Jerseys and Hockey Love

What Part of Alleged Did You Not Understand?

Apparently, I was wrong. This is all the Canadian Government has to do right now. From the Toronto Star:

Canadian Press
OTTAWA – A parliamentary committee has summoned Hockey Canada officials to explain their choice of Shane Doan as captain of the national team at the World Hockey Championship.

This is becoming completely stupid. A thesaurus couldn’t come up with a better term.

Best quote of the year:

The Phoenix Coyotes forward has denied making a slur and was cleared by the NHL – but almost two years later a referee still insists that Doan called him a “blank Frenchman.”

That could win an award. I mean, who calls anyone a “blank Frenchman.” Now this all makes complete sense.

A Conservative MP on the committee who once worked for the National Hockey League Players’ Association – Michael Chong – defended the committee decision.

He said the public appearance would allow Hockey Canada to tell its side of the story after having been bashed in Parliament over the Doan captaincy.

Or, the more common phrase, witch hunt.

He dismissed the suggestion that politicians are sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong, saying Team Canada is not like the NHL because it receives federal funding.

“It’s not in the business of government to involve itself in professional hockey matters. But what we’re talking about is amateur hockey,” said Chong, who was an information officer with the NHLPA.

Of course, the fact that the ALLEGED incident happened in the United States, in a professional hockey game, has no bearing on the matter. The fact that it happened completely in the professional arena, between two professionals (which means paid members of the sport) means nothing.

“We’re talking about Team Canada. We’re talking about an organization that receives millions of dollars a year in government money – in public funds.

“They are accountable, in part, to the government of Canada.”

So, if you may have called someone a blank Frenchman, that’s wrong and you shouldn’t be the captain of Team Canada, but this is OK? (via Wikipedia):

On 24 June 2004, the criminal justice branch of the British Columbia Ministry of the Attorney General announced that Bertuzzi was formally charged with assault causing bodily harm. On 22 December 2004 Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to the assault charge after arranging a plea bargain with prosecutors. He was given a conditional discharge and one year’s probation. (Under Canadian law, Bertuzzi’s successful completion of the probation means he has no criminal record from the incident.)

This is OK for being a member of Team Canada? This is acceptable? Someone explain this to me?

Remember, sticks and stones my break my bones, but words will cost you the Captaincy.


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James Gralian

4 responses to “What Part of Alleged Did You Not Understand?”

  1. Not only is this the most completely absurd thing I think I have ever heard about, but I saw soemwhere where the referee is saying it’s racist, because he insulted one of Canada’s “minority groups”.

    When did French-Canadian, or even French, become a different race than Caucasion? How is this even an issue?

  2. My tax dollars hard at work obviously. I suppose this just reinforces the fact that Canadian take their hockey seriously.

    This is just stupid, obviously the government has nothing better to do than argue about something that has nothing to do with them. Gabriel Morency is a personality on The Score and Hardcore Sports Radio and attended the game that the alleged incident happened. He says that if something was said, it was Ladislav Nagy who said it. Everybody knows Doan is a stand-up guy. And even if, is this really something the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT should be wasting time on? Yeesh.

  3. This is completely ridiculous! They are making this much of a stink over something that “allegedly” happened.

    Absolute garbage!