I'm not sure that framing the comment as "no, he actually meant to insult the players!" makes the comments that much more defensible. He's there to do a job as an analyst & ambassador of the sport. The guys currently playing are doing so while sacrificing time away from their families during a pandemic. I'm not sure they need a guy on the TV broadcasts implying that it's better for them because they don't have all that ass to distract them. These guys are seasoned pros, even at a young age and they're playing in the most difficult circumstances of their career. So even as a shot at the male players it's still a pretty tone-deaf comment.
The thing is, though, words are complicated and it's possible for someone's remarks to be offensive to multiple groups. It's possible to imply that women only serve to distract men while also implying that the men lack the discipline to focus on the task at hand. The comment was stupid from just about any angle.
as for you trying to use my comments against me (the opposite of genuinely considering them or taking them to heart)...
I'm a white male in America. I'm almost 40. Your profile says you're a retired male. As a hardcore hockey fan I'd say it's a pretty fair assumption you're also white (apologies me if I'm wrong). As white guys who are middle aged or older, we've spent decades having our viewpoint be the defacto lens through which Western culture is seen. On TV, in movies, in sports (less so in music). In my early 20s I just kind of assumed everyone had the same experiences as me. As I've gotten older and the internet has shown me how many vastly different perspectives there are in the world I've learned to not just assume that my perspective is how others see the world. I've had to learn to constantly consider how others might view things, including the things people say. So yeah, I'm trying to encourage people to understand where others are coming from, because guys like you and I have had that luxury our whole lives.
