Sean Avery

So, according to sportsnet, it looks like the New York Rangers are working to bring Sean Avery back in the fold. I may be in the minority, but I'm looking forward to seeing Avery back in the NHL. I think he needs to work on being more of a team guy so he is respected in the dressing room, but I hope he doesn't change his personality and comments in front of the microphone.

I love hockey, but I think the culture of the sport has an enormous bug up it's ass. The old school establishment of hockey has a tough time dealing with people with people that fit outside the "norm" of what a hockey character should be. That is... guys who dress in the same black suits, and when interviewed give the same stock answers about 110%, compliment the other team, and don't try to overshadow anything. You know, the typical respectable clean-cut kid from Canada. Once people go outside this norm, the sport has an incredibly difficult time figuring out what to do.

One reason why the NFL is so popular I believe, is the wide range of characters in the league from all kinds of backgrounds that appeal to wide range of people. Hot dogs like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss or Chad Johnson who do well at marketing the sport with their antics (love them or hate them). Lots of people relate to that. Myself, I'm kind of a dork so I relate more to the Manning brothers. You've got Ricky Williams, whose troubles with pot relates to a VERY large number of people.

In hockey, characters like this a few and far between. Jeremy Roenick is one who will have a great career in broadcasting once he is done playing. However, I look at what has happened to Ray Emery as evidence of hockey's close minded nature. Hockey doesn't have a lot of black players, and Emery was the first that really strongly embraced black cultural elements that are driven a lot from the hip-hop culture. He drove a large vehicle that looked like it had been customized by Xhibit. Instead of the black suit, he wore designer suits of different colours (similar to what guys like Kobe Bryant wear). What does the hockey establishment do, focus on him being late for practice, saying he's a cancer in the locker room, etc... Emery then gets banished to Russia. Looking at Ottawa's performance this year, I think its clear that Ray Emery was not the problem with the Senators.

I'm not saying the hockey establishment is racist, as Jerome Iginla is one of their most marketed athletes. However, Jerome is a clean cut Canadian from St. Albert, Alberta. I am saying that hockey needs to open its mind and let its 'characters' market the game as well. Avery may need to tone it down a bit when he comes back, but he shouldn't stop trying to sell the game because ultimately that is what he is trying to do. Maybe commenting on the various famous puck bunnies isn't the way to do it but guess what - it got hockey noticed. As did Emery fighting two guys on Buffalo a couple years ago.

Keep on talking Avery!