Player Discussion Brendan Leipsic's Instagram discussion | Update, 5/8/2020: Placed on waivers to terminate contract

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I don't blame the Caps or the NHL. They will do what the money tells them to do.

I'm just making a comment on society in general. The reason Brendan is now unemployable in hockey and maybe period, is because we created this horrific culture where people are judged for every word they use. Even when they are said in private, as was this case.

Most people would probably read this story, and just say "rude comments, who cares?" Acting like it's some microcosm for women's rights or equitable treatment is nauseating IMO.

And if the Caps want to bend over to political correctness, I get it. It's fine. But the bigger problem to me is every person who now tweets some comment acting like they know Brendan as a person and can pass judgment on him. Because that's what now snowballs and makes it so a company like the Washington Capitals has to bend over to political correctness. Meanwhile I would bet tons of money that many of the people who are saying I would never associate myself with anything that has Brendan's name on it, likely have many texts where they are saying equally rude things.

People should go back to not being so sensitive about every little thing.

Reasonable position to take. I understand people being fed up with the cancel culture or with the Blue Checkmark Brigade on Twitter that seems to make a living looking to call people out for everything they view as an indiscretion or insensitive.

That said, like it or not it is the world we live in and it's on people to act responsibly accordingly.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Waived...bye Felicia.

 

[The CyNick]

I once got pulled over for 70 in a 65, it felt really unfair because there are many people driving much faster who presumably didn't get pulled over. Similarly, Leipsic is hardly the only NHL player who says nasty things in a private setting... that being said, when you reflect poorly on your employer, they have every right to terminate you. When you are a borderline player, DON'T TAKE RISKS with your social media accounts... teams will easily decide that you are expendable.

Do you think it's okay if you have a private conversation in your home, it gets recorded, then published for the world to judge every comment you made in that conversation? That's what happened here.

This isn't a case of a public figure posting something offensive on social media. It was meant to be a closed door conversation.

Doesn't mean what he said was nice, just we should be fair with the analogies.

 

[The CyNick]

I don't doubt that many people outraged over his comments are hypocrites. But the thing is, you can be a hypocrite and still be right.

Maybe one day those people will exposed. Maybe they won't. It's not relevant to whether or not Leipsic should be on this team.

It is though. Unless you just think he's not good enough on the ice. In which case, he could go to a crappier team, or to the A or Europe. Or carve out some career after pro hockey. Because of the culture, a private conversation makes him a pariah.

As an example, if you're a woman and this morning you tweet out something like "glad this misogynist got what's coming to him" and then you have a text with your bestie about a guy who asked you out which says "loser thought he could date me. First of all, he's short, he drives a beater and I'm pretty sure he works at The Gap". That person is a hypocrite and their opinion should be irrelevant to the conversation.

I bet if you got rid of all those types, you would have nobody left tweeting about this other than a few outraged Catholic Nuns and everyone would just pass it off as "jerky comments, let's move on".

 

[kliq]

But thats never going to happen because all 3 of those guys cited -- OV, Crobsy and McDavid -- are class acts who would NEVER put themselves in that kind of position.

I just used those three as a examples. I mean anyone of importance. What if it was Patrick Kane?

 

[The CyNick]

Some naive people in the thread believing an employer can't fire you for things you say.

I would say most people know they can, but the needle has been drastically moved to not only impact what is acceptable speech and more importantly how few places you can freely speak.

To me that's the scary issue at play here.

 

[The CyNick]

I just used those three as a examples. I mean anyone of importance. What if it was Patrick Kane?

Well that's a whole other issue.

Kinda depends who you are in a lot of different contexts which I won't get into.

 

[kliq]

Well that's a whole other issue.

Kinda depends who you are in a lot of different contexts which I won't get into.

Thats my point, its a slippery slope.

 

[Hivemind]

Why don't all the non-Caps fans go discuss this on the general board, and let the Caps fans discuss how this (doesn't really) impact the Capitals roster and team composition?

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Not if you spit on someone. Well 4th liners that spit on people don't. The scratch part is the deciding factor.

I get why he is getting the boot, and ultimately he won't be missed talent wise, but the whining and hand wringing over stuff like this is getting out of hand. This is not specific to Brandon Leipsic. That being said, a lot of professional athletes better start scrubbing their social media and devices for anything that is, or could potentially be, negative about anything. The morality police are on patrol 24/7.

sorry dude, normally side with a lot of your positions, but not this one. Feels like most of the whining is coming from his defenders from my POV.

anyone not already understanding that the morality police have been on patrol for years now, like apparently Leipsic, is a step behind the times IMO.

Agree to disagree I guess.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Case in point: Kuznetsov and his problems with a certain powder.

No case and no point. He made stupid mistake... he wasn’t misogynistic, racist, and didn’t degrade his teammates.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Agree with everything you said. I remember back in high school listening to some of the hockey players go on in class about the hazing, stories about women etc. This is tame compared to those. He's just the first guy to get caught being asshole.

nobody is debating the boorish behavior of many athletes over the history of time. It’s happened, will continue, because people are people. Doesn’t excuse Leipsic sadly.

 

[discobob]

Do you think it's okay if you have a private conversation in your home, it gets recorded, then published for the world to judge every comment you made in that conversation? That's what happened here.

This isn't a case of a public figure posting something offensive on social media. It was meant to be a closed door conversation.

Doesn't mean what he said was nice, just we should be fair with the analogies.

No analogy is ever perfect. My point was simple - sometimes private things get made public. It happens frequently enough, that the prudent thing is to not put that stuff out there.

Was it fair to Leipsic? No.
Was it stupid of Leipsic to post those things, even in private? Yes.
Were the Caps justified to let go of him? Yes.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

Thread ban finger: engaged. Any post with personal insults or other rules violations has been deleted. Repeat offenders from here on out will join their fellow repeat offender brethren in thread ban-ville. Non-Caps fans, you are free to comment here if you follow thread rules but this is a Caps forum and the topic should be on Leipsic and his impact to the Washington Capitals hockey team so if your post isn't related to that topic then take your opinion elsewhere; I am sure the Global Mods want to hear your world views on the main boards (narrator comment: they don't).

As always, if a post or poster violates site rules DO NOT engage or quote the post, please use the Report button so we can clean this mess up.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Red text, now you’ve all done it!


Peeps need to take a breath or two. Same side!

 

[sting13]

Depending on your job, they may contain codes of conduct. For example freedom of speech doesn't allow a teacher to say anything they want, they still have to follow a certain standard. These players have agents and mentors who inform the players on what they can and can't do. they fully know that private conversations do become public and they should be careful what they say.

 

[hb12xchamps]

I’m pretty sure that rookies across most, if not all, sports leagues get some kind of talk about social media and the leagues policies regarding social media. I think it was the NFL that has had guest speakers at the combine and other rookie events that have touched on it.

But at the same time it’s gotten to the point where it’s pretty common knowledge to not post shit on the internet that will come back to haunt you. There’s always receipts and there’s countless examples of athletes having to do apology tours because of it.

 

[tenken00]

Case in point: Kuznetsov and his problems with a certain powder.

But Kuzy wasn't suspended because of the video, or because of his actions that were leaked to the public. He was officially suspended from the NHL because he lied to the Commissioner. The IIHF suspended him from international play because of a failed drug test.

So this isn't really apples to apples.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

Would have served him to take Herm Edwards advice
DONT PRESS SEND
And that was before IG was even a thing

 

[sycamore]

nm

 

[Ridley Simon]

Funny i must have missed the ruling from the SC that says that because you are in the public that anything goes. Your home, mind and words are never private even behind closed doors and password locked conversations. He didnt give up his expectation and more importantly his RIGHT to privacy. Others have decided they didnt like him and broke the law to get their way.

You can't stand by and say burn BL but the person who broke actual laws gets a pass. Thats madness at its finest.

Calm down Brendan. You and your brother need to stop picking fights w Caps fans!

No one said the person stealing the private conversation is above the law. They should also get the full extent of the law, if caught (don’t know what that is - but throw the book at them!!)

you must not like Whistleblowers, eh?

 

[Laphroaig]

Realistically if this hadn't happened wouldn't Leipsic be a healthy scratch if the League holds some kind of playoff?

 

[Ridley Simon]

Do you think it's okay if you have a private conversation in your home, it gets recorded, then published for the world to judge every comment you made in that conversation? That's what happened here.

This isn't a case of a public figure posting something offensive on social media. It was meant to be a closed door conversation.

Doesn't mean what he said was nice, just we should be fair with the analogies.

no disrespect meant here. But having a “private conversation in your home” is not the same — at all — to what happened here.

these idiots were using a social network to post their thoughts. There is an old adage “what is posted on the internet is everyone’s domaine”.

so this whole rubbish that it was some private conversation is bunk. Absolute bunk.

there is a reason I won’t ever allow my kids pictures on the internet (and I’m not on FB or Instagram, or Twitter or you name it), because it’s not sacred. Period end.

None of it is sacred. Anyone that believes otherwise is marking time until they get burned.

 

[HoistTheCup]

..........

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

Was it fair to Leipsic? No.

It wasn't? Why not? This guy is a 4th liner, who makes over $700,000/year and is often scratched, who embarrasses the team and his teammates and other families with idiotic and hurtful comments. Unfair? Please. He was paid more than he was worth to play a role, and instead, he was too stupid to realize how lucky he was. Now his luck has run out, and it is only his fault.