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Posted on 06/25/2010 5:46:05 AM PDT by Steelers6
and a metal, cup-shaped trophy shall lead them. We still don't have a current American pro athlete willing to come out of the closet, but the Chicago Blackhawks organization struck a huge blow for gay and lesbian equality by agreeing to participate in Chicago's Gay Pride parade on Sunday, June 27. Defenseman Brent Sopel volunteered to represent the team by carrying the Stanley Cup in the parade. Blackhawks President John McDonough is taking the Cup from the NHL Draft 15 hours early to bring it back to Chicago for the parade, where it will join Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks for the festivities. The Chicago Gay Hockey Association invited the Blackhawks to the parade last week, and figured they would never get a reply. How wrong they were.
"We are thrilled and honored for them to consider and accept our request," CGHA president Andrew Sobotka told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's just the news we wanted to hear. For the Blackhawks to do this is amazing. It is wonderful to know everyone is helping to make 2010 a year to break down barriers." "I am honored to do it," said Sopel, who will be accompanied by wife, Kelly, and his four kids, Jacob, 12, Lyla, 8, Jayla, 6, and Paul, 20, whom they adopted three years ago after Paul's parents died within six months of each other. Sopel is also using the opportunity to honor the late Brendan Burke, the son of Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, who died in an auto accident earlier this 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." As Yahoo Sports notes, there could be some image rehab in play here for the Blackhawks as well.
The words "is gay" were mockingly written by the name of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger in the Blackhawks' locker room during their Cup celebration. That's after the Chicago Tribune put Pronger in a skirt and called him "Chrissy" in a giveaway poster. But the CGHA and other gay hockey players didn't feel the poster was homophobic. "For the 'Hawks, there might have been a little bit of motivation [for image rehab]. We actually invited them before that story broke," Sobotka said. This really is a remarkable gesture by both the Blackhawks and the Cubs; both organizations deserve tons of praise. This is what pro sports should be about; diversity, inclusion and bringing communities together
I guess this means Hockey is done.
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Ummmm, errrrrrrr....Oh, never mind.
Puck-er up.
Oh, and one more thing.. GO WILD!
No, the NFL has to hear from them.
Homosexuals are less than 2% of the population — but they expect us to just bend over and take it whenever they need their self-esteem fluffed.
No, the NHL has to hear from them. They are the ones allowing this!
Sign of the times, I suppose. “Is that your hockey stick or are you really glad to see me?”
OMG...never thought *I* could root for the Flyers, but...
I cannot imagine how that trophy will look under a black light, once it’s returned.
LOL! I’m glad to see somebody’s on the same wavelength as I am. BTW, the picture of the guy I just posted is the Native guy from the Village People.
I wish you guys had won too and I’m a Pens fan.
EEEEEWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!! Gawd that’s gross!
These libtard faggots say this out of one side of their mouth and then demand that people like Sarah Palin, Rush and the entire Tea Party be banned from all existence.
You gotta wonder if people realize how utterly stupid statements like that are..........
Don’t know if Pronger is a butt pirate, but when he was in St. Louis he always played like a pussy.
The reason the CGHA will never catch on? The games take too long. Every time there is a check along the boards, it takes five minutes to separate the players!!! Holding the stick, high sticking, charging, and roughing bring bad images too. What is “icing”? Something to do to your arse after the game?
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