Opinions Wanted: Controversy in a mens hockey league

[Big Guava]

19 minutes ago, #freejame said:

How does any of this apply to bar league hockey? It’s already divided by skill. If a woman is good enough to skate in that division, nothing else really matters. 

Then what is she crying about?

If you can't physically take being checked then don't play.

I played indoor soccer and flag football for quite a while. I cannot tell you the number of times I got slammed into the boards in soccer or tackled in football. Did I sit around crying about it? No... it's one of those things that is technically not supposed to happen but realistically you know it's going to happen just in the course of people competing.

We're there some jackasses that went out of their way to do so? Yeah, of course. There are those idiots in every league. They are usually no skill goons who know being physical is the only way they can really contribute.

If you can't accept that then don't play. It's simple.

Edited February 7 by Big Guava

[Mango]

38 minutes ago, Big Guava said:

Then what is she crying about?

If you can't physically take being checked then don't play.

I played indoor soccer and flag football for quite a while. I cannot tell you the number of times I got slammed into the boards in soccer or tackled in football. Did I sit around crying about it? No... it's one of those things that is technically not supposed to happen but realistically you know it's going to happen just in the course of people competing.

We're there some jackasses that went out of their way to do so? Yeah, of course. There are those idiots in every league. They are usually no skill goons who know being physical is the only way they can really contribute.

If you can't accept that then don't play. It's simple.

Nobody cares about the check. The issue is that the other team took it upon themselves to yell at her all game because they didn’t want a woman in their league. 

Based on her resume she’s dedicated most of her life to this game, and is part of an athletic department that houses one of the premier men’s teams in the country.

This isn’t about a woman. This is about a hockey professional being treated like crap by a couple of shirty (likely drunk) hobbyists. 

The problem is the people on the other team, not the person treated like poop. 

[Weave]

18 minutes ago, Mango said:

Nobody cares about the check. The issue is that the other team took it upon themselves to yell at her all game because they didn’t want a woman in their league. 

Based on her resume she’s dedicated most of her life to this game, and is part of an athletic department that houses one of the premier men’s teams in the country.

This isn’t about a woman. This is about a hockey professional being treated like crap by a couple of shirty (likely drunk) hobbyists. 

The problem is the people on the other team, not the person treated like poop. 

The problem is the “you’re not welcome in a man’s world” attitude.  In a rec league, no less. 
 

Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, eh?

[Mango]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

The problem is the “you’re not welcome in a man’s world” attitude.  In a rec league, no less. 
 

Whatever makes you feel better about yourself, eh?

Unsure if you’re arguing with me or agreeing with me.

Fairly certain we’re on the same side on this one. 

The OP I was responding to leaned hard into the “wah, women cry, they should stay home”. So I tried to address this as agendered humans under the assumption that sexism is of little concern to them. 

But yes, I totally agree with you.

[Weave]

4 minutes ago, Mango said:

Unsure if you’re arguing with me or agreeing with me.

Fairly certain we’re on the same side on this one. 

The OP I was responding to leaned hard into the “wah, women cry, they should stay home”. So I tried to address this as agendered humans under the assumption that sexism is of little concern to them. 

But yes, I totally agree with you.

Agreeing and expanding upon. Apologies if it wasn’t obvious.

[shrader]

On another note, I’ll say it. I think the story is fake. 

[JoeSchmoe]

The league I used to play in was pretty low level. Most of us were 40-55 and not very good. However we had three girls on our team all around 25yo that played competitively relatively recently and matched up really well. They were better skaters than us, worse shooters.

One guy on the team could barely skate but he had a monster shot. The game plan was "Girls- get him the puck!!!!". It worked really well!!! He was always our leading scorer.

The bonus was going to the bar after the game. Old guys hanging out with pretty 20-something year olds. Seems like an odd combo, but we kept the team together for three years until COVID took the league down.

Long story short- Old guys and younger women make for a fun, well-matched league.

[Big Guava]

47 minutes ago, Mango said:

Nobody cares about the check. The issue is that the other team took it upon themselves to yell at her all game because they didn’t want a woman in their league. 

Based on her resume she’s dedicated most of her life to this game, and is part of an athletic department that houses one of the premier men’s teams in the country.

This isn’t about a woman. This is about a hockey professional being treated like crap by a couple of shirty (likely drunk) hobbyists. 

The problem is the people on the other team, not the person treated like poop. 

And? This is pretty mild. Actual professionals have dealt with far far worse. None of them cried to my knowledge.

[IKnowPhysics]

6 hours ago, Quint said:

In my opinion, women skaters shouldn't be playing with men unless it's a very special situation like goaltending. Men are just so much stronger that the women might get badly hurt. Hockey is a contact sport, and even if the games are non-contact, accidents happen. For me, it takes some of the fun out of the games.

 

3 hours ago, Big Guava said:

If women want to continue this nonsensical crusade then they deserve whatever comes their way. Go start a league with women and play in it.

Absolute dogshit takes here.

Recreational hockey is for everyone, and if you can't at least be sportsmanlike about it, then go ***** yourself.

[Quint]

38 minutes ago, IKnowPhysics said:

 

Absolute dogshit takes here.

Recreational hockey is for everyone, and if you can't at least be sportsmanlike about it, then go ***** yourself.

This comment really showed your class.

[SDS]

10 minutes ago, Quint said:

This comment really showed your class.

So you post garbage. Solicit opinions about that said garbage. Get told your opinion is garbage. And then make a report that someone’s calling your opinion garbage. 🙄

And this was the nicest thing I could say about the situation.

[#freejame]

People really report comments? Talk about soft and out of place. 

[ska-T Chitown]

I don't know why, but I am still shocked at the idiocy of our society.

A person that likely possess as skill set comparable to those around them (possibly better, but certainly adequate to participate in the event) is then the target of not only a play that breaks the rules (checking in any adult league in the US is a no-no, no matter what some former HS JV standout tells themselves, so i have no clue why any discussion about female size or toughness is needed), and to top it off is then mocked for their gender (a totally and completely irrelevant and uncontrollable physical trait) and made to feel like they don't belong. BY ADULTS.

Then, some a$$hat has the nerve to post it online like "gee, I dunno, I kinda think they brought it on themselves?" If your precious ego and tiny peepee can't handle the remote possibility that woman could be better than you at something, I know all I will ever need to know about you. Gross.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

A few terrible takes in here, but mostly good ones.

The thread just should be put out with the trash on next collection day.

[bob_sauve28]

I've played with both men and women who were just terrible, and both that were really talented, so I have no issue with women playing with men. 

 

Side note. I played floor hockey for years before switching to ice hockey. First game I ever played on defense after learning how to skate backwards a girl was the winger on opposite team. Right off the face off the puck slithered back to our goal who put his glove on the puck, the whistle blew and he lifted his glove, then she swatted the puck into the net and the ref called a goal. I was like, "hey!" But just let it go, whatever 🤷‍♂️

[Captain Caveman]

I play in leagues and pickup games that are primarily men with some better women's players.  I've never even looked at the rules, but I've also haven't seen an intentional check in the last ten years at least, and if anyone did I know everyone else around would quckly shut it down.  We're old, we have jobs, we can't afford to get hurt.

 

Unintentional contact, sure it happens, but I think anyone who's on the ice (Male or Female) is taking that risk knowingly.  I think it was kind of strange for her to wait for an apology, but if the league took her $, I don't think she should be treated any differently than any other of the players (And without reading the article - I am assuming she was targeted with this check for being a Woman - maybe that's not the case and it's being overblown.)

[MattPie]

15 hours ago, #freejame said:

How does any of this apply to bar league hockey? It’s already divided by skill. If a woman is good enough to skate in that division, nothing else really matters. 

It doesn't have anything to do with bar league hockey, poster is just spouting drivel to because they're so tough.

[Captain Caveman]

14 hours ago, Big Guava said:

And? This is pretty mild. Actual professionals have dealt with far far worse. None of them cried to my knowledge.

It's ***** and mean 

 

Sure, there are different levels of *****, but why defend ***** behavior?

Edited February 7 by Captain Caveman

[Marvin]

I imagine that there will be men who want their beer league to be "no place for women," in the parlance of my youth.  They will try to ostracise any woman who dares to play with them, will break the rules to send that message, and will compound the offence whenever possible.  I personally don't care -- I grew up in a neighbourhood where boys and girls played sports together.

[Captain Caveman]

18 hours ago, shrader said:

I absolutely flattened a woman in my beer league one time. We were skating parallel completely unaware of each other and then we both turned into the same lane. It felt great until I realized who it was. She was a very good player who definitely belonged out there, but she had no chance in that collision. 

Did your teammates spend the rest of the game letting her know she was unwelcome?

[shrader]

36 minutes ago, Captain Caveman said:

Did your teammates spend the rest of the game letting her know she was unwelcome?

Just the two women on my team. They’re vicious. 

[That Aud Smell]

19 hours ago, shrader said:

I absolutely flattened a woman in my beer league one time. 

Same! Softball, though. I never played anything other than street hockey as a kid. In my situation, the gal was 5 foot nothing and of slight build. Again, this was a bar league softball game. She knew how to play organized softball (same ideas in hard ball) -- i.e., basic base running etiquette and situational awareness. I grew up playing soccer, so I did not have the same understanding. Oof, as I made my toward and around second base. When I crossed home plate a little while later, my own kids (girls (6 and under)) booed me for running over a girl. 

[pi2000]

If a woman decides to suit up for a competitive men's league game, they should expect to be treated like any other player.   It's that simple.

I've played in some of the top level rec leagues both in Buffalo, the bay area and down here in orange county... played against maybe 2 or 3 women at different times, and they were all studs (former college, pro, etc..).   

That said, my general take on rec league is the game becomes more and more chippy the lower the level.    Top level, most guys played somewhere at some point and the respect level is high between players... not really much of anything between whistles, etc. 

I've also played down a few levels and the lack of respect blew my mind.... I've never been slashed, hooked, cross-checked as much at any time in my life.    It's a gong show.   

When I can no longer compete at the top rec league level  I'm going to hang em' up for good.

Edited February 7 by pi2000

[ska-T Chitown]

1 minute ago, pi2000 said:

If a woman decides to suit up for a competitive men's league game, they should expect to be treated like any other player.   It's that simple.

And yet, from the article - she was not. It is THAT simple. 

[Captain Caveman]

5 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

If a woman decides to suit up for a competitive men's league game, they should expect to be treated like any other player.   It's that simple.

So that would include not being yelled at ***** on for being a woman for a whole game