There is a very small box reserved for humanity and humanity in top ice hockey, writes Tommi Seppälä, Urheilu’s NHL editor.
Tommi SeppääläNHL reporter
When it comes to hockey fans voicing their opinions on the airwaves of social media, the players very rarely have anything to gain in the debates.
In other words, there is basically no point in responding to the pollution falling into one’s own channels. In many places, fan-powered podcast productions are no exception.
From the beginning of the week, the border was crossed in a way I don’t remember another time.
In Columbus, USA, the ice hockey podcast rooted the situation of the local club in a program hosted by five people.
There was quite a shock when one of the presenters stated Patrik Laine to be on the sidelines, because he is considering ending his days – i.e. suicide.
Sports talk doesn’t get any sicker than this.
At this point, Patrik Laine also appeared, who is sidelined from real action to rehabilitate himself in the NHL’s treatment program.
Laine quoted the part cut from the program to the message service X, where Laine’s suicidal intentions were discussed, and wrote above: “This is not ok†.
At the same time, Laine scored his most important goal in a long time. However, this time it was not born on the ice, but outside it.
Even on a larger scale, it was a hugely important act that Laine himself came to blow the game away. The words of such a powerful and widely known player resonate.
Social media and fan podcasts have brought a distasteful phenomenon to the sports discussion. In the past, opinions were left on the after-game tables of the domes, but now there are public channels for them.
When sports are talked about with real feeling and still through colored glasses, the result is sometimes ugly. There are no users, and there is no place for empathy or sympathy.
There seems to be no room for humanity and humanity in our time.
Why does an adult behave badly?
The fans are often spoken of in a laudatory tone as the payers of the players and other officials and enablers of the whole circus. This is what fans absolutely are, but more should be said about the mild manifestations related to support.
It is one of the greatest mysteries of humanity, how an adult person starts to speak and behave at a match event or on social media when supporting their own team.
There is a tacit acceptance of this hogwash across the entire species.
When I take my own 8- and 6-year-old children to their first ice hockey games, the looks on the offspring’s faces have spoken volumes when wordy coffins have been opened from the fan stands.
That level of swearing and disrespectful speech cannot be justified with any kind of valid arguments. And this cannonade is led by grown people for almost three hours.
The judges, the opponents and, at the end of the day, if necessary, their own camp get their share.
And no one at the events seems to think this is strange. Those who have paid for their ticket have the right to shout, they say.
Yes, but not anything that I can see.
Unfortunately, in the new era, mild manifestations are not limited to the stands or the courtyards of the halls.
The suicide talk linked to Laine was the latest example of this. When a podcast or social media platforms are uploaded with a really good amount of data, there are no pre-personnel to monitor the quality.
Players earn millions at the NHL level, so criticizing their game performances is justified.
Bullying, harassment and even threats are not part of the plan. A player doesn’t have to put up with that, no matter what the pay is.
Whatever happened to Patrik Lainee on the civilian side, quitting the game after difficult years was a brave act.