You probably don't want to miss all the fun everyone's having on Threads over HERE! 😜
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Remains of the Day (11/29)
Wrestle Wednesday: "Could you at least buy me a drink first?"
Brett Martin: I wanna be curated: Can you really put punk in a museum?
CNN: Prosecutors charge Indian man in attempted murder-for-hire plot against Sikh activist on U.S. soil
Hot Cat of the Day: Season's greetings from Luna!
CALENDAR:
I'll probably be seeing my favorite comedy troupe this Saturday in Hell's Kitchen, so say hi if you see me! Tickets HERE.
READING LIST:
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
When John McEnroe’s Tennis Over America Tour' Came to Phoenix
This will be of little to no interest to anyone who didn't grow up in a racket club, but while at my parents' house for the holiday I discovered a cache of old photos from my ball-boying days. (It was the first I had seen of them!)
As was always the case, local tournament -- or in this case exhibition -- organizers would recruit area junior players as ball kids when the pros came to town. The year was 1982 and John McEnroe had just dethroned Bjorn Borg as the No. 1 player in the world -- so he decided to take his show on the road. His opponent would be Vijay Amritraj, a good two years before he upset Mac in Cincinnati. And the undercard featured Stacy Margolin, who was dating Mac at the time, versus 12-year-old Stephanie Rehe, who was thought to be the next big thing, and two college men.
My brother Bill, who ball-boyed with me for World Team Tennis, must have been away at the University of Arizona at the time. Since it was my parents' camera, it looks like the photos are nearly all (attempts at capturing) me, except for the one directly below, which is Greg, my AZ-BFF.
Greg, who tells me he doesn't even remember this, in action
The whole thing seemed to go off without a hitch -- McEnroe was perfectly nice to all of us -- but looking at a news article from the time, it seems it was a bit of a bust. (I guess even in the "heyday" of tennis it wasn't easy to get people in seats, particularly on a Tuesday evening.) The main thing I remember is being embarrassed for John when they blasted "The Boy From New York City" by the Manhattan Transfer as he came onto the court -- and how relieved I was that I didn't screw anything up!
From The Arizona Republic, April 15, 1982:
John McEnroe flew to Tokyo on Wednesday for his next tournament, leaving in his wake speculation as to why only about 4,500 tennis fans turned out Tuesday night for an exhibition match to watch the world's top tennis player.Promoter Steve Corey, president of Incoreel Management Consultants, which staged the exhibition, said: "It's highly unlikely the McEnroe tour will return to Phoenix. I wonder where we went wrong." The high cost of tickets $17.60, $15 and $12.50 was the primary reason there were so many empty, seats in Veterans Memorial Coliseum, according Mike Blanchard, a Phoenix resident who referees at the U.S. Open. The Coliseum has a capacity of more than 14,000. "In my opinion, the seats were way overpriced," Blanchard said, "particularly for that type of match with the caliber of the players.""Of course McEnroe is a great attraction and Vijay [Amritraj] is a good player [ranked 24th in the world], but people don't know him very well."Corey said McEnroe's "Tennis Over America Tour" stop at St Louis on Monday for a match against Roscoe Tanner had drawn 6,000 spectators at ticket prices ranging from $10 to $16.A Bjorn Borg-Jimmy Connors exhibition that had been tentatively set for Oct. 5 in Phoenix has been canceled, Corey said after Tuesday's poor showing. Possible sites for that event include Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, Ore. "When you tour cities without major professional tournaments," Corey said, "you go back to the cities where they support you."
From The Arizona Republic, March 13, 1982:
John McEnroe, the world's No. 1 -ranked tennis professional, is coming to Phoenix on April 13 for an exhibition, the 11th stop in a tour conceived by McEnroe as an attempt to take tennis to America. Called the Great Western Bank Tennis Challenge, the exhibition also will be sponsored by the Phoenix Gazette, radio station KOPA-FM and Diamonds.It will be played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Five matches are planned, starting at 6 p.m. In the feature, McEnroe will play a two-out-of-three set singles match against Vijay Amritraj, captain of India's 1982 Davis Cup team. McEnroe, who has the reputation of being tennis' bad boy, set out to counter that image last September by giving something back to the sport, touring America and playing in cities that don't have major tennis tournaments. Phoenix will be the 11th city on the tour.In addition to the McEnroe-Amritraj confrontation, top amateurs will compete. In the first match of the evening, Stephanie Rehe, 12, tentatively ranked No. 1 for 1981 in girls' 12s by the U. S. Tennis Association and thought to be the next Tracy Austin, will challenge Stacy Margolin, a touring pro and former star at the University of Southern California. Then pro Peter Rennert, a former Stanford Ail-American, will face Robert Van't Hof, 1980 NCAA champion for USC.
P.S. If anyone remembers a Chris-Martina exhibition in Tucson, around 1984, please get in touch.
On the Rag, Vol. 785
A weekly look at what's making news in the gay magazines:
Between the Lines: Cher talks Christmas album, anti-gay "insanity" and why she never took credit for co-writing "Believe"
Dallas Voice: 2023 holiday gift guide online: Beers, wines, liquors
Wiremag: Artistic model Damien Lenore
The Unleashed Voice: Meet the community advisory board of Emory Compass Initiative Coordinating Center
Grab: Run, Santa -- run!
Georgia Voice: Holiday gift guide 2023: Bookish bounty
Metrosource: Matt Rogers is the prince of Christmas
San Francisco Bay Times: Oakland Animal Services director Ann Dunn is building capacity to save lives
Monday, November 27, 2023
Remains of the Day (11/27)
Greg in Hollywood: LGBT icon Harvey Milk, murdered 45 years ago today, remembered by his nephew Stuart Milk
The Randy Report: Man paints house in rainbow colors to troll anti-gay neighbor
Manspread Monday: Fitness-room edition
Vat19: He looks putty hot to me
Times of India: Madras high court order on "deed of familial association" gives LGBT community a glimmer of hope
Hot Cats of the Day: Seaman with two esteemed shipmates, circa 1910.
Weekend Tennis Roundup
Italy snagged the Davis Cup in thrilling fashion in Malaga. Full report plus all the ATP beef that's fit to post BELOW.
The "Tsitsidosa" show apparently must go on ...
Family Sighs
I'm back from Arizona, where I celebrated Thanksgiving and my mother's 82nd birthday. (Brother Terence also flew in from Maryland.) There were some nice moments -- a lively dinner at Casa Blanca the day I arrived (where I met my nephew's adorable new girlfriend), my brother-in-law cooked the best turkey I've ever eaten, and Mom and I had fun looking through old photos, many of which I had no idea existed. But sadly both she and my stepfather are battling debilitating chronic pain, which only heightens their pre-existing lack of patience for one another, making it difficult for everyone involved. I know at some point I will be grateful I made the trip, but right now how sad it made me feel really stings. May need to watch Woody Allen's "Interiors' to cheer myself up. xo
This character didn't purr once while I was there, but I guess he's pretty cute.
Friday, November 24, 2023
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Westward Ho!
By the time you read this I will be halfway to Arizona -- just in time to help my mom with the stuffing, mashed potatoes and Waldorf salad that we're bringing to my sister's house for Thanksgiving. My parents figured I'd miss this year given that we were all together for my wedding in Vegas. But I decided it was definitely worth the trip -- which almost always includes celebrating Mom's birthday (Nov. 25) as well. Hope you have a great holiday wherever you are. xo
P.S. Don't forget that you can keep up with me and my blog via Threads HERE.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Remains of the Day (11/21)
Edge: While it's unfortunate that out weatherman Erick Adame lost his job because he got randy on a webcam, I can't say I'm unhappy about his replacement -- who ironically was born for OnlyFans
Brian Ferrari: A 60 degrees girl group Christmas
The Guardian: Loved Boy George's "Take It Like a Man" memoir, but had no idea he had a follow-up -- let alone a third!
The Gay Curmudgeon: In search of New York’s lost record stores
Boy Culture: Is anyone not obsessed with Glen Powell?
Erik Bottcher: Congratulations to Eric Marcus on the 7th anniversary of the "Making Gay History" podcast, which brings the voices of LGBTQ+ history to life through interviews with champions, heroes and witnesses to history. Visit HERE.
Washington Blade: Meet the LGBT staff working on Biden’s re-election campaign
Hot Cat of the Day: All-weather feline.
UPDATE:
Find out why everyone's talking about this photo of Matt Bomer, Andrew Scott, Jonathan Bailey and Paul Mescal HERE.
Tennis Tuesday
You're in luck, guys. Clean-cut Miles Bugby likes to play in his tighty-whities. See for yourself BELOW.
Monday, November 20, 2023
Remains of the Day (11/20)
MetroWeekly: Netflix cancels gender-bending series "'Glamorous"
Skylar Baker-Jordan: I’m a gay Tennessean and, for five months, my life was illegal in my home state
Manspread Monday: Big Joe enjoys his big victory
Boy Culture: Wait'll you see this guy packed into his jeans on an old episode of "The Price Is Right"
Teo van den Broeke: I wrote a memoir and it made me have a big gay break down
Brian Ferrari: The lost Madonna ’80s megamix video
The Randy Report: Biden marks Transgender Day of Remembrance
Hot Cat of the Day: Father and son time
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