Sean Avery: A Jerk…Yes, but Suspended!?! Come on
On Tuesday the National Hockey League suspended Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery after he made some disparaging comments about players in the league dating his former girlfriends. Now, I know from following the Kings for years, that Sean Avery can be a jerk, that he says and does things that are pretty stupid. However, whatever happened to freedom of speech. No matter how rude and inappropriate what he said might be, he has the right to say it and since it really had nothing to do with hockey, I don’t see where the league has an right to suspend him. I heard some people on television yesterday talking about a cumulative effect and I find that ridiculous. If there were things in the past that were so offensive why wasn’t he suspended at that time. To say something wasn’t worthy of suspension at the time it happened, but now that you’ve done this, this, and this since we’re going to suspend you for the cumulative total of what you’ve done it’s just plain wrong.
I also think it’s a little holier than thou of Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks to say if the league hadn’t suspended him they would have and that they are a classier organization than that. Really, you think so? Then why did you sign Sean Avery to a four-year contract. You knew what type of player and person he was when you signed him so, to say now we’re a classier organization than that is a little high and mighty of them. If you’re really such a classy organization that you don’t condone the behavior like this, maybe you should have thought about that before you signed Sean Avery to be a part of your team.
That being said had the Stars suspended him and not the NHL, I would have less of a problem with that as he is a member of the team and as such they can deem his comments to be detrimental to the team or conduct unbecoming of the team or whatever they want to call it. As a player for the Dallas Stars he is a direct representative of the organization and what he says does reflect poorly on them, so I can understand if they suspended him, but why the league stepped in before the team could do anything puzzles me. But, then I don’t understand why players and coaches get fined in various leagues for criticizing the referees, either.
I mean, as long as the player or coach making the comments isn’t threatening to hurt another player or ref, I don’t see where they get off fining or suspending players for what they say. Last time I checked we still have freedom of speech in this country and while what is said may not be very nice or appropriate people still have the right to say it. If you start suspending people for comments they make, I think you start down a very dangerous path. I mean, if I’m a player why would i even talk to the press or give more than yes and no answers in fear that something I said might offend someone and get me suspended.
There used to be an understanding between players and reporters that certain things were off the record and stayed in the locker room. Now players are so afraid to get to friendly with reporters or even letting fans take pictures with them for fear they’ll end up on some blog or Youtube making them look bad. Do we want to start adding to that, them being leery of saying much at all because the league might suspend them for simple being a jerk?
Now Avery apologized yesterday for what he said and is in New York today to meet with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, so hopefully there will be a resolution that will end this blatant censorship by the NHL and allow Avery to return to the ice tomorrow when the Stars face the Colorado Avalanche in Dallas.
