A few days ago, a junior hockey team left the ice after a white player called a black player a racist name. The coach who pulled his team was suspended. Last month in language similar to right wing attacks on Obama, white NHL player Mike Richards reproached black Canadien P.K. Subban for being too up front and vocal - or uppity. Don Cherry has harped on this about Subban more than once. Last night, TSN analyst Darren Pang stated that Subban should act more in the 'white way'.
Sure, Pang's statement could be attributed to a 'slip of the tongue' as Pang embarrassedly explained. I give Pang the benefit of the doubt. But it's all a little too convenient. Here we have a young, energetic, hyper-tongued black player doing nothing more than what most young professional athletes do - lay on the attitude and the back talk. If he were playing in the CFL, he would be mic'ed and celebrated. But as an hockey player, he is called 'arrogant' and worse.
These incidents could be truly innocent mistakes or overstatements. Maybe that black junior player heard wrong. Mike Richards may just be voicing a popular opinion that mouthy young hockey players should keep quiet. And Darren Pang just slipped up on a word. Perhaps. I'm just glad I'm not black and playing in the NHL.
1 comments:
A couple of things,
Regarding the Richards/Sabban conflict, even PK doesn't think Richards' criticism is about race.
PK plays a physical game and has taken attention away from "respected" star players, like Richards. Taking your football analogy, it is the equivalent of a rookie DB sacking Peyton Manning and then dancing on the field. It's okay to sack Manning if you get the chance but there is a percieved way to go about relishing in your victory. I think criticism of PK is ridiculous because he's fantastic to watch play. Similarly, when Ovechkin entered the league he was bombarded with the same remarks from "old school" hockey players and personalities like Cherry. Is Cherry anti-European, yeah. He's said so. Is he against black players? I've never heard Cherry say anything negative about Iginla or Simmonds. Cherry is anti-showboat. And apparently, so is Richards.
On Pang, gimmie a break. If we're going to take his comments and infer that he is a racist then don't turn around in the next sentence and then say "I give him the benefit of the doubt" right before claiming I'm just glad I'm not black and playing in the NHL."
In my mind, there is no doubt for him to have the benefit of. It was a mistake, he apologized in the very next segment and his slip shouldn't even be considered news.
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