Pick your poison, thugs in NBA, goons in NHL.

Yeah I never understood how fights in any sport are not prosecuted (other than boxing of course). The guy in the concourse who gets in a fight goes to jail, the guy on the ice/court goes to the penalty box/bench.

Sorry you to not understand the comparison.
 

Since it is very well known who are actually playing in the NBA and those that never seem to get in the NBA that is pretty easy. ESPN did a story on this very same issue of American born white players not making the NBA. So the implication that a "thug" in the NBA wearing these sleeves only implicates a certain type of person. Just like if I were to make the say something derogatory to the make up of the NHL, which I did not in this post. And for the record you do not see many players of color playing in the NHL so the typical player in the NHL looks nothing like the players in the NHL or even NFL. And I do not hear people call players in the NHL (which is the point) thugs even though fighting and violent behavior is encouraged and celebrated in that sport. The NBA has not had a real fight in 3 years and players were suspended for multiple games. Fights are a common occurrence in the NHL and suspensions almost never happen for fighting.

Peace

And what does that have to do with what they wear?

Peace

Nothing. The point was different monikers for different sports.

One is a stereotype; the other is a moniker for a sport. Not the same thing. I have never heard the NBA TV coverage refer to the players as "thugs." And there was a time in the 70s when there were certain players in the NBA that were called “enforcers.” And fighting took place a lot at that time and the league almost completely whipped it out of the game. Ask Amare Stoudemire.

And BTW, we had discussed this issue so much as it relates to the sleeves, this topic has become redundant.

Peace

Believe as you wish, I can't recall any hockey announcer calling players goons either. That said, I do think the term thug as it relates to the NBA is based on appearance rather than actual actions by individual players. To call a player a 'thug' just because he has ink and rows is pretty narrow minded.

There was a Chicago Blackhawks player that was charged for robbery and assault right before the season started. I have not heard anyone claim they were a bunch of criminals.

I do not know anyone in the NBA that has been in so much more trouble than any other league. Actually many NBA players are very good citizens like any other league in our country. And wearing a sleeve has nothing to do with thuggery or doing anything illegal.

There are always people that will break the law. I know officials that have broken the law, does that mean we are all thugs because of a few of us. I know that officials would not like it if we were all called cheaters for what one professional official decided to do. ;)

Peace

It's All About Looking Cool ...
 

Agree. Sometimes the sleeve is for a medical reason. Sometimes the sleeve is to make the player look cool.

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