A Chicago team has not won the Gay Bowl championship since 2005 and though two teams will represent the Windy City in 2010, the 10th annual flag football championship has the most teams competing ever.
There will be 25 teams participating Oct. 6-11 in Phoenix, including the Chicago Blaze and Chicago Freeze.
The only other cities with two teams are Atlanta, New York City, San Diego and Washington D.C.
"The Gay Bowl means a lot of things to me," said Alvin Ty Law, 29, co-captain of the Freeze. "It is a tournament where you are playing flag football against the best [ gay ] teams [ from around ] the nation and it allows you to see how your team compares against them. Bragging rights for a year goes to the city that comes away with the trophy. Also, the Gay Bowl is a way to make new friends and connect with other gays who have similar interests in sports."
Chicago was allowed to field a second Gay Bowl team as a "reward" for the vastness of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) flag football league and the amount of referees that the city has sent to help officiate past Gay Bowls, Law said.
Both Chicago teams will face stiff competition from the Los Angeles Motion, San Diego Bolts and the host Phoenix Hellraisers, among others. The Hellraisers are back-to-back Pride Bowl champions, the flag football tournament held in Chicago in conjunction with Chicago's annual Pride Parade.
The Los Angeles Motion are the defending Gay Bowl champions after defeating San Diego in 2009 when San Diego went for a two-point conversion to win, yet did not convert on the last play of the game.
The Freeze bring an experienced group to Phoenix, many having played in past Gay Bowls. Plus, the team played together in the spring and in the Pride Bowl.
"In order to be successful, our team has to remember to be patient and play smart," said Law, who lives in Lakeview. "Flag football is an offensive game, but you don't need to try and score on every play. Having a steady offense and solid defense will be the key to winning."
Some of the top Freeze players are Ira Crawley, Tyler Foerster and Steve Brehm.
Some of the top Blaze players are Will Ward, Winston Howard and Derek Smith.
Law plays tight end and linebacker, and he has played CMSA flag football for six years.
"This will be the seventh consecutive Gay Bowl that I have played in. My first year was with the Los Angeles team in Gay Bowl 4," Law said. "In Gay Bowl 6 in Dallas, the Chicago Flames team that I was on made it to the championship game and lost to the Warriors. My current co-captain, Gil Minor, was the quarterback of that team and is the QB of our Chicago Freeze team as well.
"My most memorable Gay Bowl memory would have to be from my first tournament, playing in Atlanta. I really enjoy meeting players from different cities and making friends across the country. In fact, meeting the Chicago players in Atlanta eased my adjustment to the move to the Midwest."
Brian Kupersmit and Will Ward are the co-captains of the Blaze.
"We are really looking forward to the Gay Bowl; it is always an excellent event," Kupersmit said. "Chicago is sending two very good teams, and both should do very well."
Kupersmit anchors the Blaze defense, while Ward guides the offense at quarterback.
"One of the strengths of our team is our organization; we all get along really well, on and off the field," Kupersmit said. "The experience of Will Ward at quarterback will be key, too. He guided a Chicago team to the Gay Bowl championship in 2005 and won that year's Gay Bowl MVP award. Hopefully he can do the same this year."
The Blaze boast several talented, experienced receivers. And, the team has "one of best rushers around: Derek Smith," Kupersmit said.
Winston Howard will likely be one of Ward's top receivers.
"Overall, the competition at the Gay Bowl is outstanding," Kupersmit said. "The Gay Bowl continues to add new cities and up the level of competition."