Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Chicago teams vying in flag football tourney
Special to the Online Edition of Windy City Times
by Ross Forman
2010-10-06

This article shared 6208 times since Wed Oct 6, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


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."


This article shared 6208 times since Wed Oct 6, 2010
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Be here, be queer, play polo: Gay Polo League creates safe athletic space for LGBTQ community 2024-03-26
- LGBTQ+ athletic clubs aren't too hard to come by, offering a variety of sports such as softball, soccer and more in cities across the country. But LGBTQ+ athletes would be harder pressed to find someplace to ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated 2024-03-24
- Chicago Red Stars stay undefeated On March 23, the Chicago Red Stars took down the Seattle Reign FC 2-1 in the club's home opener at SeatGeek Stadium. With the win, the Red Stars are now 2-0-0 ...


Gay News

ACTIVITIES Pickleball, fine eats and fun are all at SPF 2024-03-21
- Despite the fact that it was invented in 1965, pickleball has only really entered the national consciousness within the last few years. However, there really hadn't been a large indoor dedicated space in Chicago for the ...


Gay News

2024 OLYMPICS U.S. women's soccer team's opponents set 2024-03-20
- The United States women's national soccer team will face Australia, Germany, and either Morocco or Zambia in Group B at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ESPN reported. The tournament will mark the Americans' first competitive games with ...


Gay News

Alyssa Naeher wins National Women's Soccer League Impact Save of the Week 2024-03-20
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 20, 2024) — Chicago Red Stars goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Deloitte Impact Save of the Week honors, the league announced today. Seven minutes into the eight minutes of added ...


Gay News

Red Stars start season with 2-0 win 2024-03-17
- On March 16, the Chicago Red Stars kicked off their 2024 campaign with a 2-0 road win over Utah Royals FC in the Royals' inaugural match back in the National Women's Soccer League. Ally Schlegel and ...


Gay News

College athletes sue NCAA over transgender policies 2024-03-15
- Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among a group of college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on March 14, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing trans swimmer Lia Thomas ...


Gay News

SPORTS Red Stars prepare to kick off NWSL season against Utah Royals 2024-03-15
- It's been a busy winter for the Red Stars, and it's time to put their work to the test. Following a last place finish in the 2023 NWSL season, Chicago has had an active offseason transforming ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release 2024 roster 2024-03-13
- CHICAGO (March 13, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced today their final roster ahead of the 2024 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) season. The club's roster is bolstered by an array of experience brought not ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars release midfielder Jill Aguilera 2024-03-12
--From a press release - CHICAGO (March 11, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars today announced the release of midfielder, Jill Aguilera. "I want to thank Jill for her time with the Red Stars," said general manager, Richard Feuz. "Over her ...


Gay News

Trans golfer banned from competing 2024-03-08
- Transgender golfer Hailey Davidson spoke out on Instagram after the NXXT Women's Pro Tour suddenly announced on March 8 (International Women's Day) that participants must be "a biological female at birth" in order to compete—banning D ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars sign midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth 2024-03-06
Press release - CHICAGO (March 6, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars announced the signing of draftee and midfielder Leilanni Nesbeth. Nesbeth, Chicago's first-round and tenth overall draft pick in the 2024 National ...


Gay News

Chicago Red Stars announce partnership with Wintrust 2024-02-27
Press release - CHICAGO (Feb. 27, 2024) — The Chicago Red Stars and Wintrust Financial Corporation announced a partnership that will see Wintrust become the club's new front-of-jersey partner and community outreach investment ...


Gay News

Chicago Bears hire first woman assistant coach 2024-02-21
- The Chicago Bears are hiring Jennifer King as an offensive assistant, according to The Chicago Sun-Times and other media outlets. She will be an assistant running backs coach. King—who will become the first female assistant coach ...


Gay News

Brittney Griner's jersey retired at Baylor University 2024-02-20
- On Feb. 18, Baylor University retired Brittney Griner's #42 jersey. Griner—a two-time AP national player of the year, two-time Olympic gold medalist and the NCAA women's career blocks leader (with 748)—attended a Bears home game ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.