As in tune as I am with the world of sports, and mind you I can talk Big Ten Football, Major League Baseball, NFL Football and NASCAR with just about anyone, I was not familiar until very recently with the Outsports website. It just never even crossed my gaydar. Why did no one ever clue me about that site?
If you’re not familiar either, Outsports.com is the definitive internet home for all things related to lesbians and gays in sports. Period. It’s been called the “ESPN of gay sports” and “ESPN for homos”. WAY BACK in 2007 (yes, it’s been around that long – actually since 2000…amazing…I was clueless) the creators of Outsports.com published the book, Outsports Revolution: Truth & Myth in the World of Gay Sports
The publishers synopsis of the book and one “professional” review:
Outsports.com has been called “ESPN for homos” and receives over two million hits per month. Now, the founders of this groundbreaking website offer an in-depth and entertaining compendium on the issues surrounding gays and lesbians in the sporting world.
The Outsports Revolution chronicles the development and rise of the Outsports.com brand and outlines its impact on the world of gay sports. Through more than twenty-five chapters, the book introduces you to both famous out athletes along with the unsung, unknown trailblazers who have helped others come out. With points of view from such figures as the MLB’s Billy Bean, the NFL’s Esera Tuaolo, and Greg Louganis—as well as Molly Lenore, a former college football player who transitioned to a woman and now plays gay flag football; Brian Fell, a two-time NCAA track and field star; and sports professional Larry Felzer, who organized Gay Community Night for the Philadelphia Phillies—this guide chronicles all the issues on this hotly debated subject. Learn about athletes who have come out of the closet and of the impact their revelation has had on their particular sport, the proliferation of gay sporting leagues throughout the country, the myth about why gay men can’t play sports, and many other subjects.
Cyd Zeigler and Jim Buzinski are recognized worldwide as the leaders in gay-sports reporting and co-founded Outsports.com in 2000. Together they have appeared on numerous television programs, including ESPN, Fox Sports, and CNN. They have been profiled in hundreds of magazines and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and Sports Illustrated.
And a review of the book from the best selling novelist of The Front Runner: A Novel
Authors Jim Buzinski and Cyd Ziegler should get a gold medal for telling their sports tale with the candor, punch and wit that is now their trademark. From the day they founded Outsports.com, the website was striking a deep chord with many people, not only in the U.S. but also other countries. Why? Because it wasn’t just your standard political website focusing on “gay rights in sports.” Indeed, Outsports.com was an idea whose time had come — it broke new ground by covering all sports and sports issues across the world from an in-depth GLBT perspective. And it invited reader and athlete participation in different areas, like blogs and bulletin boards. After I started writing for Outsports.com, I’ve occasionally worked on the team that covers big events on a daily basis for the website’s rolling log — from the Olympics to the FIFA World Cup. Today we have the book that breathes the spirit of what this unique sports publication is all about. ~ Patricia Nell Warren
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