle this August.)

Photo by Jay W.

Photo by Ryan Kolodziej

PLAY BALL Cleveland State University’s NCAA Division I campus also will be home to the basketball competition. Woodling Gymnasium will enable basketball to compete in a single facility. Smitherman, a basketball player himself, says it’s rare to have five courts in the same place and at a location so convenient that players could walk from their downtown Cleveland hotels.

In Akron, Firestone Stadium will be primary home for Gay Games softball. Home to the National Pro Fastpitch softball league team Akron Racers, Firestone is one of the best dedicated softball stadiums in the United States. The

14

historic stadium was dedicated in 1925 by Harvey Firestone, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, which operated the stadium until it was donated to the city of Akron in 1988. It has hosted the NCAA Mid-American Conference softball tournament eight times since 2002.

Akron Racers management also will be assisting in the running of the softball events and is planning events around the softball tournament at the stadium and surrounding sites. All softball games will be played at or within a 20-minute drive of the stadium and the championship games will be in Firestone Stadium or the adjacent field.

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STRIKE IT UP BIG For the first time since bowling became one of the most popular sports at the Gay Games, all bowling games will be played in the same location.

Freeway Lanes in suburban Wickliffe has 84 dedicated bowling lanes. In 2012, it hosted the NCAA women’s national championship. “It’s one of the largest venues in the world,” Smitherman says, noting some say it’s the largest bowling alley east of the Mississippi River.

With an estimated 600 to 700 bowlers participating in the Gay Games, having them all in the same location will make it easier for scheduling as well as interacting with fellow bowlers throughout the competition.

CONVENE AND VOLLEY Central to downtown Cleveland and a hub of the Gay Games, the new Cleveland Convention Center (scheduled to open this summer) will be home to volleyball and badminton.

The Gay Games will bring in a regulation floor to accommodate more than 20 volleyball courts in the same location – that compares to seven different sites for volleyball at the 2010 Games in Cologne, Germany.

Badminton will be hosted in another exhibition hall within the center – and that will require another floor to be installed. But the location isn’t all about floors. It’s about what’s on top, too. The Gay Games’ festival village will most likely be on the roof of the below-ground area of convention center.

RUN LONG AND JUMP HIGH

Photo by Amy Wooten

16

As one of the top 10 marathon courses in the United States, the Akron Marathon attracts 15,000 annually. At the Gay Games, an expected 600 marathon and half-marathon participants will run on 13.2 miles of that course (marathoners will do two circuits). In addition, the Akron Mara-

Photo by Ken Jensen

thon organizers are the same ones who will be operating the Gay Games marathon and half marathon events.

Shorter-distance running will continue at the nearby University of Akron which is opening its dedicated trackand-field venue to the Gay Games. Smitherman explains that track-and-field participants will appreciate the “dedicated” aspect because they won’t have to compete with a football team practicing in the middle. This is particularly important because when the Games are held, college football practice will be in full swing.

Track and field events range from the 100- and 1,500meter runs to the high and long jumps plus the pole vault and steeplechase (where one of the running hurdles also is a water hazard.)

SAILING NO LONGER UP IN THE AIR The water theme streams along the Gay Games, which makes perfect sense because Cleveland is situated on the southern edge of Lake Erie, one of America’s five Great Lakes. Even though Cleveland sits on a Great Lake, sailing almost didn’t happen.

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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum

eum

Cleveland Art Mus

“It’s extremely hard to get 20 boats of the same class to borrow or rent,” Smitherman says. “It’s also very difficult to find dock space to accommodate that many boats for a temporary event.”

Fortunately, two partners stepped up to help the 2014 Gay Games make sailing happen. Edgewater Yacht Club will provide the docks and venue. Tartan Yachts will build 20 custom boats for the Gay Games, stepping up as the presenting sponsor of sailing and as a platinum sponsor of the Gay Games.

“It’s incredible,” Smitherman says. “We already have at least one U.S. Olympic sailor registered to participate, and we expect sailing to reach capacity well before the Games begin.”

On the Case campus, water polo participants will compete in Case’s new pool while wrestlers will hit the mats in the gym. In Case’s multi-purpose Veale Center, the back-andforth of table tennis, squash and racquetball will be played.

CONTINUE ON THE WATER

The Gay Games is working to finalize agreements so other venues can be announced in the next few months. All event venues are expected to be released by summer 2013.

Open water swimmers also will compete in Lake Erie, starting and ending at the public Edgewater Beach which has some of the best views of the downtown Cleveland skyline.

Between the open-water swim location and downtown Cleveland sits the Cuyahoga River (named for the Native American word for “crooked”). Gay Games rowers will take to the Cuyahoga in a head race at the same location used

by U.S. Masters Rowing in 2012. It is recognized as one of the best race courses in the country.

RODEO Although not an official Gay Games sport, rodeo will be an affiliated event at the 2014 Gay Games. The International Gay Rodeo Association is developing the rodeo which will be held at the Summit County Fairgrounds in Akron.

MORE TO COME ...

HEAD EAST In Cleveland’s University Circle neighborhood sits the world-renowned Cleveland Museum of Art, the Cleveland Natural History Museum, Cleveland Botanical Gardens and Western Reserve Historical Society. In that same neighborhood, Gay Games participants will come to life on the campus of Case Western Reserve University.

18

Photo by Amy Wooten

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Photos courtesy of the Phoenix Mercury

THE

CHANGING FACE OF THE THE WNBA Formed in 1996 as the counterpart to the male-only NBA, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the WNBA has come a long way since its humble beginnings.

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By Connie Wardman

A

nd it’s the Phoenix Mercury that have been blowing up the media due to the team’s recent first round draft pick, Brittney Griner out of Baylor. At 6-foot-8 with an 88-inch wingspan, she’s been garnering the lion’s share of the publicity about the WNBA’s 2013 season, bringing with her the following college stats: ❯❯ Three-time All-American graduating with 3,283 points ❯❯ Second all-time women’s scorer in NCAA history ❯❯ Two-time AP women’s college basketball Player of the Year

Diana Taurasi drives for a lay-up Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Mercury

Its first season began without much pomp and ceremony on June 21, 1997 following on the heels of a highly-publicized Olympic gold medal run by the 1996 USA Basketball Women’s National Team at the Summer Games in Atlanta. Of the original eight teams, some have folded and others have morphed into different teams with different locations, leaving the current number of teams at 12 – six representing the Eastern Conference and six representing the Western Conference. Only the Los Angeles Sparks, New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury and the San Antonio Silver Stars (formerly Utah Starzz) remain from the original teams.

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❯❯ Top shot-blocker of all time for both the men’s and women’s college records with a total of 748.

Griner joins a solid Mercury lineup of DeWanna Bonner, Candice Dupree, Briana Gilbreath, Alexis Hornbuckle, Charde Houston, Lynetta Kizer, Samantha Prahalis, Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor and Krystal Thomas. But the truth is that no matter how many honors she brings with her and how much media attention she attracts, Griner is part of a team – ultimately, she has to fit in.

Taurasi, a veteran player with honors all her own, has said that “Basketball is about five people who can work together to complete a play, to get a defensive rotation down. It doesn’t matter how many individuals you have if you can’t put it together.”

With Olympic, World Championship and U18 gold medals to her name as well as being named the 2004

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WNBA Rookie of the Year and being the second player in WNBA history to win the regular season scoring title, the WNBA MVP Award, the WNBA Championship and the WNBA Finals MVP Award all in the same season (2009), Taurasi certainly knows a thing or two about the game of basketball and what it takes to win.

Putting it all together is Coach Corey Gaines’ job. He thinks that it all comes down to chemistry. Admitting that teams don’t always jell, he says that when individuals don’t get along on or off the court, it can throw a team off. When I spoke with him recently, however, he said that he has a veteran team that knows how to win. And it’s apparent that much of that is due to his coaching skills.

Gaines, who comes with a sterling resume having both played for and worked with former Mercury coach Paul Westhead, the “Guru of Corey Gaines Coaching

that signature fastbreak playing style, set an approach that other teams in the league have emulated.

There is an amazing network of people and information available to all the NBA teams. Since he is also an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, I asked Gaines if the WNBA has the same or similar wealth of information to share within the league like the NBA. Sadly, the answer is no. While the WNBA has grown an active and faithful following over the years, it has never brought in the money that gives the NBA the ability to employ advance scouts, local writers, video crews and all the other trappings that provide their teams the ultimate outcomes their fans have come to expect.

Another big difference between the WNBA and the NBA is the whole issue of being openly gay. While both players wound up signing a major endorsement contract with Nike (one of the things that signals a major player), Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Mercury media coverage of Jason Collins’ coming out was treated like the announcement of the century while Griner’s coming out, although newsworthy, wasn’t treated as groundbreaking an announcement as her male counterpart.

In a recent article by Ross Forman of the Windy City Times, several members of the Chicago Sky revealed the general attitude of the women players. Swin Cash has said that “At the end of the day, the bottom line is, can you help us win?

Respect is the key. I just want to win, and if you can help in any way, I want you on

Go,” is now entering his fifth season as the Mercury’s head coach. And in 2011 he was also named their general manager when Ann MeyersDrysdale retired. An L.A. native, Gaines learned Westhead’s up-tempo fastbreak style when playing for him at Loyola Marymount. Following Gaines’ retirement from his own playing career in the NBA, the ABA and overseas, he joined Westhead with the Mercury in the 2006-2007 season as his assistant and then replaced his mentor the next year as head coach.

Set to become the longest-tenured coach in franchise history, Gaines also became the all-time winningest coach in franchise history last year when he bested the legendary Cheryl Miller’s record. Due to his influence in his various capacities with the Mercury, the team has led the league in scoring six consecutive seasons, set league records four times and with

(Continued on page 26)

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INTERESTS: Playing sports, working out, hiking, camping, wakeboarding, snowboarding, cliff jumping, travel, reading, art, and music.

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Football—Drew Brees (in my eyes can do no wrong – haha).

Soccer—I will always bend it like Beckham. Baseball— Chipper Jones.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Partnered

SPORT: Football, softball, volleyball

CURRENT RESIDENCE: San Diego, Calif.

HOMETOWN: Born in Salt Lake City; grew up in Phoenix

AGE: 27

TEAM COMPETE MV P JOSHUA PAUL ZITTING

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If you’d like to be included in our MVP section, e-mail MVP@competenetwork.com

WHY HE LOVES SPORTS: Because of the cohesiveness and team- work. Being able to get rallied up as a team and work together for a common goal. You get to see people develop and get better right in front of you. You lose together, you win together, and you drink together. My teammates have become my friends and family.

BEST PHYSICAL FEATURE: Gift and a curse – .Big Legs

DISLIKES: Pitted olives, closeminded/negative people and when the empty cereal box gets put back in the cupboard.

LIKES: A night where I cook, have a glass of wine and cuddle up with the hubby to a movie or The Amazing Race, I’m pretty much in heaven. I’m addicted to movies, theater, music and my true passion is painting.

art, and music.

Photos by Scott Donald, FabFierceFoto.com

THE CHANGING FACE OF THE WNBA

(Continued from page 23)

the team; I don’t care what you do [off the court].” And new Sky member Elena Delle Donne has told SI that “In our sport, we’re fine with it. We’re all friends, and I want everybody to be who they are. You shouldn’t have to lie, that’s not fair. Hopefully the men can one day adopt that same attitude that we have.” The women of the WNBA are much more open and accepting – it’s time for the men to play catch up.

Rather than be intimidated by such strong women, Gaines, who is clearly passionate about basketball, also loves coaching the women of the Mercury. He wanted to point out that because the women don’t get paid anywhere near the same salaries as the men, they must play year-round in international leagues to earn a living. He’s not sure people fully recognize and appreciate what these women give to the game they love. It’s obvious that he respects their talents, competitiveness and dedication to the game.

Because they get no off-season rest like the NBA players, the wear and tear of year-round play results in injuries that can cause them to sit out a season to heal. Unfortunately, if they have to miss a season it’s better for them financially to miss the WNBA season since the international leagues generally pay more that the WNBA. Knowing that they each have a limited window of time to play professionally, in the end, it’s really a business decision for each player.

Gaines sees a growing fan base, however, mainly because the WNBA has a great product and that’s what sells. And with the addition of Griner to the Mercury and the second and third draft picks, Elena Delle Donne from Delaware who went to the Chicago Sky and Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame who went to the Tulsa Shock,

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the face of the WNBA is already changing.

The league is implementing new rules in addition to rebranding itself with new logos. But the big changes are expected to come from the “three to see” – Griner, Delle Donne and Diggins – not just in terms of their skills, playing styles and competitiveness but because they are also attracting lots of media attention and a sports viewing audience that is reaching beyond the loyal followers of women’s basketball.

Bringing her experience Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Brittney Griner reshaping the Girl Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Mercury Scouts’ marketing to the WNBA, commissioner Laurel Richie said she believes in really high places isn’t putting too that the three women will “change the fine a point on it. His 7-foot-2 friend, landscape of the league.” fellow former NBA player and UCLA This is particularly true of Griner, alum Kareem Abdul Jabbar has even though in the Mercury’s 17th already spent some time this preseason opener against the Sky she got season working one-on-one with Grioutplayed by Delle Donne who led ner and the other Mercury players. her team to a 102-80 victory over the But it’s Griner who he’s showing how Mercury. Making 9 of 21 shots with to execute his signature “skyhook” eight rebounds, Delle Donne made shot that he could make with either the sixth-best rookie debut in WNBA hand. Given her incredible reach, history. But Griner, who had foul trouwith some intense practice Griner ble early in the game, put 17 points should be able to use it to her advanon the board in a 7-for-11 shooting tage like Abdul Jabbar. And his guest display and also managed to snag coaching isn’t a one-time happening, eight rebounds. AND she thrilled the according to Gaines. crowd with two dunks. Only the third With Gaines at the helm, the player in WNBA history to dunk in a tough veterans ready to win and Griner as the “new kid in town,” it’s safe game, she’s the first with two dunks in to say that the Phoenix Mercury is the same game. on a roll. The face of the WNBA has Stay tuned, sports fans – there’s already changed for the better – startcertainly more to come from Griner. ing in Phoenix.

To say that Coach Gaines has friends

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LYNETTE WOODARD Still a Game Changer

By BRIAN PATRICK

Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters

f you’ve followed the start of the WNBA, you know that it grew out of the amazing story of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team winning the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. The women who played there rocked the world with their talent. And one of the most talented was Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard.

Although she’s long been referred to as a pioneer and trailblazer in women’s sports, it took her awhile to believe it. But she has finally recognized the truth in these descriptions and now hopes that her successes will encourage and inspire young people to follow their dreams.

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She not only played for the WNBA in its early years, she’s also the first woman to play with the Harlem Globetrotters and she’s now making history again, this time being the first woman inducted into the all-male National Basketball Retired Players Association (NBRPA), a result of her days with the Globetrotters. Woodard was presented with a Harlem Globetrotters “Legends” Ring in 1996 and was also inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in September 2004.

Basketball played at a professional level takes more than good ball handling and the ability to do fancy tricks, though; it takes confidence.

And Woodard is no slouch in that department. She says her mindset has always been relentless – “Whatever it took, I had it – I was willing to work hard to achieve my goal. They’d have to reckon with me.” Although she’s been breaking down barriers for her entire career, what’s really driven her forward is her love of the game.

Revealing her innate recognition of her talent, she also said she knew that “When I picked up a ball, I could do magic.”

She grew up watching one of her basketball heroes, her cousin Hubie “Geese” Ausbie who played with the Globetrotters. Calling him a showman, she said he inspired her

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to dream about playing with the Globetrotters even though there were no professional basketball opportunities for women at that time.

What she had in addition to confidence, persistence and a sense of fun was a great imagination. She and her older brother Darryl were very close and she credits him for teaching her the game. Woodard says they started out playing “sockball,” rolling up their socks and tossing them behind the bedroom door.

Once their parents realized what they were doing, she says they bought them a real ball and hoop for the backyard and that was the start of her developing her ball-handling skills.

Those skills with the round ball made her a record winner in varsity women’s basketball in high school as well as college. Playing with the Lady Jayhawks at the University of Kansas, she broke the NCAA women’s record by racking up 3,649 points in four years and a 26.3 point-per-game average. A four-time All American, when she graduated the university retired her jersey number, the first University of Kansas student to receive this honor. Woodard remains the women’s scoring leader in major college basketball.

After college Woodard traveled abroad with the national women’s basketball team and then tried out and won a berth on the 1980 Olympic U.S. women’s basketball team.

Unfortunately, that was the year the U.S. boycotted the Games due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

But when the 1984 Olympic Games rolled around, she again made the team as captain, leading the team to its gold medal win.

She recalls that the Olympic win by the women’s basketball team led to the realization by many that women really could play the game. It

impressed the Globetrotters enough that they held auditions for women players. Although some were skeptical in the beginning, she says that watching the women at tryouts was an eye-opener for many of them. And the Globetrotters certainly recognized her talent. Woodard made the history books once again in 1985 as the first woman to play on the famous team – it was literally her dream

After two years with the Globetrotters, Woodard left to play with a professional women’s basketball team in Italy for two more years before joining a Japanese league for an additional three years, winning championships along the way. In 1993 she returned to the states and became athletic director for the Kansas City School District but she continued to compete, playing for the U.S. national teams that won the 1990 World Championships gold medal and the 1991 PanAmerican Games bronze medal before making the decision to retire from basketball.

Woodard said that even though she was going to retire, she was determined that whenever she’d pick up the ball, people would know she had played the game. With that comforting thought in mind as she left the game she loved, she went to New York City to work as a stockbroker. Her retirement didn’t last long, however.

When she was playing in women’s professional basketball leagues overseas, Woodard shared that many days and nights she had wished she could be playing like this in the U.S., wondering why women’s professional basketball wasn’t happening here. And then it happened – the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was formed. Even though she was in her late 30s at the time, in 1997 she was signed by the Cleveland Rockers. And in the 1998 WNBA expansion draft she was picked by the Detroit Shock. In a wonderful turn of events, her boss in the financial industry approved her playing since it coincided with the financial slow season.

Her final retirement from professional play came in 1999 when Woodard returned to her alma mater, the University of Kansas, to serve as

“WHATEVER IT TOOK, I HAD IT – I WAS WILLING TO WORK HARD TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL. THEY’D HAVE TO RECKON WITH ME.”

Photo courtesy of the Harlem Globetrotters come true.

But she’s quick to point out that it wasn’t just a publicity stunt. Before you can do the magic tricks that are part of the team’s signature, you first have to have a solid grasp of the fundamentals, something the Globetrotters have always insisted on for every player on the team. Being the first woman on an all-men’s team had the potential to be awkward but she says the guys treated her well, really like a little sister, teasing and joking with her, even giving someone she was dating the third degree.

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PORN

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the assistant coach of their women’s basketball team.

Following head coach Marian Washington’s retirement due to health reasons, she served as interim head coach until a new coach could be hired in 2004. The new regime made a clean sweep, giving Woodard time to actually rest and reflect on her life and career.

Saying that “You never know which snowflake will start the avalanche,” the result of Woodard’s time off was a move to east Texas and the start of a whole new career in hyperbaric medicine – basically the medical use of high oxygen levels on wounds not healing with regular medical

treatments. It required her to take courses in this new medical field as well as gaining hands-on clinical experience. She is both thrilled and inspired by the healing she sees taking place on a daily basis. So don’t be surprised if the news you next hear about Woodard is her opening her own hyperbaric medical clinic.

The creation of the WNBA was another part of Lynette Woodard’s dream come true and she’s left a magnificent legacy for the women players today to develop and grow with the new crop of players. One of them may be the latest snowflake to push the league into exciting new territory.

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6/13/13 5:17 PM

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SPORTS

BY CONNIE WARDMAN

BILLY BEAN HITTING A HOMER FOR SPORTS EQUALITY Having found his voice as an LGBT sports diversity advocate, Billy Bean is now actively working to eliminate homophobia in sports. The former Padres hero abruptly retired from MLB as part of his coming out process but he left his heart in San Diego. In April the former outfielder returned to reclaim it. He joined the San Diego LGBT Pride’s annual Out at the Park event and Tailgate Party to throw out the first pitch at the Padres/ Giants game at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.

This was the baseball town where Bean said he felt most at home – it was where he got to play the most and says it’s also where he felt like he believed in himself as a Major League baseball player. But to protect his secret of being gay, he never got involved with the thriving San Diego gay community.

In shock following the death of his partner, the reality of the cost of being closeted hit him like a ton of bricks and he retired from baseball and moved to Florida. Several years after retiring, he came out in an interview with Dianne Sawyer in 1999 and then followed it up with his book, “Going the Other Way: Lessons From a Life In and Out of Major League Baseball.”

Recently moved to West Hollywood, Bean is now selling real estate in the Beverly Hills area. Following the Out at the Park event, he wrote on his Facebook page that “I couldn’t help but wish I had been strong enough to reach out to this community when I was on the team. ... I would have never quit playing for the

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team and city I love so much. Thank you for allowing me to share such a wonderful day with all of you.”

Now out and proud of it, he is making up for lost time. Recently part of a high-powered panel at UCLA’s Athlete Ally Week [our May 2013 issue] that was moderated by Cyd Zeigler of Outsports, Bean joined openly gay UCLA assistant softball coach Kirk Walker, Ben Cohen of the Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation, Brian Kitts, a co-founder of the You Can Play Project, and other former UCLA athletes to eliminate homophobia and bullying in sports at the college/university level and beyond.

On May 21st Cohen’s StandUp Foundation announced Bean as the new vice chairman of its board, noting that his focus will be “helping professional leagues and athletes at all levels commit themselves to the fairness, equality, dignity and respect that defines true sportsmanship.”

Reflecting on his past as a ballplayer prior to the Out at the Park event, Bean said “I keep thinking that if there is a gay player in either one of the dugouts that night, and if they see me, how it might affect them? If I had seen a former player walk on a major league field who was openly gay while I was playing, I know that I would’ve never quit.”

In his new role with the StandUp Foundation he hopes to be that “former player” for other professional athletes who are gay and

Billy Bean waving to the crowd at a Padres/Gaints game. wanting support to come out. Bean says he’s not a hero – he just finally told the truth. And in telling the truth that he was gay, he was introduced to the LGBT community and the realization of how much bigger and better life can be.

Photos from Facebook Left to Right: Kirk Walker, Ben Cohen, Billy Bean

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B C

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THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

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BEN COHEN FOR THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

100% of the proceeds from this limited-edition Stand Up for Equality t-shirt will support the Human Rights Campaign’s and Ben Cohen StandUp Foundation’s shared commitment to ending bullying, tackling homophobia and realizing full LGBT equality.

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COMPETE ALL-STAR

BY MARK MOON

MARK MOON FITNESS

MARK’S

TOP 3

HEALTHY

LIFESTYLE

TIPS

1.

Make short-term goals within a long-term plan – small, achievable and ‘bitesized’ targets help keep you on track along the way when you’re trying to achieve substantial longterm goals.

2.

Announce your intentions! Tell people what your goals are and ask for them to join in and support you. It is true there is strength in numbers and this will help you stay motivated and committed.

3.

Anything is better than doing nothing! A 10-minute cardio session will help keep you fit and your waistline in check. So pop on the runners and get to it!

“I will help you set the foundation for a permanent, healthy lifestyle change.”

– Mark Moon

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GET THAT SIZZLING SUMMER BODY! and get swimsuit-ready in no time at all with my 2.

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This simple but effective workout will have your muscles and your heart rate pumping.

Combine this workout regime with a healthy eating plan that’s high in protein, fruit and vegetables and you’re well on your way to developing a five-star fat-blasting regime!

To complete my “circuit style” workout, run through exercises one-to-five non-stop, performing 15 reps on each exercise; rest for 30-60 seconds (depending on your fitness level) and repeat five sets through.

1.

SQUAT AND PRESS Hold a medicine ball at chest height while standing, then bend at the knees to a squat position that has your upper legs parallel to the floor. As you stand up, take the medicine ball and extend as high as you can above your head as you exhale. Return it to chest height and repeat.

SIT-UPS

Have your knees bent to a 45degree angle with arms extended overhead. Sit all the way up until you touch your toes.

3.

LUNGE AND CURL Start with your feet being shoulder-width apart and have two dumbbells beside your body.

Step one foot backwards as you lower your knee to the floor while simultaneously doing bicep curls. Repeat, alternating your legs.

4.

PUSH UPS Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest to the floor and then push through the chest to starting position.

5.

JUMPING JACKS Stand in one spot with your arms by your side. Then in one quick movement, raise them to above your head, simultaneously jumping the position of your legs beyond shoulder-width.

{

For more information on Mark’s workouts and healthy eating plans available for instant download, visit markmoonfitness.com.

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OVERTIME COMMUNITY

LAUNCH COMPETE’S JUNE ISSUE WITH NEVAEH MCKENZIE

BY MIRIAM LATTO

HOSTING COMPETE MAGAZINE’S JUNE LAUNCH party at Apollo’s Lounge on June 23rd will be the fabulous, incomparable Nevaeh McKenzie, Phoenix drag queen extraordinaire. Nevaeh (also known as Karrington Valenzuela, fabulous, incomparable Compete employee extraordinaire) chose her name for two important reasons – one is because it is heaven spelled backwards and the other is to honor his birth mother, Linda who died when he was young. I was able to ask Karrington some questions about his drag persona, Nevaeh.

Have you always been drawn to the stage?

As kid I played baseball and wrestled but when high school hit, so did the lure of the theatre. I was always singing, dancing and performing at home, and one of my favorite movies was “The Bird Cage” but I’d never really considered doing drag. Then after a bit of convincing by well known Phoenix drag queen Barbra Seville, I entered her 2010 Newcomer of the Year competition and won.

Who helped you really get established; who taught you the “tricks of the trade?”

I’ve been mentored by another well known Phoenix drag queen, Mya McKenzie (the reason for our matching last names). It was Mya who helped me with makeup and hair. For costumes, I use Wes Eichsteadt and get my jewelry from Donna Matheson of Italian Ice Designs.

I’ve heard that someone did a video of you applying your makeup. Is that true?

Yes, a journalism major from ASU (Arizona State University) came to one of my shows and was intrigued. He came back for several shows, filming a documentary that showed what it takes to put on a drag show, starting with all the preparations (including me putting on my makeup) up through the final performance.

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Nevaeh (left) Karrington Valenzeuala (right) What does it take to be a great drag queen and how do you prepare for a performance?

A lot of it is impromptu so you’ve got to be quick-witted.

I only ever plan when I’m doing a show. If I’m hosting an event, I don’t plan. I just let it evolve from the event and the audience reactions.

What do drag queens represent to the gay community?

Drag queens are a wonderful part of gay culture, bringing laughter and their own individual brands of irreverent humor to their audiences. I think they also tend to be leaders within the community – they led the Stonewall riots at the beginning of the LGBT movement and I think we continue that role by bringing attention to things that are important to the gay community.

PLEASE JOIN US AT

When you started doing drag, did you intend to make it a career?

5749 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85014

At first it was just a hobby, something I did for fun. But the audience always keeps me going – I have such a great time that I now consider it a business that I want to grow. I want to travel and compete.

ON JUNE 23RD @7PM FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE JUNE COMPETE AND MEET NEVAEH IN PERSON.

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OVERTIME

COMMUNITY

D

epending on where you live, this is the time of the year when many PRIDE parades, festivals and other celebrations enable gay and straight people to come together to show our local communities and the world that we celebrate and endorse diversity that honors every human being.

Here are a few June celebrations across the U.S. To see a more complete list, go to our Events Calendar (www. competenetwork.com) and check out the many pride events listed. On the category tab, scroll almost to the bottom and select Pride Festivals to show what events are scheduled for that month.

KEY WEST PRIDEFEST Key West, Fla. June 5-9 LA PRIDE Los Angeles, Calif.

June 7-9 PHILLY PRIDE Philadelphia, Penna.

June 9 PITTSBURGH PRIDE Pittsburgh, Penna.

June 15 RI PRIDEFEST & PARADE Providence, RI June 15 PORTLAND PRIDE FESTIVAL Portland, Ore. June 15-16 IOWA CITY PRIDE PARADE Iowa City, Iowa June 20 GAY PRIDE NEW ORLEANS New Orleans, La. June 20-24

3rd Annual

Biz Bowl

COLUMBUS PRIDE Columbus, Ohio June 21-22 PRIDE HOUSTON Houston, Tex. June 21-30 TWIN CITIES PRIDE CELEBRATION Minneapolis, Minn.

June 29 CHICAGO PRIDE Chicago, Ill. June 28-30 NYC GAY PRIDE New York City, NY June 28-30 SAN FRANCISCO LGBT PRIDE San Francisco, Calif.

June 29-30 SEATTLE PRIDEFEST Seattle, Wash.

June 29-30

Saturday, July 13th 4:00 - 6:00 PM AMF Christown Lanes 1919 W. Bethany Home Rd. Enter your team of six bowlers or be paired up on a team by us! Prizes awarded for the best team & individual costumes.

CoSTuME THEME: 70s wear!

$120 per team of six $20 per non-team bowler For more information, contact Greg Linneman at 480/495-7106 or greglchamber@gmail.com

Mulligan’s Manor is a family-oriented, LGBTQ-friendly community that nurtures and empowers youth to reach their full potential, as well as provides tools for a safe and healthy life.

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| COMPETE | June 2013

Casa de Cristo

Church and Apostolic Center 1029 E Turney • Phoenix AZ 85014 www.casadecristo.org 602-265-2831

Adult Sunday School 8:30am Sunday Service 10am Children's Ministry During Service Wednesday Service 6:30pm Building Bridges to Christ our Lord and Savior

Pure Quality • OPtimal results

Enjoy the most reputable natural supplements on the market from the #1 Natural nutritional company in the US. SAFE • PROVEN • EFFECTIVE

MaxiMize your

FiTneSS While MaxiMizing your

inCoMe

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OVERTIME EVENTS

GAY SPORTS EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY

AQUATICS

SOFTBALL

Montreal OUTdoor Water Polo Tournament Montreal, QC, Canada June 22-23

Sooner State Softball Classic Oklahoma City, Okla.

June 15

BOWLING

TENNIS

Boston Indoor Tennis Classic 2013 Ladies Organized Valley Invitational Tournament Boston, Mass.

Los Angeles, Calif.

June 14-16 May 31-June 2 Rose Bowl Classic VOLLEYBALL Portland, Ore. Wichita Air City Smackdown May 31-June 2 Wichita, Kansas Cleveland Gay/Lesbian Invitational Fellowship June 15 Tournament Find more events online at competenetwork.com Cleveland, Ohio June 7-9 Denver International Gay & Fast and Fab in the Pride March June 24th, 2012 by Alan Barnett Lesbian Invitational Denver, Col. June 7-9

CYCLING NYC Pride Ride New York, NY June 22

ICE SKATING Chelsea Challenge New York, NY June 21-23

RODEO Sierra Stampede Rio Linda, Calif.

June 7-9 Canadian Rockies Int’l Rodeo Strathmore, Alberta, June 28-30

ON DECK

NEXT MONTH IN COMPETE MAGAZINE

TIME TO GET WET You can’t say we didn’t prep you for summer. After seeing all the hot bodies, ah, we mean the swimsuits in the May issue, the time is here to shed your winter duds and get outside – it’s time to get wet and wild!

We’ll also be giving an update on the Nike LGBT Summit.

Stay tuned for lots of good “stuff.”

44

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| COMPETE | June 2013

WhY AdvertiSe? Join Compete advertising partners such as Lexus, Orbitz, HRC, LogoTV and sponsorship partners such as Lexus, Nike and Microsoft to support and recognize diversity in sports, fitness and health.

Compete magazine – Features • • • • • • • •

Only diversity/LGBT sports, fitness, health magazine Full color, glossy monthly magazine 100,000 print/digital monthly distribution Strong regional distribution (Southern California Distribution) Has a national presence High net-worth audience Variety of ad sizes and placement Affordable advertising rates

Compete magazine – BeneFits • • • • • •

Exposes your product/service to high income audience Generates sales Fulfills your corporate diversity mission Drives traffic to your website Offers the value of total multi-media options Demonstrates your company’s support to a diverse and loyal audience

Compete online (Competenetwork.Com) • • • • •

Approximately 40,000 unique visitors per month Approximately 500,000 impressions per month Ability to reach a global audience Links to social media Content includes magazine, blogs, event calendar and the Compete web community

“... the estimated 15 million gay and lesbians in America remain a consumer group—with plenty of cash in hand— waiting for brands to notice that they exist.” – Brandweek

Uniting the World throUgh SportS™ Or contact our advertising representative Fox Associations, Inc. • adinfo.MLD@foxrep.com Chicago 312-644-3888 • New York 212-725-2106 • Los Angeles 805-522-0504 • Detroit 248-626-0511 Content is copyright protected and provided for personal use only - not for reproduction or retransmission.

Phoenix 480-538-5021 • Atlanta 800-440-0231 For reprints please contact the Publisher.

OVERTIME YEARBOOK

THIS MONTH IN SPORTS HISTORY: JUNE

1

2

Los Angeles Dodger Wilton Guerrero’s bat breaks, revealing it’s corked (1997)

3

4

51st U.S. Women’s Open Golf Championship won by Annika Sorenstam (1996)

New York Mets draft Darryl Strawberry, 18, #1 (1980)

58th French Womens Tennis: Steffi Graf beats N Zvereva (60 60) (1988)

8

9

10

11

New York Yankee pitcher Steve Howe is banned from baseball for 7th time (1992)

Stanley Cup Finals, Colorado Avalanche beat New Jersey Devils 4 games to 3 (2001)

15

16 Edwin Moses wins his 100th consecutive 400-meter hurdles race (1984)

8th Seniors Players Golf Championship: Jack Nicklaus (1990)

Tracy Austin, 29, is youngest inductee of International Tennis Hall of Fame (1992)

5 125th Belmont: Julie Krone aboard Colonial Affair wins in 2:29.8 (1993)

12 Larry Holmes TKOs Leon Spinks in 3 for WBC heavyweight boxing title (1981)

6

23-year-old olympic barefoot South African runner Zola Budd retires (1989)

13

14

Chicago Cubs Ryne Sandberg, retires due to poor play; forfeits $15.7 mil. of $25 mil. contract (1994)

1st golf championship is played (1901)

21

17

18

19

20

NHL announces it will add Nashville in 1998, Atlanta in 1999 and Minneapolis-St. Paul and Columbus, Ohio in 2000 (1997)

Billy Martin becomes Yankee manager (2nd time), replacing Bob Lemon (1979)

Evander Holyfield beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavywgt boxing title (1992)

Kelly Saunders is 1st female baseball announcer for the Baltimore Orioles (1992)

24

25

26

22

23

Joe Louis KOs James J. Braddock in 18 for heavyweight boxing title (1937)

Replay shows A’s Bobby Witt beat KC’s Gagne to 1st in 6th but ump calls him safe, runing Witt’s perfect game (1994)

27

28

29

30

The Los Angeles Dodgers professional baseball team files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (2011)

Doctors recommend ligament transplant to Jose Canseco’s arm (1993)

Angel Cordero wins his 5,000th horse race (1983)

U.S. Ice Skating Federation bars Tonya Harding for life (1994)

NHL adopts instant-replay and tenth of second clock in final minute (1991)

7

30th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics beat Phoenix Suns, 4 games to 2 (1976)

35th NHL draft Boston picks center Joe Thornton 1st (1997)

Elena Vesnina beats 5x Wimbledon champ Venus Williams in 1st round at Wimbledon Championships (2012)

31

Source: www.brainyhistory.com 46

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| COMPETE | June 2013

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