More Sports Talk: Perception vs. Facts

As a topic of discussion, a local sports radio show took on a long known perception about Europeans - and Russians in particular - that don't play hockey as hard as North Americans. Mind you, not so long ago the same argument was directed at Quebec born players. When the chips are down or when backs are pinned against the wall, Russians are apparently not the go-to guys in the dressing room. Ah, mad geniuses are always misunderstood!

Fans began to call in. To be sure, none were outrageous in their comments but the idea of what passes as 'facts' and what is a perception were somewhat off.

First, I've noticed a subtle double standard. Most people were calling in to support his position by saying he was '100% right.'

How is it that he was '100% right' for bringing such a topic up but Don Cherry is a 'racist' for tackling the exact same issue through the years?

The word of the day was clearly 'facts.' As in, the 'facts' are in and 'face the facts.' I ask, what facts? Present me FACTS. 'It's a known fact' is not necessarily factual. It's a combo of hearsay and perceptions. We may be convinced of what we are seeing but it doesn't necessarily mean it's right.

No one doubts that Russian and Czech players are mercurial. That they do seem to be disinterested at times. Maybe it's a cultural trait. Boston Red Sox fans get all worked up when Manny Ramirez seems a tad too relaxed during games.

Look, I know North Americans play with heart but just don't tell me Russians or Latins or whoever are not committed to winning.

I can't help but wonder if we impress upon others our idea (read 19th century Protestant ethics. If not, Calvinist) of hard work and dedication. To us, if we don't go nuts and shout 'raw,raw,raw!' we're not trying. Not everyone is like this. It's indeed often a cultural thing.

Another example is that here we believe in 'no pain, no gain.' By comparison, in the Orient, there is no need to put the body through punishment to attain perfection in the body. Diff'rent strokes, for diff'rent folks.

I wonder also if the NBA will ever get into such a discussion. So far, judging from the play of Nash, Nowitzki, Ming and Ginobili probably not. I don't see why it's such an issue with NHL fans. The odd thing is that the NHL has been welcoming international players longer than any pro league in North America and yet we still hammer away at this.

Part of the problem (and there so many) may lie in something else. There's a huge difference between how European players learn hockey and how NHL coaches expect them to play. They play one way all their lives and suddenly are asked to play 3rd line with some North American hack artist. Or that they have to play defensively. Or not so long ago, were asked to dump the puck and give away possession. Europeans were all about puck possession and artistry. Obviously it was a clash of ideas.

Such a discussion reminds me of the corruption index published in 'The Economist.' So many factors come into play. For example, corruption is in the eye of the beholder.

How we choose to assess corruption is largely based on how we view other cultures. Hence, it becomes 'racist' in its implications.

In a way, we are every bit the 'racist' as Cherry by this logic in discussing this topic without gathering all the facts.

Yes. My point is that we need to be presented REAL FACTS and HARD EVIDENCE and this is difficult to do with such a topic. It wasn't inappropriate to bring it up. However, it takes a careful analytical and thoughtful mind to deal with the nuances.

Feel free to talk about it. Just don't tell me it's 'fact.'