For those not hockey fans (and granted, that's most of America) Sean Avery plays for the New York Rangers, his fourth team since joining the NHL, and is more known for his cheap, dirty style of play than any actual on-ice talent.
Yet Avery drew kudos from the liberal media when he came out and endorsed the pending gay marriage legislation in New York. The New York Times:
Known as a fashion-conscious, on-ice agitator, he has never been afraid of what others think of him.
“Sean Avery is a true leader on the ice and off,” said Brian Ellner, who oversees the same-sex marriage campaign. “His commitment as the first New York professional athlete to campaign for marriage equality is an important step
Avery has long been viewed as someone unafraid to set off on his own...“People have been calling me names for 10 years just because I like to wear nice suits,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot to get me upset or to get under my skin. I’m O.K.”
Yahoo's Greg Wyshynski :
... it's inspiring to see an NHL player have an actual on-the-record opinion on something beyond frivolity. Hate the player, hate his politics ... how many fans are going to sit there and condemn Avery for doing this? For speaking out? Isn't it nice to know at least some of these guys give a damn about something?
Poor, brave, embattled Sean. While the Times piece makes mention of him being voted "most hated player" in the NHL, they don't describe what made him draw such ire from his fellow players and the fans.
Maybe some of these videos will..here he smacks the opposing goalie on the head with his stick while he is on his knees:
Here's a foul-mouth tirade caught on camera:
And here's a top-ten compilation, a bit glorifying, but you get to see a racist outburst against French-Canadians as well as some spitting, cheating, and fan abuse:
Why is all this relevant? Well, Sean got himself into a bit more hot water the other day in LA:
According to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, at 12:30 a.m., the LAPD responded to a noise complaint. Avery came to the door and allegedly shoved the officer, slamming the door. Upon reopening the door, Avery was arrested.
It was during that exchange, according to TMZ.com, that the 31-year-old used the "fat little pigs" line on the police.
According to the New York Post:
But being arrested for battery on a police officer, even if the charge is dismissed along the way, does not help Avery be taken seriously as a social progressive, and it does not make it any more likely he will be called upon to lobby legislators on behalf of issues about which he cares deeply and for which he has been an effective advocate.
Here's my point, which I allude to above: If a player with the character of Sean Avery - a brawling, lying, cheating foul-mouth racist - came out in favor of a conservative cause - how would the media address it? Would they still call him brave, a free spirit, and applaud him for giving a damn if Avery had come out for lower taxes, border enforcement, or the Tea Party?
You know the answer. He would have been vilified in the media, and his ugly career would have been neatly tied to the conservative movement ("Some example for America's youth", they would have sneered). And this latest incident, of brawling with the police, would not have been buried in the back of the sports pages.
So let's call Avery what he is: A typical liberal. A racist, a cheater, and a liar, who whines whenever things don't go his way, and pleads for mercy while making excuses (and attacking police officers). Only to continue the same ugly, indecent behavior upon his return, while a supportive media makes excuses and ignores his hate-filled past. Come to think of it, instead of going into fashion, Avery would have made a great union thug, or Democratic politician, for that matter.
Sean Avery is a lot of thisgs. A "hero" is not one of them, no matter what the emdia tries to tell you...
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