Ontario, Canada-based Uptown Sports Management, who represents a number of NHL players including Andrew Brunette, Cody McCormick, Chris Neil, Mike Fisher and Carlo Colaiacovo, slammed New York Ranger Sean Avery publicly on TWITTER for getting involved and supporting marriage equality in New York
Todd Reynolds, Uptown Sports Management’s Vice President and son of the owner, is in charge of the agency’s Twitter feed
Reynolds spoke on TSN Radio 1050 and gave this statement:
“There’s certainly a voice for the other side on this particular issue. I was merely responding to be the other voice. I believe in standing up for what you believe in. I’m passionate about what I believe in. And I believe in morality and I believe in right and wrong. I know many people with different view points for what is right and wrong.
But I’m a little disappointed in some of the response. If you oppose a viewpoint, you’re immediately targeted by some people as a hater, a bigot, intolerant, homophobic and many other terms. That’s obviously not the case for people who know me. … I don’t hate anyone. And I’m certainly not a bigot. But I believe in marriage between one man and one woman. It’s a social debate that’s raged on for quite some time. In Canada and the U.S. it’s a hot-button topic right now. I guess maybe it was how I was raised. I believe in voicing your opinion and not being part of the silent majority.
Unfortunately for Todd, not long afterwards Don Reynolds, Todd’s father and President of Uptown Sports showed that there was good reason to target them as a haters, a bigots, intolerant, homophobics by giving an interview in which he stands by his son’s tweet, and then compares same-sex marriage to bestiality:
“It’s sad. I mean, my personal position is that I do not support gay marriage, and I think it’s wrong, as well. It’s not politically correct to, I guess, give your opinion about a thing like that. It’s politically correct on the other side, for people to say, ‘sure, I support gay marriage.’ But the majority, I think, of Canadians would say that they don’t agree with gay marriage – that man and woman were created to be married, not man and man or man and horse, you know?”
Incredible.
OutSports is now reporting that sports agents and hockey professionals are also coming out in support of Avery and against Uptown Sports including Agent Andrew Warren and NHL Star Paul Bissonette:
Warren: I absolutely would support any client, friend, or family member who came out. I believe that public support of gay rights in sports will make it easier for those in the world of sports that may want to come out able to do so without apprehension or fear. As a friend of Patrick’s, I supported and respected his brother Brendan for leaving an important mark on this issue and I hope more of us in this field continue to develop an environment that is welcoming to everyone
PAUL BISSONNETTE:
.Change.org has created a petition demanding Uptown Sports apologize. But to me that’s not enough. I call upon all right minded NHL players to leave this agency because of their blatant bigotry and hate. And I also ask that everyone email Don Reynolds, President of Uptown Sports and give this douche a good old fashioned cybercheck into reality —-> don@uptownsports.ca
