Can we get five tickets to see Terrance and Phillip?!? NO!!!!!!

Most of you read my personal blog, but this is the story that got me thinking that I wanted to start writing about my thoughts on topics that I hear and read about. I hear them mostly on the radio, which I listen to vigorously, of course Ben and Skin, but also the NPR shows Fresh Air, Day to Day and The World. I like these NPR shows because they give you the actual news in a digestible, open and non-opinionated matter. When I want to listen to the slant I enjoy I go to Keith Olberman’s Countdown and The Rachel Maddow show. Both of which, really all of which are podcasted. Check iTunes for all of these, and the Live 105.3 website for Ben and Skin, which is more of an indulgence for me, because it is what I listen to escape the work day and laugh. But all of these shows get my mind working and get my very opinionated mind juices flowing. The kicker yesterday was the program director for Ben and Skin, Gavin “yeaaa/naaa” Spittle was really irking me. Then two of the sports show I watch or podcast daily, PTI and Around the Horn talked about the issue as well. The Sean Avery issue, if most of you haven’t heard it, was really a non-issue, but still got the sports news media in a tizzy.



Now back in my more idealistic days of my youth I would have bashed this statement for being completely sexist. And if you view it as such, I can agree. Hell, I pretty much stopped listening to a radio show because of one stupid comment someone made and made me want to punch her in the face every time I listened to her voice, so I get it. And I think that it could be construed as sexist. But beyond that, sexism is something we can mock and avoid a person for, not suspend them for it. I know the rules are different for sports and the media and the normal people like you and I. Meaning if I had said that at work in front of my entire office, I’d probably get a stern talking to and at the most extreme fired. But also the difference is I am not in the public eye, and the general public doesn’t pay my salary. That kind of goes to the core of stern belief of mine that words are words and you can only get offended as much as you let them. Now in my case with the radio personality I now hate, I was more disappointed in how ignorant said person was, not that what she said. I guess I thought more of her and the show, but I was wrong, and I made my voice heard by turning off the radio and not supporting their views anymore, the same reason I don’t watch Dog The Bounty Hunter anymore. You can be against what he said, and if you are, then write the team and say you will not support them as long as he is there and follow through with that by not being tickets or merchandise. But don’t support a league decision to suspend the player over a non-threatening, non-vulgar statement, especially in a league that values, hell, prides itself on thuggish and violent behavior on the ice. The same ice that many of the kids that they say are most “traumatized” by Avery’s statement. This basically goes to one of our countries many dichotomies, and that is violence is completely acceptable, but words are not. And in this case, not even vulgar words. That is an argument that has not been made more clear (and funny) than South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, so I won’t add to it. I just think that the league should try to sanitize its league more by cleaning up its violent image before it begins its war on words.