First headline: Tiger Smalls recipient of keys to the city from Mayor Bob Filner
Head boxing trainer Priest "Tiger" Smalls has had to be a father, a coach, conditioner, manager, disciplinarian, and role model for many youngsters and young adults who have hopes of becoming champions inside the ring. Those are the best reasons I could come up with for the current mayor to select him for the high honor of receiving the key to the city of San Diego. Like Smalls 90-some percent of coaches are selfless individuals giving everything they have, everyday, to make athletes into champions.
Jovial comments from his peers:
"I thought all the people with the first name of "Bob" worked in gas stations."
"David Letterman has 14 writers on staff to write his nightly monologues. When it comes to trash talking, Money Mayweather uses just one, Tiger."
"In the history of Boxing, Tiger Smalls has to be ranked in the Top 10 of the sexiest male boxers."
"The new mayor must have one crack team of researchers to overlook such a checkered past."
"Scary! If he's been given the keys to the city, local locksmiths must be working overtime."
"Filner hasn't stopped thanking Tiger for introducing him to his new favorite pastime ... reading tweets on #WhitePeople Activities. Sample tweet: #WhitePeopleActivities go to Penn State, #BlackPeopleActivities go to State Penitentiary."
Prediction: Next boxer to receive the keys to the city - Sargeant David Rodriguez of the San Diego Police Department. Rodriguez, an outstanding USA Amateur and Battle of the Badges Heavyweight will be making his professional debut at the Taft High School Football Stadium in Woodland Hills, CA on Saturday, March 23, 2013. The event is being presented by KO High Boxing in association with All Star Boxing Promotions.
UFC'S LIZ CARMOUCHE DEFEATED, BUT MAKES HISTORY by Dani Heffernan, Media Research Associate at GLAAD
Congratulations to mixed martial artist Liz Carmouche, who on Saturday competed for the UFC bantamweight title in a historic, first-ever women's fight against Ronda Rousey. Though early in the fight it looked like Carmouche had the upper hand, she eventually was defeated. But she can certainly claim victory for shining a spotlight on female athletes and openly gay athletes around the world.
On SB Nation's Bloody Elbow blog, Tim Burke named Carmouche one of the night's real winners along with Rousey, saying, "Carmouche deserves to be called a winner for a few reasons. She may have lost her bout, but she made it an exciting fight. She was an excellent representative of WMMA (Women's Mixed Martial Arts) all the way through this, even down to the post-fight press conference...Forget making history for a second - she made a lot of fans last night. And I'm one of them."
Carmouche wrote two guest blogs for us about her journey from being a former U.S. Marine to practicing mixed martial arts. In the weeks leading up to the fight, she gave interviews to several mainstream and LGBT media outlets, and overall the media did a wonderful job of telling her remarkable story.
Carmouche received a well-deserved standing ovation for her efforts in the Octagon Saturday night, and GLAAD congratulates her on her history-making fight. We know she will continue to be a strong presence not just in her sport, but in our culture as well.
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