Sports and Politics. Do they mix?

[Meds]

For me it’s about reciprocity.

Another person’s actions/words do not necessarily control my own response.

[donlever]

I regard booing an anthem like dropping a middle finger on someone who cut you off in traffic.

Pretty useless overall from the instigators perspective but the roi can be a bitch.

Hughes bolting town.

A machete between the eyes.

[UWSaint]

Not sure how an American can justify being angered over a country expressing its anger over threats from its President who seems hell bent on getting his hands on Canada's resources by whatever means necessary?

(1) Not angry; most recent conversation was instigated by my observation that if some American players feel unwelcome in Canada, it may have something to do with booing at rinks, threats, etc., associated with their status as Americans. (I’ve not made the claim of whether what inspires the booing is good or bad; I’ve implied it’s the wrong forum). That most recent conversation is an example of a broader point that I don’t much like using sport to make political points, subordinating sport to politics. It’s ineffective politics, and it takes a place for bridges and sullies it.

(2) I don’t want this thread to get into what Trump is doing, but the claim “getting his hands on Canada’s resources by any means necessary” is exaggerated. Do you *really* believe the United States is going to use military force to take Canada’s stuff? This kind of rhetoric is (to little old me) as whacked out as Trump’s can be. And it’s too bad, because the sky-is-falling chicken-little Chamberlain-Hitler-TRUMP! stuff undermines the credibility of those who could be stating legitimate grievances.

[UWSaint]

For me it’s about reciprocity.

Another person’s actions/words do not necessarily control my own response.

Right. And this goes both ways. Trump’s rhetoric doesn’t change whether I think it’s appropriate to boo an anthem. And I’d advise those players to thicken their skins unless the danger is real.

Nor is another man’s guilt mine, whether that other man is my kin or countryman.

[Meds]

For me it’s about reciprocity.

Another person’s actions/words do not necessarily control my own response.

Right. And this goes both ways.

Exactly. Meet hate with love. Meet disrespect with respect. Meet enmity with friendship.

See what happens.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Hughes bolting town.

I suppose it's less of a transgression against board order to bring hockey talk into the Bar & Grill, so:

I predict that 5 years from now, there will a consensus amongst informed hockey observers that Hughes did the Canucks a huge favour, not only by informing them of his long-term plans, but by being the final domino to fall that convinced ownership to begin the rebuild that returned the franchise to relevance, and by kickstarting that rebuild with solid trade value.

Heck (stretching it a bit) in five years the Canucks might prefer to have just Novotny over Hughes.