Bruins React to Racist Tweets Directed at P.K. Subban
By Duncan Day
Jun 11, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Boston Bruins head coach Claude Julien (right) , general manager Peter Chiarelli (middle) and president Cam Neely are interviewed during media day in preparation for game one of the 2013 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Racist Tweets Following Bruins’ Loss
P.K. Subban was one of the main reasons the Bruins lost in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the TD Garden. He’s an excellent hockey player, and his talent was obvious last night, tallying two goals in a 4-3 victory for the Montreal Canadiens.
Some fans reacted terribly to Subban’s success, spouting insensitive remarks via Twitter that had little or no relevance to the actual game being played.
Here are a portion of the tweets, and warning, they are very explicit.
Reactions from Chiarelli, Neely, and Chara
“The racist, classless views expressed by an ignorant group of individuals following Thursday’s game via digital media are in no way a reflection of anyone associated with the Bruins organization,” Bruins president Cam Neely said in a statement, based on a report from NESN.com.
Bruins’ coach Claude Julien also weighed in on the situation.
“I share the thoughts of Cam and the organization. It’s just poor judgment, poor taste, and we don’t associate ourselves with people like that,” coach Claude Julien said.
“People who act that way are not what we call our fans. They may think they are, but we certainly don’t support that. It’s a shame that this is still going around in this day and age that people are still thinking that way. For us, it’s a shame. As I mentioned, it’s certainly not getting our support on that one.”
Zdeno Chara had similar thoughts.
“It’s very disappointing,” Chara said. “There’s no room in the game for these kind of comments or Twitter (comments), for sure. It’s not anything to do with our organization or the way we feel. P.K. is obviously a very good player and the face of the Montreal Canadiens organization, and for sure, very disappointing. Like I said, there’s no room for comments or action like this in any kind of game or sports or anywhere else.”
Any sensible Bruins’ fans would agree with the Zee, Julien and Neely. That sort of behavior shouldn’t be tolerated in any situations, and is an unfortunate reflection upon fans of Boston’s beloved squad.