Racism In Hockey

Willie O´Ree had a huge impact on the NHL, impacting and influencing adults and kids. O´Ree received lots of hate during his 2 season NHL career. He was mainly targeted by white American NHL players from Chicago, on the ice he was threatened physically and verbally. When Willie O´Ree was brought up to the NHL, he received lots of mixed emotions from fans and opposing players, but his teammates and management crew warmly welcomed O’Ree without any hesitation to the team.

The next example of racism in minor hockey involves parent’s involvement in the problem. “Parents yelled racial slurs and insults, including "Go home, Mohammed," at a referee on the ice” (CBC, 2015). This is a particularly disturbing incident which speaks volumes to the root of the problem. It is explained that parents have a very passionate belief and concern attached to preserving the segregation of the sport. Even the diversity of referees is a sensitive area to the existing culture. Furthermore, this incident speaks volumes to the acceptance and magnitude of racist behaviour demonstrated even by parents. In other words, parents are so outraged by the inclusion of visible minorities in the game that they cannot contain their racist thoughts to

For many decades, writers and authors have accused the American influence on Canada as one of the reasons why Canada is losing its heritage, with one major aspect being the game of hockey. The institutionalization of American Culture began to take root in Canada during the late 1920’s and 1930s as technological advances, specifically the invention of the radio, allowed Canadians to enjoy American entertainment. American stations were much more reliable than Canadian ones, causing American sporting stations such as NBC and CBS to become extremely popular in Canada (Gruneau et al, 1993). As Canada was becoming intertwined with the United States (U.S.), it was becoming less of a satellite of Britain, which made it tremendously difficult for Canada’s elite to protect British ideals such as self-improvement and participating in sport for the game’s sake. (Gruneau et al, 1993). In the early 1940’s, after the great depression forced many franchises to dismantle, the National Hockey League (NHL) was left with six teams, which made up the famous “original six.” At this time, America had a strong influence on the game, as four of the original six teams were based in the United States, and all of the players in league were paid in American dollars (Gruneau et al, 1993). By the early 1960’s, televised sports were emerging in North America, and NHL players were becoming mainstream stars. Inspired by this, along with the threat of the NHL losing its television contract to the Western

While being a talented and dominant hockey player, James Marsh indicates that while “[h]e came from humble beginnings, [he] fought for the culture he believed in, by way of sport. ” That is, throughout his career, he recognized that the English establishment of the NHL treated French Canadian players unfairly and intolerantly in comparison to English players. This is especially distinct in the events leading up to the Richard Riot of 1955, a sign of the growing French-Canadian nationalism in Quebec and the eventual onset of the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.

The fact that the 1990s were the greatest period of growth for American hockey suggests that the 1980 Olympics did not inspire thousands of kids to strap on the blades right away. But the event certainly took its place in American sports mythology, giving young hockey players a heritage to celebrate and icons to look up to. That kind of legacy is the lifeblood of any sport.

As part of the hockey team, The Marlboros, Saul struggles to fit in due to his differences. His every move is judged based on his roots, he explains “When I hit someone, it wasn’t just a body check; I was a counting coup. When I made a dash down the ice and brought the crowd to their feet, I was on raid. If I advertently, high sticked someone during a tussle in the corner, I was taking scalps” (163). Despite Saul’s exceptional ability to play hockey, his diversity allows people to use cruel stereotypes against him which hurts his pride as an aboriginal. Furthermore, the outside world holds many unpleasant experiences for Saul, especially from the rude, thoughtless people who consider the aboriginal as a joke. In an area of Manitouwadge, a couple of men have a sickening idea of entertainment called “Broom-a-buck, the redneck game of leaning out the window of a car or truck to swat Indians on the sidewalk or the road. Fifty points for a head shot. Twenty for any other part of the body” (99). The amount of disrespect is upsetting and allows people, to view the first nation as a disgrace instead of an honour. Eventually, Saul endures an excessive amount of hate and unworthiness as well as all the demeaning words and insults from the crowd, have

Since 1931, Hockey has meant so much to Canadians that it became a part of our identity. The Summit Series has created a new way of hockey is played , as well it gave Canada it's national title of a hockey culture , known by every hockey fan . This essay will prove how the 1972 Summit Series was a significant part in Canada's Hockey Culture Identity.

The topic of race in sport, particularly African Americans in sport, has long been a controversial yet, widely discussed matter. Human and social issues are never easy subjects to discuss or debate, and racial differences tend to provoke very strong reactions. To begin, we will explore those whom claim that black athletes excel in sports as a result of their biological make up. Of all players in the NBA, more than 75% of them are black; of all players in the WNBA, more than 70% of them are black; of all players in the NFL, more than 65% of them are black (Hoenig, 2014). Evidently, black athletes make up a vast majority of these sports in the United States. Athletes must be of elite caliber to have the ability to play at this level, so this

Professional hockey players eat, sleep, and breathe the game. This passion breeds a rare type of diehard fan to follow the sport. The game of hockey is over 100 years old and fighting is one element that has kept players engaged and fans hooked throughout the years. The first indoor hockey game was played in 1875 and the NHL was formed 42 years later in 1917. In 1922, fighting was added to the rule book as a regulated aspect of the game. Looking at the history of hockey shines a light on the players and fans’ passion for the game. Hockey fights should stay in the game for the protection and safety of skilled players, rivalries between teams, and finally because it's a unique part of the sport.

One interesting view by Douglas Hartmann in his journal article entitled “Rethinking The Relationships Between Sports And Race In American Culture: Golden Ghettos And Contested Terrain” said that racial issues in sport is; borrowing Stuart Hall (1981) words- “a contested racial terrain” (qtd. in Hartmann 241). The “contested racial terrain” is defined as “a social site where racial images, ideologies, and inequalities are constructed, transformed, and constantly struggled over” (Hartmann 230). In other words, sports have become a medium where the definition and limitation of racism created. This also means that the definition of racial issues will constantly change over time. Hartmann view is interesting seeing that he believes that the context of racism in sports are actually broader than we actually think. He did not agree with the simple view of because racial discrimination happens in our society, thus racial discrimination also happens in sports (Hartmann 242). He further delves into two interesting problems in stereotyping and biasing.

The controversy over the naming of sports teams after ethnic groups has been boiling since the mid-twentieth century. Sports teams in America, ranging from Pee-wee leagues, high schools, and colleges to Professional sports, have used any enumeration of nick names and mascots by which to represent their team with pride and sometimes even comedy. However, the lines of political correctness have been greatly and maybe even intentionally blurred in terms of the use of specific ethnic groups within team names and the use of the stereotypical image of those teams’ caricatures, the native-American in particular. Of the four major professional sports team franchises included in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL that do possess ethnic monikers, only two are of Caucasoid based ethnicity, whereas the other 5 are direct references to Native American ethnicity or stereotypes

“Girl Unprotected”, by Laura Robinson, was published on May 11, 2008. In this essay, the author informs the reader about the dark side of hockey culture in Canada. Serious, formal, and objective tones are used throughout this essay in order to create a negative tone without using negative forms of diction. This technique is used so that the writing shows no bias, however, has the ability to sway the reader's opinion. In doing this, the author keeps an objective, unwavering stand on the issue yet plays with the reader's sense of pathos and ethos. Pathos and Ethos are used in the essay as successful forms of rhetoric. Robinson begins with a second person point of view, connecting with the reader and enticing them to continue reading. Although, as we move forward in the text, the author takes on an objective, the first-person point of view on the court cases later described. The essay takes on an inductive form of reasoning and argumentation. This is proven in the way that the author discusses the issues of a small town hockey team and moves forward to discuss the coaches and players of the much larger NHL organization.

Racism is prevalent in today’s society and is exposed in the sports industry as well. Various athletes in different sports field experience racism and face it everyday. Social media is a big platform for people to criticize athletes for their failures and success. On the other hand more times than not, racism can be found within the head of organizations of major sports, most noticeably football. The NFL has condoned an abundance of racist actions towards players of Hispanic and African American descent; therefore, the NFL should stop these problems by supporting athletes that take a stand, holding the NFL owners accountable for their actions, and finally, not stereotyping young black athletes into a position based off of racial factors.

Sometimes it is easy to forget the game played on frozen ponds and backyard rinks, and get lost in the overwhelming professional sport known as hockey. However, we strive to remember that hockey became Canada's game because it made our never-ending winter months more bearable . The game gradually became a sport, then an entertainment industry. It seems like the lockout was one of the biggest news stories of the year. Part of the amazing nature of the game is that it's origins are fairly vague. However, we always remember that hockey is our game. It may not be our official sport, like lacrosse is, but hockey is what Canada seems to be most well-known for, and it continues to have immense influence on our free society, with its unique style

I would like to discuss the issue of race and ethnicity in sports. We will also explore the bigger questions. How much does race and ethnicity matter in the sports world? Are certain races dominant in certain sports? Is there a difference in how we treat players based on race and ethnicity? Does it matter? I would like to answer some of these questions and gain a better understanding of how much of a part they play.