View Full Version : Sean Avery, NHL's #1 Jerk
Flip217
12-03-2008, 02:30 PM
As if we didn't already know he was a total d-bag, now comes this....
NY Times story on Avery (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/sports/hockey/03nhl.html?_r=1&ref=sports)
From the article:
"The N.H.L. suspended Dallas Stars forward Sean Avery indefinitely on Tuesday, pending a hearing with Commissioner Gary Bettman, for “inappropriate public comments, not pertaining to the game.” The league cited one of its bylaws on conduct “detrimental to the league or game of hockey” in announcing its decision. A time had not been set for the meeting....Avery, 28, used a derogatory term to refer to his former girlfriends, saying that it had “become like a common thing in the N.H.L. for guys to fall in love with” them. He made the comment to reporters after the Stars’ morning skate before their 3-1 victory Tuesday night in Calgary.
Avery’s former girlfriend, the actress Elisha Cuthbert, is dating Calgary defenseman Dion Phaneuf and had been linked to Mike Komisarek of Montreal. Avery also dated the model and actress Rachel Hunter, the fiancée of Los Angeles center Jarrett Stoll."
Ecch, what a dweeb. I was hoping he'd get his clock cleaned after the incident last season with Brodeur...now I'm hoping he gets his clock cleaned, dismantled, and reassembled incorrectly.
TyCobb
12-03-2008, 05:14 PM
The Devils would like to beat his ass, but he refuses to fight anyone. If he continues like this we are going to have another Bertuzzi issue.
Mackus
12-03-2008, 05:18 PM
I love Elisha Cuthbert.
BaltimoreTerp
12-03-2008, 07:54 PM
Man, I guess after seeing the disgust on Sportscenter about this that I'm the only person in America who finds this funny as hell?
The term he used isn't even THAT terrible, though it isn't exactly what you want to refer to your ex-girlfriends as, either.
Flip217
12-03-2008, 08:58 PM
Well, I think what he said was pretty damn rude, and the term was very crude. If I was the guy dating Elisha Cuthbert right now, I'd be...uh...I'd be..ummm....wait, what was I saying? ;) Oh, right -- I'd be mad as hell! And in court, as my wife would be plenty mad.
Anyway, I think pro athletes have a code where you say that stuff on the ice / field, but you know it's all done in jest, to get under the opponents' skin. Seeking out reporters to say that just makes you a jerk.
I'm not a hockey fan, but I don't see why he'd be suspended for this.
Dr. FLK
12-04-2008, 01:02 AM
Man, I guess after seeing the disgust on Sportscenter about this that I'm the only person in America who finds this funny as hell?
The term he used isn't even THAT terrible, though it isn't exactly what you want to refer to your ex-girlfriends as, either.
It would be funny if he said it to you at a bar or something. But, when a "grown man" says something like that to the media, it's more sad and pathetic than it is humorous. I don't see why he was suspended, but it is nice to see someone put some emphasis on decency and morality (even if it isn't done consitently). Sean Avery is just an immature punk.
TyCobb
12-04-2008, 01:33 AM
I'm not a hockey fan, but I don't see why he'd be suspended for this.
Cause things like this lead to things like this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz9RE9RGrVY
Pedro Cerrano
12-04-2008, 10:39 AM
Man, I guess after seeing the disgust on Sportscenter about this that I'm the only person in America who finds this funny as hell?
The term he used isn't even THAT terrible, though it isn't exactly what you want to refer to your ex-girlfriends as, either.
I agree with you.
Baltimoron
12-04-2008, 12:56 PM
I'm not a hockey fan, but I don't see why he'd be suspended for this.
He works for the Stars, and made the comments at work, to reporters. He actually approached the reporters to address them, knowing and intending it would be reported to many, many millions.
The NHL makes money selling entertainment to the public and getting paid a lot by corporations for advertising and boxes. Its a huge entertainment business dependent on positive public relations.
There are like 100 million adult women in the country. I can see how some women might think the phrase objectifies and demeans women by implying they are little more than.....
Lets say 1/3rd of all women? That's an enormous number of people. And of course there are many men who might also find his use of the term to be offensive.
--
I'm no prude. But this wasn't amongst a bunch of guy friend or in amongst teammates. This was a statement made to the media while he was at work.
Avery is stupid for making his team and his league look real bad and offending a lot of people, and suspending him is a no-brainier from an economic perspective.
I many ways, the NHL and the Star's swift, decisive and universal condemnation of his remarks I think actually makes them look better than it did prior to the incident. Its likely a PR coup.
Baltimoron
12-04-2008, 12:59 PM
i love elisha cuthbert.
+1
.
Spoonless
12-04-2008, 02:29 PM
"Sloppy seconds" isn't that bad? Really? Certainly comes across as demeaning to me.
This isn't a comment he made on the ice to get under someone's skin, he called the press to him and made a statement. It wasn't even a statement goading other players, it was one attacking his former lover(s). In addition, Cuthbert had maintained a blog on the NHL site a few years back, so he was basically attacking a former NHL employee.
This isn't a situation where a reporter provoked him into saying something stupid, he did it all on his own, and I certainly have no issue with him being reprimanded.
allstar1579
12-04-2008, 02:47 PM
"Sloppy seconds" isn't that bad? Really? Certainly comes across as demeaning to me.
This isn't a comment he made on the ice to get under someone's skin, he called the press to him and made a statement. It wasn't even a statement goading other players, it was one attacking his former lover(s). In addition, Cuthbert had maintained a blog on the NHL site a few years back, so he was basically attacking a former NHL employee.
This isn't a situation where a reporter provoked him into saying something stupid, he did it all on his own, and I certainly have no issue with him being reprimanded.
It wasn't that bad per say, he could have dropped the "C-bomb" or something, the thing is he went out of his way to go find a reporter to stir up some drama for no reason. It was immature and dumb from a guy the NHL is already watching for being a pest. The NHL is having all kinds of issues getting more fans as it is, to let some guy like this turn off even a handfull of fans is not something they are willing to risk right now.
McNulty
12-04-2008, 05:41 PM
I agree with you.
Same for me.
I'm sorry, I still don't see a legit reason for him to be suspended over that. It's not that big of a deal, too many people are too politically correct nowadays.
Dr. FLK
12-04-2008, 10:32 PM
I'm sorry, I still don't see a legit reason for him to be suspended over that. It's not that big of a deal, too many people are too politically correct nowadays.
I could see if the team suspended him just because they are tired of him. From the reaction, it seems like many of his teammates aren't big fans of his shtick either. But I don't think the league needed to do anything. That being said...I don't see the need to cry for Sean Avery.
allstar1579
12-04-2008, 10:49 PM
I'm sorry, I still don't see a legit reason for him to be suspended over that. It's not that big of a deal, too many people are too politically correct nowadays.
No, you are right, there isn't really a LEGIT reason, the NHL is just looking for some way to put a leash on him, so I bet there is a behind the scenes no tolerance agreement with him. I know a couple people in the NHL and minors, and I have heard he is a total douche and that the NHL guys are not a fan of his antics.
I could see if the team suspended him just because they are tired of him. From the reaction, it seems like many of his teammates aren't big fans of his shtick either. But I don't think the league needed to do anything. That being said...I don't see the need to cry for Sean Avery.
I'm not crying for him, I couldn't care less about him, it's the principle of the matter for me.
No, you are right, there isn't really a LEGIT reason, the NHL is just looking for some way to put a leash on him, so I bet there is a behind the scenes no tolerance agreement with him. I know a couple people in the NHL and minors, and I have heard he is a total douche and that the NHL guys are not a fan of his antics.
There's also the saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity, and for a league that gets little of it, maybe this was partially an attempt to get some more, because this story probably wouldn't have been nearly as big without the suspension.
"Sloppy seconds" isn't that bad? Really? Certainly comes across as demeaning to me.
This isn't a comment he made on the ice to get under someone's skin, he called the press to him and made a statement. It wasn't even a statement goading other players, it was one attacking his former lover(s). In addition, Cuthbert had maintained a blog on the NHL site a few years back, so he was basically attacking a former NHL employee.
This isn't a situation where a reporter provoked him into saying something stupid, he did it all on his own, and I certainly have no issue with him being reprimanded.
I don't think that's really demeaning towards the women at all, it's just an expression meaning he had her before whoever he's referring to had her, it's a shot at the guys, not the women.
Flip217
12-05-2008, 01:45 AM
I don't think that's really demeaning towards the women at all, it's just an expression meaning he had her before whoever he's referring to had her, it's a shot at the guys, not the women.
Maybe so, but there's another, much cruder meaning to the phrase, too, and it is demeaning to women imo.
Definitely NSFW language: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sloppy+seconds
allstar1579
12-05-2008, 02:21 AM
There's also the saying that there is no such thing as bad publicity, and for a league that gets little of it, maybe this was partially an attempt to get some more, because this story probably wouldn't have been nearly as big without the suspension.
I've heard there are some VERY influential people in the player and executive ranks that are trying to get him kicked out of the league and that is what this is a step towards.
Maybe so, but there's another, much cruder meaning to the phrase, too, and it is demeaning to women imo.
Definitely NSFW language: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sloppy+seconds
I think it's quite obvious that he doesn't mean they instantly followed him, so we can throw that cruder meaning out the window.
Pedro Cerrano
12-05-2008, 09:54 AM
With all the terrible things that athletes today have done, the fact that this is getting so much publicity is troubling.
What are our standards these days?! This guy goes out and takes a cheap shot at a fellow player and an actress' promescuity.
Leonard Little KILLS SOMEONE while driving drunk and we rarely hear about that after he gets a slap on the wrist.
If Sean Avery is suspended longer than Leonard Little was then there is something very very wrong about all this.
Spoonless
12-05-2008, 10:38 AM
With all the terrible things that athletes today have done, the fact that this is getting so much publicity is troubling.
What are our standards these days?! This guy goes out and takes a cheap shot at a fellow player and an actress' promescuity.
Leonard Little KILLS SOMEONE while driving drunk and we rarely hear about that after he gets a slap on the wrist.
If Sean Avery is suspended longer than Leonard Little was then there is something very very wrong about all this.
While I agree that Little's case was handled poorly, you're comparing two leagues. Leonard Little has absolutely nothing to do with the NHL. Perhaps Randy Jones only getting 2 games for nearly crippling Patrice Bergeron with a nasty hit from behind a couple years ago would be a more appropriate example.
The NHL clearly has an image problem, and is nowhere near the status it once held. If they're trying to build it up again, you can't have guys like Avery spouting his mouth off like that. Obviously the suspension has a lot to do with who made the comments. If some random other player made them, he'd probably get chastised by the media, and maybe get slapped with a fine. Avery, on the other hand, has a history of poor behavior.
I still don't get how some of you guys see nothing wrong with using the term "sloppy seconds." I mean, even if you don't get offended by it yourselves, surely you can see how it's demeaning to women. And it is, in fact, an attack against the women more than against the men. "Sloppy seconds" describes the women. What makes it more of an insult to the men he's talking about is the way it describes his former girlfriends.
Don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying Avery needed to be suspended over this. However, I certainly have no problem with it, given his history.
Flip217
12-05-2008, 11:58 AM
I think it's quite obvious that he doesn't mean they instantly followed him, so we can throw that cruder meaning out the window.
I agree it's obvious he doesn't mean it literally. That doesn't at all change the meaning of the phrase, even if you think he meant it in a benign way.
If he'd said "These other players all seem to fall in love with my ho's", it would also be understood that Avery is not, in fact, a pimp, nor is Elisha Cuthbert a prostitute, but it would be boorish and in bad taste, and imho makes him worthy of being suspended when viewed in context of his other bad behavior.
I'm totally with you on the PC thing being taken to extremes, but that doesn't mean anything goes, either. I don't see any reason why the NHL can't expect their players to behave like gentlemen off the ice...and Neanderthals on the ice. :D
Anyhow, whether or not you agree with the suspension, there's no doubt that Avery is a total jerk. He better keep his head up out there, and I can't see his teammates rushing to his defense if he's getting smacked around.
allstar1579
12-05-2008, 06:44 PM
I agree it's obvious he doesn't mean it literally. That doesn't at all change the meaning of the phrase, even if you think he meant it in a benign way.
If he'd said "These other players all seem to fall in love with my ho's", it would also be understood that Avery is not, in fact, a pimp, nor is Elisha Cuthbert a prostitute, but it would be boorish and in bad taste, and imho makes him worthy of being suspended when viewed in context of his other bad behavior.
I'm totally with you on the PC thing being taken to extremes, but that doesn't mean anything goes, either. I don't see any reason why the NHL can't expect their players to behave like gentlemen off the ice...and Neanderthals on the ice. :D
Anyhow, whether or not you agree with the suspension, there's no doubt that Avery is a total jerk. He better keep his head up out there, and I can't see his teammates rushing to his defense if he's getting smacked around.
Don't worry, he won't be going back to Dallas. The owner wants him gone, the coaches want him gone, and the players want him gone.
Baltimoron
12-06-2008, 12:00 AM
I don't think that's really demeaning towards the women at all, it's just an expression meaning he had her before whoever he's referring to had her, it's a shot at the guys, not the women.
As boywithoutaspoon explained, its a shot at a guy based on the guy's association with a woman - there is no "shot" without the negative implication about the woman.
It reduces his former girlfriend to a sexual object that he conquered and cast aside for more fertile territory, and thus takes a shot at any guy who now is with Avery's sexual leftovers.
He clearly chose that phrase over other less abrasive and offensive phrases - that words or phrases may be somewhat synonymous does not mean they have the same meaning and convey the same message.
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That it may not offend me or another guy is irrelevant for a lot of reasons, most notably because the comment is offensive to women.
Seriously, who uses the "sloppy seconds" in front of their Mom or daughters?
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What does "political correctness" mean? Why does it have such a negative connotation? Is anti-racism political correctness?
Is there some magic number in terms of people who are offended before something becomes not just "PC" but a legitimate attempt to stop bigotry?
How many women have to be offended before this is a legitimate issue? Or is a lot of PC an issue of simply educating the "stupid people" who are "erroneously offended."
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Anyway, you can't discuss the suspending without focusing on the most important aspect, the context of the statement.
To reiterate, the most telling aspect of the incident is that it happened at work.
I've never heard the term where I work.
And this wasn't just a comment at work, as Avery went out of his way to make sure it was broadcast to millions.
Its like giving a big business address to a conference and throwing the term around - unless its something ridiculous like the AVN awards or Ryanair (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfIY24BErBE), bad things are in the speaker's future.
Some of you're are way over analyzing this.
Balmer Bomber
12-06-2008, 09:55 AM
I do think what he said was crude and he shouldn't have said it in front of rolling cameras.
But I think what he said was funny. You would have to follow hockey to know who this guy is, so people need to let this go.
Dr. FLK
12-06-2008, 10:36 AM
I'm amazed how many people think it's funny that a supposedly grown man made these comments in front of TV cameras. And, he apparently sought out the cameras...it wasn't even spontaneous. He didn't say it to some friends over a few beers...It's disgusting and pathetic.
Again, I don't think the league any right to suspend him. The team (management and players) seem tired of his act. So, I could see them suspending him just because they are sick of him.
420gamewinners
12-06-2008, 09:05 PM
I'm amazed how many people think it's funny that a supposedly grown man made these comments in front of TV cameras. And, he apparently sought out the cameras...it wasn't even spontaneous. He didn't say it to some friends over a few beers...It's disgusting and pathetic.
Again, I don't think the league any right to suspend him. The team (management and players) seem tired of his act. So, I could see them suspending him just because they are sick of him.
Why? Tell us what it means( definition).
Lucky Jim
12-08-2008, 12:01 AM
As boywithoutaspoon explained, its a shot at a guy based on the guy's association with a woman - there is no "shot" without the negative implication about the woman.
It reduces his former girlfriend to a sexual object that he conquered and cast aside for more fertile territory, and thus takes a shot at any guy who now is with Avery's sexual leftovers.
Exactly. Excellent points by B-Moron and BWAS.
Dr. FLK
12-08-2008, 10:08 AM
Why? Tell us what it means( definition).
If you think that a grown mad should be talking about "sloppy seconds" on a TV interview, then you and I have different views of adulthood.
Flip217
12-11-2008, 12:47 PM
You would have to follow hockey to know who this guy is, so people need to let this go.
I've followed hockey all my life; I don't get what that has to do with this. Sean Avery is a jerk, as you know, since you follow hockey. There are plenty of jerks in hockey (no different from the rest of the planet) but even the jerks think Avery is a jerk.
Why? Tell us what it means( definition).
I posted the definition earlier -- it's not something you'd say to your kids, parents, boss, wife, etc.....: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sloppy+seconds
Anyhow, it looks like Avery is gone, according to this article:
"Avery's suspension ends on Dec. 18, but one sign that he's likely gone is that he's no longer listed on the team's Web site as a member of the roster.
The Associated Press reports the Stars probably won't say anything before Avery's six-game suspension ends Saturday.
Avery was suspended by the NHL over a Dec. 2 crude remark about ex-girlfriends who date other players.
Coach Dave Tippett and team leaders Mike Modano and Marty Turco later made it clear Avery isn't welcome back into the dressing room."
I think this is a good thing -- I applaud the Stars for not putting up with such behavior. I don't know what will happen to him -- I'd guess he'll be traded to another team -- but I hope to enjoy watching him get knocked around pretty good by the rest of the league.