Sports news
The captain of the Anaheim Ducks, Ryan Getzlaf, received a $10,000 fine by the NHL for repeatedly use the term “cocksucker” when referring to the referee during a game against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
Pulling in a whopping $9.25 million salary (plus endorsement), Getzlaf seems to have the money. We agree with Outsports comments that the fine isn't really meaningful. Under the law, it's the most he can be fined.
“As we’ve said ad nauseam, fines are meaningless to players like Getzlaf. His salary this year alone is $9.25 million, which is just a fraction of his current $66 million contract. That makes the fine just 0.1% of his annual salary.
That fine is the maximum allowed under the union agreement, making it even worse that the NHL didn’t go the way of a suspension,” wrote Cyd Zeigler.
This isn't the first time he's used anti-gay language. As pointed out by Logo:
“In 2016, when the Chicago Blackhawks player Andrew Shaw was caught using a homophobic slur, he was suspended for one playoff game, a bigger statement in many people’s eyes. Even Fox Sports Pete Blackburn points to the league’s inconsistency.
Last week, Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar was suspended from two games after calling an Atlanta Braves pitcher a “faggot.”
Many articles didn’t even acknowledge the kind of remark Getzlaf made, further blunting the incident as a teachable moment.
In a statement, the NHL said Getzlaf violated a policy that “prohibits inappropriate and offensive remarks, and the use of obscene, profane or abusive language or gestures.”
Getzlaf is a nominee for the Mark Messier Leadership Award, which recognizes an individual “as a superior leader within their sport, and as a contributing member of society.”
As mentioned above, Mr. Getzlaf’s fine comes days after a Toronto Blue Jays baseball player (Kevin Pillar) used an anti-gay slur against the catcher of the opposing team. He was suspended for two days. Additionally, he went on Twitter and apologized for the comments.
h/t: Out Sports and Logo
