Las Vegas is the most improbable of cities. Plopped down in the midst of a vast desert plain with horizons rimmed by forbidding mountains, it emerges into view on our descent as a Dali-esque fantasy – a kind of Pee-wee Herman's Big Acid Adventure meets Disneyland on Steroids.
I had the chance to fly to Vegas last weekend for the fifth annual Sin City Shootout, which in half a decade has expanded from a modest softball tournament to a thriving multi-sport sports festival. This year's edition, which drew almost 4,000 athletes, included softball, basketball, wrestling, and bodybuilding.
"Tennis had to back out at the last minute but is going to promote early for 2013," said Eric Ryan, Sin City tournament director. "All of the sports said with a full year to now promote for 2013 and build the hype with this year's athletes they expect a larger athlete pool next year. Softball had 163 teams, which is a record for any LGBT softball event in the world."
The real star throughout the weekend was Vegas itself. There are no opening and closing ceremonies at the Sin City Shootout: just lots of playing on and off the field.
"My favorite highlight was at the Sunday closing party at RPM at Tropicana," Ryan said. "I got there two hours early to make sure everything was in place, ready to go. An hour before the doors opened, people were lining up. Once the doors actually opened a little after 9 p.m., the line was halfway through the hotel casino for an hour straight."
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