[Article] Canucks will ‘follow the league rules’ on Pride Tape and specialty jerseys

[Alflives]

6 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

The sad part it's not the fans complaining. It's certain players complaining using religion as an excuse.

And it sure looks like the league gave in to those few puck suckers. 

[Salacious Crumb]

Many people are passionate about this issue. Gary Bettman is not. He’s about making money and saw what happened to Bud Light. Based on popular public opinion he made a business decision and does not want to risk a similar loss in value of his product. Just another cold, hard business decision.

 

Has anyone that cares messaged the NHL or is bitching about it here going to be the end of it?

[Johngould21]

29 minutes ago, HKSR said:

Don't follow the other major leagues, but do the NBA, NFL, and MLB have anything in place for these kinds of displays of equality?  

All of those leagues above blackball players that take a knee for the anthem. Equality??

[MeanSeanBean]

1 hour ago, psharpe07 said:

You can't force someone to wear something they don't support.  Bottom line.  The players are there to play hockey, that's what they get paid to do, not support social justice causes.  They can do that on their own time and that's the way it should be. 

 

 

That's not what this is about now. It's banning someone from wearing something that they want to wear. If you believe you can't force someone to wear something they don't want to, do you also believe you shouldn't be able to force someone not to wear something that they do?

[Johngould21]

8 minutes ago, Salacious Crumb said:

Many people are passionate about this issue. Gary Bettman is not. He’s about making money and saw what happened to Bud Light. Based on popular public opinion he made a business decision and does not want to risk a similar loss in value of his product. Just another cold, hard business decision.

 

Has anyone that cares messaged the NHL or is bitching about it here going to be the end of it?

Do you think what happened when Barbie hit about a BILLION DOLLARS, Bettman based his decision and made it his cold, hard business decision? I'm willing to bet that Bud Light has garnered all their Bud Light beer drinkers back too. Hypocrites is a word that comes to mind.

[Gurn]

The hypocrisy, of some players, cowering behind 'religious beliefs'.

How many players, in that group, work/play hockey 7 days a week?  No 'lord's day/sabbath' off?       

One of the players is living with his girlfriend- which is not allowed under his 'Russian Orthodox religion' yet he is doing it.

The wearing of mixed fabric, is not permitted, according to 'the book'; yet they do.

On and on, with the things they do, violating the rules of the religion.

 

Hypocrites.

[Reg]

This is total BS. Bettman and a majority of the NHL Board of Governors are Neanderthals. Talk about a dumb decision. This is Hockey Canada level incompetence.

[Ghostsof1915]

59 minutes ago, Salacious Crumb said:

Many people are passionate about this issue. Gary Bettman is not. He’s about making money and saw what happened to Bud Light. Based on popular public opinion he made a business decision and does not want to risk a similar loss in value of his product. Just another cold, hard business decision.

 

Has anyone that cares messaged the NHL or is bitching about it here going to be the end of it?

Problem is Bud Light like most US beers is the product, not the marketing.

[elvis15]

While I understand the point their trying to defend (anyone not wearing a jersey will be singled out anyway), it's all a terrible decision to ban the special nights and things like pride tape. As much as some people don't like others politicizing their entertainment, athletes are role models for many and it makes a difference in others' lives to show support and diversity.

 

The Canucks will no doubt ramp up events outside the games for these theme nights, and probably still have lots of merch people can buy, even if the NHL doesn't let them show it on the ice.

[Steamer4GM]

The part that cracks me up most about this is that not one single player opposed to donning Pride colours has had the balls to simply come out and say it’s because they’re homophobic. 
 

Instead, they cower behind religion as if that’s a safe haven for hatred. 
 

Look, I admit it, I fucking hate lazy people and, aside from those suffering from formally diagnosed medical conditions, am very, very uncomfortable around stupid people. I believe they’re way of thinking and acting is not only toxic and dangerous but mildly contagious as well. 
 

But I’m forced to work alongside many of these people and am forbidden from expressing my true thoughts and feelings for them without being subjected to social and professional consequences. So I smile and nod and bite my tongue and refrain from violence and other acts of aggression other than some micro aggressions I can get away with.

So, to those players who either hate or simply claim to be uncomfortable with members of LGBTQ communities, I simply say, “I feel your pain man. Life is tough and we don’t always get to hold unpopular beliefs comfortably. Sometimes you just have to own who you are, speak your truth to power and accept the consequences. If that means you’re labelled a POS homophobe and suffer the slings and arrows of the media, your peers and a large segment of the general population in the land where you earn your millions playing a childhood game, so be it. Such is the cost of freedom of choice.”

 

Or if you’re just so ashamed of your chosen beliefs that you’re not willing to own them, then suck it up and wear what you’re told to wear and keep your hatred hidden for the greater good just like I do

[Hairy Kneel]

10 hours ago, Steamer4GM said:

Let me see if I got this straight

 

I'm assuming this decision coming from 'the league' starts with the board of governors (the owners) and Weasel Boy Bettman yes?

 

These cretins sit around all year in their little billionaire's cabal thinking of more and more ways to print money yet, so fucking terrified are they of taking an actual stand on a simple and, frankly, outdated social issue, that they're willing to throw away massive sums of merchandising profits from multiple various theme night jerseys and more?

 

Simply to appease an incredibly small number of big tough athletes who don't want to feel pressured into conforming with the evil plot of those who seek to be able to love who they choose without fear of discrimination and worse?

 

I guess I get it. If Putin's thugs are threatening to harm player's families for embracing Western ideals, give a guy a pass and don't let a big issue be made of it. If somebody is diehard homophobic and doesn't wanna partake, fair enough. Give him a pass. If Petey suddenly adopts a fervent anti-war stance in his personal life, don't make him wear the jersey on military appreciation night. Big deal.

 

But a league wide ban (including practices WTAF) seems like an incredibly over-the-top and short-sighted response to the few bumps these Pride night activities ran into last season.

 

Disappointing is such an understatement

 

No wonder Pro Sports and Heavy Metal are two of the last hold outs on homophobia. Tons of lip service (no pun intended) all around the edges but it's still don't ask don't tell at their cores lest one be ostracized from the tribe.

 

I'm sure I'm wrong, but I don't recall hearing about a single openly gay NHL player in my lifetime (mid 50's) and only one NFL player whose coming out made headlines for weeks or months. That adolescent locker room nonsense really digs in its heels I suppose

 

So ridiculous

 

#FML

 

I'm sure I'm missing points outside of my own perspective on this one so apologize for ranting. Just really thought that, as a people, we'd moved much further along on the paths of compassion and courage than what this says to me. 

 

Makes me feel old and embarrassed to be one of us

Fire Bettman! Racist and homophobe!Fire him now!

[stawns]

1 hour ago, Salacious Crumb said:

Many people are passionate about this issue. Gary Bettman is not. He’s about making money and saw what happened to Bud Light. Based on popular public opinion he made a business decision and does not want to risk a similar loss in value of his product. Just another cold, hard business decision.

 

Has anyone that cares messaged the NHL or is bitching about it here going to be the end of it?

It's not popular opinion, it's a small, but vocal minority

[Warhippy]

really?

 

Then they better ban this crap as well.  If players can not take a stand or make a statement about specific and significant social issues than the NHLPA needs to take a stand about these god awful jersey advertisements as well then.

 

But, we know they won't because social issues are one thing.  Advertisements make $

 

[Dvboy]

Back in the old days going to a Canuck game was for ENTERTAINMENT,why does it have to get so damned political.Play the game and let families incorporate their own beliefs!!

[Warhippy]

Just gonna leave this here knowing ti doesn't belong in sports because it's a distraction

 

[Salacious Crumb]

18 minutes ago, stawns said:

It's not popular opinion, it's a small, but vocal minority

That small, vocal minority has done how much damage to Anheuser-Busch’s stock price over the past year?

[stawns]

Just now, Salacious Crumb said:

That small, vocal minority has done how much damage to Anheuser-Busch’s stock price over the past year?

But not much damage to the actual company, sales dipped in the short term, but like most things it's passed

[Warhippy]

1 minute ago, Salacious Crumb said:

That small, vocal minority has done how much damage to Anheuser-Busch’s stock price over the past year?

It's up $9 on the year.

 

So....

[Reg]

1 hour ago, elvis15 said:

While I understand the point their trying to defend (anyone not wearing a jersey will be singled out anyway), it's all a terrible decision to ban the special nights and things like pride tape. As much as some people don't like others politicizing their entertainment, athletes are role models for many and it makes a difference in others' lives to show support and diversity.

 

The Canucks will no doubt ramp up events outside the games for these theme nights, and probably still have lots of merch people can buy, even if the NHL doesn't let them show it on the ice.

 

The only individuals who need to be singled out are those Neanderthals on the NHL Board of Governors who in their collective brilliance believe any thinking outside of a neatly defined box is controversial and therefore harmful to the outdated brand they mistakenly deem of value.

[Salacious Crumb]

20 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

It's up $9 on the year.

 

So....

The information I read was different than yours. Bud Lite sales are down 10.5% vs 1 year ago.
 

Never said I agree with Gary but the guy is looking for expansion fees not potential boybott’s (even if they are by a small, vocal minority).

[Bob Long]

2 hours ago, Alflives said:

And it sure looks like the league gave in to those few puck suckers. 

 

yep, can't point out to the bigots that they are bigots, it hurts their feelings. 

[Integra250]

Edited October 11, 2023 by Integra250

[Reg]

58 minutes ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Fire Bettman! Racist and homophobe!Fire him now!

 

. . . and whatever you do don't anoint Bill Daly as his replacement. He is a Bettman clone and a status quo candidate for a president of the NHL.

[Strawbone]

I've thought about this a bunch, and it makes my head hurt. There's no comfortable solution when an organization wants to support certain initiatives and not all members agree with it. But if the leaders of the organization truly and strongly believe in a cause, then everyone in the organization needs to support it too. Those that don't support the cause need to deal with the consequences, either by having to explain themselves to their co-workers or to the public, or by leaving and getting a job somewhere else. The whole point of Pride night is that it IS an uncomfortable topic for some people, because if it wasn't, there wouldn't have to be a special night for it.

 

That just tells me that the NHL doesn't TRULY value LGBTQ rights as much as they value just playing hockey, making money and avoiding controversy, which... shouldn't surprise anyone one bit lol. The NHL, like almost every business, values causes only to the point where it increases viewership and revenue, and if they start to have a negative impact, then those causes get pushed aside.

 

It would take a really brave and forward-thinking commissioner to fully support Pride night and mandate support league-wide. Personally I think it would be a great thing, as there should be nothing controversial about treating all humans with respect. We can see from past experience that only a handful of players are truly unwilling to get over their prejudices, and I'd be fine if those players had to deal with consequences.

 

It's an interesting topic for sure. I'd like to think that one day, just as equal treatment for people of colour and women is slowly (but sadly still not entirely) becoming mainstream and non-debatable, that support for non-heterosexual people will become equally mainstream. But part of me also thinks that homo sapiens have some deep-seated evolutionary biases against those that are different from ourselves, and it will always be an uphill struggle for everyone to accept that all people deserve love and respect. Humans are certainly an imperfect species.

 

Now, go Canucks go! Pumped for the game tonight!

[Petey the Puck Whisperer]

     Good.     Hockey is not a political showcase where players want to get shit on by the media and millions of people for allegedly not believing or supporting in whatever cause may be going on.     Furthermore; At what point do you stop? There are thousands of marginalized ''communities'' if you wanted to celebrate them you'd never have a normal night of hockey again.      This is possibly the only good thing bettman has done for the league since being hired.