NHL Team Too Busy To Make Anti-Bullying Video

[Retail1LO*]

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201110/nhl-team-too-busy-make-anti-bullying-video

This doesn't really surprise me. Asking sports entities to get involved with issues revolving around homosexuality is a bit...political. I don't think the two really mix all that well. There certainly must be better mediums through which the message "It's OK to be gay." can be conveyed.

On another note Sean Avery could be waived today, so the Sharks could sign him and forego the need to make commercials regarding such advocacy.

Click to read more...

 

[LadyStanley]

The only way Avery comes to SJ is in an opponent's jersey.



Sharks do somewhat support the homosexual issue. Last season they hosted the first (annual) GLBT night.

The Sharks support the troops indirectly (allowing other organizations to collect $$, supplies for care packets 2+ times/year). They also do book drives (Reading is Cool), food drives (2nd Harvest Food Bank), blanket/coat drive. Last year they even started a diaper drive for a homeless/poor mom charity.

The Sharks Foundation also support a number of kid-, family-centric organizations directly through grants.

And usually there is one "medical" plea that the players support directly with a stick sale benefiting the person (usually a child).



Mod note: Keep this focused on community outreach, not the political/cultural issues.

 

[Retail1LO*]

The only way Avery comes to SJ is in an opponent's jersey.



Sharks do somewhat support the homosexual issue. Last season they hosted the first (annual) GLBT night.

The Sharks support the troops indirectly (allowing other organizations to collect $$, supplies for care packets 2+ times/year). They also do book drives (Reading is Cool), food drives (2nd Harvest Food Bank), blanket/coat drive. Last year they even started a diaper drive for a homeless/poor mom charity.

The Sharks Foundation also support a number of kid-, family-centric organizations directly through grants.

And usually there is one "medical" plea that the players support directly with a stick sale benefiting the person (usually a child).

Mod note: Keep this focused on community outreach, not the political/cultural issues.

To me, all of those things are very noble, respectable things for a professional sports franchise to engage in. Good stuff. All beneficial, without having to stir up any controversy.

 

[Jumptheshark]

This is a double edge sword and for a team to get involved it bring them into the public debate


for me it is simple if it was a general bullying it would be easier to get involved then one aimed at one specific type of bullying

 

[La Grosse Tendresse]

This is a double edge sword and for a team to get involved it bring them into the public debate


for me it is simple if it was a general bullying it would be easier to get involved then one aimed at one specific type of bullying

Why? What public debate? That it's okay to beat up and terrorize gay kids??

I really don't get why "gay bullying" is taboo but general bullying is not.

 

[South Florida Canuck]

I'm going to play Devils advocate and try not to get too political here, but I'm glad the Sharks chose to decline making one of these videos. There are many Canadians and Americans who hold traditional values in regards to things such as marriage being between a man and a woman. I believe that this is a political issue that really doesn't belong in sports. I also believe the NHL would be smart not to associate themselves with a man such as Dan Savage (head of the It Gets Better Project) who says all Republicans should be killed.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

Why? What public debate? That it's okay to beat up and terrorize gay kids??

I really don't get why "gay bullying" is taboo but general bullying is not.

Its never ok but the thing is if teams start to get more political that may not go over well with the fan base.

 

[La Grosse Tendresse]

Its never ok but the thing is if teams start to get more political that may not go over well with the fan base.

But how is it political? That's my question, people are going "oh an NHL team shouldn't get political", but this isn't about gay marriage or whatever, this is about children getting bullied because they are gay.

You can be against gay marriage and whatnot, but I don't see too many people going "yeah, beat that little ****** up, that 14 year old kid is getting what he deserves"!

This isn't the 60s anymore.

I'm not saying the Sharks are wrong in refusing to do this considering everything else they are doing, but to say that they aren't doing it because it wouldn't go over well with the fans is ridiculous. I seriously doubt that anybody would be offended that the team is against kids getting bullied due to their sexual orientation. I mean, holding a GLBT night is something that is much more offendable, yet the Sharks still do it.

 

[MoreOrr]

I'm sorry, but isn't bullying what Marchand and the Bruins did to the Sedins?

Oh, oops... an "anti-bullying" video.

 

[South Florida Canuck]

But how is it political?

Its political because the organization "It Gets Better" is headed by a radical named Dan Savage who despite his claims that his organization is anti-bullying, is perfectly fine showing bigotry towards conservatives and Christians. He is essentially fighting bigotry with bigotry.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

But how is it political? That's my question, people are going "oh an NHL team shouldn't get political", but this isn't about gay marriage or whatever, this is about children getting bullied because they are gay.

You can be against gay marriage and whatnot, but I don't see too many people going "yeah, beat that little ****** up, that 14 year old kid is getting what he deserves"!

This isn't the 60s anymore.

I'm not saying the Sharks are wrong in refusing to do this considering everything else they are doing, but to say that they aren't doing it because it wouldn't go over well with the fans is ridiculous. I seriously doubt that anybody would be offended that the team is against kids getting bullied due to their sexual orientation. I mean, holding a GLBT night is something that is much more offendable, yet the Sharks still do it.

The thing is many kids get bullied its not just gay kids and if a team was to have a anti bullying video for one group and not do the same for another group that is when it could create a issue and may not go over well.

 

[sh724]

If the team reaches out to one specific group that is a highly charged issue than they could esily alienate many of their fans. Hardcore religious people are against supporting anything to do with homosexuality and could choose not to spend money on sharks merchandise, however saying 'no' could also alienate the fan base that is big on supporting the gay community. The team probably weighed these two options (among others) to determine not to do it. I agree with the teams decision not to for the reason that once they start helping specific groups other group would come forward and support as well, they would have to draw the line somewhere and people are going to be pissed off no matter when they decide to say no, its better to turn all groups down then to help out specific groups like this.

 

[Killion]

Well, I guess you sort of have to put it into the context of place & time. San Francisco has the highest % of gay residents in the country at about 15.4% of the total population within its City Limits while parts of Oakland were gentrified & marketed to the gay community, also with a large gay population though apparently a lot more spread out. No idea what the % might be in San Jose', but last time I checked it was still in California & that states pretty darn progressive on issues of this nature.

Teams, resort destinations, credit card companies, you name it, they design specific campaigns targeting that demographic. Many companies in Vancouver & elsewhere sponsoring floats in Gay Pride Parades, Conservative & Liberal Politicians alike participating. Brian Burke in Toronto, since the death of his son has been fairly vocal in advocating for gay rights and an end to homophobia.

If a San Jose with nearby San Francisco/Oakland, Vancouver, a Toronto or New York, all with high concentrations of the demographic felt that in sponsoring an "anti bullying campaign" that not only spoke out about it in terms of gays & homophobia but so too in the schoolyard & in cyberspace Ive got no problem with it. Good for them.

Hockey at the elite levels is a macho sport. If kids see their heros' taking a stand against all forms of bullying, showing respect, how could that be bad?. With the folks at places like the Westboro Baptist Church out of Kansas & elsewhere it'd be a problem for sure, but who cares what they think or want?. Let em' boycott. Mayor Sly doesnt want any NHL action at the Sprint Center anyway unless Boston, the Nucks, Detroit or Chicago decide to relo with the best players in the league & promises to win the Stanley Cup every year... Eff m'.

 

[dafoomie]

Does every sports team need to speak out against each and every bad thing that goes on in the world? When does it end?

 

[wjhl2009fan]

Well, I guess you sort of have to put it into the context of place & time. San Francisco has the highest % of gay residents in the country at about 15.4% of the total population within its City Limits while parts of Oakland were gentrified & marketed to the gay community, also with a large gay population though apparently a lot more spread out. No idea what the % might be in San Jose', but last time I checked it was still in California & that states pretty darn progressive on issues of this nature.

Teams, resort destinations, credit card companies, you name it, they design specific campaigns targeting that demographic. Many companies in Vancouver & elsewhere sponsoring floats in Gay Pride Parades, Conservative & Liberal Politicians alike participating. Brian Burke in Toronto, since the death of his son has been fairly vocal in advocating for gay rights and an end to homophobia.

If a San Jose with nearby San Francisco/Oakland, Vancouver, a Toronto or New York, all with high concentrations of the demographic felt that in sponsoring an "anti bullying campaign" that not only spoke out about it in terms of gays & homophobia but so too in the schoolyard & in cyberspace Ive got no problem with it. Good for them.

Hockey at the elite levels is a macho sport. If kids see their heros' taking a stand against all forms of bullying, showing respect, how could that be bad?. With the folks at places like the Westboro Baptist Church out of Kansas & elsewhere it'd be a problem for sure, but who cares what they think or want?. Let em' boycott. Mayor Sly doesnt want any NHL action at the Sprint Center anyway unless Boston, the Nucks, Detroit or Chicago decide to relo with the best players in the league & promises to win the Stanley Cup every year... Eff m'.

Thats the thing if they take a stand aginst all bulllying thats one thing and i think there would not be one issue with that but if you take a stand aginst bullying of one group that is where i think it may cause some issues.

 

[Jeffrey93]

This entire anti-bullying stuff is a bit annoying to me. But..what is ESPECIALLY annoying is special interest groups weighing in on it. Bullying is bullying...the cause isn't important. These people would have you believe it is though.
Why should there be anti-bullying campaigns to try to make things easier on the gay kid in high-school but ignoring the cross-eyed kid with a lisp? Why is the gay kid better than the cross-eyed lisp kid?

He isn't. So there shouldn't be any specific anti-bullying campaigns. Be against bullying...not specific causes of it.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

Thats the thing if they take a stand aginst all bulllying thats one thing and i think there would not be one issue with that but if you take a stand against bullying of one group that is where i think it may cause some issues.

You're essentially saying that the Sharks should be justified in not doing this video because some of their fans may be so homophobic they'd stop supporting the team because of an anti-bullying ad. No one that simple-minded needs advocacy, like you know a child being bullied, and we all know it'd have little to no serious impact on the Sharks revenue.

Did the Rangers revenue drop that drastically after an ad on a more 'controversial' issue in same-sex marriage? I don't know the figures but I'd imagine it's negligible. Why would this ad be any worse?

I'm not sure the concern here other than it being the start of the season coming around and the Sharks have a lot on their plate already for sure by this point.

 

[Jeffrey93]

Thats the thing if they take a stand aginst all bulllying thats one thing and i think there would not be one issue with that but if you take a stand aginst bullying of one group that is where i think it may cause some issues.

Exactly. To me this hurts their own cause. They keep the separation. The cross-eyed kid with the lisp that gets bullied isn't the same as the gay kid. The gay kid deserves special anti-bullying campaigns while the cross-eyed lisp kid isn't worthy of such attention.

It further amplifies the differences between people. Specific campaigns like this enforce the thought that gays are 'different' and should be treated 'different'. They aren't. They have a different preference than others....but they are people just like everyone else. No better, no worse.

 

[wjhl2009fan]

You're essentially saying that the Sharks should be justified in not doing this video because some of their fans may be so homophobic they'd stop supporting the team because of an anti-bullying ad. No one that simple-minded needs advocacy, like you know a child being bullied, and we all know it'd have little to no serious impact on the Sharks revenue.

Did the Rangers revenue drop that drastically after an ad on a more 'controversial' issue in same-sex marriage? I don't know the figures but I'd imagine it's negligible. Why would this ad be any worse?

I'm not sure the concern here other than it being the start of the season coming around and the Sharks have a lot on their plate already for sure by this point.

No what i am saying is if a team created a anti bullying video for one group and not for other groups that is where it may cause a issue it has nothing to do with fans beeing homophobic

 

[Killion]

Thats the thing if they take a stand aginst all bulllying thats one thing and i think there would not be one issue with that but if you take a stand aginst bullying of one group that is where i think it may cause some issues.

Very true. If it was a universal anti-bullying message, well OK. However, I tend to agree with the Sharks on this one in backing off from it. Not because its' a hot potato so much, which it is in many quarters, but I just dont think its the role or responsibility of pro sports teams to get involved in such debate which they surely would if they became pro-active about it.

 

[Rob Scuderi]

This entire anti-bullying stuff is a bit annoying to me. But..what is ESPECIALLY annoying is special interest groups weighing in on it. Bullying is bullying...the cause isn't important. These people would have you believe it is though.
Why should there be anti-bullying campaigns to try to make things easier on the gay kid in high-school but ignoring the cross-eyed kid with a lisp? Why is the gay kid better than the cross-eyed lisp kid?

He isn't. So there shouldn't be any specific anti-bullying campaigns. Be against bullying...not specific causes of it.

I think the reason there's campaigns for specific issues like this or against racially motivated bullying is that these simple differences to you and I have led to some particularly disgusting acts in the past. I don't know any kids who were killed for having a uni-brow or lisp. The same can't be said for issues of race and sexual orientation.

If there are correlations to children being teased more often because of sexual orientation, or evidence that this type of bullying leads to more severe treatment by those bullying or response by the kid being bullied then why should we ignorantly pretend there isn't a clear issue that can address the problem?

There's no pandering to the new sickman of the 21st century or whatever people want to think, it's identifying problems within society and trying to address them.

 

[RTN]

I think the reason there's campaigns for specific issues like this or against racially motivated bullying is that these simple differences to you and I have led to some particularly disgusting acts in the past. I don't know any kids who were killed for having a uni-brow or lisp. The same can't be said for issues of race and sexual orientation.

If there are correlations to children being teased more often because of sexual orientation, or evidence that this type of bullying leads to more severe treatment by those bullying or response by the kid being bullied then why should we ignorantly pretend there isn't a clear issue that can address the problem?

There's no pandering to the new sickman of the 21st century or whatever people want to think, it's identifying problems within society and trying to address them.

The vast majority of suicides for people under 18 are related to bullying and most aren't because they're homosexual.

Just this week there was a story in BC about a kid who I believe was mentally or developmentally Pejorative Slured and was beat up for his iPhone. He killed himself instead of having to face his attackers in court. These kinds of things happen all the time, but people have gotten used to hearing them.

In my high school, it was actually homosexuals who did most of the teasing/bullying. I come from a fairly conservative town and if you let it be known that you're homosexual, people just wouldn't associate themselves with you. They wouldn't get taunted or beat up. However, they always seemed to act like they had something to prove and often ended up picking on younger kids. A few times I had to step in a get them to stop.

 

[Kimota]

The vast majority of suicides for people under 18 are related to bullying and most aren't because they're homosexual.

Just this week there was a story in BC about a kid who I believe was mentally or developmentally Pejorative Slured and was beat up for his iPhone. He killed himself instead of having to face his attackers in court. These kinds of things happen all the time, but people have gotten used to hearing them.

In my high school, it was actually homosexuals who did most of the teasing/bullying. I come from a fairly conservative town and if you let it be known that you're homosexual, people just wouldn't associate themselves with you. They wouldn't get taunted or beat up. However, they always seemed to act like they had something to prove and often ended up picking on younger kids. A few times I had to step in a get them to stop.

Exactly most of the time the bullying is done to people that don't fit a particular association. Not even mental problems. It's they pick on someone and that person becomes the target for whatever reasons.

If they choose to fight anti-gay bullying and just that then it will be seen as something they do because it's fashionable and it's an image thing.

 

[rojac]

Exactly most of the time the bullying is done to people that don't fit a particular association. Not even mental problems. It's they pick on someone and that person becomes the target for whatever reasons.

If they choose to fight anti-gay bullying and just that then it will be seen as something they do because it's fashionable and it's an image thing.

So, do you people have propblem with a team supporting the fight against breast cancer without having a similar event for fighting cervical cancer?

 

[Kimota]

So, do you people have propblem with a team supporting the fight against breast cancer without having a similar event for fighting cervical cancer?

There's nothing political about breast cancer. It's an illness.