October Cover Feature - Flag Football Fest

Football Fest

L.A., NYC Want to Continue Dominance, While San Diego and Phoenix Hope to Break Through at Gay Bowl X

It has been 10 years since three gay flag football teams came together on a Spring weekend in Los Angeles to play a round-robin tournament they called the Gay Super Bowl. The hometown team, led by the founders of the gay sports website Outsports, Jim Buzinski and Cyd Ziegler, rolled over their competition. That team from L.A. dominated those first years and, as participation grew, teams from Washington D.C., Chicago and New York City all eventually held the trophy over their heads. Now in year 10, the competition for the Gay Bowl title this month in Phoenix will be more fierce and more competitive than ever – 28 teams from nearly as many cities are expected to take to the gridiron in Phoenix the week of Oct. 6-11. Advancing to this year’s semi-finals will be tougher than ever.
There are no shoe-ins.

The talent in the gay flag football world has gotten deeper across the board, say Gay Bowl X coordinators Jared Garduno and Shawn Rea. Teams will come to this tournament well prepared, as most practice multiple times throughout the weeks leading up to it. While Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix captured the top three spots last year, the three-time champions from New York City were just on the outside and remain a threat; former champs Chicago and D.C. always come strong; and a number of up-and-coming squads are prepped and psyched to take the next step to glory.

There is as much excitement over this year’s Gay Bowl as there has ever been. Garduno and Rea are hoping to capitalize on that excitement, and expect the 600 players headed to Phoenix to leave with a positive lasting impression.
“Setting the standard has always been our goal,” said Garduno, who wants future Gay Bowl organizers to build upon what they will have experienced this year.

One of the top draws for the host Hellraisers are the fields. The Reach 11 Sports Complex features 18 lighted football fields with natural turf, and one lighted championship field with synthetic turf. With plenty of spectator seating and a parking lot big enough to accommodate 1,200 vehicles, Reach 11 offers an unmatched venue for Gay Bowl teams. In addition to the impressive fields, Garduno and Rea say they have upped the ante with exciting opening and closing ceremonies, and an inaugural Hall of Fame induction.
“We’ve focused on everything to make it a celebratory weekend,” said Garduno, who added that the Hellraisers are often known as “the party team” at tournaments.

The week is flush with fun, nighttime events that will complement the days’ activities; many local businesses have stepped forward and agreed to host parties and welcome football players.
“We ask a lot of our players and we ask a lot of our community,” said Rea, pointing out that a number of their volunteers are individuals whom do not play or even watch football. They have received praise from the National Gay Flag Football League for finding and including so many volunteers from the general community.
“We didn’t want a committee that was all players,” said Garduno. “(But) these committee members are qualified!”
Added Rea: “They certainly take pride in the Phoenix gay community and the sports community.”

The Hall of Fame idea was developed last year as a symbolic way to commemorate 10 years of Gay Bowl. The Hellraisers leadership presented the NGFFL with a package outlining the standards and procedures, and Garduno and Rea are thrilled to have the first induction take place at their event. Buzinski and Ziegler, after a lengthy approval process and voting formula, will go into the Hall as its inaugural inductees.

For more than a year Garduno, Rea and their cadre of volunteers have made Gay Bowl X their part-time (unpaid) second jobs.
“We’re still friends,” Garduno joked.
And although these two and their teammates may be known as the team that likes to have a good time, make no mistake about it: when they take to the football field, it’s business. “He is a great coach, and this tournament is where it is going to come into play,” Garduno said of Rea, a wide receiver and linebacker who not only serves as Hellraisers coach but founded the team. “Last year he came up with the interception that changed the game against New York.
“His knowledge of the game is the difference-maker,” Garduno added.
Rea has similar high praise for linebacker/running back Garduno, calling him “the engine that makes our defense run.
“What (Garduno) does at the rusher’s spot has made other cities take notice.”

Throughout their quick rise to becoming one of the elite teams in the country, the Hellraisers have added much-needed depth and boast one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Joey Jacinto. They are ready to take the next step and win the Gay Bowl title in their own backyard.

But a few other teams expect to have a say in that. The defending champions are coming back strong. Ziegler, L.A.’s captain, believes the team is even better than they were last year, so challengers will really need to “bring it.”
“We have a better game plan,” said Ziegler. “We’re improving on what we did last year, moving people around, maximizing our effectiveness.”
There is no lack of confidence residing in L.A., as Ziegler boldly stated: “We won the tournament last year and we intend to win it this year.”
He added that he’d be surprised if the winner wasn’t one of the four favorites – L.A., New York, Phoenix or San Diego.

Ivan Solis, coach of the San Diego team, agreed with that assessment, but believes that his team’s experience and defense will put them over the top.
“We have 14 veterans returning from previous years,” said Solis, who leads a team that has been runner-up twice in the last three years. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a better defensive team … and defense wins.”
While some teams may discount the squad from San Diego because their regular quarterback will not arrive to the tournament until the final day, Solis is not worried.
“We have another quarterback who is actually the winning quarterback of our league for two years in a row.
“The talent that we have on this team compared to our last team – I think is better,” Solis said.

But Solis isn’t the only one who thinks his team is better than last year. Jacinto hopes to quarterback his team to the title, and he says they learned a lot after losing to the L.A. Motion in last year’s semi-finals.
“We have a good mix of speed, youth and knowledge,” he said.
One thing the Hellraisers don’t have, according to Jacinto, is fear. At the last two Gay Bowls the team lost to the eventual champion, and Jacinto says the team was dealing with a lot of intimidation. But, he adds, that is no longer a factor.
“We aren’t intimidated anymore.”

Indeed, the talent across the entire NGFFL is better. So whether Solis’ team or Jacinto’s Hellraisers break through, or L.A. or New York City return to the top, one thing is certain: all the teams better bring it!

Gay Bowl Champions
2001 Los Angeles
2002 Los Angeles
2003 Washington D.C.
2004 Washington D.C.
2005 Chicago
2006 New York City
2007 New York City
2008 New York City
2009 Los Angeles