OHL suspends player for "slur" on Steve Downie

[Brad Tolliver]

I would like to see what kind of hell breaks loose when someone gets called a "Ribeiro".

 

[clefty]

Geez...couldn't tell you the number of times I've been called a ******, a pig, a *****, an inbred, a lover of various animals....and thats just by the parents in the stands.

Actually now that I think about it, the parents were always ten time worse than the opposing players.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

http://www.flurl.com/uploaded/Stevens_and_Tottier_Talk_****_to_Bellows_69058.html

Enjoy.

That was kind of funny to watch. Boy, that Kevin Stevens sure is a sweet talker. It's hard to imagine how a nice guy like that would end up in a St. Louis motel with crack cocaine and a prostitute.

 

[GKJ]

lmao! the ohl = sissy if that's the case. 5 game for that! is that a joke?

Consider the age of some of these kids. Most of them are still kids, they're growing up. They wouldn't use these words in their own home what makes it ok to use them on the ice?

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

Consider the age of some of these kids. Most of them are still kids, they're growing up. They wouldn't use these words in their own home what makes it ok to use them on the ice?

I don't think anyone is saying it's OK to use these terms. Rather, we're saying the punishment doesn't fit the crime.

If one of my kids called somebody a f-g, I wouldn't ground them for a week. I'd talk to them about it first, tell them if they wanted to criticize someone, to stick to the point. Calling someone a f-g for doing something you don't like is not the appropriate response. Call them a jerk, an idiot or a sissy, if you really get the urge to call someone a name, but make it appropriate to their actions.
When I was in high school, I never understood why guys would call people a f-g or gay because they wanted to criticize them. It was in vogue in the 80s and I guess it still is.

But of all the transgressions that occur on a hockey rink, one player calling another a f-g is not the worst. Not even close. It does not merit a five-game suspension and if the OHL wants get tough on this, fine, but it then it should also get tough on the stickwork, checking from behind, knee-on-knee hits, running the goalie -- all kinds of things that can injure a player or end a career.

Again, more emphasis on common sense, less blind adherence to political correctness.

 

[Letang fan 58]

Consider the age of some of these kids. Most of them are still kids, they're growing up. They wouldn't use these words in their own home what makes it ok to use them on the ice?

What makes you think that kids at that age wouldnt call that name in their own home or with their own group of friends? I disagree....I think that people use f@g quite often actually....calling someone a f@g on the hockey ice or anywhere else for that matter is no where near in the same class as dropping an N bomb.

Had it been an N bomb i agree 5 games worthy.........calling someone a f@g 5 games are you kidding? I would bet that it was just an off the cuff remark as well not gay bashing. Dropping an N bomb can not be made just off the cuff as it wasnt a derogitory comment that gets made to just anyone.

 

[Redden Punches Faces*]

The only difference between calling someone an N-word and a F** these days is most people realize you can't get away with the former anymore. Same problem, different era. Good call by the league, they just need to keep it up.

 

[Ryan Van Horne]

The only difference between calling someone an N-word and a F** these days is most people realize you can't get away with the former anymore. Same problem, different era. Good call by the league, they just need to keep it up.

So how many games should the OHL suspend a guy for if he checks a guy from behind, or slashes him and breaks a bone?

 

[Seph]

The only difference between calling someone an N-word and a F** these days is most people realize you can't get away with the former anymore. Same problem, different era. Good call by the league, they just need to keep it up.

Agreed.

Though in some ways, I find F** more offensive, due to the implications of it. The N-word is simply a distortion of a word for black, and while its history is horrible, their is nothing inherently offensive with the word itself, just the attachments people now have to it. F** on the other hand is an implication that you are fit to be burned, either at a stake or in hell, for being a homosexual. And its history is just as filled with persecution.

 

[Redden Punches Faces*]

So how many games should the OHL suspend a guy for if he checks a guy from behind, or slashes him and breaks a bone?

Intent to injure shouldn't be tolerated either. Subjective decisions on intent are going to lead to controversy however, whereas perpetuating bigotry and intolerance should be consistently discouraged due to the lack of any ambiguity inherent in the offense.

 

[Ola]

Scribe- The point is that, in history there have never been a problem with ordniary trash talk. In history there have however been allot of trouble with people of diffrent groups beeing threated very badly. I don't think whoever uttered the slur commited a horrible crime, on the contreary. But I defenitly think its a great call by the OHL to suspend him. A attack on a group, if its sex/race/nationality/dissabled shouldn't be allowed in a modern society, it just shouldn't, period. Not in any way or form.

You can't compare the suspension with any other infraction, because its based on totally diffrent values. One to keep players from getting injured, another on a political value, or resonsibility, that all people in a open society must take.

On the comment that the punishment don't fit the crime, I just can't agree. These guys are old enough to know what they are dooing, thats why he IMO should be suspended for a few games. Whoever did it knows that what he did was wrong and should be punished for it. If he doesn't stop he should without a doubt IMO be suspended from all hockey for his life time. He can sit home in the closet and be a racists or a gy-hater, though not on the ice.

Every human beeing deserves to live a life where he isn't attacked because his race/sex/sexual likening/disablement ect.

 

[copperandblue]

Does anyone know who levied the complaint against Liscomb to the league?

Did he get an unsportsmanlike penalty or anything for his comments? If so, then perhaps the ref's informed the league but if not it seems like a pretty relevant question because it's not like the OHL commissioner was standing in the scrum listening to comments.

Was it Downey who complained? If so then what does it say about him...it's not like he has the reputation of a real stand up guy.

 

[CharlieGirl]

Does anyone know who levied the complaint against Liscomb to the league?

Did he get an unsportsmanlike penalty or anything for his comments? If so, then perhaps the ref's informed the league but if not it seems like a pretty relevant question because it's not like the OHL commissioner was standing in the scrum listening to comments.

Was it Downey who complained? If so then what does it say about him...it's not like he has the reputation of a real stand up guy.

Not that it has anything to do with the topic at hand, but what are you basing this comment on? I've not heard a single negative comment from the rest of his teammates (excluding Aliu, obviously) in Windsor or Peterborough.

I understand that Liscomb's comment was overheard by an on-ice official, who reported it to the league. I believe he also got a misconduct, but I can't check the ohl site right now.

I seriously doubt that Downie would have lodged the complaint with the league -- if he had an issue with what Liscomb said, he'd have dealt with it at that moment.

 

[copperandblue]

Not that it has anything to do with the topic at hand, but what are you basing this comment on? I've not heard a single negative comment from the rest of his teammates (excluding Aliu, obviously) in Windsor or Peterborough.

Yeah and your likely not going to hear any LA King players talk negatively about Avery either or St Louis players talk negatively about Danton.

At any rate, I don't follow the guy and I certainly can't talk with any confidence about what kind of a guy he really is but it does seem that everytime the guys name hits the news it is for something less than stellar. Be it the hazing, the fighting with the team mate, the style of play he employs, the BS diving at the World Jrs.

Admittedly not all are a testiment to wether he is a stand up guy or not (depending on how an individual chooses to define it) but in the context I meant it, these are the types of incidents/comments I based it on.

As far as who reported it to the league, I wasn't implying conclusively that Downey was the one, I was just questioning where it came from. If the ref was the one who reported it (thanks for the info by the way) then it's baffeling to say the least. I have heard guys say worse in my beer league where the emotions and stakes aren't nearly as high.

If the ref doesn't report it then history suggests it probably came from the guy who was the target, which is obviously where the Downey question came from.

 

[Ape Clutch]

I think the question that's being asked here is: should the same standard of decorum that exists off the ice be enforced on the ice?

Obviously, invoking the "N" word is a no-no...that particular slur has been elevated above all others in our society. In this particular instance, I think what we're seeing is that gay-bashing is slowly being elevated into the same league as the "N" word.

Am I okay with that? Yeah, but then again I think we live in a society that takes itself WAY too seriously. If this precipitates a zero-tolerance policy, however, where guys are getting suspended for generic cursing...well, let's just say that would be a tad ridiculous.

12 million slaves

2 million dead before they reach North America...

gay's ain't got nuthin on us. rather everything is being done by society to make us accept them and NOT treat them baddly. Something im sure my grandparents could've used a while back in the states.

p.s. gay's have been accepted and hated by society for a while (or homosexual acts). Since the origin of Christmas is a Roman pagan holiday in which everyone would go crazy and have orgies with everyone. Yes that includes men and men, and women with women, with animals you name it. They would take bums of the streets and make them kings etc... If ppl knew they're own history they would know that homosexuality has been around for a while (im talking about certain closed minded ppl and some of these new teen homosexual's at school who don't even know about their own... pathetic.)

anyways this was an awkward rant. pls don't mark me down as a homo-phobic, i'm not.

I just have Straight Pride... [Facebook.com]

 

[Petes1]

Does anyone know who levied the complaint against Liscomb to the league?

Did he get an unsportsmanlike penalty or anything for his comments? If so, then perhaps the ref's informed the league but if not it seems like a pretty relevant question because it's not like the OHL commissioner was standing in the scrum listening to comments.

Was it Downey who complained? If so then what does it say about him...it's not like he has the reputation of a real stand up guy.

They were pushing eachother behind the net after the whistle, the ref was standing right there when Liscomb said it and the ref gave him a gross misconduct.

Downie didn't complain, he said in the Ottawa Sun that it was unfortunate because they were friends, and people trash talk all the time.

After the Petes eliminated Ottawa, Liscomb waited and congratulated Downie as he got off the ice.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

What's the big deal??? Now there shouldn't be trash talking in sports??? As long as it's not racially, religeously, or nationality based, who cares???

 

[Roy G Biv*]

What's the big deal??? Now there shouldn't be trash talking in sports??? As long as it's not racially, religeously, or nationality based, who cares???

What about sexual orientation based?

 

[Roy G Biv*]

anyways this was an awkward rant. pls don't mark me down as a homo-phobic, i'm not.

I just have Straight Pride... [Facebook.com]

Interesting how you find blacks and gays as mutually exclusive.

 

[Steve L*]

Heres something similar which backs up my point.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4883398.stm

The judge wants a case of name calling thrown out because he sees it as no different than being called fat at school.

""Have we really got to the stage where we are prosecuting 10-year-old boys because of political correctness?

"I was repeatedly called fat at school. Does this amount to a criminal offence? "

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Some people find damn or hell offensive but I dont care, Ill say it because its part of my and every Englishmens daily language.

Here's the thing....this didn't happen in England. Slang in england is not the same as in America and Canada.

 

[Motown Beatdown]

Heres something similar which backs up my point.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4883398.stm

The judge wants a case of name calling thrown out because he sees it as no different than being called fat at school.

""Have we really got to the stage where we are prosecuting 10-year-old boys because of political correctness?

"I was repeatedly called fat at school. Does this amount to a criminal offence? "

Again thats england...not North America.

 

[Shabutie]

And the dumbest post of the week goes to Steve L

You have no idea what in the hell you are talking about. Call one of my black co-workers that word and lets see if you survive. I know black people who hate it when other black people use that word (well the one that ends with a) because it is and always will be a disrespectful term to describe a particular group of people.

And the word in question with this thread (sounds like bag) is the same thing and people shouldn't be calling other people that word....even if they are boys and are just joking around on the ice.

Actually it's supposed to be the one that ends in -ER that is most offensive.

 

[Shabutie]

What about sexual orientation based?

The term Gay is used daily. "Man cricket is sooooo gay". It's basicaly an alternate for "lame", I don't see it as an insult to gay's. F-g word can be used as an insult, but I don't think it should result in a 5 game suspension that's ridiculous. Their's always going to be trash talking in the game and, if anything the more offensive slurs should only get a 2 minute for un-sportsmanlike imo.

 

[Seph]

The term Gay is used daily. "Man cricket is sooooo gay". It's basicaly an alternate for "lame", I don't see it as an insult to gay's.

How can you miss why implying that gay and lame/stupid are synonymous is an insult?