An NHL Hockey Player Vs. The Rainbow Mob
Ivan Provorov’s stand rocks the NHL’s commissioner.
By Joseph Hippolito
As LGBTQ activism becomes fanatical to the point of embracing violence, one man’s quiet, nonviolent stand against the rainbow tsunami made an unforeseen, widespread impact.
That man, a hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers named Ivan Provorov, refused to wear a rainbow-themed warmup jersey. Provorov’s decision kept him off the ice for the Flyers’ pre-game skate, though he played the ensuing game. That decision generated a chain reaction, especially in the final month of the season, when teams and players refused to wear the special jerseys. Most players cited their Christian faith as their rationale.
As a result, the NHL will re-examine its policies concerning LGBTQ activism.
FrontPage Magazine discussed Christian athletes refusing to wear LGBTQ-themed uniforms or accessories. But those decisions failed to generate the kind of league-wide response from fellow players that Provorov’s did.
The saga began Jan. 17, when the Flyers held their “Pride Night” against the Anaheim Ducks. “Pride Nights” have become recent staples for professional teams, which honor LGBTQ fans by having players wear uniforms or embellishments with rainbow motifs. Those uniforms routinely go on auction to raise money for LGBTQ charities.
Provorov, however, chose not to violate his Russian Orthodox beliefs by wearing the promotional jersey.
“I respect everybody and everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion,” he said after the game. “That’s all I’m going to say. If you have any hockey questions, I would answer those.”
Flyers’ coach John Tortorella supported his defenseman.
“That’s one thing I respect about ‘Provy;’ he’s always true to himself,” Tortorella said. ” ‘Provy’ did nothing wrong. Just because you don’t agree with his decision doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.”
When asked whether he considered benching Provorov, Tortorella rejected the idea.
“Why would I bench him?” Tortorella asked rhetorically “Because of a decision he’s making on his beliefs and his religion?”
Media disapproval, which included bigoted stereotypes, came swiftly.
“But Provorov obviously does not respect ‘everyone,’ ” tweeted Pierre LeBrun, NHL analyst for The Athletic and the Canadian sports network TSN. “If he did respect everyone, he would have taken part in warm-up and worn the Pride Night jersey. Don’t hide behind religion.”
Gord Miller, another TSN analyst, tweeted this response.
“1. Ivan Provorov had the right to refuse to participate in the Pride Night activities in Philadelphia. 2. The Flyers should have responded by not allowing him to play in the game. 3. Freedom of expression doesn’t give you freedom from the consequences of your words or actions.”
Miller forgets that if the Flyers responded that way, Provorov could have sued for workplace discrimination.
Sid Seixeiro, a co-host of CTV’s morning program, even said the NHL should fine the Flyers $1 million.
“Nothing scares me more than any human being who says, ‘I’m not doing this because of my religious beliefs,’ ” he said. “Because when you look at people’s lives who normally say that publicly, you’d throw up at what you saw. That is insulting what happened in Philadelphia.”
ESPN’s E.J. Hradek went so far as to tell Provorov to go back to Russia and fight against Ukraine if the defenseman felt that strongly.
Yet Provorov’s jersey sold out within days on the NHL.com and Fanatics websites. Meanwhile, the NHL issued this statement the day after Provorov’s stand:
“Clubs decide whom to celebrate, when and how — with League counsel and support. Players are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues.”
On Jan. 28, the New York Rangers announced at the last minute without explanation their decision to cancel wearing the warmup jerseys for their “Pride Night.” In the season’s final month, events cascaded rapidly.
The Minnesota Wild made a similar announcement March 4, as did the Chicago Blackhawks on March 26 and the St. Louis Blues on April 4. Only the Blackhawks provided a reason: the safety of their Russian players.
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law extending a ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” from minors to adults. That ban involves movies, plays, books, advertising and online resources. Since the NHL has a higher percentage of Russian athletes than any other North American league, some feared retaliation against themselves or their families for wearing “Pride” warmup jerseys.
Two Russian players, the Buffalo Sabres’ Ilya Lyubushkin and the Vancouver Canucks’ Andrei Kuzmenko, refused in light of that law March 27 and March 31, respectively. Three Canadians refused because of their faith. On March 18, the San Jose Sharks’ James Reimer so announced. The Florida Panthers’ Eric and Marc Staal joined him March 23.
“After many thoughts, prayers and discussions, we have chosen not to wear a pride jersey tonight,” the Staals said in a statement. “We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey. Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a pride jersey, it goes against our Christian beliefs.”
Reimer’s statement, which the Sharks posted on their Twitter account, specified those beliefs:
“For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian — not just in title but in how I choose to live my life daily. I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and to follow him. I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.
In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life.
I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey.”
The spate of refusals caught NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman off guard.
“This is the first time we’ve experienced that,” Bettman told CTV on March 27, before making news with his next comment. “I think it’s something that we’re going to have to evaluate in the off-season.”
Bettman believes the individual protests deflect attention from the NHL’s efforts in LGBTQ outreach. The most notable is “You Can Play,” designed to help teams accept LGBTQ athletes.
“This is one issue where players, for a variety of reasons, may not feel comfortable wearing a uniform as a form of endorsement,” he said. “But I think that’s become more of a distraction now because the substance of what our teams and we have been doing and stand for is really being pushed to the side for what is a handful of players, basically, who have made personal decisions, and you have to respect that, as well.”
If a handful of players and a handful of teams can force the commissioner of a major professional league to reconsider using players as billboards for causes that contradict their values or threaten their lives, those players and teams can use their power to make a far greater impact — especially with the baseball season underway and “Pride Month” roughly six weeks away.
Major-league players should refuse to wear any LGBTQ-themed uniforms unless LGBTQ organizations take concrete steps to defuse militant fanaticism and to hold activists accountable, given the heightened tension after a transgender perpetrator murdered three adults and three children at a Christian school March 27.
Major-league clubs also should refuse to sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise, and should make any future charitable cooperation contingent upon the response of LGBTQ organizations to that fanaticism.
Imagine if an athlete said or posted something like this:
“I have no hate in my heart for LGBTQ people, and I welcome them into our stadium and our sport. But I refuse to support groups that remain silent in the face of the murder of the innocent or encourage further bloodshed.”
Imagine if a club — or even a league — crafted a statement like this:
“We welcome LGBTQ people into our stadium and reject hatred toward them. But we also reject the hatred many LGBTQ activists direct toward who differ with them. Therefore, we will refuse to support groups that remain silent in the face of the murder of the innocent or encourage further bloodshed.”
The uproar from LGBTQ activists and their “woke” allies would be unrelentingly fierce. But the support could become widespread, profound and effective — especially in a nation tired of “woke” intimidation.
As Provorov demonstrated, one man’s principled opposition to a fanatical mob can achieve more than anyone might think.
https://www.raptureforums.com/politics-culture-wars/an-nhl-hockey-player-vs-the-rainbow-mob/
Ivan Provorov’s stand rocks the NHL’s commissioner.
By Joseph Hippolito
As LGBTQ activism becomes fanatical to the point of embracing violence, one man’s quiet, nonviolent stand against the rainbow tsunami made an unforeseen, widespread impact.
That man, a hockey player for the Philadelphia Flyers named Ivan Provorov, refused to wear a rainbow-themed warmup jersey. Provorov’s decision kept him off the ice for the Flyers’ pre-game skate, though he played the ensuing game. That decision generated a chain reaction, especially in the final month of the season, when teams and players refused to wear the special jerseys. Most players cited their Christian faith as their rationale.
As a result, the NHL will re-examine its policies concerning LGBTQ activism.
FrontPage Magazine discussed Christian athletes refusing to wear LGBTQ-themed uniforms or accessories. But those decisions failed to generate the kind of league-wide response from fellow players that Provorov’s did.
The saga began Jan. 17, when the Flyers held their “Pride Night” against the Anaheim Ducks. “Pride Nights” have become recent staples for professional teams, which honor LGBTQ fans by having players wear uniforms or embellishments with rainbow motifs. Those uniforms routinely go on auction to raise money for LGBTQ charities.
Provorov, however, chose not to violate his Russian Orthodox beliefs by wearing the promotional jersey.
“I respect everybody and everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion,” he said after the game. “That’s all I’m going to say. If you have any hockey questions, I would answer those.”
Flyers’ coach John Tortorella supported his defenseman.
“That’s one thing I respect about ‘Provy;’ he’s always true to himself,” Tortorella said. ” ‘Provy’ did nothing wrong. Just because you don’t agree with his decision doesn’t mean he did anything wrong.”
When asked whether he considered benching Provorov, Tortorella rejected the idea.
“Why would I bench him?” Tortorella asked rhetorically “Because of a decision he’s making on his beliefs and his religion?”
Media disapproval, which included bigoted stereotypes, came swiftly.
“But Provorov obviously does not respect ‘everyone,’ ” tweeted Pierre LeBrun, NHL analyst for The Athletic and the Canadian sports network TSN. “If he did respect everyone, he would have taken part in warm-up and worn the Pride Night jersey. Don’t hide behind religion.”
Gord Miller, another TSN analyst, tweeted this response.
“1. Ivan Provorov had the right to refuse to participate in the Pride Night activities in Philadelphia. 2. The Flyers should have responded by not allowing him to play in the game. 3. Freedom of expression doesn’t give you freedom from the consequences of your words or actions.”
Miller forgets that if the Flyers responded that way, Provorov could have sued for workplace discrimination.
Sid Seixeiro, a co-host of CTV’s morning program, even said the NHL should fine the Flyers $1 million.
“Nothing scares me more than any human being who says, ‘I’m not doing this because of my religious beliefs,’ ” he said. “Because when you look at people’s lives who normally say that publicly, you’d throw up at what you saw. That is insulting what happened in Philadelphia.”
ESPN’s E.J. Hradek went so far as to tell Provorov to go back to Russia and fight against Ukraine if the defenseman felt that strongly.
Yet Provorov’s jersey sold out within days on the NHL.com and Fanatics websites. Meanwhile, the NHL issued this statement the day after Provorov’s stand:
“Clubs decide whom to celebrate, when and how — with League counsel and support. Players are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues.”
On Jan. 28, the New York Rangers announced at the last minute without explanation their decision to cancel wearing the warmup jerseys for their “Pride Night.” In the season’s final month, events cascaded rapidly.
The Minnesota Wild made a similar announcement March 4, as did the Chicago Blackhawks on March 26 and the St. Louis Blues on April 4. Only the Blackhawks provided a reason: the safety of their Russian players.
In December, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law extending a ban on “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” from minors to adults. That ban involves movies, plays, books, advertising and online resources. Since the NHL has a higher percentage of Russian athletes than any other North American league, some feared retaliation against themselves or their families for wearing “Pride” warmup jerseys.
Two Russian players, the Buffalo Sabres’ Ilya Lyubushkin and the Vancouver Canucks’ Andrei Kuzmenko, refused in light of that law March 27 and March 31, respectively. Three Canadians refused because of their faith. On March 18, the San Jose Sharks’ James Reimer so announced. The Florida Panthers’ Eric and Marc Staal joined him March 23.
“After many thoughts, prayers and discussions, we have chosen not to wear a pride jersey tonight,” the Staals said in a statement. “We carry no judgement on how people choose to live their lives, and believe that all people should be welcome in all aspects of the game of hockey. Having said that, we feel that by us wearing a pride jersey, it goes against our Christian beliefs.”
Reimer’s statement, which the Sharks posted on their Twitter account, specified those beliefs:
“For all 13 years of my NHL career, I have been a Christian — not just in title but in how I choose to live my life daily. I have a personal faith in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for my sins and, in response, asks me to love everyone and to follow him. I have no hate in my heart for anyone, and I have always strived to treat everyone that I encounter with respect and kindness.
In this specific instance, I am choosing not to endorse something that is counter to my personal convictions, which are based on the Bible, the highest authority in my life.
I strongly believe that every person has value and worth, and the LGBTQIA+ community, like all others, should be welcomed in all aspects of the game of hockey.”
The spate of refusals caught NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman off guard.
“This is the first time we’ve experienced that,” Bettman told CTV on March 27, before making news with his next comment. “I think it’s something that we’re going to have to evaluate in the off-season.”
Bettman believes the individual protests deflect attention from the NHL’s efforts in LGBTQ outreach. The most notable is “You Can Play,” designed to help teams accept LGBTQ athletes.
“This is one issue where players, for a variety of reasons, may not feel comfortable wearing a uniform as a form of endorsement,” he said. “But I think that’s become more of a distraction now because the substance of what our teams and we have been doing and stand for is really being pushed to the side for what is a handful of players, basically, who have made personal decisions, and you have to respect that, as well.”
If a handful of players and a handful of teams can force the commissioner of a major professional league to reconsider using players as billboards for causes that contradict their values or threaten their lives, those players and teams can use their power to make a far greater impact — especially with the baseball season underway and “Pride Month” roughly six weeks away.
Major-league players should refuse to wear any LGBTQ-themed uniforms unless LGBTQ organizations take concrete steps to defuse militant fanaticism and to hold activists accountable, given the heightened tension after a transgender perpetrator murdered three adults and three children at a Christian school March 27.
Major-league clubs also should refuse to sell LGBTQ-themed merchandise, and should make any future charitable cooperation contingent upon the response of LGBTQ organizations to that fanaticism.
Imagine if an athlete said or posted something like this:
“I have no hate in my heart for LGBTQ people, and I welcome them into our stadium and our sport. But I refuse to support groups that remain silent in the face of the murder of the innocent or encourage further bloodshed.”
Imagine if a club — or even a league — crafted a statement like this:
“We welcome LGBTQ people into our stadium and reject hatred toward them. But we also reject the hatred many LGBTQ activists direct toward who differ with them. Therefore, we will refuse to support groups that remain silent in the face of the murder of the innocent or encourage further bloodshed.”
The uproar from LGBTQ activists and their “woke” allies would be unrelentingly fierce. But the support could become widespread, profound and effective — especially in a nation tired of “woke” intimidation.
As Provorov demonstrated, one man’s principled opposition to a fanatical mob can achieve more than anyone might think.
https://www.raptureforums.com/politics-culture-wars/an-nhl-hockey-player-vs-the-rainbow-mob/
