Feminism in Hockey

Feminism is alive and well in 2014, according to Robin Morgan’s article titled “Feminist is a 21^st Century Word. A review of history illustrates how powerful women have been and their impact on major social issues in the United States since its existence. Women have led the way in their support of equality, environmentalism, and peace. Their efforts have not always been popular, particularly with the establishment whose efforts to deny women equal rights continue to this day. With the help of the Internet, we can experience the feminist voice across the globe. Feminism has not always been seen as cool but right now, it is very hot.

So what about feminism in hockey? I can say from personal experience, growing up as a girls’ hockey we always got crap from the boys our age about not being as good as them. In the article titled, “Women’s Hockey: Not So Equal After All”, Bert Perry states, “they can’t skate nearly as forcefully or quickly as their male counterparts, nor do they shoot the puck as hard or as-accurately as men do. They also lack the ability to stop, turn and reverse direction as well as male players” (Perry, 2014). While that may be true, it doesn’t mean that women don’t enjoy the game as much as men do. I think that men need to stop giving off the impression that they are superior to women just cause they can skate faster or shoot harder.

Now lets talk about the girls who are called “Puck Sluts”. If you don’t know what that is, they’re girls that have never played hockey a day in their lives, but they are the BIGGEST fans ever. They practically drool over hockey players, just because they play hockey. I don’t know if they hope to become NHL wives one day, or just want to act like they know the game for attention. What I do know is that calling them Puck Sluts isn’t okay. Slut is a derogatory term that shouldn’t be used so casually, or at all.

So in conclusion, I guess you could say that there are feminists in hockey. I’m sure the term “Puck Slut” just burns their ears every time they hear it. I’m also pretty confident in saying that feminists that do play hockey get so upset that their face turns purple where they hear guy hockey players say they are better in everyway than the girl players.

 Perry, Brett. "Women's Hockey: Not So Equal After All." The Thinking Housewife. Web. <http://www.thinkinghousewife.com/wp/2014/02/womens-hockey-not-so-equal-after-all/>.

 Morgan, Robin. "Robin Morgan on Why 'Feminist' Is a 21st Century Word." Time. Time. Web. <http://time.com/3588846/time-apologizes-feminist-word-poll-robin-morgan/>.

Feminism in Hockey

For women playing hockey is tough because of all the stigma that comes with it. The game women play is much less violent because it is not the norm for girls to fight and hit each other. I think that a good feminist stance in hockey would be to make the rules the same. From a fans point of view i think that the NHL does not do a very well job trying to approach feminism at all. Most teams today have ice girls who shovel the ice in tight, skin revealing cheer leading uniforms. Although it is the woman's choice to be out there all teams should at least give the girls the option to choose their own uniforms.
 Some of the teams do give their ice girls the option and it is very distinguishable.  

Also women fans are treated like they know nothing about the sport at all. They are also treated as "puck sluts" thinking that the girls are just there cause they are trying to find cute players. Being 2014 equality is a big value in america and i think that hockey does not display feminism very well.



Findlay, Ben. "Does the NHL Need Feminism?" Poets on Sports. N.p., 30 July 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://poetsonsports.wordpress.com/2014/07/30/does-the-nhl-need-feminism/>.

"The Hockey Feminist." Running To Stand Still. N.p., 30 Oct. 2009. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://michellekenneth.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/the-hockey-feminist/>.

NHL Nice

When you think of hockey you think of fights and aggression. But for some players being nice is much more rewarding. Phoenix captain Shane Doan is one of the friendliest players in the NHL. He is such a good friend that people put him as their job reference (Halford).But what makes him such a good friend and leader? Well Shane listens to his teammates and treats them all with respect. This is essential to and friendship. 

    But could building friendships be risky? James Neal who got traded from Pittsburgh to Nashville created friendships before he knew he was getting traded. He eventually had to play against the friends from the team he just got traded from.  Neal said that "It's going to be weird at the start, but after the first few shifts it's another hockey game. We're out to do a job and to keep what we've built going in here" (Stanley). So yes you can make friendships but if they get traded and you play them your friendship is on hold during game time. 

Halford, Mike. "Datsyuk Tops Poll as NHL’s Nicest Player." Nbcsports.com. N.p., 24 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http%3A%2F%2Fprohockeytalk.nbcsports.com%2F2012%2F02%2F24%2Fdatsyuk-tops-poll-as-nhls-nicest-player%2F>.

Stanley, Robby. "Nashville Predators' James Neal Feeling Right at Home in New City." NHL.com. N.p., 25 Oct. 2014. Web. 10 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=736026>.

                                        Feminism              Created by The Tyler Lawry

Feminism in hockey does exact and does play a huge role in the way the game is played. In girls hockey, Women are not allowed to body check which is the most important part of the game in mens hockey. The people who make the rules say it is to help protect women because their bodies are more "fragile". 

Many girls who play the game today wish they had the same rules as the men because they know how important to the game it is. 

A girl from Iowa in a newspaper wrote "I wish we could check just as the guys can. I want to show people that us girls are tough and we can handle that part of the game and shouldn't be discriminated on just because of their gender."

Referees also tend to call on average 2 times as many penalties for a girls game as opposed to a mens game. 

Mind Over Mass Media- Tyler Lawry

Mind Over

                        Mass Media    By Tyler lawry

Many people have been saying that the new technology in the game of hockey is not a good thing but i disagree. I believe that technology in sports is a good thing and has been used to take the game to a whole new level of competitiveness. 

“The spring mechanism reduces the impact on the user’s joints to help prevent joint damage,” he said.  “It also allows the player to transition smoothly from the flat-footed to the forward-angled stance, which reduces the likelihood of developing shin splits.

This quote comes from a student studying mechanical engineering and for his design project he decided to create a skate that would lower the risk of injury and improve speed and performance.

Skates are not the only thing that are progressing in technology. Almost every other piece of equipment is also taking on huge upgrades in the design and performance or the equipment. 

Sticks have also come a long way in the development of technology. Sticks used to be old stiff and wooden which really restricted players as far as being able to control the puck. Technology in this game is good and whenever old people tell you the opposite tell them what you have learned here and i guarantee it will turn them into a believer. 

Mind Over Mass Media

            It used to be that a hockey stick would be made of wood and would only cost about $25. Now a day a good composite stick will cost you upwards of $200. There are numerous types of sticks you can get, different types of shafts, different blades, even what you want them to be made out of, wood, fiber glass, aluminum. Steven Pinker the author of Mind Over Mass Media talks about how technology in today’s world makes life easier. Technology has made the game of hockey safer, and easier to play.  

            With the sticks of today kids are able to pull of shots that were, up until now, impossible for their age. Wendel Clark is the couch of the Toronto Young Nationals, he says "These kids can do a lot of things at 12 that we could never do." (Stick shift) The reason that kids can pull off these shots is due to the new sticks that are available. With the sticks now you can shoot higher, harder, and straighter then you could with the old wooden sticks. 

(Science of Hockey)

            Along with how the sticks have changed so has the rest of the equipment. In the early days the pads that were worn by players were just leather and cloth sewn together. Now players have hard plastic pads to protect them from pucks, sticks, and other players. Some people don't like the new technology in hockey and say "players are far less concerned for their own safety and play a wilder, faster style with harder hits."(How Hockey Equipment Has Changed) Much like some people do not like the new technology that comes out such as "the printing press, newspapers, paperbacks, and television." (Mind Over Mass Media) What about the goalkeepers? There was a time when even they didn’t wear helmets, and the pads they wore were just like the rest of the players. In todays hockey the goalies have ultra thick pads, masks that allow a full field of view, and chest and neck protectors to protect the goalie from pucks and skates.

            All in all the advancement in technology has made things safer in terms of hockey and easier in terms of everyday living. With the new sticks today we are seeing kids become amazing hockey players just based on their equipment. With the new technology there are always going to be people who don’t want to accept it, but it is for the greater good then it should be embraced. 

Feschuk, Dave. "Stick Shift: Hockey Stick Technology Is ‘great Equalizer' |   Toronto Star." Thestar.com. 22 Dec. 2012. Web.

"Science of Hockey: Sticks and Pucks | Exploratorium." Science of Hockey: Sticks and Pucks | Exploratorium. Web.

Petersen, Travis. "How Hockey Equipment Has Changed." Made Man. 1      Apr. 2010. Web.

What We Eat

It seems that people are becoming more and more aware of how bad fast food is for the body. We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you eat”. So why are professional athletes encouraging their fans to eat such unhealthy foods?

There are always new ads coming out with a pro athlete endorsing a product that probably isn’t the healthiest. However, that doesn’t stop them when they have the chance to make some extra money simply by starring in a commercial. In an article titled “Pro athletes’ ads favor less healthful food, drinks” on USA Today, author Michelle Healy states, “kids ages 12 to 17 were the primary viewers of athlete-endorsement food commercials”. So what kind of message is being sent to kids when their favorite athletes are basically telling them to eat all this unhealthy food?  

            A good guess could be that these athletes don’t even eat the products they’re selling. We all know that professional sports players have to follow a strict diet to keep up with the strenuous activity that comes with their jobs. So why would they do it? My guess would be for money. “Kobe Bryant earned an estimated $12 million a year from his endorsement contract with McDonald’s” (MacVean).  $12 million for selling McDonald’s to fans!? Mary MacVean also mentioned Payton Manning and Serena Williams in the article, as being star athletes who endorse unhealthy products.

            When drawing conclusions to the question my group researched, we clearly see that professional athletes endorse foods they shouldn’t. However, their reasoning could be for the payday, and I don’t blame them.

 Healy, Michelle. "Pro Athletes' Ads Favor Less Healthful Food, Drinks." USA Today. Gannett, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/07/athletes-food-drinks/2918431/

MacVean, Mary. "Star Athletes like LeBron, Serena Cash in on Junk Food Endorsements." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/07/news/la-sn-athlete-food-endorsements-20131004

Some Thoughts On Mercy

Kyle King

Composition 101

Lora Strey

Hockey can be a brutal sport that for sure just go to YouTube and search "NHL big hits" and you'll see what I mean. Hockey can be brutal in other ways other then physically as well, mentally, emotionally, but the one that is really bad would be how brutal it is to be a non-white person who doesn’t speak English in hockey.

In the article Some Thoughts On Mercy Ross Gay says "And not only black people laugh at such jokes. Everyone does, because everyone knows."(Some Thoughts On Mercy) He talking about a skit done by Key and Peele were President Obama has a little run in with the police. The same way non-white people are sometimes discriminated against by the police, they are also victims of discrimination in hockey.

The caption of this picture just shows how much discrimination is still in hockey. (Berkshire)

Another example of discrimination and blatant racism came in 2012 when a white player asked P.K. Subban, a black player, "if he had slipped on a banana peel." (arcticicehockey) You can try to defend it whatever way you want, but that is just a racist comment plain and simple. 

What about if you are of a different nationality? Would you be discriminated against for speaking a different language? Thanks to an article by counterpunch.org we know that in fact they are discriminated against as well. In a study done by an American Sociologist, David Marple, he took players the U.S., Russia, Sweden, and Canada he broke apart into Quebec verses the rest of Canada. The findings showed "French-speaking players were more productive yet played fewer games."(counterpunch) This makes very little sense to me, wouldn’t you want the most productive players on the ice? The only explanation for it would be that people don’t want “F***in’ Frogs”(counterpunch) to play on their team.

If you thought that discrimination in hockey didn’t happen before you read this you must have lived under a rock. Hockey has come a long way since its beginning but it still has a long way to go if it doesn’t want to be the “white person” sport. One more thing, wouldn’t it be more profitable if hockey were a sport with more diversity? That’s just my opinion I guess.

Works Cited

"Evander Kane, P.K. Subban and the Abundance of Racism in the NHL." Arctic Ice Hockey. 6 Dec. 2013. Web.

"The Untold Story of Discrimination in Professional Hockey Against French-Speaking Players."  CounterPunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names. Ed. Jeffrey St. Clair. 13 Dec. 2010. Web.

Berkshire, Andrew. "Vancouver Sun Calls Jordan Subban "Dark Guy in the Middle"" Vancouver Sun Calls Jordan Subban "Dark Guy in the Middle" 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 8 Oct. 2014.

Harassment and Hockey

           

          The article, “Next Time Someone Says Women Aren’t Victims Of Harassment, Show Them This” talks harassment of women and examples through minimal words and pictures. A majority of the time, people don’t see harassment going on or know that they are doing it, because it’s almost like second nature.

 

            In hockey, forms of harassment are constantly going on. It’s happening on and off the ice. Players on opposing teams will chirp each other to get under each other’s skin. They will trash talk each other to try to throw off another’s game. “There is nothing wrong with a little playful banter, especially if the end result is your team winning. It doesn't always have to be harsh words either. A simple knock on a guy's inability to score can put a player over the edge” (McSween, 2010). McSween continued by ending his article with a list of Top 20 Hockey Chirps. A couple examples are, “Hey goalie, I’ve seen coupons that save more than you” and “I’ve seen better hands on a digital clock” (McSween, 2010). While these examples are light-hearted jabs, there are also some more vulgar ones on the list.

               Harassment also happens up in the stands. It seemingly happens when a person wear’s the opposing team’s jersey. For example, at a New Jersey Devils’ game, a man wore a Team USA jersey with Parise’s name on the back. Parise was a former Devils player who now played for the Wild. I’m assuming that fans were unhappy about Parise leaving the Devils, and because this man was wearing a jersey supporting him he was harassed. Some of the people in the stands shouted things at him like “Jump off a bridge f--got” or “Next time sit in section 123 and it will be your life that you lose” Wyshynski, 2014). There were many other insulting things listed on the website. Eventually, the man was escorted out by security.

               In conclusion to the question my group researched, we found that harassment definitely happens in hockey. Although some may be intending it to be fun and non-offensive, we see that it clearly can go too far.

McSween, Steve. "Trash Talking: A Look at Some of Hockey's Greatest Chirps." Bleacher Report. 23 Apr. 2010. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/383071-trash-talking-a-look-at-some-of-hockeys-greatest-chirps

Wyshynski, Greg. "Fan Wears Parise Jersey to Devils vs. Wild Game, Tells Horrific Harassment Tale (Update)." Yahoo Sports. 21 Mar. 2014.  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/puck-daddy/fan-wears-parise-jersey-to-devils-vs--wild-game--tells-horrific-harassment-tale-182602189.html