OffThePost.org

I bet Canucks fans are grateful that another team managed to snag all the bad headlines for once.

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/354 ... atform=amp

This is compounded by the fact that Scott Laughton and James van Riemsdyk are staunch allies who created the Flyers’ LGBTQ initiative. This cannot sit well with them.

I keep reading that he wouldn't take part because of his religion, but I haven't seen it noted what his religion is. I'd like to see if there are other aspects of it that he doesn't adhere to, or is he an ala cart zealot, who only touts religious items that fit his wants. So many people who scream about homosexuality being an abomination to their religion have no problem with divorce, which is more clearly forbidden in most religions. I always wonder why these people aren't picketing divorce courts. Oh, because they aren't really religious, just homophobic... Right. I forgot.

Were his stick and jersey auctioned off? That was supposed to be one of the big parts of this event; raising money for inclusive charities. I suppose the taping of the sticks was done by the players, so his probably wasn't included. But I assume his jersey was made and therefore available for auction. And would he object to his name being used for that purpose?

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Ivan is a Putinist...err... Russian Orthodox...

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Typical social inflammation slant piece out of the media.....sad that the "puck daddy" even gave this screen time. Guy is entitled to his own beliefs and he was respectful as he could be about it but it seems respect doesn't go both ways. Stick to hockey "puck daddy", used to be pretty good at that.

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Flyers dropped the ball here. It was not "Pride Warmup" it was "Pride NIGHT." If he was not going to take part in a team-mandated activity around which the entire night was centered, then he should not have been allowed to play.

Remember, Tortorella threatened to bench any player who took a knee during the National Anthem, so he's a complete hypocrite here. The NHL also totally bailed on this with their milquetoast statement.

And this is not a matter of opinion. The right for LGBTQ+ people to exist and be allowed to enjoy things like hockey like any other normal person is not up for debate. This was an initiative largely driven by two members of the team, not some corporation or the organization, and it was designed to give LGBTQ+ people a safe space. By doing what he did, Provorov made the night about himself and he took that space away, flying right in the face of the very purpose the night was created to begin with and unraveling years of work by his teammates.

And him citing religion is a total bullshit cop-out, unless he also believes in not having sex before marriage, but I'm willing to bet he ain't no virgin. You're not devout, you just don't like gay people.

Stealing a good point made by someone on Twitter:

Let's say Tony DeAngelo up and decides he isn't going to wear an END RACISM jersey for warmups a couple weeks from now in honor of Black History Month because it interferes with his own deeply held beliefs, should Tortorella, the Flyers, and the NHL be just as supportive as they are of Provorov?

I am out on the twitter reference. Not interested as folks have already made up their mind who the villain is here.

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The guy supportive of (and obviously emboldened by) the gay-hating dictator currently waging a genocidal war on Ukraine? That guy?

Oh and Jay we've known each other for practically two decades, so I understand and respect that freedom of the individual is very important to you, so I can respect that. It's important to me too. But I don't personally believe in a person's freedom of individual expression when that runs counter to the right of marginalized peoples from doing something as simple as watching a hockey game. You don't have the right to freedom when that freedom impinges upon the rights of others. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

Also, let's be clear, Provorov has suffered NO discernible consequences from this, so let's not make him into a victim of any kind. He was allowed to play, he made a brief statement afterwards about his beliefs, and that was it. He received the support of his coach, the organization, and the league almost immediately after. If the worst he has to suffer is the "woke mob" going after him online, all I gotta say about that is that the First Amendment supports your right to free speech from government intervention, it does not free your speech from any reprisal from other private citizens. And there is no evidence whatsoever that he's getting harrassed or doxxed by users on social media, they're just calling him an asshole...which he is.

All the motherfucker had to do was wear a goddamned jersey for five minutes. He didn't have to do it for the gay people he obviously hates, he could've done it in support of his teammates of whom this cause means a great deal and something they've put a lot of work into. He chose not to.

Also it should be noted that Provorov didn't warn anyone about this, it was a last-minute thing sprung on the team and staff. If he truly believed in his heart of hearts that his beliefs ran counter to this event, then he could have and should have said something beforehand.

He didn't need to say anything and shouldn't be required to. That's the beauty of having that right. Everyone is acting like his non-support is a hate crime! That's a terrible way of going about things and that should give people pause.

Let me give you an example of this respect not going both ways. My daughter has a friend who is whatever they want to be (its irrelevant to me). They repeatedly called me sir the other day to which point I told my daughter after they left. Would that offend they if I used a presumed pronoun? Why is it ok for they and not me? I don't give a shit because its all inconsequential to me but the point is they expect that respect but was oblivious (or unwilling but I prefer oblivious at that age) to returning the same level. I wasn't outraged, offended, calling on a social crusade or hashtagging it. All I was doing was pointing out the irony then and now.

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Well, IMO it was an expression of hate. Take that for what you will. It was an initiative meant to give queer people a safe space. He took that space away with one gesture. He made it clear that Hockey WAS NOT for Everyone.

Frankly, the Flyers should not have let him play. It's PRIDE NIGHT, not PRIDE WARMUP. You don't want to take part in the company-mandated work activity your co-workers put together? Okay, then go home. Come back when it's over. If he's THAT devout about his supposed beliefs he would've been perfectly fine with that. Frankly he's such a bad player these days the Flyers would probably have won by an even greater margin than they did last night had he not played.

Here is an idea for the NHL.....do what every other corporation does and put together ERGs and then have your ERGs support the foundations and causes that they wish to while having the employees join up and lend their support without putting their employees in the spotlight like this. The ERG employees get the spotlight for their causes and the other folks have an out if they do not desire to participate.

Example...I am on the VETS ERG....we realistically don't expect everyone at the place to support VETS or the military in general (because most of the humans can't agree on anything) but a faction of us do and we can perform company sanctioned activities provided we even agree on that. Other employees can ignore it to their heart's content and they don't have to explain why.

I can't imagine going to work and being told to support a non-work cause and then being vilified because I didn't. That's not right and extremely dangerous.

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9 News's Arielle Orsuto out in Denver is an out gay sports reporter who covers the local teams. She grew up a Flyers fan. She made note after Peter McNab's death of how touched she was that Pete wore his Avalanche Pride Pin well after Pride month during Avs broadcasts. Even little gestures like that mean a lot to her and others in a marginalized community.

She was obviously pretty sad to hear about the events unfolding in Philly today. I feel for her and other LGBTQ folks who have to now not only read about Provorov and how he believes being gay is a choice, but then the waves of hate coming out of the social media woodwork protesting such things as a Pride Night and how they don't want gay people anywhere near sports.

Again, if this was soooooooooooooo offensive to him, then he could have and should have approached the team about it and worked something out. Would've been fine. But no, he said nothing until RIGHT BEFORE warmups. It was a cowardly stunt meant to draw attention to himself.

LOL....well you also know how I feel about mixing my escape....hockey......with social issues. I would prefer they remain separate. I am still waiting for Screwed by the man night....look at this poor bastard....he's been working at the same place for 25 plus years contributing to the machine buying tickets and then they laid him off, let's put him in a box and give him free beer for the night Youth Coaches Night....you poor underappreciated fuckers know who you are (Chris)! Equipment guy night.......oooh that smell!

But I digress in light of a priority topic for some folks. I see we need to discuss the current situation in Ukraine elsewhere!

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Fair enough. I'm just glad this is not the team I root for. At least the drama THEY generate stays on the ice.

Youth coach night... The chance for every parent to show up and boo!

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

You can not get away with drinking and asshole-ing in public anymore. Especially when you are the new GMs son.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/viral-vi ... 74d62ca790

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Great to see he really turned a corner and is walking the right path in his second chance.

Fucking idiot.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

I've done some really, really stupid shit while under the influence. I've never done THAT.

Also, Briere The Younger's story is that he "partied too hard" which led to his dismissal from ASU. I call bullshit on that. If partying too hard got you kicked off the team there'd be no college athletes left. He had to have done something (or some things) that was pretty egregious, especially considering he had a name that carries some clout for a successful, but low-profile NCAA Division I hockey program.

I tell ya what if that were my kid I'd be taking the Red-Eye to Mercyhurst and yanking him outta there in the most humiliating and public way possible, drag him home and let him stew on some bunk-ass community school club team.

Agreed on the partying too hard story. I went to ASU for a year. Everybody partied too hard there, especially athletes. And I'm sure they had an eye to daddy's money for donations, but felt it was better to kick the kid out. There's a coverup story on it's way out soon.

All kids do dumb stuff. Damaging someone's wheelchair isn't usually on the option list. The kid is trash. If he was my kid, he wouldn't even get to play local hockey. I'd have him doing hard labor around the family mansion if I was Briere. Now that he's an NHL GM, maybe doing menial jobs around the Flyers' rink. Let him see how people live when they weren't born into an NHL family. Spoiled little shit. But Danny Briere himself always looked like a smug little shit to me. Wouldn't surprise me if stories about his youthful exploits start finding their way into the public light.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.