Sean Avery's Stand

When one thinks of Sean Avery, certain images come to mind. Agitator. Instigator. Pest. He was once suspended by the NHL back in December of 2008 for talking about how other NHL players were dating his ex's, referring to them as 'sloppy seconds'. He has led the NHL in penalty minutes twice, and has been called the most hated player in the NHL by his opponents.

Yet, as controversial as Avery may be on the ice, he has made an even bigger splash off the ice recently. Avery has recently become one of the few pro athletes to support gay marriage, having recorded a video in support of the New Yorkers for Marriage Equality campaign. In the video, Avery appears in a white shirt and glasses, saying "I'm Sean Avery and I'm a New Yorker for marriage equality. I treat everyone the way I expect to be treated and that applies to marriage." There are also two clips of Avery in Rangers gear, during the video.

Naturally, this has met with some backlash. Agent Todd Reynolds, vice-president of the Uptown Hockey management group, tweeted that he was "very sad to read Sean Avery's misguided support of same-gender "marriage". Legal or not, it will always be wrong." He then went on to say that while his views have nothing to do with any perceived bigotry or hatred, that this is his personal viewpoint.

Views like the ones voiced by Reynolds probably have a lot to do with why there has yet to be an openly gay player in any of the four major American sports. Several players have come out after their playing careers, notably John Amaechi and Esera Tuaolo, but even then this is a rarity. This appears to be more due to the locker room stigma of being labelled as homosexual than anything else, as statistics would lead one to believe that there are more gay athletes.

This is not a political or social blog, and it is not intended to be. This is a sports blog, pure and simple. Personal views on the topic of gay marriage have nothing to do with this article, or why this topic was selected. Regardless of how one feels about such things, Sean Avery is to be commended for taking a stand for something, regardless of how controversial it is, that he believes in. Children grow up idolizing athletes, musicians, and movie stars, and more often that not, these people behave in such a way so as to make their fans cringe at their behavior. Sean Avery, by making this stand, has proven that he is worthy of being such a role model for anyone.