Glad Rielly is innocent, disgusted that people think there shouldn't have been any investigation. The NHL, like every employer, has a code of ethics and when alleged violations occur it should strive to sort things out. It's 2019, gay slurs are on the same level as racial slurs and should not be tolerated.
Be better.
I take exception to this.
Was he referring to someones sexuality who he knew was gay, or, saying something in anger in the heat of the moment? They are completely different situations.
Calling someone at work a racial term when you are attacking something that is not in their control, and it is visibly that race, is quite different than calling him an a-hole.
Some people want to have a guy suspended, destroy his life for a word, especially spoken in the heat of the moment of competition; but if a guy pounds in the face of another guy he gets to take a 5 minute break in the penalty box.
Which is more of a disgusting position to take? The same league that says "we do not accept language in the heat of battle" are accepting of fights on the ice. Hard hits to the body. Sometimes stick swinging incidents that "don't count" since, the player missed, so he only has a small suspension.
What is worse? An offensive word or getting popped in the mouth?
I'm not condoning what was said, but it's the overkill and pile on, and worse, the hypocrisy. He's human, not a robot. Whoever said it should apologize and explain it happened in the heat of the moment. This investigation and parading of people standing on a soapbox telling the world how bad he is (while they are of course, the second coming of Jesus), is ridiculous. ESPN is hardly even a sports network anymore.