from The Athletic,
NHL teams continue to struggle with how to handle Pride jerseys, with the Wild following in the footsteps of the Rangers and scrapping plans for players to wear them on the organization’s Pride Night on March 7.
In particular, this issue has arisen for teams with prominent Russian players since that country’s anti-gay laws were amended in early December, per the New York Times, to make it “illegal to spread ‘propaganda’ about ‘nontraditional sexual relations’ in all media, including social, advertising and movies.”
The Flyers also had one player (Russian defenseman Ivan Provorov) opt out of warmups with his teammates on their Pride Night in January because he didn’t want to wear the team’s Pride jersey, citing his Russian Orthodox religious beliefs.
The Wild abandoned their plans to don Pride jerseys out of concern for Russian players. Star forward Kirill Kaprizov, notably, had a difficult journey back to the United States after returning to Russia this past offseason.
The Rangers, who also have several prominent Russian players, cited “individual right to respectfully express their beliefs” in not wearing the jerseys after announcing they would.
Russian Penguins star Evgeni Malkin, on the other hand, did wear a Pride jersey on the team’s Pride Night on Dec. 12, just after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the new legislation on Dec. 5.
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Should I thumbs up this comment just so I can see it? Lol
Russias pretty repressive these days. I can understand them not wanting to risk any trouble back home.
I heard it elsewhere but I agree: teams should go forward with these nights but make the Pride jersey optional. You dont want to wear it? Fine, get out there.
And that should disallow them from living up to personal beliefs, of course.
I will tell you what, whatever advising consultants came up with shifting the blame for the League's failed woke marketing campaign participation to ...drumroll... Russia, is a genius. That is absolutely hilarious, full circle woke pointing!
Bud Light presents, Real Men of Genius
Today we solute you...
Mr. Using the Narrative for not following the narrative Marketing guy.
Some men would scramble to defend personal choice or freedom
Not you...
You use one of the 5 media preferred excuses to deflect the criticism.
Nothing says, checkmate, quite like blaming Russia (its always Putin's Fault)
So crack open an ice cold bud light spin doctor, this bud's for you.
It's strange that people keep lumping these Russians, living under the thumb of an authoritarian goverment with family still in russia, with "White religious males" as if they were your average Baptist from Missouri. They face real consequences from bucking their church/nation's beliefs. It's not the same as it is for an American or Canadian player, but let's ignore all that and expect them to do what we want them to.
I would pass. I think it's bullshit that the league is using the players for political purposes.
How about if someone doesn't like Irish people, and so refuses to wear the St Patrick's Day warmup sweater?
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By that logic they should stop doing Police and Military nights then, too. Not everybody is pro cop or pro military after all.
Sure, if it comes to the point where a group of players would face harm in their home country, then treat it the same.
But its not. So the compromise is each player can decide to wear the jersey or use the tape or not.
Do they have police jersey nights? Like thin blue line night? I was wondering that when this debacle and debate was going on.
I know they do military.
Seems like they call it first responders nights or something like that. Lumping police with fire et al is probably wise.
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