Danielle Collins Fired From World Team Tennis

Gee, what were the odds that Danielle Collins would be the one to run afoul of the coronavirus safety rules put in place for this year's World Team Tennis? [Face with rolling eyes] I hope she -- and her diaper -- will be happy not playing elsewhere. My money is on CoCo Vandeweghe to be next.

Perhaps now is a good time to listen to the "Can Tennis Stars Be Trusted to Act Responsibility" episode of the No Challenges Remaining podcast HERE.

Page 1 Roundup (06/18)

Washingtonian: The entire staff quit over this coffee shop’s racist and Covid-denying tweets (corrected link from yesterday) 

The Daily News: ‘We did it’: Cuomo says NYC on track to enter Phase 2 on Monday amid plummeting coronavirus death toll

One night in a Florida bar infects 16 customers and 7 employees with coronavirus

People: 'That '70s Show' star Danny Masterson charged with raping 3 women

AP: World TeamTennis players, coaches testing positive for Covid-19 upon arrival would lose pay; Kim Clijsters, Sloane Stephens, Sofia Kenin and the Bryan brothers sign on to play

WTA: Venus at 40: Evert, Shriver salute her grace and intensity

Fox10: Arizona governor finally agrees to stop banning masks, now that state is under water in coronavrius cases 

Dallas Voice: PBS will stream Holland Taylor’s performance as Gov. Ann Richards

YouTube: Watch Charles Busch, Del Shores and others read the unedited script of  'Mommie Dearest' including unfilmed scenes; kudos to the director for holding back -- wouldn't have wanted it to be too over the top!

Towleroad: Spanish music star Pablo Alborán: 'I’m here to tell you that I am homosexual and it’s OK'

The Randy Report: Thomas Roberts gays up John Krasinski's idea

Greg in Hollywood: 'Noah’s Arc' cast is reuniting for new episode that will stream on July 5

Boy Culture: Jason Patric's hairy chest in the shower

New York Post: ‘Career criminal’ NYC brute held on bail for knocking 92-year-old into fire hydrant

To think, Kellyanne Conway thought her face was what needed improvement 

Washington Blade: Log Cabin Republicans are still embarrassing

The Washington Post: As Trump warns of (imaginary) leftist violence, a dangerous threat emerges from the right-wing boogaloo movement

GOP leaders silent on QAnon-believing candidate now distancing themselves

Tennis set to return in August with Washington’s Citi Open, Serena Williams at the U.S. Open

The New York Times: Bolton says Trump sought China's help in re-election, gave favors to ‘dictators he liked,’; Question: Are there dictators he doesn't like?

With Aunt Jemima forced into retirement, Uncle Ben, Mrs. Butterworth and Cream of Wheat face scrutiny

Even as more Republican voters support LGBTQ protections, Trump and party leaders remain opposed

The Wall Street Journal: Atlanta police officer who shot Rayshard Brooks charged with felony murder

The upside of lockdowns: Finally time to read ‘War and Peace’

How strict are airlines about face masks in flight?

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Hot Cat of the Day: A Daddy's boy, through and through!

Weekend Tennis Roundup

Tennis became the first professional sport to return to the U.S. over the weekend, as four ATP pros battled it out in a backyard court in West Palm Beach, Fla. Reilly Opelka ended up being crowned the winner of the UTR (Re)Open -- defeating Miomir Kecmanovic in the final, 4-3, 2-4, 4-2 -- but it was all of the SLUTTY PHOTOS of four-time loser Tommy Paul that made the whole thing worthwhile. 

Elsewhere around the 'net ...

I'm obsessed with rising American JJ "Legs" Wolf ... and his HOT FRIEND.

Borna Coric does it doggy style

Yes, Antonio Veic is pimpin'.

Easy to see why Liam Broady wants to be more like LLOYD GLASSPOOL.

Zoomin' ATP style.

Filip Krajinovic channels his inner Mister Rogers 

Now if only he'd lose the fish.

Marin, Daddy!

Martin Nosko gets me hot 'n' bothered ... again

I sure hope the celebration for Benjamin Lock's grandmother doesn't stop her from seeing 101

Anyone know the name of this hot daddy who's always working out with Stefanos Tsitsipas?

Homophobe pumps iron

THIS is apparently what got him to block me.

Anyone know why Matteo dropped out of the West Palm Beach exhibition? 

Good hair alert: Marko Andrejic

  

I like that Ryan Harrison is trying to do something charitable ...

While his brother keeps playing around with his quarantinemate.

Stan does pool-ups

Behind the Mask: Cameron Henricy

  

Watch Nikola Mektic SHOOT!

Dominic Thiem and his brother have been working and playing hard. 

Juan Monaco is working his lower ...

and upper body.

Jan-Michael Gambill found some nice places to quarantine.

And last but not least, Billie Jean King marked the 46th anniversary of World Team Tennis by sharing a fun video about the groundbreaking league. Watch HERE.

World TeamTennis Presents LGBTQ Pride Night in Queens, N.Y.

Wish I didn't have to work -- have such fond memories of being a ball boy for the Phoenix Sunsets back in 1982 and again in 1983 when they became the Arizona Racquets.

From a release:

Thanks to the generosity of our good friends and EJAF board members Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss at World TeamTennis (WTT), the Elton John AIDS Foundation is pleased to offer our friends and contributors an opportunity to purchase special tickets to see WTT’s newest franchise – the New York Empire! Catch New Jersey native and 2012 Olympian Christina McHale, Junior Wimbledon champion and Long Island’s own Noah Rubin, along with Mylan WTT’s 2015 Male Rookie of the Year Neal Skupski and Argentinian Fed Cup standout Maria Irigoyen in action against the Springfield Lasers. This family-friendly tennis event will be held on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at 7:00 PM, at The West Side Tennis Club’s Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. For this special occasion, WTT will be presenting the event as an LGBTQ Pride Night, partnering with Athlete Ally and the LGBT Center of New York City to promote the event and celebrate the contributions of the LGBT community to WTT and the City of New York. The Stonewall Chorale, the nation’s first LGBT chorus, will sing the National Anthem, and Jason Collins will be the honorary coach for the evening. Get your tickets here, and use promo code EJAF for 50% off! Act now to get your special tickets for this exciting event, and come out to celebrate the achievements of the LGBT community and enjoy an evening of amazing tennis!

Buy tickets HERE.

World Team Tennis Hall of (What a) Shame

As Billie Jean King proudly introduces the teams for the upcoming season of World Team Tennis, I was reminded of something. Sure, her signature league irrevocably skewed the record books so most of the greatest players in the early open area have way fewer majors under their belts than they should have. But at least we got all this 1970s goodness -- and a bag of (Ray) Ruffels!

All kidding aside, though: It was a different time for the game then, to be sure, when promoters and people like Billie and Larry King were looking to expand its popularity. But what makes this so galling is that by all accounts World Team Tennis was a financial disaster -- and I don't think one in the history of the world has ever said they got into the sport because of World Team Tennis -- so the blemish on the history books isn't even negated by the "positive" effect it had overall.

Australian tennis player Ross Case (right) playing for the Phoenix Racquets as teammate including Chris Evert (second left) look on during the World Team Tennis season in Plains, Georgia, May 1977.

The Los Angeles Strings celebrate after winning the championship in 1978. Left-right: Stephanie Tolleson, Bill Norris (trainer), Chris Evert, Ashok Amritraj, unknown, Ann Kiyomura, Ilie Nastase and Vijay Amritraj. 

Phoenix Racquets 1975–1978

I was a ballboy for the Phoenix Sunsets in 1982 (I was on-court with Billie Jean King when her team competed against ours) and again with my brothers and my friend Greg during the 1983 Team Tennis incarnation. The Sunsets played at Veterans Memorial Coliseum the first year of the expansion teams -- as they had in the 1970s heyday -- then moved to the smaller Paradise Valley Racquet Club in '83 as the Arizona Racquets. We had hunky Butch Walts, Tom Gullikson, Pam Teeguarden and Ann Kiyomura on our team -- was Andy Pattison there, too? -- and Ann did not like the way I tossed balls to her! 

Under the Christmas tree in my Phoenix Sunsets T-shirt

My memories are somewhat hazy. But I recall once catching an errant ball at Veterans Memorial Coliseum that someone from the audience threw back down behind my back (without even knowing it was being thrown to me!). That "Stand Back" (Stevie Nicks) and "Saved by Zero" (The Fixx)" were CONSTANTLY on the radio of Bill's Toyota as we made the long trek to Paradise Valley in the sweltering summer heat back in '83. And that we took my friend Mark a few times when he was in town from Detroit. To this day, he still imitates Pam tossing the ball up and then catching it, saying, "Sorry." Most importantly, I remember we had a hoot!

Martina and Bjorn!

Those fun courts!

And a mediocre Elton John song!