Around the NHL 2017/2018

[FrostyWinnipeg]

Manitoba had the most Trump supporters when he won.

On 11/1/2017 at 8:57 AM, Noeller said:

Twitter blew up....people were really upset. What's funny is that Alberta has a LOT of Trump supporters, especially in rural areas. 

More so here. 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitobans-vote-trump-clinton-us-election-poll-1.3842298

AB/QC  separatists everywhere!

Edited November 2, 2017 by FrostyWinnipeg

[Noeller]

It's brutal, for sure.....I enjoy living in rural AB for a lot of reasons, but there are people living here, that I just don't understand...

[The Unknown Poster]

slava is a good follow. 

[Atomic]

21 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

slava is a good follow. 

Actually no, it's not a sports journalist's job to ask athletes political questions.

They can do it, or they can not do it.  But it's not their job and it's certainly not their responsibility.

Gotta love a guy who sits on twitter and complains about his colleagues.  If he cares so much, then he should do it himself.  Not try to bully and shame his peers into taking up the mantle for his cause.

[The Unknown Poster]

18 hours ago, Atomic said:

Actually no, it's not a sports journalist's job to ask athletes political questions.

They can do it, or they can not do it.  But it's not their job and it's certainly not their responsibility.

Gotta love a guy who sits on twitter and complains about his colleagues.  If he cares so much, then he should do it himself.  Not try to bully and shame his peers into taking up the mantle for his cause.

I disagree.  Slava is Russian so you have to take his passion here knowing its very personal for him.  And really, it should be.  I mean, we're Canadians so be it.  But you have a major athlete publicly saying he's starting a group to support a foreign dictator.  There were actually people mad about McDavid dressing as Trump...but this is actually an athlete proclaiming his support on US soil for a dictator of a nation that interfered in a US election.

Slava is correct that it should be much bigger news.

Sports media isnt just feel good stories about scoring and winning.  They're media.  Plenty of sports media covered political issues pertaining to Olympics and other sports when it was appropriate. 

But I agree that it shouldn't just be sports media.  it should be all media.  If Ovechkin was an NFL star, this would be on main stream cable news.

Ovechkin is an idiot. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

50 goals in 96 games for Matthews. 4th fastest in TOR history.

[blue_gold_84]

20 hours ago, Atomic said:

Actually no, it's not a sports journalist's job to ask athletes political questions.

They can do it, or they can not do it.  But it's not their job and it's certainly not their responsibility.

Gotta love a guy who sits on twitter and complains about his colleagues.  If he cares so much, then he should do it himself.  Not try to bully and shame his peers into taking up the mantle for his cause.

Just look at his Twitter feed. He's a whacko.

[Atomic]

4 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Just look at his Twitter feed. He's a whacko.

Yeah he is a little "out there".  He's good for translating Russian articles and providing news about former NHLers in the KHL but he's definitely got a lot of problems.

[blue_gold_84]

http://www.tsn.ca/kerry-fraser-diagnosed-with-cancer-1.905111

Quote

Former National Hockey League official Kerry Fraser announced on Friday that he has been diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia, a chronic blood disorder and an incurable form of cancer.

Fraser said he learned of the diagnosis 10 days ago and announced it on NHL.com as the league starts its November Hockey Fights Cancer campaign for the 20th straight year. 

"I consider myself blessed that this rare disease was diagnosed before I had a stroke or heart attack," he wrote. "At 65, I was planning on living a healthy, full life for many more years. 

Now that I know I have this disease I can take extra precautions to keep my blood thinner and hopefully prevent a blood clot from hitting my heart or brain. My family gives me strength and a good reason to prioritize my goals in life."

A longtime NHL referee, Fraser worked in the league from 1980 to 2010 and also officiated at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and the 1998 Winter Olympics.

After his retirement, he worked as a TSN Hockey contributor appearing on SportsCentre, That's Hockey, That's Hockey 2Nite and wrote his 'C'Mon Ref' column on TSN.ca.

 

[The Unknown Poster]

51 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Just look at his Twitter feed. He's a whacko.

Ah, yes.  Attack the messenger! lol  Sorry, Slava is 100% correct.  And Ovechkin is totally out of line and should be taken to task.  If he publicly announces he's starting a support group for Putin in the US, he *should* be questioned by the media.  If he supports the political ideology of Putin, its fair game to take him to task.

[blue_gold_84]

6 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Ah, yes.  Attack the messenger! lol  Sorry, Slava is 100% correct.  And Ovechkin is totally out of line and should be taken to task.  If he publicly announces he's starting a support group for Putin in the US, he *should* be questioned by the media.  If he supports the political ideology of Putin, its fair game to take him to task.

Attack the messenger...? How is he the messenger when it's his own opinions he's publicly sharing on Twitter? And what are you sorry for, being wrong? I don't see what your issue is with what Ovechkin does off the ice.

By your logic, an American player here in Canada who happens to support Trump and his twisted ideology *should* be taken to task by the sports media even though it has nothing to do with the sport itself. That's absurd.

[The Unknown Poster]

18 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Attack the messenger...? How is he the messenger when it's his own opinions he's publicly sharing on Twitter? And what are you sorry for, being wrong? I don't see what your issue is with what Ovechkin does off the ice.

By your logic, an American player here in Canada who happens to support Trump and his twisted ideology *should* be taken to task by the sports media even though it has nothing to do with the sport itself. That's absurd.

You called Slava a whacko, no?  Did I misunderstand?  I realise mixing politics with sports is  a tough conversation.  But it was newsworthy what Ovechkin did.

It is not absurd at all to question someone on their positions when they make those positions public.  We do it here all the time.  Joe Blow posts on here that Helle sucks and should be traded.  20 people demand to know what he thinks that way.  If you make your position public, its fair game

Now, as Canadians, we can choose to not care about the US politics.  I posted this because it was about one of the biggest stars in hockey.  But right now there are investigations happening in the US about Russia interfering in a federal election to get Trump elected President.  And then one of the biggest stars in the sport publicly declares that he is starting a US-based support group for Putin.  And you dont get why its open to questioning?  What if he said he was starting a support group for the KKK?  Would it still be absurd to question him?

Its actually potentially illegal.  But I can speak to the nuances of the laws pertaining to openly declaring yourself a foreign agent. lol

So in closing, no, not absurd.  But I respect your right not to care.  Slava cares because he's Russian and sees what is happening there.  I dont know the guy.  Maybe he's nuts.  Maybe he's an ass.  But he can be those things and still have a valid opinion.

[Jimmy Pop]

22 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Attack the messenger...? How is he the messenger when it's his own opinions he's publicly sharing on Twitter? And what are you sorry for, being wrong? I don't see what your issue is with what Ovechkin does off the ice.

By your logic, an American player here in Canada who happens to support Trump and his twisted ideology *should* be taken to task by the sports media even though it has nothing to do with the sport itself. That's absurd.

I don't see anything suggesting TUP has an issue with Ovi off the ice.

Slava Malamud does, though.  And I'm quite certain he's a better gauge of life in Russia than you or Prof Atomic. 

 

[Atomic]

43 minutes ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Ah, yes.  Attack the messenger! lol  Sorry, Slava is 100% correct.  And Ovechkin is totally out of line and should be taken to task.  If he publicly announces he's starting a support group for Putin in the US, he *should* be questioned by the media.  If he supports the political ideology of Putin, its fair game to take him to task.

I've got no problem with media members asking Ovechkin about his political leanings, whether that is sports media or otherwise.  But for Slava Malamud to suggest this is somehow their responsibility... that's where I don't agree.  It's not.  They can choose to ask him, or not.  Not everyone agrees with the anti-Trump, anti-Putin rhetoric that is so popular on the left.  And no one has the responsibility to "take Ovechkin to task" just because Slava doesn't like Putin.

[Atomic]

1 minute ago, Jimmy Pop said:

I don't see anything suggesting TUP has an issue with Ovi off the ice.

Slava Malamud does, though.  And I'm quite certain he's a better gauge of life in Russia than you or Prof Atomic. 

Without a doubt, he does.  And thank you for referring to me as Professor, that is very respectful of you.

But keep in mind that what you hear from Slava is just his point of view.  He does not represent all of Russia, he represents himself and maybe those who share similar views as he does.  But no one should be shamed or bullied into agreeing with him, which is what he is doing in that thread of tweets.

[The Unknown Poster]

Just now, Atomic said:

I've got no problem with media members asking Ovechkin about his political leanings, whether that is sports media or otherwise.  But for Slava Malamud to suggest this is somehow their responsibility... that's where I don't agree.  It's not.  They can choose to ask him, or not.  Not everyone agrees with the anti-Trump, anti-Putin rhetoric that is so popular on the left.  And no one has the responsibility to "take Ovechkin to task" just because Slava doesn't like Putin.

I dont think being Anti-Putin makes you a rhetoric-spewing lefty.  Probably makes you someone who doesnt support anti-gay, anti-freedom, dictatorial regimes.  We can debate Trump but let's not pretend Putin has a point about anything. lol

I also think media people can choose to ask what they want.  But I would not disagree with someone who feels its a journalist responsibility to ask pertinent questions.  I mean, thats sort of their job.  They might disagree on what is pertinent (or their boss might) but I dont think a media person loses the responsibility to ask tough questions just because its sports.  That would be like saying CNN or FOX or MSNBC should ignore Trump when he talks about the NFL because that's sports and they arent.  News is news.  And a top athlete throwing his public support behind a dictatorial regime that very well might be involved in malicious interference in the US is news.

[Atomic]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

I also think media people can choose to ask what they want.

This is what it boils down to for me.  Slava is trying to shame the North American media into grilling Ovechkin over this and that's what I think is so ridiculous.

[The Unknown Poster]

1 minute ago, Atomic said:

Without a doubt, he does.  And thank you for referring to me as Professor, that is very respectful of you.

But keep in mind that what you hear from Slava is just his point of view.  He does not represent all of Russia, he represents himself and maybe those who share similar views as he does.  But no one should be shamed or bullied into agreeing with him, which is what he is doing in that thread of tweets.

Cetainly he doesnt represent all of Russia.  When some people speak out against White Supremacists someone could say "well those people speaking out dont represent all Americans (or Canadians)" and that is true because *some* people DO support bigots, racists etc.  Im not sure we have room (or knowledge) for a deeply nuanced discussion of life in Russia.  Im sure most of would not want to be subjected to the rules of Putin though.  Just because an opinion is "only an opinion" doesnt mean its wrong.

Personally, I think Ovi is an idiot and a clown for publicly supporting Putin when he makes millions of dollars in America.  You're free to publicly disagree and support Putin.  But you cant blame people for taking you to task if you do.

[The Unknown Poster]

1 minute ago, Atomic said:

This is what it boils down to for me.  Slava is trying to shame the North American media into grilling Ovechkin over this and that's what I think is so ridiculous.

But if sports media are free to ignore Ovi's public stance, Slava is just as free to ask tough questions of them.  He is as entitled to his opinion as they are. 

[Atomic]

Just now, The Unknown Poster said:

But if sports media are free to ignore Ovi's public stance, Slava is just as free to ask tough questions of them.  He is as entitled to his opinion as they are. 

Of course.  And just as you might think the media who ignore it are cowards or whatever, I think that Slava is an idiot for his train of thought.

[Jimmy Pop]

7 minutes ago, Atomic said:

Without a doubt, he does.  And thank you for referring to me as Professor, that is very respectful of you.

But keep in mind that what you hear from Slava is just his point of view.  He does not represent all of Russia, he represents himself and maybe those who share similar views as he does.  But no one should be shamed or bullied into agreeing with him, which is what he is doing in that thread of tweets.

 

My pleasure!  I strive to be respectful in talking politics.  Usually just ends up with me deleting posts before hitting "submit"! 

 

I think we've resolved this anyway....

 

Slava should stick to sports.  His job as a Russian national, working the foreign correspondent beat in Washington means he has no place talking politics.  Let's leave that talk to CFL forums and press clippings with Kremlin letterhead. 

[Atomic]

50 minutes ago, Jimmy Pop said:

My pleasure!  I strive to be respectful in talking politics.  Usually just ends up with me deleting posts before hitting "submit"! 

I think we've resolved this anyway....

 

Slava should stick to sports.  His job as a Russian national, working the foreign correspondent beat in Washington means he has no place talking politics.  Let's leave that talk to CFL forums and press clippings with Kremlin letterhead. 

I knew you'd come around.  And totally not sarcastic at all.

[blue_gold_84]

23 hours ago, Jimmy Pop said:

I don't see anything suggesting TUP has an issue with Ovi off the ice.

Slava Malamud does, though.  And I'm quite certain he's a better gauge of life in Russia than you or Prof Atomic. 

It seems like he has a problem with Ovechkin's political leanings, which pertains to his off-ice activities.

What about Ovechkin himself? I'm sure he knows just as well as Malamud does. And I never claimed to know a damn thing about life in Russia, so I don't know what prompted you to make that comment.

I'm of the opinion a sports writer/columnist should stick to sports. Malamud's Twitter feed seems to be anything but, hence my whacko comment.

[Tony Fresco]

Check out the epic tee Ryan reaves is sporting for his post game interview ....

[The Unknown Poster]

20 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

It seems like he has a problem with Ovechkin's political leanings, which pertains to his off-ice activities.

What about Ovechkin himself? I'm sure he knows just as well as Malamud does. And I never claimed to know a damn thing about life in Russia, so I don't know what prompted you to make that comment.

I'm of the opinion a sports writer/columnist should stick to sports. Malamud's Twitter feed seems to be anything but, hence my whacko comment.

My point is that when an athlete publicly discusses politics especially as sensitive as being pro vile dictator, then it is news to the sports media. Did the sports media cover Tiger Woods accident and exploits? Ofcourse. Because it was news in the world of sports. 

News is news. Sports media or cable news. Regardless if its news they should cover it.