Yesterday, on January 17, 2023, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov decided not to participate in the team's pregame warmup because he did not want to wear the team’s Pride Night-themed warmup jersey. Regarding his decision, he stated, "I respect everyone. I respect everybody’s choices. My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion." Otherwise, Provorov declined to answer additional questions.
Regarding the event, the team provided the following statement:
"The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community."
Moreover, coach John Tortorella provided his perspective, stating, "With [Provorov], he’s being true to himself and to his religion. This has to do with his belief and his religion. It’s one thing I respect about Provy, he’s always true to himself. And so that’s where I am with that."
Now, to provide my opinion...
I don't care about a person's beliefs nor what they do in the privacy of their home. That's none of my business. That said, when away from the rink, stand up for your beliefs, whatever they may be. Conversely, when at the rink, focus on hockey; what I care about there is what they do on the ice.
With that out of the way, if an individual has the courage to stand up to a mob when their beliefs are challenged, it shows a lot about the fortitude of that person. It is the kind of attitude/personality that I would want a teammate to have because I know that he would not falter at the least bit of adversity. This is what Provorov has demonstrated.
All this to say: Who is to judge? Surely not the mob! And where do the mobs go before, during, and after the games? That is, who can you blame for feeding all of this woke, politically correct virtue signalling? Of course, blame it on fast foods!
- B. J. T. Pepin