Should The Wiz be suspended?

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

If he simply tells Avery he's happy and a Wangsipper then you can't hear it or see it, so yes it is fine. But when he acts it out the whole world can see that he is calling Avery happy and a Wangsipper, which is demeaning towards gays. I'm not offended and I don't care about the gesture, but obviously others do and it's not right to do that when you know you're on camera. This isn't a late-night TV show where you can do whatever you want, it's a hockey game.

It's like when players give the finger to fans and other players They usually fine you for that...this is obviously much worse so it deserves a harsher penalty.

If Ilya Kovalchuk did this gesture he would also be suspended. Don't blame the league for actually caring about their image. This isn't the XHL.

Every other league would give out a harsh penalty for that - don't just go bashing the NHL.

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Big Ev wrote:If he simply tells Avery he's happy and a Wangsipper then you can't hear it or see it, so yes it is fine. But when he acts it out the whole world can see that he is calling Avery happy and a Wangsipper, which is demeaning towards gays. I'm not offended and I don't care about the gesture, but obviously others do and it's not right to do that when you know you're on camera. This isn't a late-night TV show where you can do whatever you want, it's a hockey game.

It's like when players give the finger to fans and other players They usually fine you for that...this is obviously much worse so it deserves a harsher penalty.

If Ilya Kovalchuk did this gesture he would also be suspended. Don't blame the league for actually caring about their image. This isn't the XHL.

Every other league would give out a harsh penalty for that - don't just go bashing the NHL.

So you're admitting that there IS a double standard? You're saying that one variation of the same situation is OK (verbalizing it) but the other (miming it) isn't?

But for some reason, no one has ever objected to lip-reading a coach dropping 20 f-bombs in the span of 5 seconds after a questionable call/hit/play/etc. Incredible.

As for the bold part, I can't even imagine how it's remotely the same. One involves players demeaning each other and the other involves players demeaning paying customers. But what I don't really understand is how this is *obviously* so much worse?

Randy Moss was fined for pretending to moon an entire fan base. The NHL is now crossing the line between trying to maintain a professional image and flat out censorship.

This is a matter that the NHL team involved should look at and levee a fine against the player for violating the team's code of professional conduct. The NHL are way overstepping their bounds with a suspension and if this is the road they plan on going down, just imagine how much worse it will get every time they're allowed to push the suspension envelope just a little bit further.

Soon enough guys will be getting suspended for criticizing officials.

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Yeah, a "classy" league that openly allows its players to fight - the only one of the big 4, it should be noted, that does so. Instead of suspending the guy they could have fined him and the organization for the incident and that would have been the end of it. Just like the other 3 big leagues would have done.

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Yeah, a "classy" league that openly allows its players to fight - the only one of the big 4, it should be noted, that does so. Instead of suspending the guy they could have fined him and the organization for the incident and that would have been the end of it. Just like the other 3 big leagues would have done.

Because of the CBA they could only dine him $2,500. Obviously this is an issue with the CBA, but by suspending him he is basically being fined $80,000 and that's why their was a suspension and not a fine.

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Yeah, a "classy" league that openly allows its players to fight - the only one of the big 4, it should be noted, that does so. Instead of suspending the guy they could have fined him and the organization for the incident and that would have been the end of it. Just like the other 3 big leagues would have done.

Because of the CBA they could only dine him $2,500. Obviously this is an issue with the CBA, but by suspending him he is basically being fined $80,000 and that's why their was a suspension and not a fine.

Which is ridiculously too much. By any standards.

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Yeah, a "classy" league that openly allows its players to fight - the only one of the big 4, it should be noted, that does so. Instead of suspending the guy they could have fined him and the organization for the incident and that would have been the end of it. Just like the other 3 big leagues would have done.

Because of the CBA they could only dine him $2,500. Obviously this is an issue with the CBA, but by suspending him he is basically being fined $80,000 and that's why their was a suspension and not a fine.

Which is ridiculously too much. By any standards.

That's your opinion. My opinion is that $2,500 is not nearly enough.

I like Wiz, he's one of my favourites in the league, bu I refuse to defend these actions and refuse to look down on the NHL for making an incredibly smart business/PR decision in regards to this.

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:

PKC wrote:

Big Ev wrote:The more I think about it he definitely should have been suspended. No need for that in the game, just like Randy Moss fake-mooning the Packers fans a while back.

So you're OK with double standards then? If he'd have said, verbally, whatever it was he was trying to say to Avery instead of miming it, it would be OK. But as soon as he acts it out it's a huge no-no.

I guess we can extrapolate this logic: a throat slash gesture - totally not OK. Telling a guy "I'm gonna kill you" - cool.

This is the dumbest Cussing league in the entire world. Run by idiots who are out of touch with reality. They should just write two rule books already - one for star players and one for everyone else.

One of the most off-base posts I've seen on this site. Big Ev covered this one nicely, but I'll add that this is the league covering their own behinds just like any other league would do. It's trying to show a stance that this is the 'classiest' of the big four sports and harsh sentences like this do the trick.

Yeah, a "classy" league that openly allows its players to fight - the only one of the big 4, it should be noted, that does so. Instead of suspending the guy they could have fined him and the organization for the incident and that would have been the end of it. Just like the other 3 big leagues would have done.

Because of the CBA they could only dine him $2,500. Obviously this is an issue with the CBA, but by suspending him he is basically being fined $80,000 and that's why their was a suspension and not a fine.

Which is ridiculously too much. By any standards.

That's your opinion. My opinion is that $2,500 is not nearly enough.

I like Wiz, he's one of my favourites in the league, bu I refuse to defend these actions and refuse to look down on the NHL for making an incredibly smart business/PR decision in regards to this.

What's the PR behind this? That the league won't suspend players who are ending other guys' careers with questionable hits (re: Savard/Cooke) but a guy mocking another on the ice is worthy of the 2-game lip service suspension?

The Savard/Cooke case is irrelevant in this case.

It's an incredibly smart PR move because they are branding themselves as a gentleman's league, a classy league where parents can bring their kids without fear of them picking up symbolism).

Whether that is the case or not (of course it's not because the kids still see the violence, ect) the league is setting up an image that the media has actually run with in regards to being classy and having respect between players because shenanigans like this always go punished.

You need to stop looking at it from a comparison point of view, and starting looking at this as an individual action.

It truly is a privilege to play in a league where your *minimum* salary is nearly a half million dollars. The league revenue is heavily influenced by selling the games to US networks. A gesture like this one will hurt their chances of getting more games on NBC (conversely, big, brutal hits probably won't).

If that sounds cynical, it is a little bit, but I agree with a suspension. A suspension is also a nice way of leveling the field -- your fine is proportional to your salary.

wprager wrote:It truly is a privilege to play in a league where your *minimum* salary is nearly a half million dollars. The league revenue is heavily influenced by selling the games to US networks. A gesture like this one will hurt their chances of getting more games on NBC (conversely, big, brutal hits probably won't).

If that sounds cynical, it is a little bit, but I agree with a suspension. A suspension is also a nice way of leveling the field -- your fine is proportional to your salary.

Very well put.

I would also like to add that Wizniewski is making $3.25 million this year, so he isn't some guy jumping between the minors and the "big show" this is a legitimate NHL defenceman who would be the 5th-8th highest paid player on most NHL teams and a guy who is making a bucket load of cash.

I'll take the move to suspend the guy a little more seriously when they start suspending players and coaches for yelling obscenities that can be clearly lip read on you TV screen.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I'll take the move to suspend the guy a little more seriously when they start suspending players and coaches for yelling obscenities that can be clearly lip read on you TV screen.

I actually would support a move like that. It's one thing to disagree with a ref, but verbally abusing the ref should not be allowed.

Actually, I don't think it is, and the coaches are actually very carefully placing their adjectives and adverbs so that the F-bombs do not appear to fall on the referee or his actions. And that, in itself, means that the coaches *are* in perfect control of what they are saying and, thus, should be treated as such. No foul language to be directed toward the referees or opposing team players/coaches, or a bench minor is called. They already *have* a bench minor for this in the rule books, so it's just a matter of expanding the ref's discretion.

And, yeah, I *am* thinking of the Pat Burns montage Cherry showed on Coach's Corner.