As we wind down another great year at Outsports, we also start a new one. Various conversations and blog comments in the last month have left me wondering what our readers truly want more of in the new year. Please tell us in the poll below and in the comments what you’d actually spend time reading and looking at in the new year. You can vote for various choices by voting and then refreshing and voting again…
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 10:47 PM
None of the above………… I would like to see more up to date GAY SPORTS info. Things like tournaments for all sports, leagues, teams and individuals, etc., but as long as it is GAY.
on Dec 31st, 2009 at 10:48 PM
I’ve added that to the list so you can vote on that!
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 3:16 AM
I would LOVE to see some pictures of college and high school wrestling athletes in action – over the age of 18, of course.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 1:18 PM
Just a note on the Nutrition question. Most nutrition/fitness information on sites like these are pretty worthless, because they’re geared to the typical 20/30 something healthy young man who’s maybe trying to lose a little “gay” fat. I’m 54, and my sport is weight lifting/body building. And I’m 27 years HIV+. I’m not large, but my nutritional needs are completely different from the standard. I need a much higher intake of clean protein and complex carb calories just to keep from losing weight and muscle mass. Like about 3500 calories a day. I’d imagine a muscle bear power lifter isn’t going to need the same information as wiry distance runner or a couch bound “fan.” Some of the best advice I read concentrated less on total calories and talked more about ratios among protein, clean carbs and the right kinds of fats and how those ratios may change depending upon what you do and what kind of body you have. One book I read talked about how a nutritionist got a pro running back’s weight down a hundred pounds and energy up by reducing his calorie intake to about 6800 a day. The “norm” is not normal.
Also, post some of the new info about how soy intake promotes estrogen production and inhibits testosterone production. A lot of vegetarian men don’t understand the risks.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 1:27 PM
Not sure where this fits in the above categories — my favorite posts are about gay news IN sports. e.g. players coming out, homophobia being addressed (e.g. KC Chiefs), profiles of gay athletes (Mitchum). To be honest, I skip all the posts that are just commentary/opinion about sports teams and their seasons. That’s what ESPN and forums are for.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 1:51 PM
I am not into team sports, specifically U.S. mainstream sports.
I can enjoy learning about them, but honestly wish outsports had more about my specific interests, like endurance sports; Marathon, Ultramarathon, 1/2 and full Ironman, or just running, biking, swimming or Triathlon in general. All the posts about Football, Basketball, Baseball information can be found on any other site, the only difference here is the group of people talking about it are LGBT. I am probably a minority, but I don’t need that kind of community. I realize I am a small nitch (multisport/tri fan) in an already small nitch community(gay community). It is probably not reasonable/marketable to cater to my wishes.
What about a bi-weekly feature on some gay sports group all across the world? Like Profiling a football team and then a Tri team, then a basketball team etc etc.
Interviews with open LGBT athletes or coaches and also our allies in the sports world would also be interesting. I think that could be marketable.
I enjoy the pics of athletes, and people who actually do sports.
I would like profiles on people who are normal LGBT and who actually are doing sports instead of watching them on TV. Outsports to me says people actually doing sports and are OUT.
What about some Oprah moments about people who went from out of shape to running a marathon, or getting in shape by diet and lifting weights? Or LGBT people who empowered themselves thru sports.
That’s what I am interested in.
Best,
Drew
P.S. Happy New Year!
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:05 PM
GLBT info associated with sports. One of my favorite series was the gay tailgate parties at college football games. It was great to see people enjoying college sports and all the traditions each group had. Regarding information on the sports I think having more commentary is fine. Outsports gives us a place to chat and build conversations you might not be able to have in trad forums like ESPN.com or your local media outlets. Regarding the person wanting pictures of wrestlers, go find a soft core porn site somewhere and enjoy them. Outsports shouldn’t be a place to get off at. Then it loses credibility as a GLBT sports site.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 2:08 PM
Oh, almost forgot, some of your personal stories on out athletes have been great. They don’t have to be “name” athletes but people making a difference in their community. Those would be AWESOME! You’ve run a few in the past and I really enjoyed them. Sometimes we don’t give enough credit to the people who put in the hard work behind these leagues and teams to make them happen.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 3:05 PM
Better code and real graphic design. Please stop being Typical Gays who can’t understand HTML and attain levels of graphic ugliness comparable to straight guys’ fashion sense.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 4:42 PM
no more glorifying closeted athletes and their blogs, please!
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 6:22 PM
I am fine with sports commentary, analysis, coverage of GLBT issues in sports, etc. I can do without the pics of “hot” athletes and all the entertainment crap, as they really have nothing to do with sports at all. If you cover non-team sports, it’s OK. It’s not my cup of tea, but at least it is SPORTS. The last think I want is for this site to devolve into some sort of soft-porn site.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 9:41 PM
You guys should stick to your strength, which is spotlighting the often fraught but increasingly important relationship between homosexuality(/bisexuality/transgenderism) and sports. Outgames and Gay Games information and results, reports from as many gay competitions as possible, stories about out (and closeted) gay athletes, profiles on leagues for gay athletes, spotlights on successful (and even unsuccessful) gay teams and individual performers, abstract discussions about more general topics like the closet and the future of LGBT people in athletics. Jim and Cyd, you know more about this world than just about anyone and you consider yourselves journalists. Instead of spending time maintaining the thousandth blog to comment on the Colts and the Patriots, get deeper into subjects about which you are experts and about which no one else is writing. That would make Jock Talk a must-read.
If there’s going to be fan commentary, it should at least be from a semi-expert perspective — football posts from an ex-D-I player, baseball posts from someone who played minor league ball, basketball posts from John Amaechi (OK, maybe unrealistic). Of late, this blog has been taken over by a series of barely informed first-person rants and commentary about the top stories on ESPN. You guys are not particularly good at that, and the same can be said for all but a handful of extremely witty and insightful sports bloggers and columnists. I’m sorry, Jim, but you don’t bring anything to the table for a post entitled “Bruins beat Flyers in another cool Winter Classic.” You start by writing, “I like hockey, but don’t watch much until the NHL playoffs” — this is supposed to make me want to read a hockey post by you? Unlike a typical sportsblogger, though, you have a niche to exploit, an established brand, and a consistent readership. This gives you and Cyd an incredible opportunity and I hope 2010 sees more of the trailblazing work you are capable of.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 9:52 PM
I voted for gay teams and events. I would like to see more of that. More posts about stuff OTHER than football, basketball, baseball…. would love to see more on MMA, for example.
Agree with two of the above posts: enough with the sexcapades of fake blogs and the “cute athlete” pics. Save those for the forum. I come here to read about sports, not to ogle athletic men. This is about sports; if I want that I’ll go rent some online jock porn. I know I hate it when people use my own personal martial arts vids as “sports porn”, and I think if you want any shred of credibility as a gay sports blog, you’d reconsider the volume of that stuff.
on Jan 1st, 2010 at 10:20 PM
Aphasia… Gays!!!
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:07 AM
Well said Boomer. I think you hit the nail on the head that a lot of us were seeing. I may harp on the tailgate series but the year you guys ran it was a good year for Outsports. This past year Outsports really seemed to have lost the focus you guys had when you started it.
BTW, thanks for asking us. I think you’re starting to get the message from some of us.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:29 AM
Pretty simple. I want to know more about gays in sport and issues surrounding them without being told how I should “feel” about it. Report the issues and let us make up our our minds. Too often the whole blog or story item is very leading. Praise on the more stereotypical gays and less so on others. Of course there should be some opinion, but it shouldn’t tell me how to feel about the subject.
Stick to topics actually in sport, cut out the junk about MTV’s “jocks”, etc.. and report the facts. I say this as constructively as I can, readers rarely care what “you think”. The articles you guys write about individual athletes are very good and have good journalistic style.
It might help to actually break up the site into sections so you can tag and categorize story topics. Be clear what is opinion, what is gossip, what is pro, what is gay groups, what is local, etc…
You guys have the skills to be a professional site, just have to execute. Otherwise, its just an occasional real story buried under a bunch of opinion blogs and links to pictures of hot this and that. I got google and can search for whatever I find hot.
Thanks though and please realize I’m trying to be constructive and do appreciate your work and time. I know putting out a site is a ton of work and you will never be everything to everyone and someone will always think they can do it better. Good luck in 2010 guys!
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 12:18 PM
An edit button the way we have in the message board section so that when I mess up I can come back to edit and not have to make a whole new post clarifying the f*ck up I made in a previous post.
Happy New Year
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 3:48 PM
Why is profiles and stories of OUT athletes leading this??? I mean, how many are there????? I think that would get quite boring very quickly as they would have to keep the same story up for like an entire month! I can’t believe so many people have voted for that…. Anyway, just get back to the Gay Games, Outgames, varioius tournaments and leagues in the gay sports world and all will be fine once again
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 4:19 PM
I’m amused at the idea that there shouldn’t be commentary here on sports issues that don’t involve homosexuality, such as pro sports in general like the NFL or MLB, just because there are other sites like ESPN. So what? If you go to a mainstream site and are talking sports, and happen to make a comment like “my boyfriend and I were at the game…” you’ll then get the whole “EWWWWW, FAGS!” garbage from the neanderthals, and the whole thing turns into a discussion about homosexuality, or just degenerates into a flame war, instead of a conversation about the game.
I’d prefer to avoid all that, which is what initially drew me to Outsports. Frankly, I have no interest in debating gay subjects on a mainstream sports board with people who might be reasonable, and even less interest in wasting time with the ultra-right nuts, “religious” freaks, etc.
Unfortunately, nowadays there is much less activity on the OS discussion board on sports topics, for whatever reasons (I have my theories).
And if your response to that is “don’t mention your boyfriend on those sites,” then isn’t that like staying in the closet?
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 4:20 PM
Oh, and when I’m talking about “my boyfriend” I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 5:36 PM
I used to enjoy reading both Cyd and Jim’s NFL recaps. Cyd’s intelligent and rational pro-Patriots views on the right, and Jim’s warped and biased pro-Colts views on the left.
As far as pictures of hot jocks go, I say, Keep ‘em comin’! As Joe intimated, it’s great to have a sports site where I can express gay sentiments – like admiration for the male form – without triggering an avalanche of homophobic slurs.
Keep up the good work, guys! And thanks!
(Speaking of pictures of hot jocks, who won the Ben Cohen beefcake calendar?)
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 5:40 PM
re: the pictures
There is an entire THREAD of them (multiples, actually) in the forum, I don’t see the need to post them here in the blog. That’s just my opinion, but I find it difficult some days to see this place as a serious gay sports blog when I have to sift through “hot jock of the weekend” or “12 Months of Underwear”. That’s not sports, that’s sporn. Why can’t we save it for the forums?
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 6:03 PM
What I would like to see are three things. First, a radically revamped home page in which the story titles have publication dates associated with them. All stories have a “shelf life” and I don’t like wading through stories I’ve already read to find out what’s new – or wondering when stories were originally published. (It’s 2010 now; I think we can move on from the summer 2008 Olympics!) I understand that each of these past stories are somehow “important” but there has to be a better way to have a much tighter home page with much more recent postings and a separate archive page or a more organized approach for accessing everything else.
Second, why focus merely on the top professional sports? Why not have sections (or links to other websites) with information on local amateur gay softball, soccer, bowling, etc., leagues? I understand this might be a huge, if not impossible undertaking (considering all of the hamlets in the world), but such a section on this website would go a long way toward answering the perennial question that gets asked in the forums: “Where can I find other gay guys in my community that are interested in sports and aren’t just hanging out at the bars?” This is clearly a need here that isn’t being fulfilled.
Third, I love the podcast, but it seems to come out sporadically. Why not publish the podcast with a specific schedule. Also, why not highlight people in some of the local sports leagues who are making a difference? Thanks for doing what you do!
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:21 PM
The Podcast comes out every Friday (sometimes I post it on Thursday night, but it’s usually Friday). We’re taking two weeks off for the holiday so we’ll be back next week.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:30 PM
There’s a page with info on local groups. The link is on the home page. http://www.outsports.com/localGroups/index.cfm
The home page itself probably could use a redesign, especially if it takes away some of the clutter. But there are still some people that can’t or won’t do Google searches.
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 8:46 PM
I gave up on Outsports as a spot where baseball could be discussed without the usual “I hate the Yankees” nonsense or where the NFL could be discussed without everything coming down to all things Eagle or Patriot- related a long time ago. What I would LOVE to see more of is coverage of the unsung gay athlete – people like me, and so many others on here, who play and compete regularly in gay tennis, softball, swimming, rugby, basketball, soccer, etc leagues. There are so many of us out there, but rather than cover out, proud gay athletes who love sports and are proud of their orientation, OS covers closeted athletes, coaches and officials who post anonymously and furtively. To me, it seems like all too often Jim and Cyd glorify those who hide on the sidelines rather than those who choose to celebrate their athletic skills and queerdom. Just my 2 cents……
on Jan 2nd, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Cyd,
Thanks for the schedule information. I do have my iTunes set up to automatically download the podcast, but I just wasn’t aware of your schedule. Thanks.
Joe Guckin,
I was well aware of the location on Outsports for the “local sports” information. My thought is that rather than simply being a pointer to those websites, that Outsports would highlight more of the activities going on at those locations. I am not afraid to do Google searches. Thanks…
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 9:50 AM
I voted for gay athlete profiles just over professional sports… Would have liked two choices. I do, however, feel that the page should be updated. There are some old stories up there that are not in the archives but should be. I know this is good for people just coming onto the site, but for those of us on here daily, well….
Thats just me! I do think this is a fantastic site!
on Jan 3rd, 2010 at 10:09 PM
First. you guys do a great job, so keep up the good work. i would agree with quite afew of the other posts, less pro/college sports updates and more gay-related stories about athletes. Also, i think your site has been a great resource for players and people working in sports (that’s me) who are in the closet, so maybe think of some ways to better utilize the info you provide. And I do think you should start trying to archive some of the older posts/links etc. very hard to see the new or updated stuff. best of luck in 2010.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 2:32 AM
I remember an interview with figure skater Chad Conley back in 2006….I’d be curious to see what his thoughts are on the new scoring system, how skating has changed since the 2002 olympic scandel, as well as who he thinks will be the “King of the Gold” medal in the men’s event.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 3:07 AM
Definitely a cleaner design would make the site easier to manage. I like the articles about gay athletes, and I would love more resources on recreational gay sports groups in my area.
Don’t get me wrong – I totally love the pics of hot guys, too. Sporty guys are the best – gay or straight!
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 11:20 AM
i would like to see a bit more coverage of the womans sports i am a big fan of uconn womens basketball and the wnba i would like to see more on those also coverage of out athletes that are still in there sports or high school kids comeing out or even more comeing out stories would be nice
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 1:53 PM
This is all great feedback, thank you!
We have been slowly working on a redesign for many months and are hopeful you’ll see it this spring.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 3:02 PM
“Cyd Zeigler jr.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
This is all great feedback, thank you!
We have been slowly working on a redesign for many months and are hopeful you’ll see it this spring.”
This is great news! Just in time for the softball season and all the other summer gay sports, because we all know you are going to go with more coverage of gay sports!
Actually, you can kill 6 birds with 4 stones here and it would be easy to combine the top 3 vote getters so far. See, you do more coverage of gay sports, then you take pictures of these athletes and while all gay althletes look different you will have something for everyone covering what each of us considers sexy and attractive, THEN, you interview the gay athletes about coming out! There, you can include the top 3 in one easy task.
on Jan 4th, 2010 at 5:07 PM
I go with the site design which is not all user friendly at all and has stopped me going further in the past into the website.
I’m big on interactiveness. Sport is fast, furious and big. I’d love that kind of site designed….with a ‘queer’ tinge, whatever that would be…
More journalistic articles…
I think this would generate $ advertising aswell…
At least you exist! Thanks!
on Jan 6th, 2010 at 9:32 AM
I would like to see you guys have Fantasy Sports games on your website (i.e. Fantasy Basketball Pick’em, Fantasy Football, Pro Football Pick’em, etc.). I play fantasy sports all the time on other websites but would love to see you guys develop something here.
on Dec 31st, 2010 at 12:15 PM
More stuff on football (ie soccer). Soccer is no1 team sport in the world.
on Apr 28th, 2011 at 8:15 PM
How about a feature on the gay hockey league in Toronto, Canada.