THE MAGAZINE EDITOR'S BLOG ... IN ZERO-G!

Courtesy Gary Belsky

The wonders (horrors?) of the zero-G environment.

I work for a first-rate magazine. After our 10th anniversary party in NYC, we had another one in LA a week later. The vibe was very different, as Area in Cali is a much more intimate setting than Terminal 5 here in NYC. Also, the crowd was different. First of all, Bill Simmons was there, in fine (scruffy) form. Bill is one of those guys who stands at parties and people kind of gather around him. People like me, for example. Other valued contributors to The Mag who showed: Randy and Jason Sklar (check out their new CD, Sklar Maps, on iTunes), Brian Frazer (author of Hyper-Chondriac and the genius behind our "If Larry King Wrote for Us" column) and Tom Friend (Senior Writer extraordinaire). Better still, dozens of athletes dropped by, the overarching fact of which had two significant consequences, one obvious and the other rippling.
     Obvious consequence: The party was enormously fun. Rippling consequence: My list of THE 27 BEST SPORTS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, ACCORDING TO ME was dramatically affected by the athletes who came to the party and, more specifically, the athletes who came to the party that I spoke with. Before I get to that, however, I must thank the man who emailed about my Ottis Anderson rant of a few weeks ago. Now he wants me to write about naked motorcycles. Or naked motorcycle racing. Or something else, I'm not sure. And I continue to be amused that anyone besides my aunt and uncle care about this ranking at all. It is, after all, of no greater significance than another list I keep: BEATLES COVER SONGS THAT MIGHT BE BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL (No. 1.: Joe Cocker's "A Little Help from My Friends").
     Here's this week's update, for Annabelle and Kenny.

THE 27 BEST SPORTS IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, ACCORDING TO ME

1. College football¹
2. NFL²
3. Women's soccer³
4. Tennis (women's)⁴
5. Track⁵
6. Soccer (MLS)⁶
7. Dancing With The Stars⁷
8. Sepak Takraw (Continental Asia)
9. Skiing (Alpine)⁸
10. Golf (PGA)
11. Golf (LPGA)
12. Jai Alai
13. NHL
14. Rowing (eights)
15. Wheelchair tennis
16. Volleyball
17. Thoroughbred racing
18. Harness racing
19. Darts
20. Skateboarding
21. Yoga⁹
22. Water Polo
23. NASCAR
24. Bowling (PBA)¹⁰
25. Snooker
26. Surfing (ASP)
27. WNBA

1 Specifically, LSU. Because not only did I like talking to Chevis Jackson, he emailed me the next day to say how much he liked talking to me. That kid's gonna be a star (if we have to put him on 15 covers to make it happen).

2 So I walk up to Ray Lewis and say, "Ray, I'm editor of The Magazine." He smiles and gives a good-for-you look. Then I say, "I just want to tell you that you are in one of the coolest pictures we've ever run." Intrigued, he turns back and says, "Which one?" And I say, "You and your pal Pattie LaBelle, in the 'HookUp.'" And he laughs and says, "She's a great lady." Yes, she is, Ray. Yes, she is.

3 Heather Mitts was there. I love Heather. At the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, she and I and a few NFL players went in one of those zero-gravity planes (see above photo). She's a hoot. And I'm pretty sure she's been at every sports-related party I've ever attended.

4 Venus and Serena sat on a couch and acted all Venus-and-Serena-ish, which is a good thing.

5 Maurice Greene is a nice man. He kinda looks like someone who could be your nest door neighbor, as opposed to someone who not too long ago could run faster than you could sneeze. Nice guy.

6 LA Galaxy keeper Steve Cronin showed up. Even proximity to David Beckham is worth a top-10 spot on this list.

7 Not a sport? Tell that to Jerry Rice, Hall of Fame wide receiver for the 49ers and DWTS gamer—who, judging by his time on the floor, just really likes to dance.

8 Lindsey and Bode rule!

9 My yoga theory is coming, I promise. As soon as we stop throwing anniversary parties I will get to it. And you will love it.

10 I'm from St. Louis, home of the Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. Deal with it.

In case you forgot, I can be reached at: gary.belsky@espn3.com

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