Last year when the NHL suspended Chicago Blackhawks player Andrew Shaw one playoff game for being caught using a gay slur, the league was lauded for taking the meaningful step.
Now the NHL is backtracking.
Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf was caught calling a referee a “cocksucker” on multiple occasions during his team’s Game 4 against the Nashville Predators.
The NHL’s reaction? A meaningless $10,000 fine. No suspension.
As we’ve said ad nauseam, fines are meaningless to players like Getzlaf. His salary this year alone is $9.25 million, which is just a fraction of his current $66 million contract. That makes the fine just 0.1% of his annual salary.
That fine is the maximum allowed under the union agreement, making it even worse that the NHL didn’t go the way of a suspension.
If the NHL wanted to take a real stand, they would suspend him for a playoff game.
They do not want to take a real stand on this one.
To be clear, “cocksucker” is an even more specifically anti-gay term than “faggot” (though they can be equally hurtful). The latter has been co-opted for years in sports to mean other things that demean an opponent. To be sure, the root of the term is homophobia, but it’s taken on a whole other meaning for many people unaware that it’s a gay slur.
“Cocksucker” is very specifically anti-gay and sexist, and there’s no explaining your way around it. It says, very specifically, “you perform oral sex on men so you are bad.” There’s no hiding behind some idea that the word has a long history in sports, and that the word has come to mean other things. It very specifically describes a sex act performed by gay men and straight women.
The NHL will surely hide behind some bullshit about “faggot” being a slur and “cocksucker” just being a descriptive term.
But what makes this even worse than just the word he used? Getzlaf is a team captain. A leader. And he just called a referee a “cocksucker.” Multiple times.
The term I’m using for the NHL on this one is “cowards.”
Just as Shaw’s suspension last year had major repercussions, sending a clear message to players that gay slurs will not be tolerated, the NHL today is saying that gay slurs are open and available, as long as you don’t use “the F word.”
Of course if the NHL asked a bunch of gay men how they feel about the word “cocksucker,” they might understand. My guess is they asked one or two who said “it’s not as bad as faggot.”
I disagree, as I said above. But whether you agree or not, the sport needs to be rid of all gay slurs, as it must be rid of all racial slurs. For the NHL to now give the green light — and to be clear, that’s exactly what this is — to use some gay slurs sends the league moving backward again.
Comments
pathetic NHL
NHL sends direct to message to young aspiring hockey players that this league is not for them.
By Eric2gretzky on 05.20.17 3:50pm
seriously?
Leave it to homosexuals to declare their own shame. It seems like y’all would just wanna let this one go, rather than drawing more attention to your sick habits. But no, you’re like, "he insulted us by implying that there’s something negative about a guy orally sexing another guy!!" Umm, yeah… ’CAUSE THERE IS.
Duh. Good job reminding the world of what we already knew.
By 77lw on 05.20.17 7:50pm
And what, pray tell, is negative about it?
By carolinallday on 05.21.17 10:24am
If you need to be told, you wouldn't understand.
By 77lw on 05.21.17 8:33pm
But... imagine if a hockey player called someone a child molester, and people started coming out of the woodwork to complain that he'd insulted them. Yeah... it's kinda like that.
By 77lw on 05.21.17 8:36pm
Dude, to make this easy for you to understand, "orally sexing" a guy is just licking pussy on a stick. Comprende?
By HvyDty4x4 on 05.22.17 12:09pm
Of course it was a slur. He was using it as an insult to someone he was pissed off at. That’s not something you do if you felt sucking cock was a awesome life skill.
By Valantis on 05.21.17 10:12am
and yes, I do it and it IS an awesome life skill
By HvyDty4x4 on 05.22.17 12:18pm
So…the term "c**ksucker" is both sexist AND homophobic? He was fined for homophobic remarks…just saying the word "c**ksucker" is a pretty big stretch to being "homophobic". It’s not a nice word, agreed, but it’s like saying "motherf**ker"…does that mean that person actually has sex with their mother? No. He broke a rule, and he is paying the fine for it like all the other players have to. But he has made it clear it wasn’t directed AT anyone, it was a reaction word. I say "mothaf**ka" all the time…and it’s not directed AT anyone (usually). Saying "c**ksucker" isn’t the same as CALLING someone a "c**ksucker".
And before you go off saying that is because of my male insensitivity…I am a huge proponent of LGBTQ rights, and fight for those rights at every turn. But I also recognize that movements can be hindered by "crying wolf". You want to encourage people to a more progressive way of thinking, and to change their hearts and minds, you don’t do it by making mountains out of ant hills. You have the liberty to believe what you want to believe, and print what you feel, but making statements that he was being "hateful" is an opinion…and saying that "c**ksucker" is worse than "fa**ot"? Really? First, who made you the decider of this? Second, when was this consensus reached? This is a sad witch hunt, and you are trying to drum up controversy where none exists. Bottom line, he broke a rule, he has paid the price/penalty/fine. Don’t like it? Take THAT up with the NHL.
And again…I’m going to point you in reference to photo 9 in this article: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/02/03/ducks-begin-trip-with-loss-as-reunited-duo-sparks-panthers/
Getzlaf was one of the few players to use the rainbow stick. But…you don’t mention this. This is why you aren’t a JOURNALIST or a REPORTER…you are just OPINIONATED. No better than Fox "news".
By MRH12 on 05.21.17 7:05pm
Seriously?
Tokenism doesn’t help gay people be open in sports. No one ares about the stupid stick on pride night. No one. What matters is your actual actions and how you treat gayness as an athlete. It’s easy to use some stick tape and call yourself an ally. The harder thing is acting like one and not treating gayness like it’s a negative thing.
Also. Threatening to kill the ref’s family wasn’t cool either. Stop defending that lowlife and put your values ahead of your sports team.
By ZucchiniBread on 05.22.17 8:26pm