Hearsay: Nellie's flings open its doors, Baltimore's Hippo turns 35, and a couple of local boys hit the big 3-0

Hearsay (Old): Sporting news... There wasn't enough CO2 at Nellie's Sports Bar this past Monday to high-ball the high-quality beers on draft -- and at times there wasn't enough oxygen atoms in the atmosphere for Hearsay's high-ball, either. With a line out the door after Team D.C.'s Nationals Night Out game, the joint was jumping and Hearsay's heart was pumping. Chris ''That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles'' Dyer, Brent ''Major League'' Minor, Phil ''Coach'' Piga, Ted ''Shortstop'' Miller, Robert ''Heavy-Hitter'' York, Shane ''Stadium'' Griffith -- the gang was almost all here. Hearsay had fun trying to determine who were catchers and who were pitchers -- oh, hell, let's face facts, they're all catchers! Balls to the wall, bats to the mat, hands to the athletic supporters, all courtesy of Queen Nellie himself, Doug ''Sports Machine'' Schantz. With a lot of relief pitching from his managers, Darren ''Tetherball'' Philips and Michael ''Badmitten'' Sasser and still more relief from all the hot Nellie bartenders, waiters and security staff, who just looked so damn cute in those Universal Gear Athletics tight tees. Let's just say Hearsay's Monday night bar game went way into extra-innings.... Hip-hip Hippo!... Some people go to Rehoboth for the summer, but Baltimore doesn't get the respect it deserves as a fun destination, any time of year. And Hearsay loves fun, hon. And boy buns, too, son. (Sorry about that. Hearsay's done with the fun run of rhymes. Starting now. Don't have a cow. Okay, starting now. Pow. Now!) But Hearsay's secret about Charm City's charm is apparently out: Club Hippo was hip and hopping on Saturday, July 7 -- or, to be more precise: 07/07/07, which is just three digits away from being the mark of the Devil. Fortunately, the Hippo is more like kissed by an angel, having served as Baltimore's gay nightlife beacon for 35 amazing years. And what a fun place it is to go. You can stand and model -- and even sit! -- and still see the action on the slightly sunken rectangular dance floor. Book-ended by bars, alcohol is always within easy-spilling distance. And the dance floor itself is big enough to bust a move. Or cop a feel of those busting a move. Or both, in the case of Ron ''Ewwa-Ewwa'' Brown. As well as Michael ''House Party Headquarters'' Scott. Yes, it was that kind of night. There were soooo many D.C. boys there. Brown's hubby Bruce ''Baltimore Virgin'' Nylander was there, and -- well, let's just get the name-dropping out of the way, shall we? Chris ''A Perfect'' Dix. Mike ''Beat'' Reimer. Bill ''Mad Max'' Pullen. David ''Back to'' Black. DJ ''Beans and'' Rice. Lee ''That's Classified'' Hylton. John ''TenTen'' Anderson. Ben ''More To'' Read. And because variety is a McCormick spice of life, Hearsay will now drop the names of some of the Baltimore lads it befriended: Dale ''My Tide Is High'' Janni and Tracy ''My Bounce is Fluffy'' Noell. Jeff ''Good to the Last'' Siperly and Dan ''Deep Fried'' Calamari. Also there was Jeff ''As Sure As I'm'' Abell, the Saturday evening news anchor on Ballmer's WBFF-TV Fox 45. ''Coming up at 10: Eager beavers already lined up to party at One West Eager Street. Run if you don't want to wait.'' ... (more)