Gary Bettman says 'Katy Perry' chants aren't sexist
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman caused some social media fireworks on Friday.
Bettman addressed a variety of issues at a meeting with sports editors and reporters in New York, and was asked specifically about Winnipeg Jets fans using a "Katy Perry" chant to taunt Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks.
Bettman says he doesn’t see Katy Perry chant as sexist. “Is it any different than when a player… is booed every time he touches the puck?”
— Jesse Spector (@jessespector) April 24, 2015
Sharon Terlep of the Wall Street Journal expands:
Bettman said the NHL has a track record of "diversity, inclusiveness and doing the right thing." He noted the league has a bigger female fan base compared to other professional leagues.
He likened the "Katy Perry" insult to calling a goalie a "sieve."
Another reporter, Sarah Kwak of Sports Illustrated, noted that "sieves don’t have feelings."
"You don’t see how taunting a player by calling them a woman could be sexist?," she said.
"I see the point but I don’t think it’s overly literal. Short of gagging everyone who comes to a game I’m not sure we can stifle that," he said.
The commissioner soon became a trending topic on Twitter, with decidedly negative feedback being expressed from all corners of the hockey world.