Focus On The Rainbow

In an effort to make Focus On The Rainbow a better blog, this sports version has been incorporated into Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs.

Now what does this mean to you ?

Well if you get the Twitter feed you will need to get the Twitter feed at Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs. ****** SUBSCRIBE TO THIS TWITTER.

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You can also become a fan and follower by clicking the Facebook Network Blogs “badge” in the top right hand column here on this blog.

And yes postings of “You Didn’t See This On ESPN” will be at FOTR OutLoudBlogs. The beefcake will continue in all it’s athletic glory.

This is the final posting here on Sportsfags and I hope you’ll come along over to OutLoudBlogs.

As of late Sunday afternoon most all of the postings on this blog have been incorporated into Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs.

So don’t miss a thing and continue to get the sports info you have enjoyed and now a whole lot more.

Focus On the Rainbow an eclectic mix of news, sports, issues, commentary and more.

Billy Van Raaphorst is no stranger to being disliked being a baseball umpire but when homophobic attacks are hurled that crosses the line in good sportsmanship. As the Edmonton Journal reported this past weekend Raaphorst was invited to speak about homophobia in sports at the invitation of the NHL Oilers where he was the key note speaker on Friday at a meeting of Oilers staff.

Billy Van Raaphorst’s dream was to work as an umpire in baseball’s major leagues, not to be a one-man diversity clinic in a city, province and country he had never before visited.

But three weeks after he was the target of a homophobic tirade by then-Edmonton Capitals manager Brent Bowers during a Golden Baseball League game in Fullerton, Calif., Van Raaphorst spent Friday in a series of meetings about one single, weighty theme: being openly gay in pro sports.

“Today’s my first day speaking in front of any organization about myself, my sexuality, my family, my situation in professional baseball,” said Van Raaphorst. “I’m proud of the way the Oilers have handled things, extremely proud.

“I wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t handled it the way they have. I want to thank them for that.”

“I had this dream of getting to the big leagues and I felt that if I came out, it was all going to go bye-byes,” Van Raaphorst said. “And if that went, you’re left with isolation and I don’t do well with that.”

As a result, Van Raaphorst lived the lie many gay people live, something he now regrets.

The reality is, Van Raaphorst believes, after his sexual orientation became known when he was umpiring in the Double-A Texas League in 2001, his major-league dream took a beating.

A top-ranked umpire for the three previous seasons, his ranking dipped to No. 27. The next year, it slumped to No. 45 out of 47 umpires.

Marked down because he is gay?

“That’s my belief,” Van Raaphorst said. “I was a Double-A umpire and I was ranked very high for three consecutive years, graduated No. 1 in umpire school.

“Not only can I not (explain it) but there are a lot of people I know that can’t give a valid explanation as to the decline in my evaluation during (those) years.

“They also coincided with the fact that that’s when I had my first boyfriend, in that year, 2001, in the Texas League.”

Also read Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs

Okay so Matthew Mitcham is an openly gay Aussie Olympic diver and not a rugby player but I bet he’d like to see the 2012 Gay Rugby Cup played in his homeland. Besides any excuse to show some beefcake in speedos like you all are complaining.

According to the Aussie LGBT website SameSame, The Sydney Convicts rugby team is bidding to bring the gay rugby world cup down under for 2012.

The tournament is one of the world’s largest 15-a-side international competitions, and if the bid is successful, the Sydney-hosted Bingham Cup is expected to attract 1,400 gay rugby players to the Harbour City.

The Sydney Convicts are competing against a bid from Manchester that is strongly supported by the UK Rugby Community with organisers recently appearing on the BBC.

The Committee choosing the winning bid will look at Australia’s commitment to discussing and combating homophobia in sport.

Be sure to also read Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs

“In a way, I don’t blame them because in the changing room, where everything is wide open, for a lot of players, they just don’t want to (declare), if they’re not comfortable,” said Georges Laraque, retired NHL player and deputy leader of the Green party. “For me, I couldn’t care less.

“But, a lot of times, if you’re a member of a team, you just don’t want to make guys uncomfortable around you. They shouldn’t be, but you know that if others know (about your sexual orientation) it (the atmosphere) could be colder.”

“You’re always trying to be better than the guy next to you, you’re always doing whatever you can to put the guy down. Something like (sexual orientation) would not be good, even though it shouldn’t matter.”

“A lot of them are good athletes,” Laraque said. “But do you know how much better they would be if they didn’t have to hide?

“Do you know how hard it must be to play a sport and have to hide that in everything you do in life?”

From an interview in a story written by John MacKinnon at The Vancouver Sun

Be sure to also read Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs

Oh good grief !!!!

Linda McMahon of Connecticut, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, easily won the Republican US Senate primary Tuesday night, joining the nationwide roster of political outsiders who will carry the GOP banner into the fall campaign.

McMahon, who has vowed to spend as much as $50 million in personal funds in her campaign, will be the underdog in the fall in a race with Democratic Attorney General Blumenthal to replace retiring Sen. Chris Dodd, also a Democrat. The two rivals could not be less alike — he the longtime statewide office holder and she the political neophyte whose rise is part of a nationwide political trend that favors outsiders. Among her primary victims was former Rep. Rob Simmons, who began the primary campaign as the favorite and fell so far behind that he suspended his candidacy earlier in the year. Source -  AP

For such an enlightened state where gays and lesbians can marry …. how the Hell did she convince Republians to vote for her, which says more about the Connecticut Republicans who voted today that it does about McMahon.

Oh well as the great late PT Barnum who was born in Connecticut once said “there’s a sucker born every minute”.

Funny how in her acceptance speech tonight she said regarding the position of becoming a Senator “it can’t be bought”.

Really !?!  I’ll repeat what the AP wrote above.

McMahon, who has vowed to spend as much as $50 million in personal funds in her campaign …

Um … Mrs. WWE you should remember what you have pledged or said in the past before putting your foot in your mouth as you have already done now in your acceptance speech.

Actually this is going to be a fun race to watch … about as much fun as watching an autopsy.

Be sure to also read Focus On The Rainbow at OutLoudBlogs