Updated with Story at 6:05pm.
Freedom of speech allows anyone to speak their mind without fearing the law. It does NOT however protect you from criticism and consequence. My blog is late today because I’ve spent the day talking to all different people regarding their opinion on Ivan Provorov’s refusal to participate in the Flyers Pride Night last evening in Philadelphia.
Provorov commented after the game,… I respect everyone. I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion.…
By hating and judging?
See here’s the thing about this. I firmly support Ivan’s right, everyone’s human right, to believe what they chose to believe, say what they chose to say, and love who they love. However., stand behind your opinion. Hiding one’s fears and hates behind religion is not a stance that historically ends well. Provorov can say this, and I can also state my belief that a person of public interest like himself taking a non-inclusive stance opens the door a crack for the haters and those who wish others who aren’t EXACTLY like themselves to go away.
I talked to a prominent professional hockey woman today who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and her response surprised me…
“There are always idiots. The fact that one player is an idiot like this is not nearly as upsetting as the anti-woke sentiment that is going out-of-control on social media.…
And she’s right about that. It makes me sad that those in the community are so used to this kind of small minded, naive homophobia by this point that it no longer surprises them…even when someone of prominence in their own field steps in it.
So Provorov has his opinion. I have mine. You surely have yours. We can all state these takes clearly, but we must also live with the consequences and realize that words matter. Especially to people who have been marginalized by those words for generations. Non-Inclusive, separatist, and generalized judging words eventually can turn into some awfully dire outcomes.
So that is just the first level. Provorov chooses to not wear a jersey. People get mad and choose to look at him differently. Many players around the league are very pissed about this. There will be guys who take runs at him. I’ve already talked to a half dozen who are counting the moments to line him up. Is that right? No.
The Second Level. Being a BAD Teammate.
Ok, taking away the hate and judging aspects of this., there is also a very real “Provorov continue to separate himself from the Flyers team and his teammates… narrative that has bubbling up behind the scenes in Philly for quite some time now.
There are other players on the Flyers and throughout the NHL, who have their own opinions about the LGBTQ+ community. Players who don’t particularly love the idea of pride night, but who can at least respect that the team must stand together for inclusion, as well as supporting their teammates who are more personally affected. On the Flyers, guys like Laughton and JvR feel very strongly about this because they have seen family and friends first hand being not included and attacked simply because off who they happen to fall in love with.
The players are very angry that Provorov is not being supportive. And this is really now emphasizing , maybe even solidifying, a divide that has been bubbling below the surface for over a year now.
Going back to last year’s exit interviews several players spoke out about Provorov, with at least one player saying he had to answer the question, “Do you think you can continue to play with this guy?… The player responded of course he could. That hockey was hockey and they were all pros here.
Recently, during a Flyers charity event, Provorov was notably not hanging with hie teammates, and was the only player who essentially stayed to himself. The kind of behavior that Ed Snider in his day would have completely gone off on. There is a story around that tells of how Mike Richards and Jeff Carter were traded 48 hours after not wearing Flyers hats (after being asked twice_) at a golf charity event.
Suffice to say, were Ed Snider still running the show, its a safe bet Provorov would be cleaning out his locker and taking his game elsewhere..
And then there is another level. A potential powder keg…
I talked to another Russian player who said that he was afraid other Russian Orthodox players may take similar stands. While he too said that America was great because opinions are allowed, he was also nervous that this could launch into an Anti-Russian player sentiment that has been building due to the Russian Invasion of the Ukraine. Reporters have gone extremely easy on these Russian players when it come to them trying to get them to go “on the record… with any condemnation of Putin and Russian atrocities. Reporters know that players speaking out can lead to their families back home being in danger. See: Panarin…..
However, there are some Americans and Canadians who aren’t happy with Russian players making all this money over here and taking it back to possibly help Russians fund the killing of Ukrainians..
Let me be clear…I don’t think this line of thinking is fair to the Russian players. They are not the ones making the decision to invade another country…In fact, I have often said how Russian players are among the nicest guys on the team….and easily the most down-to-earth and appreciative players in the NHL. These guys came from nothing and see the NHL as a dream job…
The problem is it only takes a little hate from one side to potentially create a ticking time bomb of sorts..That is a situation we all need to do our best to be aware of and shut down. This move by Provorov sure didn’t help there..
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— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) January 5, 2021