The NHL suspended that idiot Sean Avery -- indefinitely -- for the sin of slagging his ex-girlfriends, who are now dating other NHLers:
(t)he Dallas Stars forward made inappropriate comments toward Calgary defenceman Dion Phaneuf and his girlfriend, Canadian actress Elisha Cuthbert.Oh-oh. Inappropriate comments. That's really bad. Someone's gotta stop him!The remarks got Avery suspended indefinitely, and he must now travel to New York for a hearing with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at 10:30 a.m. ET Thursday, where he could face further discipline.
Compare that with Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos, who back in mid-November, was suspended for a whopping three games for a vicious hit from behind on Mike Van Ryn. Van Ryn suffered a concussion, several broken teeth, a broken nose and a broken hand and is out until early January at the earliest.
So boys, remember -- sticks and blind hits can break the other guy's bones and might get you sat for a couple of games -- but name-calling some chick who's dating a guy on the other team? That's gonna cost you big time.
canadianna
6 comments:
You're totally missing the point.
Oh, and what would that be?
That career threatening injuries caused by the wanton disregard for the lives of other players is A-okay, but that slagging someone's girlfriend is not?
Or that the NHL has some place in determining what is appropriate or inappropriate for the players to say in their off hours?
Or how about the idea that a guy shouldn't be mean about his ex-girlfriends in public and the NHL wants to set an example for all the young players out there?
If there is a 'point' I think you've made it up because you didn't bother to share it.
The point is that you're comparing apples to oranges. The hit by Kostopoulous was on the ice and in the heat of the moment. VanRyn turned his back at the last moment as happens often and a penalty was imposed. In the Avery case it was a personal attack against an opponent off the ice. The statement was mysoginistic and gutless and disgusting. It was also premeditated. If Avery wanted to go after Phaneuf why didn't he call his ex " SLOPPY SECONDS " to his face. Avery's own team wants him fired.
Are you serious -- you actually believe that the NHL is right to suspend a player for non-hockey, off ice comments? This wasn't a guy going off about a ref or dissing a coach or the league -- it was a smug pig being a jerk about an ex-girlfriend. It's rude, but you shouldn't be suspended from your job as a hockey player for RUDE.
My point WAS that the two were completely different things -- that what happens on the ice should be taken seriously and handled seriously by the NHL and that what happens off-ice -- if it is not directly related to, or cannot affect the outcome of -- the game, should be the player's own business or at least his team's. Dallas can do what they want with him, but the league should butt out.
Are you really sure you believe in a world where hockey players can't say nasty things about each other because they'll get suspended? Do you not see how absolutely absurd that is?
And the Kostopoulos hit -- like all hits -- was premeditated. Maybe the damage he did wasn't, but that's irrelevant -- all Sean Avery did was hurt someone's feelings and shock our sensibilities.
He's an idiot, but if they're going to suspend him it should be for his ON ICE CONDUCT -- not about some stupid remark, regardless of its nastiness.
12/3
I do understand your argument Candianna, however, my hockey guys have explained a few things. The very intentional and deliberate on-air slime fest was the last straw for Avery.
And I saw it...he literally set up the lights and camera, and grabbed the mike to 'express' himself. I'm sure that kinda of chat goes on all the time off camera with no reaction. This was different.
bluetech
You're right. He is a slime. Hate the guy . . . glad he's done. I just think it's a fine line. Trash talk is just that . . . and the league drew more attention to it than it deserved. Had the team dealt with it internally, fine. Had his teammates revolted, made sure he was benched or sent down, fine. Bettman should be taking a better look at the on ice things that could ruin a guy's career rather than giving more air time to a jerk like Avery.
I don't dispute your point though. Makes you wonder how he ever got a girl in the first place. Weird, that.
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