I understand why you're making that point, and to me it has some validity, but the first amendment grants the right to say stupid things without the government interfering. It says nothing about personal and professional obligations especially where you represent an organization.
Theres typically no right answer to politics in general and thats fine. But if you're publically speaking, and you represent an organization, then you should likely be as "unoffensive" as possible.
I understand that fans want that glimpse into a players life, but thats not our right as fans/people, thats a fiction of the social media era and one i really don't like with ADA as a prime example. He would probably be my favorite player for the passion he shows on the ice, but knowing what I know of his personal/political beliefs it makes it difficult to truly enjoy him on my team.
Well it’s actually exactly the same in the military. We are employed by the United States military. We represent them (“on or off duty”, as we’re frequently reminded). However, we are still allowed to express our opinions on social media with the explicit caveat being that we cannot express them as being representative of the belief or opinion of the USAF. They must be presented as our own, individual opinion. As in that of Mr. X, rather than USAF TSgt X. Similarly, we can attend political rallies and such, but not in uniform. I would imagine that, unless his contract explicitly states that he must “stick to the party line”, his individual social media is viewed as just that. If his handle were @NYR_DeAngelo77 perhaps that would be different, but since he makes no mention of, nor claims to be representing the NYR, I am almost positive it is treated identically to our policy in the military. I imagine the UCMJ is actually more comprehensive regarding our behavior in and out of uniform and our freedom to express our political beliefs (due to the ramifications of US servicemen publicly speaking against the current POTUS, etc.) than that of the contract of an NHL player, so like it or not, he’s entitled to express himself however he sees fit.
As I alluded to, I often disagree with posters like ADA himself. I served 10 years under two drastically different presidents from two opposite ends of the political spectrum. While I wasn’t allowed to let my personal feelings impact my professional demeanor in any way and was prohibited from expressing my beliefs in uniform, as a representative of my branch of service, I was still allowed to express myself in accordance with my beliefs as an individual.
Look, I honestly have no horse in the race regarding the right or wrong of his individual tweets. I simply think we need to stop intermingling the personal or political beliefs of celebrities with our fandom. If a guy is accused of rape or a violent crime, sure I can see how that would make it difficult for you to support them as a fan of their team. If a guy holds a different political view than you, that IS his right and that’s not a reason to dislike him, *as it relates to your hockey team*. No ones asking you to have a beer with him (and he’s certainly not inviting you, although I would wager half of you would swallow your opinion for the opportunity to share one). Our right to differing opinions is one of the things we’re supposed to be proud of in this country, but we seem to have forgotten that.