Mike Milbury Stepping Down From NHL Playoff Broadcasts Isn’t Example Of Cancel Culture

Mike Milbury stepping down from NHL playoff broadcasts is not an example of cancel culture. The polarizing analyst announced Saturday he will no longer be part of NBC Sports’ NHL coverage this postseason, following a sexist comment he made about women. But this is far from an isolated incident. Since debuting on NBC Sports 13 years ago, Milbury has often made disparaging remarks about players. Over the last month alone, Milbury has demeaned women’s hockey and callously dismissed Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask for leaving the bubble to reunite with his young family.

Milbury’s take about women distracting NHL players during the playoffs didn’t ignite the firestorm. It represents a tipping point.

During a recent broadcast, Milbury said the lack of women in the league’s two playoff bubbles is probably a boon to players’ concentration. “Not even any woman here to disrupt your concentration,” he said about competitive advantages inside of the bubble.

The blowback was swift. The NHL issued a rare public rebuke of the former Bruins bruiser, calling his remarks “offensive” and “insulting.” In a statement provided to The Washington Post, NBC Sports said it was “disappointed about Mike’s insensitive comment.” Over the weekend, Milbury said he was stepping down for the rest of the playoffs. “I sincerely apologize for making the comment,” he said. “It was not my intention to disrespect anyone. I was trying to be irreverent and took it a step too far. It was a regrettable mistake that I take seriously.”

When asked Monday for an update on Milbury’s status, an NBC Sports spokesperson sent along the network’s previous statement.

Like other professional sports leagues, the NHL is undergoing a cultural reckoning centered around diversity and racial justice. Earlier this summer, NHL players of color formed a new group to address the lack of racial diversity in the sport. Since the league’s restart, some NHL players have knelt during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” and spoken outwardly about systemic racism.

Milbury’s reductive commentary seems out of step with our changing times. With the coronavirus killing more than 170,000 Americans, and continuing to rage across the globe, it is perfectly reasonable for a player to opt out of the bubble and spend time with his family — as Rask reportedly did to attend to a medical emergency.

And yet, Milbury criticized Rask for his decision. “Nobody’s simply opted to leave the bubble just because they didn’t want to be here and they needed to be with their family,” he said. “I would’ve not have done it, the rest of the league’s players have not done it.”

Those insensitive words followed Milbury comparing the atmosphere of NHL bubbles games being played without fans to college women’s hockey.

As Katie Strang of The Athletic says, Milbury’s most recent comments about women are demeaning, and objectifies their existence. It also ignores the fact there are women working in the NHL bubble, and implies male professional athletes are incapable of focusing on their work if members of the opposite sex are around.

Oh, and maybe every NHL player isn’t in an heterosexual relationship, either.

Generally, I am not in favor of media people losing their jobs over one-off mistakes. There should be room for evolution. That is why, as an openly gay man, I am not interested in seeing veteran MLB broadcaster Thom Brenneman get fired for saying a gay slur on a hot mic during a Cincinnati Reds telecast. I agree with my Outsports colleague Cyd Zeigler, who advocates for Brenneman being offered another chance, provided he puts in the needed work with the LGBTQ community.

But if Brenneman had a history of making homophobic remarks on the air, my position would probably be different. This is not the first time Milbury has crossed the line. The condemnation has been widespread, with women in hockey speaking up.

Most of all, Milbury just seems out of touch with current NHL culture — an apparent pre-requisite for being a national NHL analyst.

“I spent the last two seasons as the only woman traveling with an NHL team and was treated with nothing but respect and I can assure you no one was “distracted,” tweeted NHL reporter Sara Civian. “Hockey is evolving. It’s time the voices of hockey evolve with it. I’m sick of listening to this.”

“Fellas, what are we doing?,” added ESPN’s Sarah Spain. “And why? And for how much longer?”

Ultimately, NBC Sports will have to determine whether Milbury adds more value to the broadcasts than he takes away. When NBC hired Milbury, it referred to him as “sometimes controversial” in its press release, indicating it knew he would occasionally stir up trouble.

But is it now happening too frequently? Milbury’s absence from the rest of the playoffs is due to his track record, rather than the latest outrage.


Speak Your Mind

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Get in Touch

350FansLike
100FollowersFollow
281FollowersFollow
150FollowersFollow

Recommend for You

Oh hi there 👋
It’s nice to meet you.

Subscribe and receive our weekly newsletter packed with awesome articles that really matters to you!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

You might also like

Club House Global Creates Opportunities For Brands To Align...

Jasmine Solano, Co-Founder of Club House Global – the...

2020 Toyota Innova Crysta facelift launched in India: Price,...

New Delhi: Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Tuesday launched the new Innova Crysta facelift...

Orange Beats Forecasts In Third Quarter, Raises Interim Dividend

PARIS: Telecoms operator Orange posted on Thursday a 0.4% decline in its third-quarter core...

Trump Expresses Concerns About State And Local Investigations Into...

Topline President Donald Trump showed worry in a video released Wednesday about investigations conducted...