NHL Teams Rangers, Blackhawks, Wild Refuse To Wear Gay Pride Jerseys

[Grand Mal]

The owners want to display gay pride jerseys, they can wear them. It's just stupid. Telling people who may not agree with that lifestyle choice to have to wear a jersey indicating they do support it. I wouldn't wear the thing either. What would the left do if their boss told them they had to wear a MAGA T-shirt?

Read the story.

 

[JasperL]

Read the story.

I did.

 

[Grand Mal]

I did.

Nobody was forced. Several individuals refused, including a couple of guys in Florida for religious reasons, and there was no consequences. A couple teams declined to participate, too.
This thread is about an imaginary scenario- "What would you think if so-and-so did such-and-such?"
The OP wanted to contrive a free-speech issue out of this but when I asked, "What if a player on a team that decided not to wear the pride patch defied the team and wore the pride patch on his jersey on the ice? Would you support him?" he had no response.

 

[PoliSciPulse]

In the U.S., Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion are protected under the same Amendment.

Some NHL players have cited the First Amendment as a reason for their decision not to wear the Pride jersey.

The First Amendment does not apply in countries such as Russia, where some of the athletes live. If they were all American, you would be 100% correct in your assessment. But people's livelihoods are also in the balance.

 

[SkyChief]

The First Amendment does not apply in countries such as Russia, where some of the athletes live. If they were all American, you would be 100% correct in your assessment. But people's livelihoods are also in the balance.

I'v changed my position on this, actually. I agree with the posters who argue that the NHL franchise owners have a contractual right to fine/suspend/fire any player that refuses to wear the jersey provided (while they are on the ice).

So the First Amendment doesn't override contracts which specify what jerseys will, and won't be worn on the ice.

 

[Jason Warfield]

No, I don’t think a player should be penalized or fined.

And since the government isn’t involved, there’s no real constitutional aspect to be considered.

Just like when Kapernick started taking a knee.

Side note: yeah, this was supposed to be a gotcha question under the guise of being asked an “honest question”.

There is no such thing as an “honest question” on a political forum.

 

[Mika-El]

The NHL Chicago Blackhawks announced yesterday that they’re scrapping plans for players to wear rainbow spangled on Sunday's Pride Night.

Other NHL teams have refused to wear Gay Pride jerseys as well; The NY Rangers and Minnesota Wild have also refused to wear Pride jerseys.

Should NHL players who refuse to wear Gay Pride jerseys be fined or disciplined by the league?

Some argue that while the hockey players are on the ice, they should wear whatever jerseys the franchise owners tell them to. Others argue it is a freedom of speech/freedom of religion issue, and players have a right to refuse to wear the Pride jerseys.

I am a Canadian. I am originally from Montreal and am a Habs fan. I support gay and trans people. I do not agree though with having teams wear gay sweaters for the specific reason why just for gays? Why select only one group that has been persecuted. That to me is not inclusive, its exclusive. If you want to send a message the NHL supports all people who may otherwise feel discriminated against, why only make it exclusive to gays?

To me it makes persecution against minorities including gays a gimmick and engages in tokenism-engaging in a symbolic display designed to alleviate guilt. I say bullshit to such political wokeism and tokenism.

What next. I am Jewish. Should I demand NHL sweaters show a Gold star of David on Holocaust memorial day? Should all teams wear Ukraine colours until that war is over? I am not knocking the intent or cause, I am asking, how far do we go with it and why does wearing a uniform in professional sports to single out a specific kind of discrimination belong there?

The way to show solidarity is not with tokenism but real action. I f the NHL player's union and powers that be run the league want to make such statements, they are free to and they do sponsor numerous charities. That is how you get the message across-you sponsor charities and community events. That is real and effective.

I don't like tokenism. I don't like symbolic gestures that make non gay people feel better about themselves because of homophobia. Screw that. Have gay NHL players represent the NHL at gay charity events and support the causes that way. This way its real and it avoids placing specific people in a position where they feel their religious beliefs are being questioned.

This need to turn sports into political platforms I do not like. You know football players kneeled. To me that was a voluntary gesture. No one was ordered to do so. It was spontaneous. This need to make sports political though starts with the national anthem and in the US military parades and displays at the beginning of the game. I get that.

I just think we need to get realistic at using sporting events as a platform for things other than sports. Its bad enough its exploited for selling crap.

In summary this issue necessarily asks how many "causes" should there be celebrated if you start this precedent and who decides which causes are appropriate?

That said I love it when athletes with the support of their teams support medical charities, children's charities, good causes. Do not get me wrong. I just thing there is a better way to do it than wearing uniforms

 

[rahl]

And then the team will be sued by the player for unfair punishment and boycotted by fans.

And they would lose their lawsuit. It's a private organization and can require them to wear anything they want, unless their contract states they don't have to.

This is why sports and politics don't mix very well.

I agree politics should stay out of sports.

 

[Boomsling]

NHL is a sports league, not a political billboard for virtue signaling.

 

[Boomsling]

I am a Canadian. I am originally from Montreal and am a Habs fan. I support gay and trans people. I do not agree though with having teams wear gay sweaters for the specific reason why just for gays? Why select only one group that has been persecuted. That to me is not inclusive, its exclusive. If you want to send a message the NHL supports all people who may otherwise feel discriminated against, why only make it exclusive to gays?

To me it makes persecution against minorities including gays a gimmick and engages in tokenism-engaging in a symbolic display designed to alleviate guilt. I say bullshit to such political wokeism and tokenism.

What next. I am Jewish. Should I demand NHL sweaters show a Gold star of David on Holocaust memorial day? Should all teams wear Ukraine colours until that war is over? I am not knocking the intent or cause, I am asking, how far do we go with it and why does wearing a uniform in professional sports to single out a specific kind of discrimination belong there?

The way to show solidarity is not with tokenism but real action. I f the NHL player's union and powers that be run the league want to make such statements, they are free to and they do sponsor numerous charities. That is how you get the message across-you sponsor charities and community events. That is real and effective.

I don't like tokenism. I don't like symbolic gestures that make non gay people feel better about themselves because of homophobia. Screw that. Have gay NHL players represent the NHL at gay charity events and support the causes that way. This way its real and it avoids placing specific people in a position where they feel their religious beliefs are being questioned.

This need to turn sports into political platforms I do not like. You know football players kneeled. To me that was a voluntary gesture. No one was ordered to do so. It was spontaneous. This need to make sports political though starts with the national anthem and in the US military parades and displays at the beginning of the game. I get that.

I just think we need to get realistic at using sporting events as a platform for things other than sports. Its bad enough its exploited for selling crap.

In summary this issue necessarily asks how many "causes" should there be celebrated if you start this precedent and who decides which causes are appropriate?

That said I love it when athletes with the support of their teams support medical charities, children's charities, good causes. Do not get me wrong. I just thing there is a better way to do it than wearing uniforms

Agree. Keep politics out of sports. I disagree that national anthems and military displays politicize sports.