[News] NHL not sending its players to the Olympics

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Coach

Wasn't Olympic participation negotiated in the return to play agreement?

Not really against it. I love top tier Olympic hockey, but screw the Chinese government.

It was, it really comes down to what the players want to do, if they decide they are going then they are going, it doesn't matter what Bettman or the team owners want.

[CSharp]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

I suppose you were just as supportive of Nazi Germany holding the games back in the day as well.

Yup seems fine

Right, and you're taking it to a whole new level of extreme here. What you see in social and news media these days are just as bad or worse than propaganda from other parts of the world restricting free speech. Sure, we all think a democratic society is all about free speech, yet we all BS each other on everything from politics, economics, and now sports. If the 5-Eyes countries truly believe in what they're saying, everyone should pull out of the Olympics altogether - like no frickin athletes. It's like what everyone is doing right now is just political grandstanding - like as if boycotting by not showing up with the respective diplomats is going to do anything. What a joke!

[getbak]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Rewinding all the way back to May/June 2020, I think the expectations were that things would either be:

- a lot better and close to life as normal, or
- bad enough that 'hockey as normal' would be an obvious non-starter

Also, they were negotiating a multiyear extension to the CBA, so it wasn't just about Beijing, but also Italy in 2026 and all the Olympics that follow (although they'll be under new CBAs, this clause will likely stay in long-term).

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

If the world had taken Hitler seriously enough to boycott his Olympics in 1936, they would probably have been serious enough not to write him a blank cheque at Munich in 1938. Jesse Owens could easily have won his gold medals at Helsinki in 1940.

You think that not going to the Olympics in 1936 would’ve staved off the Second World War?

Because that’s the only way Jesse Owens is running in Helsinki in 1940.

Seems unlikely.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by CSharp

Right, and you're taking it to a whole new level of extreme here. What you see in social and news media these days are just as bad or worse than propaganda from other parts of the world restricting free speech. Sure, we all think a democratic society is all about free speech, yet we all BS each other on everything from politics, economics, and now sports. If the 5-Eyes countries truly believe in what they're saying, everyone should pull out of the Olympics altogether - like no frickin athletes. It's like what everyone is doing right now is just political grandstanding - like as if boycotting by not showing up with the respective diplomats is going to do anything. What a joke!

We’re as bad or worse as dictatorships, eh?

Because we totally arrest dissenters, disappear those who criticize the government, kill doctors who try to raise the alarm over COVID, send political opponents to work camps, I could go on.

No. We don’t do any of that. It’s what makes us better.

If you actually think it’s all the same, go over there and try.

You’d be astonished what you can’t do.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

The biggest loser of a boycott of Hitler’s Olympics would’ve been Jesse Owens.

No. If no other country showed up the biggest loser would have been the Nazi party and Germany.

But I guess I do see your point in regards to an amazing preformance and statement

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

No. If no other country showed up the biggest loser would have been the Nazi party and Germany.

But I guess I do see your point in regards to an amazing preformance and statement

It’s important to bear witness.

We can’t actually have a war with China without everybody dying.

We can go over and bloody their noses at winter sports with the whole world watching.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

It’s important to bear witness.

We can’t actually have a war with China without everybody dying.

We can go over and bloody their noses at winter sports with the whole world watching.

That's probably a good attitude. I do see their men's and women's hockey teams getting beat by 20+ goals

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Not interested in arguing history right now, but forces were already in motion by 1936 that made global conflict inevitable.

In 1936, Nazi Germany could have been stopped without a war, but nobody had the will to do it. As late as 1938, the Nazis could have been stopped without a major war. Hitler's own generals warned him desperately not to risk a war over Czechoslovakia; they never dreamed that Chamberlain would hand him everything he wanted on a platter.

Very few of the major events in this world are actually inevitable.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

You think that not going to the Olympics in 1936 would’ve staved off the Second World War?

Because that’s the only way Jesse Owens is running in Helsinki in 1940.

Seems unlikely.

I've already explained myself. If the world had been at all serious about stopping Hitler, serious enough to boycott his Olympics, they would also have been serious enough not to hand him the Rhineland, Austria, and Czechoslovakia on a platter, and he would not have expected them to give him Poland as well. In those circumstances, if he had tried to start a war, his generals would have refused to fight it. They had active plans to remove him from power, but the unbelievable stupidity of the great powers in appeasing him made them call those plans off.

The Olympics were just one brick in the monument of appeasement.

[GreenLantern2814]

Being traumatized from the events of World War 1 will do strange things to people.

See why the French folded in a few weeks after holding out four years the first time.

[bluejays]

Some claiming the olympics are about sport are completely with their heads in the sand. Everything about it is political. The IOC has been corrupt for who knows how long. The "have" countries pump endless money to showcase their own countries athletes to grandstand. The less wealthy countries can't afford to pump but do what they can. All in all it's about TV rights in different countries so it's all about bragging rights and money. It sucks for athletes who train and can't showcase themselves but you know what you're getting into when you're becoming an athlete on that stage.


As much as I want to see McDavid and Crosby on one line, I just want China to get second rate ratings. While every country is shameful with what they do within their borders at various points, China wants to promote themselvs as something they are not, and that persona helps gain them contracts. They're moving too fast on shoddy human rights standards and that should be critiqued. I'm all for North America and the world shunning them in this situation.

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Zoller

I say screw it, send the players, beat the Chinese team 20-0 (or worse), and win a bunch of medals on their home soil.

I think if Canada plays China in hockey that every Canadian player should list their first name as Michael.

[Knightslayer]

Originally Posted by Reaper

I think if Canada plays China in hockey that every Canadian player should list their first name as Michael.

Which Michael? The one that got paid to promote a place worse than China in regards to human rights?

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by Knightslayer

Which Michael? The one that got paid to promote a place worse than China in regards to human rights?

If you're going to put my jokes under a microscope you'll be able to see all the holes in them but it will be less fun.

[Icantwhisper]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

We’re as bad or worse as dictatorships, eh?

Because we totally arrest dissenters, disappear those who criticize the government, kill doctors who try to raise the alarm over COVID, send political opponents to work camps, I could go on.

No. We don’t do any of that. It’s what makes us better.

If you actually think it’s all the same, go over there and try.

You’d be astonished what you can’t do.

We don’t do those things, but China doesn’t make up wars and bomb 100,000’s of civilians, wait a minute we do lock up innocent people and hold them for years without trials, they’re just from poor countries so we don’t care.
China does horrible things, but to claim the “western” world is some guiding light of morality is ridiculous.
Propaganda works both ways, our society gobbles it up just as much if not more than China and it’s allies

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

We don’t do those things, but China doesn’t make up wars and bomb 100,000’s of civilians, wait a minute we do lock up innocent people and hold them for years without trials, they’re just from poor countries so we don’t care.
China does horrible things, but to claim the “western” world is some guiding light of morality is ridiculous.
Propaganda works both ways, our society gobbles it up just as much if not more than China and it’s allies

Well, except, you would be detained and imprisoned / possibly killed for making those criticisms , in China.

Your ignorance in understanding the differences between democracy and dictatorial/ communist regimes is astounding.

Get educated.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Icantwhisper

We don’t do those things, but China doesn’t make up wars and bomb 100,000’s of civilians,

Ask the Vietnamese, or the Indians, or the Uyghurs, or the Koreans if China doesn’t start wars and bomb civilians. Hell, ask the Chinese themselves.

[Manhattanboy]

Canada hasn’t got the balls to do the right thing and boycott so really hoping the NHL and PA decide not to go anywhere near China.

[FiveSeven]

I mean if you're going to go anywhere China is probably the most safe when it comes to avoiding Covid. They literally weld peoples doors shut. The only thing that would be a no-go is being stuck for a 3 week quarantine and no being able to leave.