Bullies Getting Bullied

Credit: Logan Mailloux

The above tweets are about two NHL teams–the Carolina Hurricanes and the Montreal Canadiens–who fans across the league felt very deeply about the player selections they chose to represent their organizations. As one can tell, those selections are not ones the fans would have chosen. Many fans, especially female fans regarding the Canadiens, were extremely appalled by these choices.

Those tweets took place over the summer of 2021. And, here we are in March of 2022 and similar remarks are being made after the Trade Deadline. For example:

To be honest, it is understandable why folks would make such comments with the history of Tony DeAngelo and Max Domi being two guys who don’t seem to know how to read the room . . . or maybe they just don’t care. What they know how to do well is get under people’s skin . . . to the point their sarcasm can be seen as bullying at times. While Logan Mailloux’s issues go beyond bullying, those who felt his behavior was not a concern for the Canadiens definitely made women who took issue with it feel extremely uncomfortable.

I have learned to let individuals who feel elitist continue to make themselves look foolish. But there seems to be a trend with fans’ interaction with or about them that I find a cause of concern. My concern is that some fans seem to be behaving as poorly as some of the NHL players. For instance, Max Domi was not at the Insurrection on January 6, 2021, at the Nation’s Capitol as he was at practice for the Columbus Blue Jackets for an inter-team scrimmage.

While it’s necessary at times to mirror another’s behavior to let them know how his or her behavior has effects on others, it is even more important to make sure one does not become like one’s aggressor. In other words, fans cannot become like Domi or DeAngelo and most definitely not make the mistake that Mailloux committed.

In other words, we as fans cannot try to cancel people without cause just because we do not like their opinion and smear their names. That is bullying. What we need to do is educate these other fans and players. We need to hold them accountable. We need to build a community based upon honesty and trust where all opinions can be heard and respected but held against a moral compass to make sports and society better for all.

We cannot bully the bully. We have to motivate all to do better.