Sean Avery, aka "The Pest," is at it again. This time he's talking about Phaneuf and 24's Elisha Cuthbert:
"I'm really happy to be back in Calgary; I love Canada....I just want to comment on how it's become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don't know what that's about, but enjoy the game tonight."
I'm not a huge fan of Sean Avery's, but this is getting ridiculous. Is Gary Bettman going to start policing NHL lockerooms now?
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4 comments:
The guy's obviously an asshole, as evidenced by the fact that even his own teammates and everyone in the Stars organization hates him, but this is just another example of how the NHL is a terribly run organization. Let the team deal with it.
I'm no Gary Bettman apologist, but Avery's comment went way beyond the acceptable. If I ran any sports league, I'd be worried about fans. Why should we (the fans) continue to watch, cheer for, buy the merchandise of, etc. a bunch of pampered, self-centered idiots who keep mouthing off, getting in trouble, shooting themselves, etc.? There are fewer and fewer dollars available for entertainment these days; do you want to spend yours on an Avery sweater and then explain to your kids what "sloppy seconds" means?
I don't understand why the comment was "way beyond acceptable." He didn't use profanity, he used a crude colloquialism. It was certainly in poor taste to make that comment public but lets not get our panties in a bunch here. If Bettman hadn't suspended him this would not be front page news. The Stars would have suspended him, it would have been a minor headline, and we wouldn't be talking about it anymore. Coaches and players get only fines for profanity laced tirades yet this guy gets an indefinite suspension for a poor turn of phrase? I would rather explain to my kid what sloppy seconds is than motherf*cker. In addition your comparison of the comments to carrying a gun or shooting oneself is grossly overstating the severity here.
As for whose sweater you wear, that is completely up to you. If you don't like Avery, don't support him or his team if you so choose. I'm a Bruins fan, so I don't buy a Habs jersey. I don't need to commissioner to dictate to me who I should and should not support based on who he disciplines. This is just another example of our society becoming way too PC, which is exacerbated by the 24 hour media that needs to invent stories to fuel itself.
You mistake my point. I would not draw an analogy between being a gutter-mouth and being a felon, except insofar as I can envision fans getting tired of misbehaving spoiled brat athletes. That is why I think various commissioners seem to be responding faster and more forcefully to these conduct issues. Gary Bettman (again, I am not a fan) isn't attempting to dictate to you whom you should and should not support, he just wants to be sure you still support the NHL.
In point of fact, I am a Rangers fan, and it made me very uncomfortable to have that idiot on my team. Yes, I still wore my sweaters and went to a game when I could (don't live in NY), but I am not a casual fan.
As for it not being front page news before he was suspended, you are wrong, but your basic point is right on the money. I saw the clip played dozens of times before Bettman made his decision (6 games - not indefinite), but that is most of the problem. If the reporters he was addressing had just thought "what an idiot" and not repeated or broadcast his comments, eventually he would stop. Is this like the networks not showing us the fans who run onto fields and disrupt games on the theory that to broadcast them would only encourage them?
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