By Hockey Guru
Why is Drew Barrymore so excited?
She just read this great story on the STP Blog -(STP - the worldwide leader in sports blogs .... well at least sports blogs co-authored by the Hockey Guru).
The Chicago Gay Hockey Association (the Blackwolves) on a whim sent an invitation to the Chicago Blackhawks requesting the Stanley Cup to be available to march in the Gay Pride Parade in Chicago on Sunday June 27.With the NHL draft on the 26th - the Stanley Cup will be in Los Angeles - which alone provided the perfect "excuse" to decline the request.
However, the Hawks are making sure the Cup is flown back to Chicago in time to be part of the celebration. Not only will the Cup be present - Brent Sopel volunteered to represent the team and participate in the parade.
Perhaps like the Guru, your reaction was - wow, Brent Sopel has some balls to come out and march in the parade. Well he has balls and he will be marching in the parade - but he's not gay. His story is pretty remarkable - he and his wife adopted 4 children 3 years ago - after those children lost both parents within a 6-month span.
In addition to bringing down barriers and allowing eveyone in the City and community to share in the joy of the Stnaley Cup - Sopel is marching in honor of Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brian Burke. Just in case a reminder is necessary - Brendan was killed in a car accident last fall - two months after coming out late last year.
"When Brendan came out, Brian stood by him, and his whole family stood by him, like every family should," said Sopel. "We teach our kids about accepting everybody. Tolerate everybody, to understand where everyone is coming from."
Just a great story and one that the Hockey Guru wanted included in the history of STP Blogs.
Great job by Chicago, Brent Sopel and hockey in general. Once again proving that hockey is the greatest sport in the world.
Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock and Taylor Swift all fully support this effort.
Okay, how to say this without coming off as intolerant ....
ReplyDeleteThis whole story just pisses me off. A tiny group of 40 men manipulate the press into running the story of how they'd like to have the Hawks attend the parade.
The national media then jump all over the story, ignoring the fact that many tiny organizations would love to be associated with the Stanley Cup.
Now the Hawks are backed into a corner. Either they turn down the invitation and open themselves up to accusations of intolerance, or they accept the invitation and spin it into a PR coup.
Remember that we're talking about the team whose whiteboard contained the phrase "Chris Pronger is gay" just weeks ago, which came on the heels of the Trib's pullout poster of Chrissy Pronger, wearing a figure skating skirt. Now, all of a sudden, they cave into the demands of a tiny vocal minority?
Good on Sopel for agreeing to do it, though I do question the appropriateness of bringing along his four young children. I recall one year when I saw a guy clad only in a rainbow wig and a hollowed-out Cabbage Patch Doll head on a string, which is hardly the worst sight these toddlers will be exposed to.
I guess what bugs me is that no other team has ever paraded, and gay-rights seems like it's been a hot issue for awhile now, so I wonder why the sudden need for the Hawks to participate, other than that they had no choice in the matter.
Nevermind that NHL players are forbidden to endorse alcohol products or gambling, out of respect for what such an endorsement might mean to children. What is it about this should-be "R"-rated event that people feel should be taken in by kids, whether in person or in photos?
If I had a 40-member strong group of, let's say, STP fantasy baseball managers, would anyone in the press put the screws to the Yankees, thereby forcing them to attend this Spring's live fantasy drafts?
Are you telling me that no other (bigger) organization asked for the Hawks to attend their event that day? It's the fuckin' Entry Draft weekend and the Stanley Cup gets re-booked on a special, earlier flight just to keep those 40 men happy?
That said, what a huge coup for the parade organizers, who will surely now get massive exposure (pun intended).
I did also hear that the Chicago version of this parade is like a big block party and almost half of the attendees are not queer.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the point of a parade solely about sexuality is foolish. The Cubs are also marching and if tickets and merchandise sales can be marketed to this segment - it's probably also smart business.
Brent Sopel just guaranteed himself another contract and probably front office job based on his efforts - and good for him. As far as bringing his family - he almost had to just to prove his heterosexuality.
Well said, and interesting points all around. Maybe the NHL is just taking an all hands on deck approach to marketing and hopes to gain a new niche in the market. Surely Chicago is big enough for everyone to participate if they so choose. Minneapolis also has a GLBT parade and celebration, and I don't doubt the Wild will be involved when the are celebrating their Stanley Cup victory on the 33rd of Never...
ReplyDeleteIt's too bad the Cubs got in on this because the marketing would have been awesome. John Amaechi aside, you know the NBA would never have anything to do with this subject.
ReplyDeleteAnd I suspect the NFL players, with their 1700-strong membership, would also be reluctant to support the notion that 10% of the male population are gay (that's like a hundred linebackers).
So until I heard that the Cubs were getting in on this (I assume the block party isn't on the South Side?), I was glad that the NHL had taken the initiative.
I just wish they had been given the chance to choose for themselves, though I guess teams have been making their choice for the past 30 years, so I guess the CGHA's little prompt was necessary.
Well the NBA does have the W-NBA to market to the gay and lesbian community.
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course there's always Dennis Rodman.
Every time I come to this article - the picture at the top keeps getting better!
ReplyDeleteImagine being the photographer at that shoot .... "Okay now ladies, I need you to get closer together and maybe bounce up and down a little .... that's right, a little bouncier, a little closer .... perfect."
ReplyDeleteA much better gig than being a courtside photographer for the WNBA and having Lisa Leslie (is that a real name?) crash over you like Macho Man coming off the top rope.
Wasn't this from a Maxim photo shoot or something? Have to check Ebay for back issue availability...
ReplyDeleteDid anybody ever find that entire Rolling Stone shoot of Drew and the bottle of milk?
ReplyDeleteAny chance Marty Reasoner might be gay?
ReplyDeleteAs Guru pointed out, I thought Sopel's appearance at the parade would secure his future with the Hawks, but suddenly his contract now belongs to the owner of the real Hawks - the Atlanta Hawks, that is.
So what happens now? Does Sopel still attend the parade?
If he is a real man, he will be there.
ReplyDeleteAny other year and he could have backed out to attend the Hotlanta version, but maybe now he can do both.
ReplyDelete