IF “EVERY DAY is an Opening Day” in Atlanta as civic boosters like to say, this weekend certainly fits the slogan.
Two gay sports leagues open their seasons this weekend, while a third stages opening ceremonies after starting its season a week earlier. Then there’s the Boys of Summer, as the Atlanta Braves break camp from their pre-season workouts in Orlando and open their season at Turner Field.
If it’s sports you’re after, there’s plenty to see this weekend. And if it’s eye candy, there’s plenty of that to go around, too.
THE NATIONAL FLAG Football League of Atlanta takes its six teams to Peachtree Hills Park in Buckhead to open their third season. Games are played on Saturdays and run through the end of May with a league championship scheduled for late June. The league enjoyed a prime spot on the athletic fields at Piedmont Park last season, but new drought-related restrictions booted sports leagues.
The build-up to the season included a mini-camp on March 15 for new recruits and a trio of preseason games on March 22. Once the season concludes, the league will assemble its travel team and begin practice for Gay Superbowl 8, a national tournament set for Salt Lake City in early October.
“We don’t overcomplicate it,” said Thurman Williams, the NFFLA’s president. “We want it to be more fun than anything.”
THE HOTLANTA SOFTBALL League, founded in 1981, is coming off one of its most successful seasons yet as three teams won championships in the Gay Softball World Series last October. Those teams will be among the nearly 40 in the league fighting for a berth in the World Series, set for late August in Seattle.
“We are just tickled to death to go out there and have the opportunity to play,” said Aaron Sones, who coached the Wet Demons to a championship last year in the team’s first World Series appearance. “We won a trophy and it was nice. But the most important thing was the friendships we’ve established over the last few years.”
HSL games are played on Sundays and the season ends in late June with the Commissioner’s Cup Tournament.
The Decatur Women’s Sports League, which launched last year with a softball league filled mostly with lesbians, opened its season on March 21. But the upstart league’s official opening ceremonies take place March 28. Some 20 teams are taking to two fields in Tucker and play on Fridays through May 16.
“It’s wonderful how everyone together can make this work,” said Anne Barr, who founded the league.
WITH A REBUILT bullpen, the Braves hope to end a two-year drought and return to the post-season this year. Loaded with talent and a mix of veterans and young players, the team stands a fighting chance to return to dominance.
Gay baseball fans certainly enjoy experiencing a game at Turner Field. For the second year, the Braves also make it easy to buy some peanuts and Cracker Jacks with the return of all-you-can-eat seating. For a flat fee, fans can park their butts in seats that come with all the food and drink you can consume in nine innings.
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