Ice Storm – Hockey Suspends Player for Remarks

Once again the lines between professional athletics, entertainment and celebrity have blurred. Witness the indefinite suspension of Dallas Stars troublemaker Steve Avery. Maybe you heard. Before a game in Canada, Avery walked up to reporters, made sure the cameras were rolling and mics were hot, and offered a crude and well-rehearsed opinion about ex-girlfriends who now date other players. So the NHL suspended him, which is the league’s prerogative. Avery was probably trying to bring attention and personality to the league, which it sorely needs and he injects (he interned at Vogue and attended fashion shows with the likes of Martha Stewart in the off-season). But he forgot that the rules are different for athletes than they are for other celebs. Kanye West can get off a post-Katrina crack about President Bush, but there is no Commissioner of Music to suspend him. Is it just? Columnist Damien Cox of the Toronto Star delves deeper into the confusion. What’s your take? Check it out.