Avery sounds off on French-Canadian NHLers

[Forum Ghost]

KINGS' AVERY SOUNDS OFF ON FRENCH NHLers

Los Angeles Kings forward Sean Avery - never one to shy away from opinion - had plenty of strong words regarding Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Denis Gauthier and French Canadian hockey players.

When asked about the blueliner's hit on Kings teammate Jeremy Roenick in a preseason game Sunday night, Avery did not hold back digging into Gauthier and Quebec-born NHLers.

"I think it was a clean hit," he explained on Tuesday. "I think it was typical of most French guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up."

"I'd think if a guy like Brett Hull was coming up the middle, somebody probably wouldn't have stepped up and hit him, but like I said, a typical move from a guy wearing a visor that certainly doesn't like to get scratched at all."

Gauthier insists he wasn't trying to injure Jeremy Roenick when he levelled the veteran Kings.

Roenick, who was livid with Gauthier after the game, suffered the 11th documented concussion of his career as a result of the clean hit that Gauthier delivered during the second period.

It isn't the first time Avery has made controversial remarks surrounding the game.

During the NHL lockout, he told Toronto sports radio The Fan 590 that he wouldn't mind the possibility of dropping NHL teams and jobs at the expense of players from overseas.

"I think they can eliminate a lot of Europeans who are mediocre and are taking a lot of jobs," Avery told The Fan 590 in February.

When told that the NHL Players' Association did a lot of things for the best interests of all players - regardless of background - Avery maintained that it was his own opinion.

"The Association does a lot of things," he said. "I'm just talking for me."

When the lockout ended in July, Avery said NHL players were wrong and sorry while holding back no punches on NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow.

"We were brainwashed," he told the L.A. Times about the decision to follow the union's advice during contract talks with the owners.

"I am furious at Bob. Bob thought he was bigger than he was. Bob brainwashed players like me."

[jkr]

He is auditioning for Cherry's job?

I hate it when these imbeciles perpetuate these sterotypes. There are plenty of non - french speaking players who play that way.

I wonder how he explains these comments to Robitaille and Garon?

[Forum Ghost]

jkr said:

I hate it when these imbeciles perpetuate these sterotypes. There are plenty of non - french speaking players who play that way.

Indeed.

It's ridiculous and sad that the NHL is filled with these kind of stereotypes.

I wonder how he explains these comments to Robitaille and Garon?

Exactly.

I can't wait to see the first regular season game between the Kings and Coyotes... Gauthier's one of the best open-ice hitters in the league so Avery better keep his head up.

[Bob]

I would like to see him explain it to Georges Laraque ;D

Seriously, though, those kinds of comments have no place in the NHL or society in general.

[blny]

Sean Avery is an ass. There's a reason Detroit didn't keep him around.

[Andrew]

bob said:

I would like to see him explain it to Georges Laraque ;D

Seriously, though, those kinds of comments have no place in the NHL or society in general.

Exactly. I expect Bettman will hit him with a fine, and take a firm stance on such comments. The NHL is already facing an up-hill image battle - without some meat-head making discriminatory comments.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Sean Avery is a player of limited capacity—plain and simple.

[Polarice]

mrbozo said:

Sean Avery is a player of limited capacity—plain and simple.

Who's Sean Avery?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Ian Laperrière outraged by his remarks
"Avery knows where to find me"

Daniel Cloutier - Le Journal de Montréal

29/09/2005 08h22

Éric Bélanger, a native of Quebec playing with the Los Angeles Kings, believes that his team-mate Sean Avery "doesn't get out much" by the discriminatory comment that he was allowed to make regarding French-speaking players.

On Sunday defenseman Denis Gauthier of Phoenix, applied a hard check to Jeremy Roenick, who suffered another concussion.

Immediately after the game, Avery declared: "I'm not surprised that Gauthier acted like that. Like the majority of French-speaking players in the NHL, Gauthier allows himself to play hard because he wears a visor, but he will never pick a fight with anyone... "

A few hours later Avery publicly apologized for having made this racist comment.

Last night, in an interview granted to Michel Villeneuve on radio station CKAC, Bélanger declared that in spite of his public excuses, Avery will have to face the music.

"I'm afraid that this racist comment will haunt him for a long time," mentioned Bélanger. "There are French-speaking people on the Kings (like Luc Robitaille), and that did not prevent him from spitting on them. This guy is not a team player.

"It's not the first time that he has displayed unwise behavior. He often puts the club in trouble with stupid moves on the rink."

Laperrière furious

Avery's ex-team-mate, Ian Laperrière, tougher than tough, now playing with the Colorado Avalanche, issued a little warning for the Kings' player.

"I'm not at all surpised that Avery made a racist comment about French-speaking people," mentioned Laperrière.

"This guy is an egocentric person ready to do anything to get media attention.

"But I have a message for him: He wants to tangle with a French-speaking person? He knows where to find me. We will face the Kings this evening in Colorado. I am very eager to see whether he will have enough balls to face me.

"We played the Kings in Las Vegas a few days ago, and each time I passed Avery on the rink, he never dared to look me in the eyes."

- www.canoe.com/sports/nouvelles/archives/2005/09/20050929-082211.html (French)

[Polarice]

Go get him Ian!!

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Latendresse flattens Lindros, Komisarek flattens Lindros, Begin flattens Lindros, Souray flattens Lindros. Does anybody care what the nationality of the flattener is as long as the flatenee is a Leaf?

[jkr]

mrbozo said:

Ian Laperrière outraged by his remarks
"Avery knows where to find me"

Daniel Cloutier - Le Journal de Montréal

29/09/2005 08h22

Éric Bélanger, a native of Quebec playing with the Los Angeles Kings, believes that his team-mate Sean Avery "doesn't get out much" by the discriminatory comment that he was allowed to make regarding French-speaking players.

On Sunday defenseman Denis Gauthier of Phoenix, applied a hard check to Jeremy Roenick, who suffered another concussion.

Immediately after the game, Avery declared: "I'm not surprised that Gauthier acted like that. Like the majority of French-speaking players in the NHL, Gauthier allows himself to play hard because he wears a visor, but he will never pick a fight with anyone... "

A few hours later Avery publicly apologized for having made this racist comment.

Last night, in an interview granted to Michel Villeneuve on radio station CKAC, Bélanger declared that in spite of his public excuses, Avery will have to face the music.

"I'm afraid that this racist comment will haunt him for a long time," mentioned Bélanger. "There are French-speaking people on the Kings (like Luc Robitaille), and that did not prevent him from spitting on them. This guy is not a team player.

"It's not the first time that he has displayed unwise behavior. He often puts the club in trouble with stupid moves on the rink."

Laperrière furious

Avery's ex-team-mate, Ian Laperrière, tougher than tough, now playing with the Colorado Avalanche, issued a little warning for the Kings' player.

"I'm not at all surpised that Avery made a racist comment about French-speaking people," mentioned Laperrière.

"This guy is an egocentric person ready to do anything to get media attention.

"But I have a message for him: He wants to tangle with a French-speaking person? He knows where to find me. We will face the Kings this evening in Colorado. I am very eager to see whether he will have enough balls to face me.

"We played the Kings in Las Vegas a few days ago, and each time I passed Avery on the rink, he never dared to look me in the eyes."

- www.canoe.com/sports/nouvelles/archives/2005/09/20050929-082211.html (French)

With that kind of angry response from a team mate how long will it be before Avery finds himself playing elsewhere.

Once the Kings ditch him and he ends up playing in a hockey backwater how long will it be before Rachel Hunter ditches him too?

[Tattac]

NHL statement regarding Sean Avery comments

NEW YORK - National Hockey League Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly today released the following statement regarding recent comments made by Los Angeles Kings forward Sean Avery:

"Mr. Avery's recent comments were insensitive and inappropriate. The National Hockey League takes great pride in the diversity of its player base and repeatedly has made it clear to the players and Member Clubs that comments of this type are not acceptable. In a communication sent to all Clubs yesterday afternoon, the League expressly reiterated its position in this regard and indicated that similar misconduct in the future would result in the imposition of League discipline."

www.nhl.com/news/2005/09/235986.html

I also heard someone saying that the Kings made Avery apologise only after a call from the NHL.

[BadCompany]

"We're very disappointed in you. VEEEERY disappointed."

And yet, if Avery had of said this, he'd never see the inside of an NHL arena again...

"I think it was typical of most Black guys in our league with a visor on, running around and playing tough and not back anything up."

The next time the Kings play the Oilers, the league should schedule two French referees, and two French linesmen, and see if their visors prevent them from seeing anything Georges does...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Don't the Oilers have some francophone Black guy who doesn't wear a visor?

[Polarice]

mrbozo said:

Don't the Oilers have some francophone Black guy who doesn't wear a visor?

Avery is about to find out.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Frenchmen are chicken to fight, blacks are athletic but not intelligent, jews and scottsmen are cheap, arabs are dirty, asians have bad eyes and teeth but work hard, german trains run on time, anybody left out? Avery should have the right to free speech and say whatever he wants, including stupid stuff like the above.
In general, hockey players should follow the example of Beliveau and Ratelle, the less said, the better. Act dignified. If they choose to act like Avery or Chelios and run off at the mouth, they have the right to be stupid, look foolish and lose the respect of the fans!

[jkr]

habsfaninla said:

Avery should have the right to free speech and say whatever he wants, including stupid stuff like the above.

But where does free speech end and racism begin?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

Frenchmen are chicken to fight, blacks are athletic but not intelligent, jews and scottsmen are cheap, arabs are dirty, asians have bad eyes and teeth but work hard, german trains run on time, anybody left out? Avery should have the right to free speech and say whatever he wants, including stupid stuff like the above.

No one is obliged to take any of that crap.

Freedom of speech does not free one from the consequences of what one says.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

mrbozo said:

habsfaninla said:

Frenchmen are chicken to fight, blacks are athletic but not intelligent, jews and scottsmen are cheap, arabs are dirty, asians have bad eyes and teeth but work hard, german trains run on time, anybody left out? Avery should have the right to free speech and say whatever he wants, including stupid stuff like the above.

No one is obliged to take any of that crap.

I'm not sure what you mean by taking that crap?
If I say Canada is cold, you can reply saying Russia is colder. Someone else can say, it's racist or insensitive to say one country is colder than another. On a given day, Montreal can be warmer than Los Angeles.
When Chelios made his stupid remarks (which ones) we recognized that they were insensitive and inflamatory. Bettman could have construed tham as an attempt to encite others to do him physical harm.
Bottom line, everybody knows Chelios is stupid for saying the things he did and the way he said them. He still has a right to say them.
I have a right to say "Norwegians are stupid." I'm sure that nobody will believe me and almost everybody will think I'm foolish and insensitive for saying it. I think I still have the right to say stupid things like that, and eventually I will be ignored for my stupidity. Norwegians don't have to take that crap or respond to it. It's a stupid comment, but the right to free expression is important in our civilization.
Election campaigns and the House of Commons are based on free speech. Both sides say things that are untrue, but they have the right to say them and the opposite side has the right to prove them wrong.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

jkr said:

habsfaninla said:

Avery should have the right to free speech and say whatever he wants, including stupid stuff like the above.

But where does free speech end and racism begin?

I think racism begins where sociology ends.
Sociology is the study of the traits and characteristics of different groups and races.
Observing that the eight finalists in the 100 yard dash at the olympics are black is sociology. Saying blacks are better runners than whites is racist.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

mrbozo said:

No one is obliged to take any of that crap.

I'm not sure what you mean by taking that crap?
If I say Canada is cold, you can reply saying Russia is colder. Someone else can say, it's racist or insensitive to say one country is colder than another. On a given day, Montreal can be warmer than Los Angeles.
When Chelios made his stupid remarks (which ones) we recognized that they were insensitive and inflamatory. Bettman could have construed tham as an attempt to encite others to do him physical harm.
Bottom line, everybody knows Chelios is stupid for saying the things he did and the way he said them. He still has a right to say them.
I have a right to say "Norwegians are stupid." I'm sure that nobody will believe me and almost everybody will think I'm foolish and insensitive for saying it. I think I still have the right to say stupid things like that, and eventually I will be ignored for my stupidity. Norwegians don't have to take that crap or respond to it. It's a stupid comment, but the right to free expression is important in our civilization.
Election campaigns and the House of Commons are based on free speech. Both sides say things that are untrue, but they have the right to say them and the opposite side has the right to prove them wrong.

Freedom of speech does not free one from the consequences of what one says.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

mrbozo said:

habsfaninla said:

I'm not sure what you mean by taking that crap?
If I say Canada is cold, you can reply saying Russia is colder. Someone else can say, it's racist or insensitive to say one country is colder than another. On a given day, Montreal can be warmer than Los Angeles.
When Chelios made his stupid remarks (which ones) we recognized that they were insensitive and inflamatory. Bettman could have construed tham as an attempt to encite others to do him physical harm.
Bottom line, everybody knows Chelios is stupid for saying the things he did and the way he said them. He still has a right to say them.
I have a right to say "Norwegians are stupid." I'm sure that nobody will believe me and almost everybody will think I'm foolish and insensitive for saying it. I think I still have the right to say stupid things like that, and eventually I will be ignored for my stupidity. Norwegians don't have to take that crap or respond to it. It's a stupid comment, but the right to free expression is important in our civilization.
Election campaigns and the House of Commons are based on free speech. Both sides say things that are untrue, but they have the right to say them and the opposite side has the right to prove them wrong.

Freedom of speech does not free one from the consequences of what one says.

Agree 100%

well 99%

If I tell you to go jump off the Jacques Catrier Bridge and you do it, does that make me responsible?

If I make a movie with violence and some 18 year old copycat does it in real life, is the director, writer, actor, extra, theatre owner responsible?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

habsfaninla said:

mrbozo said:

Freedom of speech does not free one from the consequences of what one says.

If I tell you to go jump off the Jacques Catrier Bridge and you do it, does that make me responsible?

Yes, it makes you an accessory to the act.

If I make a movie with violence and some 18 year old copycat does it in real life, is the director, writer, actor, extra, theatre owner responsible?

Yes, they are accessories to the act.

[HFTO]

Considering the source when I heard this moronic comment..All I could say is ...........IDIOT and leave it at that.Mr. Avery will pay the piper one day.
HFTO

[SiR]

I saw Georges Laraque's comments about this on Sportsnet earlier. He was basically laughing and saying "Who is Sean Avery? Is he trying to be Jeremy Roenick?"
One way or the other, Avery will get his. Sounds like Laperrière will take care of it.