You go girl. Win that cup
On January 25th the hockey world was faced with another issue of trying to reach out to the female hockey audience while doing so in a unfair and sexist kind of manner. This time it was courtesy of the New York Rangers. Who publish quite a shocking and appalling post on how to watch the Rangers for woman. As if watching the Rangers was bad enough now they came out with this joke of an article. And seconds after the Rangers tweeted the article out (dummies) the twitter world, or at least the people I follow went into a collective outrage and rant saying whatever they felt was needed said and it was awesome. While the article was deleted seconds later by the Rangers it did not stop http://www.cbssports.com from sharing their thoughts and let the world know of the Rangers recent actions. While it does not have what the full article word to word it did have a quote in it in which I agreed with whole-heartily. From said cbssports.com
If you’ve done this enough times with friends, you’ve probably learned that sometimes it’s just best to let the game speak for itself and let them learn as they go.
Could not agree more with this quote. Let people or women in reference to this article. The best way to let women know how to play the game and how it works for them to figure it out themselves. Stop trying to insist your own opinion about the game because it could be wrong, and in this case offensive. The article is insisting that women are just meant for lazing around or “working around the kitchen” and only cheer for hockey players because of their looks and colors of their jersey, and not because of how good they are or how they contribute to the team.
I have been a hockey fan for god knows how long and I have come to realize that females not only love the sport of hockey. But they goddamn know the game. Some of them better than me. And they are just as passionate as me whether it is coloring their hair blue and white or putting a Maple Leaf on their face before a game. And not only do they watch, and know the game, they play it and pretty well too. From neighbors, to friends, to best friends I have seen girls hockey grow and grow every day. And to come out with that kind of article especially for such a well known organization like the Rangers is a slap in the face to every woman who shows the same if not more passion than the men every time they step on the ice. You are saying that while the men enjoy the game and jump while a player scores a goal. The women should be asking the men questions only during a commercial or a break in the action.
A post done by a twitter follower of mine and one that frequently converses with me Named Vincent expressed his thoughts on this article and hear is a peice in which was done wonderfully.
This is the same for a large number of my female friends or other minorities who have gone to great lengths to learn a sport which is predominantly played by white males. These folks work hard to fit in and hold their own and make the world I speak of their own. They challenge conventional wisdom, barge into this narrow prism of ‘who should be here’ and defiantly declare ‘i belong’. They play the game at a high level, like Sophie Merckx. They become the foremost sports medical analyst for one of Canada’s largest sports networks like Jo Innes. They create ‘trees for goals’ and other charity initiatives like Sarah Connors. They provide a sounding board and a port in the storm for an angry gay guido kid from Brooklyn to bounce ideas off of like Stephanie Hartigan does. Or… or they galvanize an entire community, nay a country, like Jessica Redfield did.
The amount of female hockey fans, writers, reports, etc I have met on twitter is a bunch. All who equally know the game like any men do maybe better. They dedicate their lives, whether it is to drive down on a roady to watch a game in Boston or to examine a players injury Like Jo Innes does for www,thescore.com . These women make sure they enjoy a game, and not just cheer on their hubbys or loved ones while they watch a game.
Hockey is an ever-growing sport not only is it Canada’s game anymore but other countries and genders are experiencing and loving the game as it grows. Women have the right to lace some skates the same way they have to vote or to order a meal at a restaurant. An article like this (who was funny enough posted by a female), publishes on the interweb you are putting yourself out in very dangerous waters especially if it is a dangerous tool like twitter where in a second you could be from good to bad in a second. You are not only embarrassing yourself or the team. You are humiliating and trying to take away the same rights women have been fighting for for years and years.
To put something this ignorant shows the lack of respect you have and the audacity to even let a female writer write this garbage and not have it looked over before letting it being published is an absolute joke . How a team lets someone post something like this more or less not even an employee for the team or organization shows just how gutless the Rangers are. I never liked them before never like them after. Just like their fan base this certain action is absurd and highly obnoxious and at the very least sexist Towards women not only in love with hockey but women in general. Women are always ready and willing to know, and learn the game of hockey. But just like CBS said make it happen on the go. Do no try and force the game upon them because you end up like an idiot just like this writer. I knew the game on the fly, and learned by watching games after games, and knowing which play is going to be made when . No reason women can’t do the same.
The New York Rangers did apologize. It did take a long 7 hours to come with it, and I do not for one entirely accept this, but here it is nonetheless. Via their twitter.
I do think it is great that they did apologize but like I said. It took you 7 hours to come up with this just moments after deleting the post? you could not have thought of a response in 7 hours? seems a little questionable.
Apology or not. That still happened, and I can only hope that after what transpired on Friday January 25th will never be talked about again. After that “While The Men Watch” crap that women had to deal with from CBC this is the last thing anyone would want to deal with again. So let’s hope that society has smarten the fuck up and that we can all watch some good ol hockey and not criticize who watches and why. I would rather talk about why the Rangers suck in the playoffs then why they suck writing articles and suck at life. I would rather talk about that sweet goal last night then talk about what women can or can’t do during a hockey broadcast. Because as long as they got a heart beating. They could do whatever the fuck they want. And How.
