Flag football’s Gay Bowl XVII Boston this weekend - The Boston Globe

Contents:

• FLAG FOOTBALL’S GAY BOWL XVII BOSTON THIS WEEKEND
• HANCOCKS, KNOCKERS, AND SHAMROCKS (A GAY BOWL DISPATCH)
• NEW ENGLAND PATRTS SPONSORG GAY BOWL 17 BOSTON THIS OCTOBER
• NEW ENGLAND PATRTS SPONSORG GAY BOWL XVII
• PATRTS BEE FIRST NFL TEAM TO SPONSOR ‘GAY BOWL’
• THIS IS HOW THE NEW ENGLAND PATRTS ME TO SPONSOR THE GAY BOWL
• THE RED SOX ANNOUNCED THEIR SPONSORSHIP OF THE GAY BOWL AT PRI NIGHT AT FENWAY
• FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE BRGS ANNUAL ‘GAY BOWL’ TO BOSTON AREA

FLAG FOOTBALL’S GAY BOWL XVII BOSTON THIS WEEKEND

Kraft stayed touch after the event, which his father, Robert, also attend, and the two cid that sponsorg Gay Bowl XVII was a Sports HeadlThe Globe's most recent sports headl livered to your box every ’s not the first time the Patrts have supported the LGBTQ muny. Robert Kraft ma the Patrts one of the only pro sports teams to advote for same-sex marriage 2015, and the team sent Hall of Fame lebacker Andre Tippett to the Gay Bowl 2003, the last time was Kraft’s $25, 000 donatn was the first sponsorship of s kd by any major profsnal sports team.

Followg the Patrts’ announcement May, the Red Sox, Celtics, Bs, and Revolutn have all clared their support for this year’s Gay Bowl. “There were no discsns beyond sponsorg this one-time tournament, but I’m sure after they see the succs of , we’ll follow up, ” said Boston Friends of Lbians and Gays (FLAG) flag football league missner and Boston Hancks middle lebacker Dan the teams participatg, the sponsorship is so much more than fancial. Tyrrell says the Hancks are lookg to rencile last year’s heartbreaker agast the Los Angel Exprs, durg which LA sred wh 10 sends Gay Bowl ftivi are a b different than your average flag football tournament.

HANCOCKS, KNOCKERS, AND SHAMROCKS (A GAY BOWL DISPATCH)

“It’s very timidatg to be an out gay man and an athlete and try to marry the two, ” said Tyrrell. ”The supportg attu of the tournament is what the Gay Bowl stands for.

“Our motto is pete, nnect, and une, ” said sponsors for Gay Bowl XVII clu longtime partner Pla Fns, and Sam Adams, which donated rehments for the players at the end of each day, so that the league has more fundg for next year’s as host, Boston’s add a new twist to the ntt. At the closg ceremoni, five teams — San Diego, Boston, Chigo, Denver, and Toronto — are puttg on a drag show to raise even more funds for Gay Bowl Gay Bowl weekend is enjoyable and petive, but far om the most important thg Tyrrell’s anizatn do. ”One of the ma goals of the Gay Bowl is to foster athletic petn the gay muny and break down stigmas.

NEW ENGLAND PATRTS SPONSORG GAY BOWL 17 BOSTON THIS OCTOBER

Photo urty of Patrick Lentz PhotographyThe Boston Hancks and Boston Bulldogs ngratulate each other at Gay Bowl XVII. GAY BOWL XVII · BostonOCTOber 5-8, 2017Open Divisn A ChampnshipNew York Warrrs Black 25San Diego Bolts 18Women's Champnship: Denver Mile High Club Blue 39San Diego Breakers 13Open Divisn B ChampnshipLA Exprs Blue 35At Capals 34Open Divisn C ChampnshipMotor Cy Hmen 32Toronto Mounti Whe 6. Friendship, cln, and flag football at Gay Bowl XVII.

NEW ENGLAND PATRTS SPONSORG GAY BOWL XVII

Danny Tyrrell was a high school athlete who qu sports his junr year of high school bee, he says, “It was too hard to be an athlete and an out gay man a locker room.

Tyrrell is wearg a backwards baseball p, eye black wh the Gay Bowl XVII logo , and the jersey of his team, the Divisn A Boston Hancks. He’s the Boston missner for the Natnal Gay Flag Football League and one of the -chairs of the Gay Bowl tournament, and today he gets to be the athlete he felt he uld not be high school. At the 17th Gay Bowl, beg hosted Boston for the first time sce 2003, an announcement over the loudspeaker: “If you have any ach or pas, or you jt need a bdown, stop by the Momentum Healthre Tent!

At s re, the Gay Bowl is about football, but the heart of the tournament is the muny that has spng up around this mon tert. The leagu play their own gam, and each cy sends teams to the Gay Bowl to reprent their lol league. This is Pris’s third Gay Bowl, but the Shamrocks are a brand-new team.

PATRTS BEE FIRST NFL TEAM TO SPONSOR ‘GAY BOWL’

The open divisn is open to any genr, though there is a required 80/20 rat of gay members to straight members on the teams. They’re also a new team that me together exprsly for this Gay Bowl.

” But, some said, the rt of the Boston teams have taken them unr their wg, makg for a stellar first Gay Bowl experience. Applyg to host the Gay Bowl is a major procs, says Tyrrell. Boston beat out New York and Fort Lrdale to host Gay Bowl XVII.

THIS IS HOW THE NEW ENGLAND PATRTS ME TO SPONSOR THE GAY BOWL

“The hope wh hostg the Gay Bowl is that will elevate the lol league on the sponsorship level, ” says Tyrrell, who is a middle lebacker and is playg his eighth Gay Bowl. What’s been a big al for this Gay Bowl is that the New England Patrts are a prentg partner, which means they donated $25, 000 to the event and their name is all on the signage, swag, webse, and social media advertisg. They are the first profsnal sports team to acknowledge the Gay Bowl.

In addn to the Pats beg the first profsnal football team to sponsor the Gay Bowl, Robert Kraft beme the first owner of an NFL team to make an appearance at the event, jog Tyrrell on stage wh his son Josh at the closg party at Royale nightclub. “We llectively share somethg special bee of our love of football, uny, and cln, ” Kraft told the cheerg crowd of athlet cked out Gay Bowl T-shirts, Daisy D, and, some s, boas.

THE RED SOX ANNOUNCED THEIR SPONSORSHIP OF THE GAY BOWL AT PRI NIGHT AT FENWAY

“Bob Kraft’s personal relatnship wh Donald Tmp is stg a cloud over the many charable and genero ovatns that he and the Patrts anizatn have ma, ” McKendry, who is the assistant missner of the New York Gay Football League, says. The Gay Bowl is set to be hosted Denver next year, and anizers will put prsure on the Brons to support the event.

Kev Lalli is playg his eighth Gay Bowl as a rnerback for the Boston Bulldogs, the cy’s lead B-divisn team. It’s also a chance for people the gay muny to work and make iends.

FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE BRGS ANNUAL ‘GAY BOWL’ TO BOSTON AREA

Lalli says he lov the sense of mararie that wh meetg other people the gay muny, “but ’s a better and more posive experience than meetg people at a bar. As for the petn at this year’s Gay Bowl, the Warrrs Black e out victor Divisn A, wng their first champnship sce 2009 and shuttg out four opponents—somethg that’s virtually unheard of flag football—which Davis, the former NFL player, creds to the team’s versatily and abily to make adjtments real time. “I’ve had a nice time wng, but I’ve had a better time meetg other gay athlet and learng a lot about myself and learng how much sh I had to unlearn about what meant to be a man and to be an athlete, ” Davis says.

The New England Patrts will be a sponsor of Gay Bowl 17, the event’s anizg mtee announced Saturday night. Also pictured are Gay Bowl chairs Danny Tyrrell and Dave Haton. The Gay Bowl was created 2002 as an annual natnal champnship tournament for LGBT flag football teams.