Avery, Sean

For the uninitiated, Sean Avery was an NHL player who is best described as troubled. His hockey skills are fairly significant - he wasn't the top player in the league or even among the elite, but he possessed enough skill to belong and to be a major contributor to a team. Part of his game was being a bit of a pest. He would hit and antagonise and fight and generally get under people's skin. That is not necessarily a bad thing, and combined with a scoring touch (which he had), he could be a very valuable player. His problem was that he had very little discipline or self-control. He would push the line, then cross it without seeming regard for the consequences. He would take dumb penalties at inappropriate times. He would push lines that, though not illegal per se, were unsportsmanlike (such as ignoring the play and standing in front of the goalie, waving his stick around - not illegal, but not accepted either).
He would also shoot off his mouth off the ice as well. Being a firebrand like that off the ice is a tough part to play, but not necessarily a bad one. He wanted to be seen as 'the villain', as a player that could be marketed as a bit of a bad boy, one that could be booed, all in good fun. In some ways, it was as though he wanted to be a wrestler. But if it had been done carefully and properly, it might have been good for the game, spread the word a bit more, get a few more people watching. However, he was not quite able to pull it off, and instead he ended up making comments that were almost unanimously seen as being in extremely bad taste and he was suspended by the league and is now playing in the AHL (the minor leagues) and may never return to the NHL. I think that the comments (google it, you'll find them) weren't necessarily bad enough to warrant that sort of punishment on their own, but they were piled upon his previous comments and actions and the whole mess came crashing down around him.
What I find interesting is the reaction and coverage he has received in the media since then. After being suspended, he was enrolled in the NHL's "Behavioural Modification Program" (that's what they actually call it). He has shown remorse for his actions and comments and a desire to change. Now that he is done the BMP and he is back playing hockey, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to change.
Here's what I find most interesting and irritating about the whole situation, though. In every story I hear about Avery (and if you pay any attention to sports in this country, then you will continue to hear plenty of stories about him - love him or hate him, he is a story that people seem to want to know about)(or that the media wants to cover, anyway), in every story the person will say that Avery deserves a second chance because everyone deserves a second chance. They will say that, and then proceed to talk about how Avery is never going to change, that he is a lost cause, that there is no way he deserves to play in the NHL again, that he is not worth any time or effort anymore, that they wish he would just go away. No one in the media is giving this guy a chance to prove himself. Now I agree that he is basically on his last chance, at least as far as hockey is concerned. Whatever is causing his problems is not going to just magically disappear, so if he is not willing to fully grapple with said problems then it would be best for him and for the league if he just stepped away from the game. But I think we need to see if he can change, if he can start to make smart decisions. But all you hear in the media is different ways of dragging him down. There is no support there, no optimism or hope. They have given up on him and don't mind telling everyone that he is a lost cause. It might not bug me so much if they didn't always say that he deserves a second chance before proceeding to state why they don't think he deserves said chance, or why he is definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, going to blow said second chance.
I hope, for Avery's sake, that he has found people he can trust, that he can lean on when he feels the urge to fall back on old habits and ways of thinking. I hope he has someone, or a few someones, who are telling him to ignore the media. I hope he shows everyone how wrong they were to dismiss him so callously. And I hope the media either leaves him alone, or stops being so hypocritical. If you hate the guy, fine. Tell us you don't like him. Tell us you don't think he deserves a second chance and that you want him to fail. But don't tell us that you think he deserves another chance and then, without pausing for breath, tell us that he doesn't. If he deserves a chance, then give him that chance. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Watch and scrutinise if you must, but don't be so two faced about it.

All of that to say, I updated Grasp the Nettle again.