2020 Playoffs

[Sensfanjosh]

I think people are missing the point of the strikes, yes there will still be racial inequality after the strikes are finished, it's not athletes job to fix it, nor can they with anything they do. That said they have a massive platform by which they can make these things harder to ignore like they've been ignored every time they've been brought up for decades. It's got you all talking about it, so it's achieved what it set out to do.

Exactly

[Shoalzie]

Sports should be just sports but other institutions let us down when it comes to making a difference. In reality these guys are generally not college-educated and many of them become millionaires in their early 20s. They don't necessarily connect with everyday people.

They train their entire lives to make the big time (and make a very good living) but meanwhile, they're an escape for us working stiffs. If they want to be more worldly and be more in touch with what's happening around them, be my guest.

Hockey has a shaky history with race relations so they're still being pulled around by their ear to be more inclusive. What we're seeing is the players themselves showing solidarity. I'll give them props for organizing from the two locations yesterday. The HDA needed to give them a kick in the butt but let's be honest, I doubt these guys knew what to do. In the end, remember these are still hockey players.

[Sensfanjosh]

I get where you're coming from Scott but I think that saying an athlete is just an athlete is a way too many people have been passing the buck on having hard conversations and pushing for systemic change. It's on everyone to be better.

[Jordan (VGK)]

It’s especially true in hockey where it is 99.99% white and exclusively upper income. It’s easy for them to not be able to connect with these issues and hopefully this starts snowballing the hockey is for everyone thing they have been “pushing”.

[Da_Hawks]

It’s especially true in hockey where it is 99.99% white and exclusively upper income. It’s easy for them to not be able to connect with these issues and hopefully this starts snowballing the hockey is for everyone thing they have been “pushing”.

Hockey will never be for everyone because it's extremely expensive to play. You would need the NHL to kick in some pretty nice grants for exceptional kids that have poor families to make it accessible. Still then, it could never be for everyone.

[Shoalzie]

It's on everyone to be better.

Totally onboard with accountability and responsibility of everyone. It's not just the responsibility of policy-makers nor do people with influence should change your view. You should just know how to do the right thing even if it's not the popular thing.

As I said, if they want to have world views, I'm not against it. I think the problem these days is if you have view that skews one way, their point of view becomes a talking point on social media or the mass media. Sharing is fine but there's a lot of people out there that don't want to be told they're wrong and need to change their point of view.

Free speech and the ability have your point of view is interesting. Yes, you're free to have your opinion. Someone is just as free to disagree and in return, another person is free to disagree with that other person. Problem is that disagreements become childish playground fights and move away from the matter at hand. You put your view out there and you can either get agreements or get dragged into unnecessary arguments or get punched in a bar (allegedly).

[Matthew]

People ask for the rich to try and make a difference, and then when they try to help make the change, people complain if it inconveniences their lives in the slightest. This isn't about making an instant impact, but about slowly shifting the culture. The more powerful institutions show that they are visibly on board with cultural change, the sooner the average persons viewpoint will shift (hopefully for the better).

Nobody never wins with everybody. There will be haters no matter what the athletes or companies do.

[Shoalzie]

Well said...it will take time for sure.

Meanwhile, the devil on my shoulder is excited for the twin tripleheaders this weekend.

[Matthew]

Hard to be upset about canucks losing. Vegas was a lot better team.

[Shoalzie]

Both were fun series in the West...Stars-Knights will be interesting. Gotta favor Vegas but I also thought the Avs would run through the Stars.

[Matthew]

Vegas wins that series easy, unless hicekanen kicks ass.

[kimmer]

there will never be complete equality of human rights in all parts of the world ever.
Just some countries will be better at it than others. that's all

[Tony]

Vegas wins that series easy, unless hicekanen kicks ass.