Krys Barch.

[Casey 145]

That hasnt happened to gays, and therefore in my eyes isn't nearly as bad

Wrong. Iran has executed 4000 people since 1979 for being homosexual, there is routine imprisonment for such in Saudi Arabia. Homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Gambia and Somalia. Over 5000 died strictly for that "crime" in Nazi Germany.

It's a word, sure, but handwaving and saying it doesn't mean anything is patently wrong.

[LeagueIntegrity 8]

Probably good because calling someone *** who isn't makes you sound like a grade-schooler.

I knew people like you would show up. I agree, regardless of your stance on homosexuality, it's annoying when people use it as a derogatory term. That's beside the point though; I'm sure it upsets some players too, and isn't that the point of all the trash talk on the ice? I'm sure all the players that call opposing players *** aren't homophobes, but know that it'll get under the skin of players like yourselves who seem to be overly sensitive.

[BlakKy 58]

I knew people like you would show up. I agree, regardless of your stance on homosexuality, it's annoying when people use it as a derogatory term. That's beside the point though; I'm sure it upsets some players too, and isn't that the point of all the trash talk on the ice? I'm sure all the players that call opposing players *** aren't homophobes, but know that it'll get under the skin of players like yourselves who seem to be overly sensitive.

I get where you are going. If some player is dumb enough to use *** as an insult and really mean it I guess a peer could receive it and really take it to heart. ie. successful trash talk.

[BigWillieStyle 662]

raped, killed etc. That hasnt happened to gays, and therefore in my eyes isn't nearly as bad.

Matthew Shepard says, Hi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

I would assume that between The NHL and The Florida Panthers, that like most other corporations, one or both of them, have a code of conduct for all of their employees to follow that includes a non-harassment clause based on race, religion, color, creed, or sexual orientation. I am sure this will be brought forward while deciding what kind of punishment to hand out. By not doing anything about the Simmonds-Avery incident, they leave themselves plenty of room to shoot themselves in the foot with this one.

Edited January 2, 2012 by BigWillieStyle

[stevkrause 1,247]

Matthew Shepard says, Hi.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

I would assume that between The NHL and The Florida Panthers, that like most other corporations, one or both of them, have a code of conduct for all of their employees to follow that includes a non-harassment clause based on race, religion, color, creed, or sexual orientation. I am sure this will be brought forward while deciding what kind of punishment to hand out. By not doing nothing anything about the Simmonds-Avery incident, they leave themselves plenty of room to shoot themselves in the foot with this one.

A. Fixed that for you

B. This is exactly the reason they HAVE to punish this

Edited January 2, 2012 by stevkrause

[BigWillieStyle 662]

A. Fixed that for you

Thanks. No soup for me, again.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Regulating trash talk? Dealing out suspensions based on what a ref thought he heard, with no evidence at all? Yikes.

Good to see Subban like "Whatever". If Barch is suspended, this opens up doors for minority players to make false accusations of racist remarks, and for the league to jump to conclusions, without any evidence. I'm not supporting racial remarks, I am merely saying everything needs to be settled on the ice. We don't need players going to the league tattling.

[newfy 695]

Wrong. Iran has executed 4000 people since 1979 for being homosexual, there is routine imprisonment for such in Saudi Arabia. Homosexuality is punishable by death in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania, Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, Gambia and Somalia. Over 5000 died strictly for that "crime" in Nazi Germany.

It's a word, sure, but handwaving and saying it doesn't mean anything is patently wrong.

Sorry but I just dont see it as bad personally. There is not a single person in the NHL that is from any of those countries and the countries that actually have the NHL teams in them have never came as close to anything like that. Its still also not nearly as bad as what black people had happen to them.

I never said it doesnt mean anything, but its a USA/Canada thing pretty much exclusively that finds the term ****** as derogatory.

I'm not saying it should be thrown around but it really racks my brain that anyone would think those terms are even in the same ball park as far as offensiveness goes

[uk_redwing 495]

Calling someone a ****** does have sexual overtones but isnt really exclusively used to put down gays. If I had to guess I would say Barch called him a n*****. A word that was used while blacks were enslaved, raped, killed etc. That hasnt happened to gays, and therefore in my eyes isn't nearly as bad.

Gays were persecuted heavily by the Nazi's in WWII. If you were *** and in the Axis empire, your fate was the same as the Jewish and Gypsy fate. There's a hell of a lot of countries out there that will burn/stone you for homosexuality, as well. I wouldn't say they haven't had similar sufferings.

From medieval times up until about a century ago in nearly every country open homosexuality would earn you a trip to the gallows/prison.

[RedFX 48]

If I remember correctly, Denis Hamel used the same slur on Ray Emery several years ago and was not suspended. Strangely enough, it was actually Emery who was suspended 3 games for his retaliation

[Ally 448]

Sorry but I just dont see it as bad personally. There is not a single person in the NHL that is from any of those countries and the countries that actually have the NHL teams in them have never came as close to anything like that. Its still also not nearly as bad as what black people had happen to them.

I never said it doesnt mean anything, but its a USA/Canada thing pretty much exclusively that finds the term ****** as derogatory.

I'm not saying it should be thrown around but it really racks my brain that anyone would think those terms are even in the same ball park as far as offensiveness goes

There are also no NHL players who were, at one time, personally enslaved but many players probably have family that were treated badly based on race OR because of homosexuality. I see where you are coming from but racial slurs and homophobic slurs both carry a lot of weight and are, imo, out of line. That being said, I don't think the league can regulate trash talk but this sort of thing would be better handled by the team, it would make sense to me for them to sit him a few games or something just to show that they don't condone the behavior.

[Konnan511 1,736]

It's a douchey thing to do, fairly childish, but not the worst thing in the world and happens in all leagues across the world.

[achildr1 255]

Sorry but I just dont see it as bad personally. There is not a single person in the NHL that is from any of those countries and the countries that actually have the NHL teams in them have never came as close to anything like that. Its still also not nearly as bad as what black people had happen to them.

I never said it doesnt mean anything, but its a USA/Canada thing pretty much exclusively that finds the term ****** as derogatory.

I'm not saying it should be thrown around but it really racks my brain that anyone would think those terms are even in the same ball park as far as offensiveness goes

Marcel Goc, Thomas Greiss, Christian Erhoff, Jochen Hecht, Marco Sturm, Dennis Seidenburg, and Alexander Sulzer are from Germany. I get your point but there are some from Germany at least.

Edited January 2, 2012 by achildr1

[puckbags 863]

I'm confused, black people call each other n***ers and its ok but if a white guy calls a black guy a n***er he should get the book thrown at him? Read Fleury's book, nothing is off limits on the ice and Fleury knew it back then and it still got to him although things back then weren't as racially motivated because it was all white dudes in the league.

[Din758 371]

the day that people are truly proud of who they are and where they and their ancestors come from, there will be no more hatespeak in the world.

somebody calls me a cracker, white trash, or whatever, i laugh. im comfortable with who i am.

somebody calls a black man their respective slurs. they should be proud, not that they were slaves, but that their people with help of others overcame those obstacles and are now equal to the rest of us.

if somebody calls a *** person their respective slurs, they should be proud that they were strong enough to come out of the closet to declare themselves ***, which is not the norm. (I dont mean its not normal to be ***, but its not the majority)

so on and so forth.

once people stop letting it get under their skin, the hatespeak will stop.

its like what we tell our kids when they get bullied. quit reacting to whats said and take it with a smile, eventually they will figure out it doesnt hurt you and will stop.

[esteef 2,679]

I'm confused, black people call each other n***ers and its ok but if a white guy calls a black guy a n***er he should get the book thrown at him?

This. Isn't accepting the use of the word by one race and not by another considered racist? If people want the word to be off limits then stop ******* letting others use it, "regardless of color".

esteef

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

TSN.

The League is busy redoing Darren Gibb's assignment schedule.

[Travis 576]

This. Isn't accepting the use of the word by one race and not by another considered racist? If people want the word to be off limits then stop ******* letting others use it, "regardless of color".

esteef

The origins of its use in the Black community come from attempts to disarm the word itself.

[e_prime 1,936]

It was up on PuckDaddy earlier, but here's a TSN Link

So Barch gets a game for making a joke about Simmonds "slipping on a banana peel."

Here's where it gets tricky.

Is there underlying racism in the joke?

Edited January 5, 2012 by e_prime

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From TSN:

...

"Mr. Barch has admitted making the remark, but denies that the comment was racially motivated," said Colin Campbell, Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. "While we accept Mr. Barch's assertion, as a player in the National Hockey League, he must be held accountable for making a comment that, in the context in which it was made, and in light of the entirety of the circumstances, was offensive and unacceptable."

...

So, his motivation was what exactly?

[e_prime 1,936]

Barch made the comment after Simmonds fell down during an altercation with Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson.

Basically, he was calling him a klutz and making fun of his skating ability.

Linesman decided that Barch was inferring more and gave him the misconduct.

League agrees and suspends him for a game.

It's all about what was heard and what someone thought Barch meant with that comment.

Don't the linesmen and refs have enough problems making calls on the ice to start policing what is said between players?

[55fan 5,133]

I'm doing a 180 here. If he said a racial taunt, there was reason for suspension.

If he was making fun of his skating ability, jeer on.

"Slipped on a banana peel" after he fell? Come on, NHL.

[ogreslayer 1,069]

I'm doing a 180 here. If he said a racial taunt, there was reason for suspension.

If he was making fun of his skating ability, jeer on.

"Slipped on a banana peel" after he fell? Come on, NHL.

By suspending Barch for this in a clear case of over sensitivity/overcompensation, does the NHL not draw more attention to themselves as an inherently racist organization/culture? Just a thought...

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

It was up on PuckDaddy earlier, but here's a TSN Link

So Barch gets a game for making a joke about Simmonds "slipping on a banana peel."

Here's where it gets tricky.

Is there underlying racism in the joke?

Barch made the comment after Simmonds fell down during an altercation with Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson.

Basically, he was calling him a klutz and making fun of his skating ability.

Linesman decided that Barch was inferring more and gave him the misconduct.

League agrees and suspends him for a game.

It's all about what was heard and what someone thought Barch meant with that comment.

Don't the linesmen and refs have enough problems making calls on the ice to start policing what is said between players?

You're undermining your argument a little by confusing Subban with another black player who isn't even on the same team. Simmonds is a winger who plays for the Flyers. Subban is a defenseman who plays for Montreal.

I'm doing a 180 here. If he said a racial taunt, there was reason for suspension.

If he was making fun of his skating ability, jeer on.

"Slipped on a banana peel" after he fell? Come on, NHL.

Agreed.

Maybe it had some racial overtones, but it's certainly debatable. If anything this could been handled with just a warning to Barch about how this may have sounded. It certainly didn't warrant a suspension.

Edited January 6, 2012 by haroldsnepsts

[e_prime 1,936]

OH s***. I did do that didn't I.