Tim Benz: I'm not a fan of Ivan Provorov's Pride Night jersey boycott, but also dislike hypocritical media fallout

I disliked Ivan Provorov’s refusal to skate in the Philadelphia Flyers pregame warmup Tuesday night. He boycotted because he didn’t want to wear the same LGBTQ+ Pride Night warmup jersey the rest of the team was wearing.

But I also disliked a lot of the hypocritical media fallout from his protest.

Provorov, cited his Russian Orthodox beliefs as a reason why he didn’t want to don the jersey or use a rainbow-wrapped stick that (via ESPN.com) “were to be auctioned off by Flyers Charities, with proceeds going toward their efforts to grow the game in diverse communities.”

The 26-year-old Russian defenseman was instantly excoriated by fans and media for refusing to partake in the promotion.

There seem to be a large number of people who seem to think it's okay to hide bigotry and racism behind "religious" beliefs.

Is Provorov a homophobe? Maybe. At minimum - he believes in a religion that has zero tolerance for supporting anyone not like him.

— Waddsy (@waddsy19) January 18, 2023

Welp. I didn’t have Provorov being a homophobe on my 2023 bingo card but here we are. Disgusting.

— Brandon (@gr0veez) January 18, 2023

Ivan Provorov has the right to any opinion he chooses. And we have the right to have any opinion on Ivan Provorov that we choose. Like this: he's a shameful human being whose homophobia is only going to get more shameful over the years.

— Adam Proteau (@Proteautype) January 18, 2023

Being LGBT+ is not a "choice." Being ignorant, obnoxious, and homophobic is a choice.

Ivan Provorov wasn't wearing uniform tonight and the @NHLFlyers should not have let him play. Stop letting bigots hide behind their cherry-picked religion. Do better. https://t.co/WTnqibGsXj

— Rachael Millanta (@rachaelmillanta) January 18, 2023

I had no idea who Ivan Provorov was before today, but he should be fired from the Fliers and deported.

— Hot Boar Dad (@DJ_Digipig) January 20, 2023

It’s funny, when asked about his country’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine, Ivan Provorov said “My opinion is none of your guys business.”

Should have kept it that way on pride night, you authoritarian loving bigot.

— GORT E. HOWE (@OhMaseyMase) January 18, 2023

But it was NHL Network analyst E.J. Hradek who took the shame-hyperbole to new heights.

“Ivan Provorov can get on a plane any day he wants and go back to a place where he feels more comfortable, take less money, and get on with his life that way if it’s that problematic for him,” Hradek said. “If this is that much of a problem for him to maybe assimilate into his group of teammates and in the community and here in this country; that’s OK. Listen, you can feel any way you want, but the beauty is, if it bothers you that much, there’s always a chance to leave. Go back where you feel more comfortable. I understand there’s a conflict going on over there; maybe get involved.”

Watch EJ Hradek on @NHLNetwork become unhinged reacting to #FueledByPhilly Ivan Provorov, who chose not to wear an LGBTQ pride uniform because of religious beliefs.

Hradek suggests Provorov should return to Russia, and fight in the war against Ukraine.

pic.twitter.com/doOCUoXyhG

— Sideline the Agenda (@SidelineAgenda) January 19, 2023

What? Did he just basically say, if Provorov doesn’t want to conform (I’m sorry, “assimilate”), he can “get on a plane” to go back where he came from and go fight in a war?

I mean, E.J. just went with some full-on, good ol’ fashioned, Archie Bunker, Nixon-era “America! Love it or leave it” jingoism, didn’t he?

Whoops. It’s the NHL, so Canada is involved here too. “(North) America. Love it or leave it!”

Tsk-tsk, E.J. That’s not very “inclusive,” is it?

Ironic, given that inclusion and tolerance were the themes of the Pride Night festivities in the first place. I thought we were supposed to believe that the “closed-minded” conservative right were the only people who lived by the credo of “think like us or get out of our country!”

Dangit! I did it again. “Think like us or get out of our continent.” That better?

Hey, didn’t Don Cherry just get fired from Sportsnet a few years ago for essentially playing the “if you don’t like it here, you can get out” card?

The answer is, yes, he did.

What a 180-degree socio-political flip this is, eh? But because Hradek’s intolerance for Provorov’s intolerance comes from the launching pad of perceived political correctness, he’s allowed to spit whatever hot take he wants without reprisal, I suppose.

I just wonder if Hradek or the NHL Network felt the same way about all of the National Anthem protests a few years ago. Should Colin Kaepernick have just continued to “assimilate” with the rest of his teammates? I didn’t hear Hradek telling Kaepernick or any other kneeling athletes to get on a plane and leave the country back then.

Not like the NHL Network would still be employing him if he had. Ask Cherry.

So, explain the rules to me. Kaepernick was a conscious objector because he refused to stand for a song, but Provorov should get deported and castigated because he didn’t skate with a rainbow stick?

Do I have that right? Anybody else see a tinge of inconsistency there?

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Personally, I disagreed with Kaepernick’s execution of his protest. I thought conflating an important effort to raise awareness about police brutality and social justice with a national symbol like the Star-Spangled Banner muddied his message and sidetracked the dialogue.

Similarly, I disagree with Provorov’s stance (and/or allegedly that of the Russian Orthodox Church), that he can’t show acceptance of people who have a different gender identity or sexual orientation.

But those are just my opinions. And I’m allowed to express them here in this space. And you can express yours on social media. And those two men should be allowed to express theirs in their places of business if they feel as if their principles are being compromised.

After all, we are still (at least for now) in what remains of America (and Canada). Places where freedom of expression and opinion used to be embraced.

We aren’t in — and here’s an irony-bomb for Mr. Hradek — Russia, where such things are often suppressed.

I wonder if Provorov is scratching his head over that flip of the script. I sure am.

The Provorov-Kaepernick juxtaposition is an indication of why the (North) American “Left versus Right” culture war is never going to end.

The reason why is that this is the only war in history that both sides agree exists, but neither side admits to being engaged in the fight. Each side just constantly accuses the other side of starting every battle, while they claim to be innocent bystanders.

And common sense is always the victim.