The discussion was also brought up about the Canadian women's national team winning a gold medal and being shunned for celebrating on the ice in an empty arena. I personally believe this is mostly about gender and not the events that occurred. In 2011 Russia won the World Junior Championship, arguably one of the biggest hockey events annually. The event took place in the United States and Russia emerged victorious over Canada. Scheduled to depart for home the next day, the entire team was booted from their airplane for unruly behavior. The team had been out all night prior celebrating and were still under the influence. The following link goes into more detail about the events occured. Players had to be carried into the airport, honking the bus horn, struggling to get out of the bus, among other things. The coaches and trainers went onto the ice an hour and a half after the game to drink crown royal and pose for pictures. The team went to a local bar after the game and was also drinking there. It is pretty crazy they also decided to wear their jerseys. Someone at the bar snapped some footage.
The kicker about this incident is that no player on the team was over the age of 20. It sounds errily similar to the Canadian women's national team celebrating but the Russian story barely hit the news. If this instance isn't an example of gender playing a major role in today's society, I don't know what is. I strongly suggest you check out the article as it is entertaining and even jaw-dropping at times. The event was so similar to what we discussed in class but chances are many of you haven't heard about it. Do you think gender played a role in this story being less popular than the Canadian women's?
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ReplyDeleteThis was a good article and brought up some good questions about the different standards men and women are held too. I dont understand how the Russian players were even allowed to drink at the bar if they weren't 21, especially in America; so that should be some blame on the bartenders/owner. However, I feel like the Canadian womens team was criticized more just because it was the Olympics. Even though this isn't a great example in the defense of gender not being a factor; I'd compare it to Serena crip walking at the most recent Olympics. It's just looked at as disrespectful in some way and non-lady like. I personally have no problem with the Canadians drinking on their home ice after a win like that, but I guess that's because I'm not as uptight as some people.
ReplyDeleteDerek Zyski
This drinking problem seems to be an issue all throughout the world of hockey, and being a big hockey fan myself, this is really disturbing. There has been a history of alcoholism in the NHL going back to players like Bobby Hull, who played for the Chicago Blackhawks. You also see players getting scrutinized for their drinking habits. Patrick Kane has become somewhat of a national punchline for his excessive drinking, such as during the Stanley Cup Parade in 2010, Cinco de Mayo in Madison, WI, and getting arrested for drunkingly beating up a cab driver over 20 cents. Another example of this was Nathan Horton underage drinking when the Bruins won the Stanley Cup in 2011.
ReplyDeleteI do not think gender played a role in why these two controversies received different media coverage. Although the World Junior Championship is the most important youth hockey tournament, it's still not going to receive as much attention as the olympics. Also, while all the Russian players were under 21, the legal drinking age in Russia is 18. I know they were on U.S. soil, but the fact that back home they could legally drink probably played a factor. As for the Canadian women's team, I believe the media just blew this out of proportion. It probably wasn't the greatest idea to celebrate on the ice, but it was after all the fans had left so it's not like they were trying to make a scene. Also, Marie-Philip Poulin was under the legal drinking age by a couple of months, so can you really blame her for celebrating with a beer after winning the gold medal? It's ridiculous how the media blows things out of proportion, but I believe it was because of the level of competition, not gender.
ReplyDelete-Michael Discipio
This article shows how closely we pay attention to women athletes in todays society and how loosely we pay attention to men athletes. I don't think the women's hockey team should have gotten much criticism for what they did. They were simply celebrating a great victory and didn't hurt anyone by celebrating on the ice. There just so happened to be a person taking pictures of the celebration in which they took a picture of a woman under the legal age drinking. I agree with Derek that this incident was criticized more than the Russians because it was the Olympics so it was a bigger event. I don't think the Russians should have been able to get into the bar and drink since they were all under 21 years old. The coaches and bar owner should have been criticized/in trouble for that. I don't have a problem with a team celebrating, but if they do have players under 21 they should at least be a little more secretive or celebrate in other ways instead of drinking. I am not sure if any problems like this happen in other sports, but to me it seems like it's mostly in hockey. Maybe hockey should look into athletes under the legal age when celebrating and change some rules and regulations for those situations. In my opinion, both men and women should be looked at the same in sports and in situations like this. Illegal drinking is illegal drinking, doesn't matter if a player is male or female. I definitely think the Russian players should have been bigger news than the Canadian players.
ReplyDelete-Kody Burlingame
Wes,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you brought this story up because I wasn't sure how many people remembered this event or had even heard about it. The World Juniors were held in Buffalo, NY that year and I'm from a town just outside of Buffalo so I immediately thought of this when we were discussing the Canadian women's national team drinking on the ice. Although I do find it surprising that the women's incident received more coverage than the amateur hockey tournament, I think the fact that the women celebrated on the ice whereas the Russians celebrated in a bar and in a hotel after the championship game. The Russians definitely got more drunk than the women as they weren't allowed on their first flight home (because they were still under the influence), it was the fact that the women were on the ice in the clear public eye. To me, along with the fact that some of the girls were under the legal drinking age, they disrespected the game because they were still in their full uniforms at the site in which they had just won the Olympic Gold. The Russians on the other hand, celebrated behind closed doors (with exception to the coaches) in areas where they wouldn't think people had cameras out and ready to record them.
(Chris Cournan wrote the comment above)
ReplyDeleteWes,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article you brought fourth. I agree gender was playing a small role in this situation but not a very big one. The reason I think that this story did not get as much attention is because it was not on the same stage. The World Junior Championship is not the same as the Olympics and that I think has something to do with it the coverage. Just like the crip walk that Serena Williams did, it was all about the stage they did it on. Though gender basis I think did play a small role in the story I think it more has to deal with the stage they were on.
Josiah Blevins
I think that both of the hockey events were equally important to the history of the sport. It created a rivalry of the best teams in hockey in which the the US were able to emerge as one of the top powers in hockey by beating the Soviets. Also as far as the whole big deal of the Canadian's womens hockey team celebrating on the ice after thier victory, I believe you are right in it being a gender discrimination. If it were males who did this i do not think it would be a big deal at all. I think that female athletes are held to a higher standard of discipline just because they are females. I dont really know why but it just seems that way in most of the sports played today.
ReplyDeleteBy: RJ Hefflinger