You
know, the four who insisted on shouting racially-motivated taunts at a black
Capitals player during his time in the penalty box!
THE
BLACKHAWKS HAVE made all the appropriate statements how they’re appalled that any
of their fans could have such horrid thoughts. A lot of people are engaging in
verbiage meant to make themselves sound appropriately concerned.
Yet
the truth is I don’t have a clue how you can possibly do anything to enforce
this; unless you can find a way to put a Scarlet Letter, of sorts, on all the
racist knuckleheads of our society.
Many
of whom, if you branded them with a “K” (or a “B” for bigot) would probably
take it as a badge of honor – that’s how twisted their thought processes are.
I
don’t have a clue how the Blackhawks can say they’re banning four individuals
from the stadium and their games. Do we literally post their pictures at the
stadium entrance – with orders that the quartet be shot on sight if they try to
attend a game.
DO
WE EXTEND it to all the ticket services that none of the four ever be sold
tickets to a Blackhawks game?
Maybe
we should ban them from even following hockey games or teams? Although I don’t
have a clue how this could be enforced.
Many
people have gone out of their way to say the proper things, but I’m not
convinced there’s going to be any serious change in attitudes or behavior.
Because
a part of me believes that many sports fans are serious believers of Homer J.
Simpson when he once said, “This ticket (to a ballgame) doesn’t just give me a
seat. It also gives me the right, no the duty, to make a complete ass of
myself.”
WHICH
THOSE FOUR fans now banned from the hockey arena certainly did on Saturday when
they insisted on implying that a black player doesn’t belong in hockey.
What
I find almost humorous (but in a pathetic way) is the marketing campaign the
National Hockey League has ongoing these days – “Hockey is for Everyone,” which
is supposed to make the sport out to be something for all, and not just for
white people from Canada.
In
fact, the Blackhawks had a promotion based on the theme during their Thursday
match against the Anaheim Ducks. It seems the message of a “safe, positive and
inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color,
religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation and
socio-economic status” didn’t take.
Because
just two days later, the incident singling out Devante Smith-Pelly occurred. Although
the Blackhawks’ lone black player, Anthony Duclair, said those four fans’ bad
behavior wasn’t in any way unique, or isolated.
I’M
SURE THOSE four fans, along with many others, are prepared to dismiss the whole
affair as a lot of ‘politically correct’ trash talk about nothing. There
probably isn’t anything that can be done to change such attitudes, or convince
them of how big of knuckleheads they truly are.
Now
I’ll admit to not being much of a hockey fan (although I appreciate the significance
to the Chicago sports scene of a team that has three Stanley Cup championships
in this decade). Part of it is that I have never ice-skated – and floor hockey
is a second-rate game that filled up some childhood gym class time.
I’m
sure that is true for many others – particularly in parts of the country where
the existence of ice and snow is considered a myth.
Which
means we’re likely to see more continued bad behavior – and most likely the
instances of the four banished from the United Center finding a way to sneak
into a Blackhawks game; while taking a perverse pride in being able to do so.
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