When the National Gay Flag Football League will hold Gay Bowl X this weekend (Oct. 7 to 10) in Phoenix, Ariz., 26 football from 19 cities will converge on the desert city to determine the best team in the gay league.
League co-founder and commissioner Jim Buzinski, who has played in every Gay Bowl, has seen a dramatic increase in the level of play over the years.
"It has become very good football and teams are practicing and preparing more," Buzinski said. "This has not made the event any less fun, since it still has room for teams that are just starting out."
One of the veteran teams is the New York Warriors. The Warriors are the only team to win three consecutive championships (2006-2008).
This year, Warriors captain Wade Davis has his team poised for another run at a title after losing in the quarterfinals last year.
"After last year’s disappointing finish, we took a long look at our personnel and realized we needed to get younger and add more talent, as well as re-dedicate ourselves to doing the little things that made us three-time champions," Davis said.
Also gunning for the title will be the defending champion Los Angeles Motion. Last year the Motion won a thrilling championship game over the San Diego Bolts, 31-30, when San Diego’s 2-point conversion on the second-to-last play of the game hit the ground.
Los Angeles is the only other city to win three championships, and San Diego will be aiming for their first title after finishing second two of the last three years.
Phoenix Rising
Shawn Rea, who founded the team in 2005, has played football for 20 years and thinks this team has a great shot at the finals.
"We’ve been able to add some great youth with a lot of talent and athleticism, which has allowed us to be more creative strategically," Rea said. "We’ve also had great retention in our players so we’ve been able to add to our depth and play people at positions where they will be successful."
The Hellraisers have been knocked out of the playoffs the last two years by the eventual champions and are seeded third this year.
Organizers in Phoenix having been working for two years to make the tenth installment of the Gay Bowl special.
"Hosting the 10th anniversary gives us the perfect opportunity to add more events that celebrate gay flag football," Rea said. "As a team that has always taken a lot of pride in being a fun and social team, we think that a party atmosphere will radiate throughout all of the events of Gay Bowl X."
Coming Soon: The Movie
The Phoenix Hellraisers, the hosts of the tournament, are also poised for a strong run. Gay Bowl X has also attracted the attention of theater and film producer Seth Greenleaf, a member of the New York Gay Football League since 2005. Greenleaf began filming two teams in New York earlier this summer and decided to produce a documentary film on their journey to the Gay Bowl.He’s also following the Phoenix Hellraisers and Los Angeles Motion as they prepare for the championship. While the film will focus heavily on the football, it will also tell the personal stories of many of the dynamic participants.
"I’ve always enjoyed my experiences in the league and have been fascinated by the many dynamics that happen in a single season," Greenleaf said. "That coupled with the natural drama of a football tournament built right into the plot was too much to resist."
Greenleaf intends to begin screening the film at film festivals in 2011.
For live final scores from the games in Phoenix, visit the NGFFL’s Twitter page. For more information on the National Gay Flag Football League, visit their website.
Zeigler is co-founder of the Gay Bowl and co-founder of Outsports.
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