Ken Schultz
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Comedian. Baseball fan. Contributor for @Outsports. He/Him/His.
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Articles by Ken Schultz
The Valkyries just won the WNBA championship. The SF Giants are losing gay fans to them.
The Golden State Valkyries were the toast of the sports world this weekend, winning the first-ever WNBA Finals Game 7 in come-from-behind fashion in just the team’s second year of existence. The San Francisco Giants on the other hand, in the franchise’s 144th season, posted their seventh worst season record ever and second worst since moving to San Francisco.
Gay couples went all in on Heated Rivalry for Halloween. These 11 Shane and Ilya costumes are hot.
Jerseys of the main characters of the hit gay hockey show “Heated Rivalry” — Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov — made appearances at Halloween parties across the country over the last couple weeks, as tons of people — including a lot of gay couples — dressed as the loverboys. Here are some of the couples who dressed as the gay hockey couple who will make their return to television in Season 2 of “Heated Rivalry” in April.
I’m a gay Steelers fan who helped spread the Kordell Stewart rumor. I’m sorry, Kordell.
I grew up in Steelers country, where loving the team was close to a religion. My father is buried within a few feet of Art Rooney. Years later I sat beside Dan Rooney at a dinner for NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, and the two of us talked about our fathers. The Steelers gave me some of the greatest joys of my life, including six unforgettable Super Bowl wins. And, so did Kordell Stewart. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback for eight seasons — he started four — was a marvel to watch.
SF Giants announce 2027 Pride Night. This time with literal fireworks. We’re not kidding.
The San Francisco Giants have already announced their Theme Nights for the 2027 season. And yes, the “Team Who Shall Not Be Named” (okay, we’re naming them) is hosting a Pride Night. When the New York Mets visit the Giants on Friday, June 11, the team will recognize Pride Night and attempt to welcome the LGBTQ community back to Oracle Park. Tickets range from $24 to $246.
Paul Bissonnette shares trans rights rant using crude, graphic language
Former NHL player and current hockey media personality Paul Bissonnette has popped up on social media radar in the last couple days after Outsports reposted a story from 2016 about Bissonnette’s support for trans people. The repost is part of a series Outsports regularly produces — “That Time When” — that revisits some of the interesting, unique, empowering, fun and enraging moments the LGBTQ community has witnessed in sports.
For the first time ever, the WNBA Finals are going to Game 7. In Ballhalla. On Halloween.
It was perhaps the most unexpected midweek matinee in the history of any professional sport. Yet the Atlanta Dream hosted the Golden State Valkyries in a potentially series-ending Game 6 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday. The Dream used a fast start to power to an 80-69 win over the Valkyries and force the first-ever Game 7 of a WNBA Finals. The two teams will each play with their first WNBA championship on the line Saturday in San Francisco.
Out pro wrestler Gabby Forza wins 2nd world championship in 2 months
Out pro wrestler Gabby Forza’s stellar 2026 delivered another signature moment earlier this month as the Long Island native nabbed her second world championship in as many months. At Game Changer Wrestling offshoot promotion Jersey Championship Wrestling’s appropriately spookily titled “Nightmare In Bergen County” event on October 18, Forza dethroned Charles Mason in a match months in the making to become JCW World champion.
LA Kings were going to skip Pride Night again. A gay hockey league changed their minds.
The Dallas Stars almost had company in rejecting Pride Night this season. Last year, the Los Angeles Kings declined to schedule a Pride Night and would have done the same for 2026-27 if it weren’t for some dedicated advocacy from a southern California LGBTQ hockey association.
Trans wrestling icon DARK Sheik wins tournament, has a message for her enemies
Out pro wrestler DARK Sheik is no stranger to honors and major moments, and “The High Priestess of the Church of Wrestling” added to her 20-year legacy Thursday night in Los Angeles. Sheik hoisted the Luna Vachon Invitational trophy after defeating All Elite Wrestling star Hyan at PRODUCE Wrestling’s “PRODUCE Volume 6: Hell Comes To Dogtown” event to win the tournament honoring the legacy of women’s wrestling and highlighting the best women going at the independent level.
Harrison Butker has been a lousy kicker since going on his misogynistic, homophobic rant
Seeing Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker miss a field goal wide right against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night was a certain kind of poetic justice for an athlete whose bigoted commencement speech two years ago made him a national story. The miss — one of two on the night — also cemented this fact: He’s been the worst kicker in the NFL the past two seasons. “Harrison Butker’s 15 missed kicks (10 FGs, 5 PATs) since start of last season are the most in NFL,” the AP’s Josh Dubow posted on X.
Watch: NFL Network analyst doesn’t know where Green Bay is. He scored a touchdown there.
Where is Green Bay, Wisconsin? That’s a question that popped up on a recent segment of game analysis on NFL Network. Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew didn’t know. “You can look at a team like the Packers, that’s, a little, I don’t know if it’s north, west or whatever it is from Chicago,” Jones-Drew said of the Green Bay Packers, shortly after their NFC North rival Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.
27 NHL teams have Pride celebrations, 4 haven’t decided yet and 1 said absolutely not
Hockey has suddenly been thrust into the LGBTQ spotlight after the success of the hit series “Heated Rivalry” earlier this year. LGBTQ people all over the world gave the NHL a viewership boost after curiosity in the sport rose, but has the league responded by representing its LGBTQ community with a Pride Night? These are the 27 teams that have announced a Pride celebration so far for the 2026-hockey season.
Brewers vs. Rays: A World Series matchup with big bats, bigger biceps and some very gay baggage
There are quite a few legitimately fun narratives surrounding the 2026 World Series. For starters, the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays represent a match-up of two small-market teams thumbing their nose at baseball’s economic doomsayers. Jacob Misiorowski vs. Drew Rasmussen demonstrates that even in an era of relentless bullpenning, there’s nothing like two dominant aces going mano a mano to see who blinks first.
High school football rivalry game turns ugly with allegations of gay and racial slurs
Two high schools in Illinois are reeling from a series of alleged incidents at a high school football rivalry game over the weekend with allegations of slurs of the worst kind. Members of the Evanston Township High School marching band claim students from rival New Trier Township High School yelled racial and gay slurs — both the N-word and the F-word — during their game. There are also claims that the New Trier students yelled suggestions of self-harm to the Evanston Township marching band.
InstaJocks: Wrestler in a wet white speedo, 2 NCAA track stars & stretching a bro
This week on InstaJocks, hot jocks Alex Daniels celebrated Halloween early with his homage to American Psycho, plus Fawaz Mahfouz’s medal, Sergi Savango torn up hole, and more! Alex Daniels went psycho with his Patrick Bateman impression. Fawaz Mahfouz celebrated Medal Monday. Sergi Savango flashed his gaping hole. Sam O’Regan struck a pose. Golu Paylet Kothri flexed his ‘ceps. Dylan Fabrizio heated up the ring in Chile. ToTo Pakorn Rodkhumpiyaset stretched out his bro.
The Texas Rangers just did the bare minimum for LGBTQ inclusion. And that’s big news.
Yesterday, pro teams throughout the sports world posted messages on social media in honor of Spirit Day, GLAAD’s annual day of observance dedicated to spreading anti-bullying messages and supporting LGBTQ youth. The Minnesota Vikings, for example, wrote an uplifting post as part of their LGBTQ outreach efforts that included sponsoring last week’s Gay Bowl XXVI.
At least 5 out LGBTQ players are chasing a WNBA championship. Here’s who they are.
The 2026 WNBA Finals hold plenty of potential crowning moments in tow for either the Atlanta Dream or the Golden State Valkyries when the best-of-seven series gets underway. Fans are guaranteed to see a first-time WNBA champion as two teams that showed dominant streaks during this season prepare to clash. Among those stars are several out LGBTQ players who drove their teams to the championship precipice, most notably the Valkyries’ Gabby Williams and Atlanta’s Jordin Canada.
Volleyball had 8 years to learn from trans star Tifanny Abreu. Instead, it banned her.
The sweetness came at the final point of the golden set of the Paulista finals. Osasco setter Marta Bechis placed the ball where Tifanny Abreu could best deliver a spike that the Sesi Bauru Volei defense couldn’t handle. When that last point was scored, Abreu jumped with explosive joy. Key Alves, one of her best friends on the club leapt into her arms. That moment underscored something bitter. This was maybe Tifanny Abreu’s last game, through no choice of her own.
He was one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history. He died of AIDS 40 years ago today.
Growing up in the 1970s, I was obsessed with baseball and football. Those were the years of the Pirates and the Steelers, when it seemed like Pittsburgh won something every October or January. I was an obsessive collector of cards. My first baseball card was of the Pirates’ Gene Clines, and my first football card was Billy Kilmer, the famous wobbly passer for Washington. I can still see the last Roberto Clemente card made in 1973 after his death. The shot of him was like a silhouette at the plate.
‘Heated Rivalry’ creator Jacob Tierney rips the NHL to Andy Cohen. He’s right, but not entirely.
When Andy Cohen shared his appreciation for the NHL and its reaction to the hit gay hockey show “Heated Rivalry,” show creator and producer Jacob Tierney wasn’t having it. “I will say I’m happy that the NHL has met the moment and capitalized on it,” Cohen declared on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy. “Have they?” Tierney asked. Cohen backpedalled, realizing he may have stepped into an area he really doesn’t know too much about.
Trans volleyball star Tifanny Abreu faces a ban. She just won a championship with the final spike.
If the career of Brazil’s Tifanny Abreu ended after Tuesday night, the first trans woman to reach the highest level of the game in one of its hotbed nations left a brilliant final act. Abreu led the way with 29 points across a hard-fought second leg and then a thrilling do-or-die Golden Set as her Osasco club downed rival Sesi Bauru Volei on the road. The win marked Osasco’s 19th São Paulo state championship, and the fourth Paulista Tournament title since Abreu came to the club in 2021.
Ranking the 6 looks of Carlos Alcaraz: From buzz cut to Freddie Mercury
Tennis champion Carlos Alcaraz has almost as many looks as he does major tennis titles. The young and exciting tennis superstar — the current ATP No. 1 with seven Grand Slam titles, including at least one in each of the four major tournaments — looks great while smashing balls over the net. But not all of his hairstyles and facial hair combinations are aces. We took a look at some of his different looks, and we’ve ranked worst to best according to this committee. Of one.
Youth Olympics host country is arresting gay people. And the Games are just weeks away.
Senegal’s compliance with the Olympic Charter is being called into question in a new report about the anti-LGBTQ crackdown in the country, which is hosting the Youth Olympic Games. The international organization Human Rights Watch has published detailed research into the serious situation that continues to develop in the West African nation. HRW says mass arrests combined with rising stigma against LGBTQ people is causing fear to spread throughout Senegal.
Dodgers and Brewers played cringe-worthy defense in an NLCS ‘Inner Saboteur’ game
Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball where it’s just nice to be talking about baseball players sabotaging something other than Giants Pride Night… It’s an October baseball truism that in order to go all the way, a team has to learn how to absorb a gut punch and figure out how to win anyway. Sometimes you lose to the Yankees 19-8 and find yourself trailing three games to none in a best of seven series.
Out gymnast Luke Strong thought his career was over. Now he’s breaking records and going to Worlds.
For a long time, it looked highly unlikely that Luke Strong would achieve his childhood ambition of becoming the trampoline gymnast with the most British men’s titles. However, not only has he now secured that goal with a sixth victory at nationals at the age of 32, but he’s also been selected to represent his country at next month’s World Championships.
Gay soccer star Emily Gielnik celebrates 11 years with her wife and their adorable new baby girl
Gay soccer star Emily Gielnik and her wife, Temica, have been celebrating the birth of their child. And we’re here for all the love they’ve been sharing with their beautiful daughter and each other. On July 28, the two women shared the announcement of the arrival of their newborn. They have since talked publicly on social about becoming mothers. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to us,” Emily wrote on Instagram in July, welcoming their baby to the world.
Mystery Dodgers player steals the show in jockstrap during wild playoff celebration
One of the most interesting traditions in baseball is the clubhouse party that takes place after every postseason series victory. MLB is the only American pro sports league where the players pop champagne bottles and run around shirtless after winning a wild-card or divisional round. Because of that tradition, we as fans are treated to some vicarious fun living through the eyes of the players.
Gay Olympic gold medalist transforms into Lady Godiva for his drag makeover
For most of the past two decades, Tom Daley’s professional life has been an ever-growing hyphenate of impressiveness: diver/Olympic champion/YouTuber/LGBTQ activist/knitting craftsman/TV host… …and now: America (and Britain)’s next drag superstar.
3 Olympic divers know they look good. Now they’re modeling underwear.
One of the upsides of being a world-class swimmer, diver or water polo payer is that, in all likelihood, you have a physique to die for. These athletes competing in the pool have to remain in such incredible physical condition to perform at a high level, that a byproduct of that exercise is looking incredible with your clothes off. British divers Jack Laugher, Ross Haslam and Anthony Harding know they look good, and they have started modeling for underwear brand Bundawear. We’re not mad about it.
Trans athlete challenged USA Fencing’s ban. A federal judge just dismissed her case.
A federal district judge has dismissed a lawsuit against USA Fencing brought by the first transgender American athlete to directly challenge the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s ban on trans women in the female category. On September 30, U.S. District Judge Katharine Hayden, appointed by Bill Clinton, ruled to dismiss Yukich v.
‘Surreal’ stardom, queer empowerment and a new team: Jordan Lucas’ year of full-circle moments
The last six months have been a whirlwind for Jordan Lucas — one the gay, former Cal State Northridge volleyball player, much less anyone, expected as he wrapped up his fourth season of collegiate play. Lucas was thrust into the spotlight after a matchup against UC Irvine in April where broadcaster Charlie Brande commented that Lucas deserved to be physically assaulted for his trademark and vividly gay celebrations.
Out gay swimming coach Mitch Dalton lands first college head coaching job
Mitch Dalton has a big new gig for the upcoming college swimming and diving season. Earlier this year, Dalton was named the new head coach for the women’s swimming and diving team at Brown University in Rhode Island, his college first head coaching position. Dalton is publicly out as gay, just the latest big coaching move for Dalton’s career, as well as for LGBTQ college coaches we’ve been able to share this year. Dalton has quite the coaching resume.
Cubs playoff flameout reminds this gay fan of every terrible first date he’s experienced
Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball where we asked the Cubs offense “U up?” and they left us on read… You know that feeling you get when you match with a cute guy on the apps, get excited to meet him in person for the first time, and discover that all of his profile pics are at least 10 years old? That’s what it was like watching the 2026 Cubs in the playoffs.
NFL officials are finally fighting back against players who abuse them. Good for them.
When I saw two NFL game officials reportedly rising up this week during a game in response to problematic plays by players, their strength inspired me. I never officiated an NFL game.
NFL players are dressing ‘gayer,’ and Aidan Hutchinson’s sweater vest is exhibit A
When quarterback Cam Newton started showing up to Carolina Panthers games dressed to the nines well over a decade ago, it was a revelation. That pink suit with the green fedora for a post-game press conference is etched in the minds of many. Little did we know he was setting a trend with today’s NFL players taking it to another level. Enter Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson. He and the Lions played against the Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday Night Football. The Panthers got a win, 32-26.
Bears fans dressed as Mike Ditka and Ben Johnson kiss — then reveal they’re engaged
The Chicago Bears don’t have a rich history of winning as of late. Only seven playoff appearances in the 21st century and a single Super Bowl win overall make the NFC North team one of the perennial disappointments in the NFL. With the Bears succeeding in a new era headed by Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson, the fans are riding high and having a lot more fun than usual with their team. They’re even making gay fantasy relationships a reality in the stands. What? You heard that right.
That time when 5 Boston Red Sox players got makeovers on ‘Queer Eye’
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 8, 2005, and is being revisited in Outsports’ “That Time When” series looking back at LGBTQ moments in sports history. In another sign that we have turned some sort of cultural corner, Tuesday’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” had its season premier with its much-ballyhooed makeover of Boston Red Sox players Johnny Damon, Jason Varitek, Kevin Millar, Tim Wakefield, and Doug Mirabelli.
SF Giants season is over. They’re still dropping the ball on Pride Night.
Even though they no longer have any games to play, the 2026 San Francisco Giants aren’t done disgracing themselves. Following the conclusion of a wretched 97-loss campaign, Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey and Manager Tony Vitello held an end of season press conference where they offered the usual bromides about all that had gone wrong on the field.
Tom Brady’s Michigan teammates thought he was gay. Then they heard noises from his bedroom.
NFL superstar Tom Brady is one of the ultimate symbols of the good-old-fashioned straight American man. Brady was married to supermodel Gisele Bündchen for 13 years and previously had a child with actress Bridget Moynahan in 2007. But we also know that Brady’s biggest love is arguably not another person, but quite possibly the game of football.
I watched the trans basketball player everyone was screaming about. She just played her game.
With an election coming, and all the voice-of-doom political ads screaming about “keeping boys out of girl’s sports,” and worries about having a furry as your commercial airline pilot, at least one thing was a small respite for me from continuing election-year U.S. culture wars. It happened on Saturday night 4,000 miles away in an arena in the Principality of Monaco. It was the opening games of the season in France’s Ligue Feminine 2.
Judge rejects Riley Gaines lawsuit seeking to erase trans athletes from NCAA history
A federal judge ruled against a lawsuit filed by 19 NCAA student-athletes, including former University of Kentucky swimmer and anti-trans activist Riley Gaines, that trans athletes don’t own NCAA records. The action sought to remove the stats, records and awards from all transgender women NCAA student-athletes prior to the NCAA ban on transgender women in women’s sport in 2025. U.S. District Court judge Tiffany R.
Bi Brazilian popstar kisses Ricky Martin in Rio in the gayest NFL halftime ever
To the best of our knowledge, it is not a requirement for every 2026 NFL halftime show to feature Ricky Martin. But it helps if they want to make it amazing. Last Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens eked out a 34-31 victory over the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL’s first-ever regular season game played in Rio de Janeiro. To mark the occasion, the league booked Brazilian DJ and singing star Pedro Sampaio to headline at halftime.
There is crying in playoff baseball. It bonds us to our heroes.
Welcome back to Talkin’ Gaysball where we’ve always thought “Rain On Me” was about 17 minutes in Cleveland… If you pay attention to football at this time of year (And good lord, why would you do that? There’s been a pennant race going on!), you probably took note of last week’s drama: America’s most fragile straight bros getting their boring monochrome undies in a bunch because Caleb Williams cried after an injury.
Giants end ‘most abysmal season’ ever by handing rival Dodgers their 100th win
The San Francisco Giants had their tail between their legs in the final couple weeks of the 2026 MLB season. Having been eliminated from any shot of the MLB Playoffs weeks ago — in truth, they were out of the running in July — the final games for team management were more about testing out future talent than winning games. And they certainly didn’t win games. The Giants were 3-12 in their final 15 games of the 2026 MLB season. For Giants fans, losing to the Dodgers hurts every time.
Kylie Minogue’s spectacular AFL Grand Final show looked ready for the Super Bowl
Should Aussie singer Kylie Minogue be seriously in the running for a future Super Bowl halftime show? Her performance at Saturday’s AFL Grand Final in Melbourne deserves a look, at the very least. In front of more than 100,000 fans at the MCG, Kylie crammed 12 songs into a 20-minute medley, saving “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” — her biggest U.S. crossover hit — for a stunning finale in which she flew above a giant Sherrin football emblazoned with her name.
4 high school football players arrested after horrific hazing allegations involving 14-year-old boy
The practice of hazing is a stain on not just sports, but also various relationships between people of the same gender, most notably college fraternities. When I started a fraternity at Stanford — Theta Delta Chi — we were, by my insistence, opposed to hazing. Yet hazing is a cheap way for poor leaders to build bonds between men, and sometimes between women. The latest example seems to come from Boyd High School, about an hour east of Texas.
The SF Giants’ historically horrible season is almost over. Here’s how it became a catastrophe.
The San Francisco Giants will not with the worst record in Major League Baseball. They’ll be the third- or fourth-worst, depending on these last few games. Yet no team in MLB had a worse season than the SF Giants. For any pro sports team, their win-loss record, as well as an appearance in the Playoffs, determines so much of how “success” is measured. The Giants were eliminated from any shot at the MLB Playoffs and World Series on Sept. 6. Truth be told, they were eliminated in July.
A third category for trans athletes? I disagree. But we need to have this debate.
Last week, Jennifer Rines, a longtime masters swimming competitor, wrote an op-ed for Outsports with the headline, “Trans athletes can’t afford to wait. We need a third category now”. The view she shared is that, because of the shrinking number of opportunities many trans athletes face when we look at options to compete, building a trans-centered category is needed. That view ran into opposition from other trans people, me included.
Nebraska Cornhuskers’ first male dancer takes the field at football games
The Nebraska Cornhuskers have their first male dancer on the Spirit Squad. And as a freshman at Nebraska, Carson Woods could be cheering and celebrating the football and other teams for a while. The Huskers Scarlet Dance Team welcomed Woods to the squad this spring, as he committed to Nebraska as a high school senior from Kiel, Wis. That makes him the first male dancer on the Spirit Squad and the Huskers Scarlet team.
Homophobes came for Nike’s LGBTQ support. They lost, 99-1.
Nike has come under scrutiny by some homophobes in recent for years for the company’s embrace of the LGBTQ community. Recently some anti-LGBTQ activists brought their homophobia to a shareholder vote. It didn’t go so well for them. Nike’s legendary BeTrue line of shoes, shirts and other apparel was not only a groundbreaking celebration of Pride by a sports-apparel company, but it also funded LGBTQ advocates in sports and beyond.
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