So apparently the Sens should have just continued to put up with his bad attitude, showing up late and/or missing practices, getting into fist fights with his own teammates… just to avoid being called racists? I’m sorry but any player who displayed the lack of respect for his own team that Emery did deserves to get the boot.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 07/16/08 at 02:07 PM ET

Man. summer hockey is a stretch…
Mike Toth is guilty of extreme rationalization with this statement:

Mark Bell, Todd Bertuzzi and Dany Heatley are just some of the players who have found themselves in various forms of hot water. However, they were all afforded a second chance in the blink of an eye and the last time I checked, none of them were receiving their mail in Moscow.

The key word here is ‘Second Chance’.

Could Mr Toth be more specific about how many ‘second chances’ a player gets just because he happens to be black?

Posted by HockeyTownTodd on 07/16/08 at 02:24 PM ET

Mark Bell’s been moved around in order to get a second chance.

Todd Bertuzzi has never been the same, and his career ruined.  That the Ducks and now Flames were stupid enough to keep trying to salvage it is another matter entirely.

Dany Heatley had to leave town to get a second start.

Ray Emery will get a second chance.  Why a diva goalie with mediocre performance last season would command a second chance in the NHL right now though, when there are plenty of other young goalies in waiting that won’t be so high maintenence…  well, that’s a ridiculous debate.

Posted by Primis on 07/16/08 at 02:40 PM ET

I certainly wouldn’t put racism/sexism/jingoism/classism or any other -ism past the dinosaurs that run the NHL, nor do I doubt that rumours of purported off-ice activities have given certain NHL’ers reputations they don’t deserve and difficulties getting contract offers, but you don’t put a goaltender with Ray Emery’s resume on your “do not sign” list unless he’s got some significant off-ice problems and an on/off-ice attitude that can be corroborated.

He chose to chase big money in Russia.  If he was willing to accept that his market value was much lower than the salary figure he was asking for, and sign a short-term deal with some promises that he’d turn the good ship Emery around, somebody (Tampa Bay?) would have jumped on him.

Posted by George Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/16/08 at 02:55 PM ET

One thing I like about NHL culture is that alot of the things Emery did aren’t tolerated even if you are a star. One of the big problems with the NBA, NFL and MLB is the tolerance of behavior like Emery’s just because a player is a “star”.
Last year Emery wasn’t a star. In fact he was upstaged by Martin Gerber -the same Martin Gerber who was yanked from the goal after the wheels fell off the cart curing Carolina’s last Cup run.

There’s one critical difference between Emery and those players listed as having gotten a second chance: those players weren’t generally considered bad teammates whereas many felt Emery was a cancer. I can’t blame anyone for passing on him when so much other talent was available.

Posted by wingsfanindenver from 'lanche land on 07/16/08 at 03:06 PM ET

As much of a distraction and a team problem that he was in Ottawa, from all reports, it will take more than a contrite offseason interview to make up for the “clubhouse cancer” reputation.

Black, white, or polka dot, if he plays well in Russia and shows the responsibility teams expect of a good teammate, he’ll get another chance.

From the comments to the original article, it sounds like he had a few offers from NHL teams, but they were for less money and in a backup role - he wanted a larger salary and to be a starter.  If he was willing to take less and be a backup, I think teams would have been more willing to take a chance that he would rediscover his ability to stop pucks if he was willing to accept a lesser role and realize that he had to earn his ice time back, instead of it being given to him.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/16/08 at 03:09 PM ET

I think the fact that this guy wrote this article is racist in itself.  He’s the one making a point of Emery’s race.

Posted by NHLJeff from Pens fan in Chicago, IL on 07/16/08 at 03:36 PM ET

Last I checked, Theo Fleury’s whiteness never saved him from getting run out of the league, despite being a player with more upside and similar, but less public, problems compared to Emery.

Posted by Steve on 07/16/08 at 03:40 PM ET

Articles like this just plain bother me. Why is there always a race issue if a player is Black?

The guy was way too cocky for someone that didn’t have a very good season and finally the Sens had enough. I don’t blame them for giving him the boot. And I certainly don’t blame other teams for passing on him this year. Perhaps he will grow up a little in Russia but I highly doubt it. He chased bigger money and he’ll probably live like a rock star complete with his own bodyguard - what’s that about? I say good riddance. He has nobody to blame but himself.

Posted by TriniD from VanC on 07/16/08 at 03:42 PM ET

“Many black people have their own distinct culture and when a guy like Emery walks into a dressing room with his flashy clothes and hip-hop spirit…”

lol sooo white

Posted by Sunny from Raleigh, NC on 07/16/08 at 04:06 PM ET

Many black people have their own distinct culture and when a guy like Emery walks into a dressing room with his flashy clothes and hip-hop spirit, some hockey people tend to raise their eyebrows.

And that just smacks of the same attitude some young people have where when a black student tries to study and do well in school, his friends harass him for “acting white.”

Being an arrogant, self-centered, pouting jack@** is irrelevant to a person’s race.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/16/08 at 04:32 PM ET

When Emery wasn’t signed, I started to wonder if race might be an issue.  The only problem for me was that I have no idea what his off-ice transgressions were, if any.  I heard he was late to two practices.  Other than that, I don’t know anything about his locker room presence, or his ability to be a team player.  I agree that the NHL doesn’t stand for prima donna BS—I’m just not sure that Emery qualifies.  My opinion could change if someone could point to anything of substance that would validate his status as “locker room cancer,” but I don’t get the impression that there is much existing substantial information to illuminate.  Perhaps there is more to this story, but I think the author has a valid point worth considering even if it’s unlikely to be disproven (I highly doubt that Murray or any other person close to the situation will come out and detail his faults as a teammate).

Posted by PDXWing from Portland, OR on 07/16/08 at 07:02 PM ET

Many black people have their own distinct culture and when a guy like Emery walks into a dressing room with his flashy clothes and hip-hop spirit, some hockey people tend to raise their eyebrows.

Ah yes, the “they just roll like that” argument. Brilliant.

And that just smacks of the same attitude some young people have where when a black student tries to study and do well in school, his friends harass him for “acting white.”

Sad and too true.

Chris Rock jokes that “as soon as they figure out a way to make a heated hockey rink, we’ll take that sh*& too!”

“Wait till you see LeBron on some skates…”

Posted by Osrt on 07/16/08 at 08:37 PM ET

If the phrase “hip-hop spirit” is not the whitest of white phrases ever written, I don’t know what is. I don’t even know what it means, but its awfully funny.

Posted by UMFan from Colorado on 07/16/08 at 11:48 PM ET

UMFan -

You know, like Hip Hop Spirit Fingers, like you see in all those SnoopJayMasterPDMX videos!!!!

Posted by Primis on 07/17/08 at 07:18 AM ET

Because of course, no one except for blacks wears flashy clothes and likes hip-hop. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/17/08 at 07:39 AM ET

Here’s a blog written on the subject:

http://animaldrew.blogspot.com/2008/07/nhl-blogger-asking-wrong-questions.html

Posted by moore00 from Columbus, OH/Grand Rapids, MI on 07/17/08 at 11:22 AM ET