For what most definitely the first time ( and I'm sure the last time. ) ever I am posting a story about NHL Hockey. Sadly it's not because of some great achievement by a black player but because of the racism aimed at African American player Wayne Simmonds when a fan threw a banana peel at him. George Cook AAreports.com. Read more below:
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| Wayne Simmonds |
Simmonds, a right winger, was moving in on Red Wings goalie Jordan Pearce during a shootout when a fan in the upper deck threw a banana peel on the ice as an apparent racial taunt.
The 23-year old winger told the paper he saw the banana peel out of the corner of his eye:
Hopefully, that wasn't directed towards me being black. Because if it was, that's just somebody being ignorant.
Sadly, Simmonds said he has come to expect things like that - even in 2011.
"When you're a black man playing in a predominantly white man's sport, you've got to come to expect things like that," Simmonds said. "Over the past 23 years of my life, I've come to expect some things like that. But I'm older and more mature now, I kind of just left things roll off [my back]. I try not to think about stuff like that."
On Friday, Commissioner Gary Bettman released the following statement: "We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game. The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario."
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