In My Defence...Again...
It seems like every once in a while, I sit in for Mike Stubbs, and manage to infuriate a group of people enough that I'm then forced to defend myself via "The Blog".
I dont really care that people don't share the same opinion with me, but I think I was misunderstood slightly.
Not to long ago, I did an editorial on my thoughts and feelings on Canada's Women's Hockey Team. I call it an editorial in "2 Minutes Out of the Box", But, I've also had callers, emails, and people call it my "Rant on Women's Hockey".
Even Don Cherry referred to me in Grapeline as a "Slime Ball". Ok...not me DIRECTLY, but mentioning the "Media slime balls" that were trying to pick on the team. C'mon Grapes. What? You don't remember that time we met at the JLC? I thought we were buds...
Please, do not think for one second, that I'm prepared to apologize for being what some callers were saying, "too harsh". I'm not going to apologize for what some emails were saying was an "unfair statement".
What I am prepared to do is clear up the misunderstanding that I was criticizing the girls for celebrating, and not for the point I was ACTUALLY making, which was that they should have been smart enough to hide it from the media.
At the advice of one caller, I did go back and listen to my ED-IT-OR-I-AL (or "rant" as he put it). And I listened for any sign of something I'd like to take back.
I couldn't find one.
I said something along the lines of me being willing to overlook their lack of professionalism, because, as I said in the 2 minutes, they were celebrating. I actually went on to say that I still considered them role models for MANY reasons.
My point was, JUST because you win a gold medal DOESN'T give you the right to break the law. And that's what happened. Not by the team going on the ice to continue their celebration, but because they all watched while an 18 year old girl drank.
In my 2 minutes, I mentioned that I didn't care she drank. I agree that it happens, and pretty much everybody has celebrated with an alcoholic beverage before their 19th birthday (yes...I know Marie-Philip Poulin is from Quebec where the drinking age is 18...but she was drinking in Vancouver, where the drinking age is 19).
My problem is that she did in a public forum with press right there.
Give her all the drinks she wants. Let her smoke the cigar. Hell, let them all go onto the ice and drink up a storm while wearing their uniforms and singing Oh Canada with the sexist words removed. Just make sure if they do, the press is gone.
We made a big stink about how proud we were that Canada was FINALLY getting it's chance to be the World's Stage. The great thing about that is we get to show just how AMAZING Canada is. The Bad thing is, we are under a microscope while that happens.
It's never going to bog down Poulin's career, or ruin the Olympics, and I said as much in my "rant". The problem is that it does give fodder to international press to remember Canada as something that isn't in the most positive light.
It's equally as frustrating knowing how easily it could have been avoided if just ONE of the senior members of the team made sure the press was gone, made sure there was going to be no evidence of it, or even suggested to keep the celebration behind closed doors to make sure there was no evidence that Poulin was breaking the law.
I have NO problem with an 18 year old celebrating with a drink or two after winning a gold medal. Just be smarter about it.
And if you don't agree, I still don't care.
The beauty of an editorial is it's MY opinion, and I can have it no matter HOW much you disagree. And you can have yours, no matter how wrong it is.
