On Deck: #1 Stanford, Zaga vs. Baylor, Esera Tuaolo, Ryan O’Callaghan – Outsports

Hello and welcome to On Deck Circle for today, Monday, April 5, 2021.

Your need to read time today is 90-seconds.

Today’s LGBTQ Sports History Highlight:

Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

On this day in 1934, NBC hired Babe Ruth to appear on the radio three times a week for 15 minutes for 13 weeks, for the princely sum of $39,000. That payday was $4K more than the New York Yankees paid him. Today, the broadcasting world is full of ex-ballplayers but there’s a paucity of on-air LGBTQ sports broadcasters, as our Ken Schultz lamented in January.

One bright shining exception: next month, Jared Max marks a decade since coming out as gay on ESPN radio, as Outsports reported in May 2011. Today, Max anchors sports on Fox News Headlines on SiriusXM, where he’s been on the air for almost six years. Max had previously served as sports director and was morning drive sports anchor for nearly 15 years at New York’s WCBS-AM. A lifelong devotee of the metropolitan area’s sports scene, Max was born, raised and resides in New Jersey, and attended Hofstra University. In addition to his stint at ESPN radio, Max also reported sports at News 12 Connecticut and News 12 Westchester, WFAN-AM, Bloomberg Radio in New York and in 2015 wrote a powerful op-ed for Out Magazine. Congratulations, Jared, on your continuing success in bringing sports news to listeners near and far!

Today’s Outsports Headlines:

AP Photo Rick Bowmer

Photo by Marcos del Mazo/LightRocket via Getty Images

Op-Ed: NBA, Nets, coaches and players have all botched the response to Kevin Durant’s anti-gay comments

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Op-Ed: MLB shows NCAA what it should do to hate states targeting trans student-athletes

Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

From All For XI: NWSL’s transgender player policy needs work

Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

ICYMI: Let’s celebrate Doris Day’s birthday as we review this week’s LGBTQ sports winners and losers

Other LGBTQ Sports stories making news…

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Athlete Ally releases LGBTQ Equality ratings for Division I institutions

Now more than 30: Dozens of States Consider Laws Banning Transgender Women from Team Sports

Amateur sports leagues around D.C. to join for community, physical activity, including Gay Basketball League

Today’s SB Nation’s top stories…

Top LGBTQ News…

A Georgia church, kicked out of the SBC for allowing gay members, wants to make sure ‘everybody’s welcome’

A year into pandemic, America’s remaining lesbian bars are barely hanging on

‘Revolutionary’ photo book of lesbians reissued for the first time since 1979

Study could end blood donor restrictions on gay and bisexual men

‘They Have No One’: At 88, a Transgender Icon Combats Loneliness Among Seniors

A group of Catholic leaders, including two bishops, condemn anti-transgender violence

Today’s OutShout:

Kudos to D.Gil of the Outsports podcast The GAMEDAY TEA for his debut LGBTQ Sports Weekly Wrap-Up TikTok video for the Sports Equality Foundation! Watch by clicking here:

If you’re an LGBTQ person in sports looking to connect with others in the community, head over to GO! SPACE to meet and interact with other LGBTQ athletes, or to Equality Coaching Alliance to find other coaches, administrators and other non-athletes in sports.

Social Media Spotlight:

LGBTQ youth advocate and educator Micah Allen Porter shared an Instagram photo of his wonderful Easter weekend get together with boyfriend Brandan Rader and NFL legends Esera Tuaolo and Ryan O’Callaghan!

If you want your social media post to be included here, or to share one showcasing LGBTQ sports, email us the link at outsports@gmail.com or tag @Outsports on Instagram or Twitter!

Today’s Outsports Podcast:

Nearly every day of the week, Outsports has a new podcast for your enjoyment. Today on the Outsports podcast Five Rings To Rule Them All, our Cyd Zeigler interviews Nancy Hogshead-Makar, who is one of the co-founders of Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, an Olympic gold medalist swimmer, attorney, women’s sports advocate and champion for girls and women. She was recently appointed to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Listen here:

This and all Outsports podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and on every platform where you find Outsports!

Today’s Sports Calendar:

MLB:

Click here for today’s schedule for the rest of Major League Baseball from ESPN.

NHL:

Click here for ESPN’s schedule of men’s pro hockey action today.

NBA:

Click here for ESPN’s schedule of men’s pro basketball action today.

NCAAM:

Tonight is the night: the Baylor Bears vs. Gonzaga Bulldogs! The final game of March Madness tips off at 9:20 p.m. tonight on CBS.

Click here to read why Baylor will win.

Click here to read why Gonzaga will be crowned national champions.

SOCCER:

Click here for ESPN’s schedule of soccer action today.

Share your thoughts in the comments below or email us at outsports@gmail.com

A new On Deck Circle posts every weekday morning on Outsports.com