Needed: Bloggers at EuroGames Barcelona 08!

  We know the inside stories are always the best to read but almost never get any press.  We want to fix that and need your help to do it! 

If you're going to Barcelona for EuroGames 2008 the end of July we want to hear from you!  Send a note to sports@planetoutinc.com letting us know when you'll be there, what events you plan to see and what you'd like to write about. 

What you cover is up to you.  Report on what you see and hear!  Introduce us to the people you meet.  And, of course, share your photos of the gayest sporting event in Europe this summer! 

You're fans are waiting so email today! 

Homosexual sets record and is going to the Olympics!

(Getty Images)
Maybe this photo is what caused the ultra-conservative Christian American Family Association based in Tupelo, MS to change Tyson Gay's name to Tyson Homosexual.  More than likely it was a filter on their news website Onenewsnow.com that was set to change any instance of "gay" to "homosexual".  It appears the filter has been changed and all articles have now been corrected.  Jim Buzinski at Outsports.com has a great write up about it. Thanks Jim!

The straight truth is Tyson Gay, who's gay by name only, had a remarkable showing at the Olympic trials in Eugene, OR this weekend.   His time of 9.68 seconds won't be entered as a world record due to a strong tailwind aiding him, but his time of 9.77 seconds in the quarterfinals will be entered as a new American record and he will be representing the U.S. at the Olympics later this summer. 

Source: Outsports.com and ESPN.com

Originally posted by Leo Parr

Soccer: Spain defeats Germany for Euro 2008 Championship

(Getty Images)
¡Viva España!

Spain grabbed their first European title in 44 years defeating Germany 1-0 with the lone goal coming from striker Fernando Torres in the 33rd minute. Spain had 13 shots on goal to Germany's four, and seven on target to Germany's one.

Captain Iker Casillas triumphantly raised the trophy in front of the packed Ernst Happel stadium.

Source: Reuters

Originally posted by Rich Rodriguez

Tennis: Top seed Ivanovic tumbles out of Wimbledon's third round

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Remember how I wondered aloud which giant of tennis would be falling next at Wimbledon? Well, I didn't have to wait too long to get my answer.

A day after Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova were swiftly shown the exit door, top seed Ana Ivanovic was blasted off the green grass of Centre Court in the third round by China's Jie Zheng 6-1, 6-4 in a quick 72 minutes. The world no. 1 made 17 errors in the match and could potentially lose the top-ranking when all is said and done.

Apparently the Serb still hasn't recovered from her Paris triumph from earlier this month saying,

It was a very emotional last couple of weeks for me and it took a bit of a toll. I didn’t have great preparation.

I guess this isn't exactly the afterglow Ana was expecting!

Source: Down the Line!

Originally posted by Rich Rodriguez

Olympics: Michael Phelps on NBC

The very humble and dedicated athlete Michael Phelps on The Today Show.   

Source: MSNBC & the17thman

Originally posted by James Schend

Olympics: Speedo shows off the stars and stripes

Speedo just unveiled its LZR RACER the U.S. Olympic team will be wearing in Beijing.  The suit has had its share of controversy over the last year, with many long standing records falling to swimmers wearing the suit.

Whatever your thoughts are on it giving swimmers extra advantage in the water, the Olympic design is certainly impressive. The design was painted by renowned artist Inoue Yu-ichi, and is said to represent the heart, spirit and mind.

Source: the17thman

Originally posted by James Schend

Swimming: 152 records fall at IGLA!

(dav.d photography)
Hundreds of men and women descended on Washington, D.C. this past weekend to attend the 2008 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships (IGLA).  The IGLA is always an exciting time with a lot of fun events taking place but don't let the atmosphere fool you.  These are true athletes who take this event and their sport very seriously.  To put to rest any doubts of that, an incredible 152 U.S. Masters and FINA world records were broken during this years events.

The IGLA press release detailing all the winners and record breakers can be found after the jump. 

Congratulations to all!  Way to go! 

Tennis: Upset bug hits Wimbledon, Roddick and Sharapova ousted in second round

(Getty Images)
The giants are falling like the infamous London rains at Wimbledon this year.

A day after third seed Novak Djokovic was unceremoniously booted from the tourney by a resurgent Marat Safin, fourth seeded Andy Roddick and third seeded Maria Sharapova were kicked to the curb by lesser known foes in their second round encounters.

A-Rod battled another Serb, Janko Tipsarevic, who almost knocked Roger Federer out of the Australian Open during a 5-set tussle in January. But Tipsy made good this time outplaying the American and taking his opportunites in a 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win. He'll next face Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the third round.

Apparently Sharapova was short of luck today facing compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva, losing 6-2, 6-4 in 84 minutes. The Russian fashionista's serving woes from last month's French Open continued to haunt her game, hitting 8 double faults in the match and bringing her total in her two matches to 11 - not gonna cut it at this level. It was Sharapova's earliest loss at the grass-court major.

Who'll be the next giant to fall? Stay tuned...

Source: Down the Line!

Originally posted by Rich Rodriguez

Put hundreds of men in tiny bikinis and try not to have a good time!

After looking at the photos of the QUAC water polo team, I dug a little deeper into dav.d's photos and wanted to share a few that caught my attention.  Can somebody tell me where next year's competition is being held?  I need to book a ticket now! 

Thanks to dav.d for the great photos!

Rugby: Australian football tackling homophobia

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The Victorian Country Football League (VCFL) in Australia is getting ready to attempt to stamp out homophobia, especially in rural areas within the league. As part of a legal settlement between VCFL and the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), new policies on sex discrimination are being added to the operating code for the league as well as the implementation of new training programs to address homophobia.

"There needs to be a clear and consistent message by the administration that it [homophobia] is not okay," said Rob Mitchell, head of the RJM Trust, an organisation set up to stamp out same-sex discrimination in rural areas of Australia.

"The issue needs to be raised front and centre and dealt with in the same way as racial vilification. Players need to be looked after and kept safe."

Source: SSO.net

Originally posted by James Schend