Passittothebulls.com is reporting an interesting theory that the Atlanta Thrashers are actively acquiring black players to improve attendance. The hockey blog pointed out the Atlanta Thrashers have six black players on their current roster. The players are not just American but of Canadian and European decent too. Atlanta has one of the lowest attendance ratings in the league but also has one of the highest African American populations in the city.
The blog post has caught much criticism from civil rights groups and has even caused Thrashers President Don Waddell to deny any racial basis. Waddell told the New York Times: “It all just kind of happened. It wasn’t like we went out and tried to pick up black players.”
Currently, the Atlanta Thrashers have about 20% of all black players on their roster.
Alexander Ovechkin plans to release a rap duet with Eminem, but the Russian hockey star may have to work on his rhythm. Over the weekend, Ovechkin was partying at Club Fur in DC with DJ Tiesto. Ovechkin is known for his love of the club and once even spent $8,000 at a strip club. But before the season started, Ove told the DC media his days as a club head were over, because hockey is serous business. The NHL is barley into its first month of the season and is back to awkwardly dancing in DJ booths.
Last night during the Vancouver Canucks Minnesota Wild game, Canucks forward Rick Rypien got physical with a Wild fan. The altercation happened after Rypien was sent to the locker roomf ollowing a fight with Minnesota’s Brad Staubitz. Rypien shoved the fan who was taunting him and was pulled away by teammate Manny Malhotra.
The fan was removed from the arena, and Rypien has been suspended indefinitely.
This is not the first time an NHL player has gotten physical with a fan. In 2001, NHL resident bad boy Tie Domi got in a fight in the penalty box when a Philadelphia Flyer fan fell over the glass. No formal charges were laid, but the fan was ejected from the building, and Domi was fined, but not suspended, by the NHL. Stories like these are why hockey is better than every other sport.
The new NHL season just started on Wednesday, but star players are coming out swinging (literally), with a don’t mess with me approach. It is NHL code not to mess with a team’s talented players, and if they do teams have designated enforcers to protect them. But so far this season, the stars have been the ones taking matters into their own hands. Detroit Red Wing Pavel Datsyuk challenged Anaheim Ducks Corey Perry. Datsyuk surprised many fans at his ability to hold his own because he is a former Lady Bing winner, for the league’s most sportsmanship like player… which usually translates into being a wimp. Even the Red Wings’ opponents were talking about Datsyuk’s technique.
“I guess he really can do it all,” said Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. The Red Wings played the Blackhawks on Saturday. “He must be sick of all the trophies he’s collected at the end of every year, whether it’s the Lady Byng or the Selke awards. I’ll have to look out for him in the scrums, I guess.”
In Saturday night’s Devils Capitals game, there was a total of five fights, and Russian all-star Ilya Kovalchuk was at the helm. Devils Kovalchuk took on Capitals Mike Greene. In response, Devils coach John MacLean said, “Mike Green is one of those players trying to get something going, I guess. Ilya is a big guy. He can take care of himself.”
But Kovalchuk himself is not too worried, “Hockey is a contact sport. A fight is part of the contact. Sometimes it happens.”
Although the NHL season has just started, it is too early to tell if the league’s fighting culture is changing. In the past decade, fighting has been on the demise. With the institution of the salary cap, many teams do not have room for enforcers, but as Kovalchuk and Datsyuk have proven… they can take matters into their own hands just fine, and it makes for great TV!
Jersey Chaser of the Month: Samantha Steele- December 2012
ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Steele is engaged to Minnesota Viking QB Christian Ponder earning her the honor of December 2012 Jersey Chaser of the Month. Share It
Passittothebulls.com is reporting an interesting theory that the Atlanta Thrashers are actively acquiring black players to improve attendance. The hockey blog pointed out the Atlanta Thrashers have six black players on their current roster. The players are not just American but of Canadian and European decent too. Atlanta has one of the lowest attendance ratings in the league but also has one of the highest African American populations in the city.