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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBan the racist jerks who embarrassed the Blackhawks and Chicago from all future sporting events
David HaughContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune
On Saturday at the United Center, a beautiful night on the ice coincided with ugliness in the stands when four racist jerks embarrassed themselves, the Blackhawks, the sport of hockey and the city of Chicago.
It should be their last Hawks game at the UC. Come to think of it, every one of Chicagos professional sports teams should ban the offending Neanderthals from walking through their gates. Zero tolerance is the best way to fight intolerance.
In the third period of a 7-1 victory over the Capitals, ushers ejected the so-called fans after they taunted visiting forward Devante Smith-Pelly, who is black, after he was sent to the penalty box for fighting with Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy. The men yelled basketball, basketball, basketball at Smith-Pelly, who was visibly upset and reacted by tapping the glass with his stick.
It's sad that in 2018 we're still talking about the same thing over and over, Smith-Pelly told reporters Sunday.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-spt-blackhawks-racism-haugh-20180218-story.html
Let me first say that I am an avid Chicago Blackhawks fan, I have been for almost 55 years, I have grown-up around hockey and I have played hockey and what happened at this game does not represent the Chicago Blackhawks, my Blackhawks
The following snip is what most people do see or read about...............these are hero's of the sport...................
"Look at Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, whose eloquence and awareness speaking at a candlelight vigil in Parkland, Fla., for the shooting victims at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which Rizzo attended, displayed as much power as anything he has ever done at the plate.
Look at the four Hawks players Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Patrick Sharp and Brent Seabrook who supported the Chicago Police Department by standing in line Friday night in Bridgeport with so many other mourners to pay their respects to fallen Cmdr. Paul Bauer at the officers wake."
Kath2
(3,054 posts)There should be no place for that behavior in sports. I could tell he was being taunted.
InAbLuEsTaTe
(24,110 posts)Iggo
(47,489 posts)ornotna
(10,763 posts)Barcelona's Dani Alves reverted to humor when dealing with racist abuse but it has proved no laughing matter for the Villarreal fan who threw a banana at him during Sunday's match after being handed a life ban by the La Liga club.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/28/sport/football/dani-alves-banana-racism-football/index.html
Iggo
(47,489 posts)In fact, and further, I could've said "American hockey fans."
I go to a couple dozen NHL games per year, and American hockey fans are the fucking worst.
ornotna
(10,763 posts)Last time I went to some NHL games was the 02-03 and 03-04 playoffs for the TB Lightning.
The first year against the NJ Devils was terrible. The NJ fans were no fun at all and the next year the Flyers fans took it to a whole new level.
In the finals the Calgary fans were loud but some of them were the most polite and friendly people you would ever want to meet.
bdjhawk
(420 posts)but what does "basketball" mean exactly? I googled it and didn't come up with a racial context. It was obviously intended as a racial slur and Smith-Pelly knew it.
HDSam
(251 posts)call out racists when their own logo is a Native American stereotype.
[https://goo.gl/images/GS6W4g|]
This isnt to suggest the racist comments made towards the player were appropriate in any way at all and Im glad they were removed, but there is some hypocrisy being exhibited here. Consider the statement issued by the team:
We are committed to providing an inclusive environment for everyone who attends our games and these actions will never be tolerated
Perhaps they should remove the plank in their eye...