Sean Avery was wrongfully suspended on Dec. 2, 2008.
On that day, Avery said; “I'm just going to say one thing. I'm really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada. I just wanted 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 far from an NHL expert. I’d never claim to be one.
Unlike what I’d do in a baseball, basketball, or football article, I will not present precedent for my opinion. However, if the NHL plans to return to the small place it had in the United States sports forefront, suspending players for things like this is not the way to go.
Rather than doing that, I’ll bring up some points from America’s three favorite sports: football, baseball, and basketball.
In 2004, Terrell Owens had an eventful offseason. In that offseason he was traded to the Ravens, became a free agent, signed with the Eagles, and also called Jeff Garcia, his former teammate in San Francisco, gay.
In 2004, when asked if Garcia was gay during an interview with Playboy Magazine, Owens said "Like my boy tells me: 'If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat.'"
Owens of course, would deny the context of the controversial comments. In 2004, he’d go on to have a great season, suspension free, and play in the Super Bowl.
Baseball’s recent history has not been free of speech related controversy. In 2000, when asked about New York in an interview with Sports Illustrated, John Rocker was given a 14-game suspension for saying this:
"It's the most hectic, nerve-racking city. Imagine having to take the seven train to the ballpark, looking like you're riding through Beirut next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids.
"It's depressing. The biggest thing I don't like about New York are the foreigners. You can walk an entire block in Times Square and not hear anybody speaking English. Asians and Koreans and Vietnamese and Indians and Russians and Spanish people and everything up there. How the hell did they get in this country?"
Those comments are clearly far worse than what Avery said.
On a more parallel level, in 2005, the Cleveland Indians welcomed Josh Beckett’s ex-girlfriend, Danielle Peck, to sing the national anthem before Beckett’s start in the ALDS.
After the game, a game when Beckett pitched eight innings giving up only one run, capturing a Red Sox victory, Beckett was asked about it.
"I don't get paid to make those f--kin' decisions...She's a friend of mine. It doesn't bother me at all. Thanks for flyin' one of my friends to the game so she could watch it for free,” said Beckett.
Neither Beckett nor the Indians were punished.
That was called gamesmanship, and added to the suspense of one of the greatest teams in terms of recent “sports cinema.”
In June, Shaquille O’Neal was on stage at a New York night club rapping, “Kobe, tell me how my a— tastes.”
Stephon Marbury told LeBron James, in reference to LeBron’s deal with Nike and Marbury’s ownership of Starbury that he’d rather “own than be owned.”
“For five years I’ve been the best prostitute in a high-class whorehouse, but all the other girls get paid more than I do,” said Dennis Rodman once.
None of those players were suspended, and those things are patently more offensive than poking some fun at someone’s ex-girlfriend.
However, in the NHL, players are routinely given five-minute “sentences” in the penalty box for fighting. When fights occur in the other three, it leads to multiple game suspensions.
Has the NHL missed the boat on trash talk? Probably, among other, more important boats. However, for a few days now, I’ve been following the fate of the Dallas Stars, which is something I wouldn’t have done otherwise.
Hockey is supposed to be a sport which polices itself, but in this circumstance, they’ve managed to get arrested by the sports-equivalent of a stripper dressed like a police officer.
2 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Johnny NiceandProper Guy 7 months ago
I'm sure almost everyone else in the world disagrees that you in your "Sean Avery, NHL or Ninth Grade?"
You seem to think it would be fine to allow any athlete (or any one for that matter) say whatever they want and people should accept it as someone's personal views. Just because other sports let it go, does that mean the NHL should too?
If you think Avery shouldn't be suspended for this, what do you think the limit is on what someone can say in public before they are suspended?
I wish all the bad luck possible to Sean regarding his hockey career. I don't think he deserves or appreciates the talent he was given to play the game. I hope he gets suspended for the rest of the year and after that I hope no team ever sign him again. After he's finished blowing his millions in a few years he can go dig ditches and think about how good he could have had it if he could keep his mouth shut.
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Casey Greer 7 months ago
Hey Johnny,
I appreciate your opinion. I especially appreciate you reading my article.
I don't feel that censorship is right, first off. I'd argue that anyone within the journalism, or those aspiring to be journalists would feel that censorship is ok.
Truth be told, whether fined, suspended, or whatever a player can do, making off-color comments can only be punished to the fullest in the court of public opinion. Losing endorsements for Kobe Bryant was far more financially devastating than any fine that the NBA could have levied against him for his misdeeds.
Slander and libel are also illegal, so while they would not be censored, they come with a penalty.
I think that allowing players to speak, and then letting them face the paying fans would do one of two things, prove the fear they have for retaliation, and help them censor themselves, or give them the greatest, most effective form of punishment, public humiliation.
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