Emery a victim of Racism?

[stormboy 47]

Of course he isn't a victim of racism, that problem has been solved for years now.

i don't know izzy24, and so i can't judge whether this is sarcastic or not. for the sake of the american public, i'm going to hope that people don't actually hold this opinion. if you're being sarcastic, then i'm sorry for jumping on you. but i know that there are people who actually think racism is dead.

look, this was supposed to be a "discussion" thread, and so far, all i've read is "f*ck emery" and "oh, of COURSE the racist card." so, for the record, i don't really like ray emery. i think he has work ethic problems, at least from what i've read.

but, since this is the internet and no one's probably going to read this post anyway, i'll just tell a little story. i am i white dude (as i assume the majority of the people on this website are), and i live in in a neighborhood that is almost exclusively black. and, occasionally, when i get out of my car and walk into my house, there are lots of people standing in front of the house next to me or across the street from my house and you know, it's funny. i always get this vibe. it's not hate. it's not prejudice (necessarily), but it's much more of a, "what the hell are you doing here, in this neighborhood" kind of vibe.

and that's me, being a white male, being the most privileged demographic on the planet. now, i agree that i have never heard about racism in the modern NHL (people getting slurs painted on their lockers, etc.). but that doesn't mean nothing subtle goes on. and it's a lot easier to sit from the position of the people who have always had all the power and all the advantages and say, "stop whining about racial discrimination!" but let me tell you something: white people in north america still have most of the power and most of the money. look at the incarceration rates for young black men. look at the poverty statistics. look at predominately african american inner-city schools, for god's sake. the entire culture still rests on a fundamental (at least perceived) value difference between white folks and black folks.

now to say that if he walks into a locker room he is bombarded with overt racial assaults if obviously an exaggeration. but if i feel singled out walking to my house in grand rapids michigan, imagine how emery feels every time he goes anywhere. and to the poster that said saying "hip-hop lifestyle" is really a euphemism for "typical n***er," you're absolutely right.

so, look, i'm not saying that emery is justified in all of his antics, and that teams should necessarily be flocking to him with open arms. but my only essential point is that if you think for one minute that his being black has nothing to do with his entire mindset towards the game, his behavior within it, and his exit from it (at least the north american [and incidentally, best] version) you need to look outside your little white box for a few moments.

Because what is the first thing a minority does when they don't get what THEY feel the deserve?

if this is not proof that racism is still alive, then this is:

Amen.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

...we know and the hockey world knows that this is the reason he has no job in the NHL...

...BUT, it is because of his race that this is an issue. Why? Because what is the first thing a minority does when they don't get what THEY feel the deserve? EXACTLY, they pull the race card out. You can GUARANTEE if Emery were American or if hockey were a more popular sport, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would be all over this, marching on the NHL headquarters, protesting to the NHLPA until Emrey was GIVEN a job in the NHL, much like a lot of companies and businesses and other sports are. Remember when the Lions were fined because they didn't interview a minority during their search for a coach, when they ALREADY had the guy they wanted in Marucci? Gimme a break! I bet if the Lions hired Dennis Green without interviewing Mariucci, NOTHING would have been said! Much like the hundreds of Caucasion NHL players that go to Russia/Europe to play every year because they are no longer good enough for the NHL and not one word is mentioned about racism...

...f*ck Ray Emery, he, like millions of others who have played the race card unjustifiably, has givin his OWN race a black eye. Oops, I guess I should have said a bruised eye...

...oh and f*ck every one that playes the race card. IF YOU DON'T DESERVE/QUALIFY FOR THE JOB THEN YOU DON'T GET IT. YOU GET NOTHING, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR!!!

edit: and the guy below me is right, this thread may get ugly and I expect this post to be deleted and as a result this issue, much like racism is today, will be brushed under the rug without being resolved and then it will be Poor Ray Emery, the Man has kept him down too...

First off, Emery did not play the race card. A journalist wrote an article implying Emery's race was a factor. Emery himself has said nothing of the sort that I've ever seen or heard.

Second, do you not see how the statement I bolded is a broad generalization about minorities, a.k.a. a racist statement?

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

i don't know izzy24, and so i can't judge whether this is sarcastic or not. for the sake of the american public, i'm going to hope that people don't actually hold this opinion. if you're being sarcastic, then i'm sorry for jumping on you. but i know that there are people who actually think racism is dead.

<snip>

I'm pretty certain he was being sarcastic.

[stormboy 47]

I'm pretty certain he was being sarcastic.

i hope so.

[Doc Holiday 0]

so, look, i'm not saying that emery is justified in all of his antics, and that teams should necessarily be flocking to him with open arms. but my only essential point is that if you think for one minute that his being black has nothing to do with his entire mindset towards the game, his behavior within it, and his exit from it (at least the north american [and incidentally, best] version) you need to look outside your little white box for a few moments.

Soooo you are saying his decision to go to Russia because his old team was sick of his lack of work ethic and bad attitude is because of his race? Come onnnnnnn.

[auxlepli 17]

Can't we blame this racism thing on Gary Bettman? I'm sure he hasn't done enough to make minorities feel welcome in the NHL.

[mic04101 0]

the sad part is he only got the job in the first place is because he is black. Ottawa didn't want to get the all to common "card" pulled on them. What a joke. He was a team cancer. Nothing more.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

the sad part is he only got the job in the first place is because he is black.

I highly doubt that. You are playing the race card just as bad as the journalist here.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Let me get this straight: Here's a guy who backstopped the Ottawa Senators to the Stanley Cup final two years ago, and now he's been forced to slurp Borscht and play for a team with an Alphabet Soup-style moniker, Atlant Mytishchi. ("Don't worry, Comrade Ray. It's just like Atlanta, except for the missing "a" and the nightlife.")

Hahaha, if anything is racist about this article, its this. Mike Toth is a tool, that is why he works for Sportsnet, the station which always plays second fiddle to TSN. Seriously, those guys employ Nik Kypreos for gods sake.

Edited July 17, 2008 by Yzerfan1999

[SwedeLundin77 460]

Bulls***...

That's really all I can say in response to the idea of racism playing any part in what happened with Emery. The guy admitted himself that he was a mess, so there you have it!

[stormboy 47]

Soooo you are saying his decision to go to Russia because his old team was sick of his lack of work ethic and bad attitude is because of his race? Come onnnnnnn.

that's over-simplification. look, the fact is that race in north america and, in this context, north american sports, is a complex issue. when expectations and attitudes are placed on you, it's easy to fulfill them without trying. when you feel singled out as it is--which there's no way to not feel like a little bit of an outsider when you're (to my knowledge) the only black person on the team and one of only a handful in the league--it's easy to go further and further off the deep end. when all your press is "cancer in the dressing room," and "fights teammates," throw in a few "hip-hop style" comments (read: typical n***er) it's pretty clear that emery was getting the "angry black guy" label in the NHL, although most people are too PC to say that that's what they're actually thinking. i'm not saying he doesn't have the ability to transcend this predicament--certainly he could have made the choice to take the high road. but that's a lot harder than it sounds. i'm not saying he didn't get re-signed because he's black. i'm just saying that the entire race issue factors into all of this, and to pretend that it's not there is just not paying attention.

[stormboy 47]

the sad part is he only got the job in the first place is because he is black. Ottawa didn't want to get the all to common "card" pulled on them. What a joke. He was a team cancer. Nothing more.

this one time he did go 33-16-6 with five shutouts.

[Doc Holiday 0]

that's over-simplification.

It just seems like you are overcomplicating it. There doesn't have to be a "angry black guy" label because he is just making an "angry athelete who possibly acts like a primadona." The fact you guys put it there makes this a race issue when it shouldn't. His race shouldn't be an issue, but for some reason people have to act like his behavior is typical of a black man or his "culture" makes it hard for him to play. In the NHL, it is better for a player to act humble and not make himself get a big head. Did Emery do that? Possibly. Look at Sean Avery. He is your typical ___hole who gets bumped from team to team. LA, Detroit, Colorado, NY, and now Dallas. If a team doesn't want him then they are going to let him go. His attitude is what does it and white or black when you are a cancer you are a cancer. That's just how it is in my opinion. Unless someone can figure out how his race factors into them letting him go, then it is his attitude, not his race.

I may be missing your point but I am having trouble of what exactly you are trying to prove out of this whole scenario.

[mic04101 0]

this one time he did go 33-16-6 with five shutouts.

He was good until he found his ego. One good playoff.....the team in front of him. Get out. Sure he deserves a second chance sometime. But don't use the excuse that every single black person does. Give me a break.

[12Newf 0]

okay, in the interview that is mentioned in the article was on TSNs Off The Record. emery was point blank asked if he felt that his race had anything to do with his move to russia. he was very clear on that. you can find it on TSN.ca but here are a few excerpts from the ottawa citizen.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/s...34-b23c7d29aa05

Ken Warren , Canwest News Service

Published: Monday, July 14, 2008

OTTAWA - Controversial goaltender Ray Emery talked about taking steps to make himself a "better person" and his hopes to "wipe the slate clean" during a television interview on Monday.

Making his first public comments since being bought out of his contract by the Ottawa Senators last month and signing with Atlant Mytischi of Russia's Continental Hockey League last week Emery addressed a number of issues in a wide-ranging interview on TSN's Off The Record Monday night.

Emery also acknowledged Senators general manager Bryan Murray asked him whether he had a drug problem twice during the 2007-08 season.

"There (were) a couple of times, but I don't really want to get into it," Emery said.

When Off the Record host Michael Landsberg asked Emery, "Do you have a drug problem?" the goaltender denied it. "No, I don't have a drug problem," he said.

Pressed on why there were so many rumours and speculation alluding to Emery and drug issues, the goaltender suggested it may have had something to do with his circle of friends.

"People like to talk if they see you out, if you're associated with certain people. People can think what they want. I don't read newspapers, go on blogs or whatever."

Following the 2007-08 season, in which Emery made more headlines for his off-ice actions than his mediocre play - a slow recovery from wrist surgery, a celebrated traffic incident with a senior citizen, late arrivals for practice and a request for a trade - the Senators bought out the two years remaining on his contract. After NHL teams showed little interest in taking him on for the 2008-09 season, Emery last week signed a one-year, $2-million US contract with Atlant Mytischi.

Emery finished last season with a 12-13-4 record, a 3.13 goals against average and a .890 save percentage.

While he said the contract guarantees him 10 times more money than he might have received in trying to work his way back into an NHL starting job, there were more than financial reasons behind his decision.

"I also want to change some things about myself and wipe the slate clean," he said.

While he was short on specifics, the netminder also said he has already taken other steps to rehabilitate himself following his disappointing 2007-08 season.

"I just kind of got away from things. I'm not going into detail, but I made myself a better person, a better athlete, a better family person, whatever."

Emery, who hasn't been heard from since packing his bags following the Senators first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, held himself responsible for allowing his career to spiral downward last season. He said he at times pouted about a lack of playing time, especially when supposed backup Martin Gerber began the 2007-08 season as the NHL's hottest goaltender. The off-ice incidents helped create additional distractions.

"(Gerber) was playing great when I came back (from surgery)," he said. "I realized you can't not play the guy who is leading the league. I did a lot of stupid things to amplify it."

Emery's actions helped pave the way for the firing of coach John Paddock in February and Paddock later said that if he could do things all over again, he would have been harsher with Emery.

Emery also suggested that Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson had plenty of sway in keeping Gerber in the net and him on the bench for the final two months of the season, but he praised Alfredsson as being a great captain, just the same.

"He came to me a couple of times, he sat me down and talked about some different things, I'm not sure all captains do," he said. "Ultimately, I was held accountable. I didn't play for two to three months. There's a lot of influence there."

Asked what he would miss most about Ottawa, he said Saturday night games at Scotiabank Place and playing alongside Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. However, he said he's happy to leave Ottawa's media behind.

Ottawa Citizen

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

He was good until he found his ego. One good playoff.....the team in front of him. Get out. Sure he deserves a second chance sometime. But don't use the excuse that every single black person does. Give me a break.

What excuse is he implying? I don't see it. And what is the excuse that every black person uses? Is it the same "excuse" that Ottawa gave him the starting job just because of his skin color like you said? That is bull, and you being racist about it. Hasek got injured, Emery took over the reigns and played well enough and Hasek couldn't get healthy to play (please for the sanity of this thread no goalie/Hasek/Emery drama). This has absolutely zero to do with skin color.

[Booster313 138]

It's an interesting concept...I won't say that their wasn't racisim involved because I wasn't there. The real question is was he offered contracts, just nothing as lucrative as what he could earn in Russia and decided to chase the money??

The arguement that Laraque, Iglina, etc have healthy careers tends to make me think the league is not racisit. However it seems that some feel if a black person doesn't act "ghetto" and still get accepted then it must mean that the general population is racist. I disagree. I don't associate "ghetto" with black people. I associate that behavior with ignorant people period. The fact that we have a black man very possibly as the next president speaks the volumes about how far out country has come. We're never going to elect "Too Short" but we also wouldn't put a member of ICP in office either. It's not about race it's about behavior.

[mic04101 0]

What excuse is he implying? I don't see it. And what is the excuse that every black person uses? Is it the same "excuse" that Ottawa gave him the starting job just because of his skin color like you said? That is bull, and you being racist about it. Hasek got injured, Emery took over the reigns and played well enough and Hasek couldn't get healthy to play (please for the sanity of this thread no goalie/Hasek/Emery drama). This has absolutely zero to do with skin color.

wow......you totally got my point. It has nothing to do with race. I wasn't serious about the reason he got the job. I was being sarcasic.

[union drone 0]

Emery is only a victim of racism if you consider mediocre goalies with poor attitudes to be a race.

[12Newf 0]

not sure this is worth a new thread, but aaron downey was on OTR tonight and talks about the red wings locker room and leadership. its interesting because he says that its a no BS room and people who dont "buy into the system" 100% find a greyhound ticket in their stall. he also talks about his day with the cup and i found it all interesting.

TSN.ca Off the Record. (he does the siren again which is great)

edit: wanted to explain relevance. downey is asked what would happen in detroit with emery and explains that he would have been instantly gone.

Edited July 17, 2008 by 12Newf

[Louisville 112]

Whatever happened to just being an *******?

Also, Emery has taken responsibility for his actions so none of this really matters at all.

[The Noodle 39 14]

Why does racism have to be involved with his lackluster play? He has always been a horrible goalie and it really showed this year because Ottawa was not able to play spectacular in front of him anymore. Fred Braithwate got more than one chance and so did Kevin Weekes. IMO Emery has no athleticsm and relies on his lame butterfly technique which does not work for him. And apparently his team did not like his attitude and work ethic so that would explain knowbody wanting him in the entire NHL! If not a single team wants you on there team then the problem falls on yourself and is an obvious statement on how you need to improve yourself as a better person and an athlete.

Unlike other pro sports the NHL has a lot of great role models for kids. And for the most part the NHL is not full of bad media of players getting caught with illegal activity. Now that could be because of all the foreign influence of the game and the NHL not being an american sport. None the less i love the NHL and if i had a child i would have no problem with him/her being a fan of the game.

[Jon_G 6]

I have two words for Ray Emery: Grant Fuhr

[Grim 5]

Bryan Murray should shoulder some of the blame. He aired this dirty laundry to the public... like what was there to gain? its a lose-lose situation. Disgruntled goalies is something that you deal with swiftly without hesitation.

[Earthhuman 8]

He wasn't good enough to play in Ottawa and his stats reflect that, but I do think race had a little to do with his going to Russia.

Help me out here- I don't know anything about this guy other than seeing him play in a couple of games, and obviously you can't pull off the ghetto look in goalie pads. But if he bought into that side of black culture, more power to him. Other cultures tend to react badly to it, though. Outwardly, not so much, but I've seen black guys who get hassled for standing outside their apartment building, "Get a job!" and black students in my school who teachers tend to mistrust and mistreat right from the start. This is me trying to see it completely objectively. Especially in my school, I've seen this "beneath the surface" racism, or at least unfair treatment towards anyone who subscribes to black culture. Wearing baggy pants, baggy clothes, big chains, and whatever else will get you sent home immediately. They're harmless clothes, just like anyone else's. Somehow they "aren't conducive to a proper learning environment."

If you don't think racism or contempt towards that culture exists up and down throughout our society, then you're probably just not paying attention to it. Nobody minds a black guy that "acts like a white guy." When a black guy talks differently or dresses differently, it's a problem.

Sure Emery wasn't helping himself along the way, but his attitude got a lot more attention than Jagr's and some of the others'.