John Vanbiesbrouck incident in ’03

[Bear-Arms]

This is my first time hearing about this, so I thought I'd post it here.

Mar. 21, 2003

Former NHL goalie John Vanbiesbrouck is stepping down as coach and general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after admitting he used a racial slur to describe a black player.

This article is provided courtesy of our partner BlackAthlete.com




NEW YORK, NY---Former NHL goalie John Vanbiesbrouck is stepping down as coach and general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds after admitting he used a racial slur to describe a black player.

Greyhounds captain Trevor Daley quit the Ontario Hockey League team and returned home to Toronto on Saturday after being told that Vanbiesbrouck used the slur while talking to other players.

"I used the 'N' word instead of calling him Trevor," Vanbiesbrouck, who owns 25 percent of the team, told the Sault Ste. Marie Star on Sunday. "I used it just not thinking.

"It's a mistake and consequences have to be paid by me. Trevor's not wrong in this thing. ... I've embarrassed everybody and my family by this one comment. It's not what they represent and it's not what the Sault Greyhounds organization represents."

Vanbiesbrouck said he'll resign as early as Monday, while the 19-year-old Daley - a second-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars - is scheduled to meet with OHL commissioner Dave Branch on Monday.

Vanbiesbrouck, who finished his 20-year NHL career last season with the New Jersey Devils, made the racial slurs Friday night while visiting the home of players Mike Amodeo and Jeff Doyle after a 6-1 loss to Guelph.

Vanbiesbrouck admitted he used the slur "more than once."

"I told Trev this is an old wound with me," Vanbiesbrouck said. "I grew up with it. I'm as sorry as anybody that it's stuck with me. I don't think I've used the word or even thought about it ..."

Bobby Orr, the Hall of Famer player who represents Daley, said he was disgusted by the incident. Orr said as soon as Daley told him of the slur, he instructed Daley to "go home."

"I think like most people, when you hear racial slurs like that, it made me sick," Orr said. "I know Trevor Daley and Trevor's one of our kids and he's a wonderful young man and there's no place for racial slurs like that anywhere, any time."

Orr said he was not sure if Daley will return to the team.

SO NOW John Vanbiesbrouck is out of hockey after using the ultimate racial slur to defame Trevor Daley, the 19-year-old captain of the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He is no longer that junior team's coach, director of hockey operations or part-owner; no longer a credible candidate for employment by an NHL team. This is as it should be. But this was more than a difficult week for Vanbiesbrouck, now shamed for life, or until Mark Fuhrman's publicist is able to parlay the incident into a major book deal and tour of the cable shows. This was a terrible week for Daley, a young person of grace and humanity. And one not much better for hockey. Where did the rage and ignorance originate, and how was it nourished through a gilded career of riches and fame that made Vanbiesbrouck a sports hero in New York and Miami? It's not what was or wasn't in Vanbiesbrouck's head; it's what was (and apparently is) in his heart that's so frightening to contemplate. A racist among us? Safe to say, yes; that word cannot be a slip of the tongue; it cannot be used by accident. The question that cannot be answered is: How many others lurk among us? How many others have dressed in the same room with Daley, a defenseman who was selected in the second round of last year's entry draft by Dallas? How many more still dress in rooms with Anson Carter, Manny Malhotra, Jason Doig and Jarome Iginla? This isn't about Vanbiesbrouck. This is about the damage done to Daley. This is about light being shined in places we'd rather not believe exist, but obviously do. The NHL conducts an educational diversity seminar program for all its personnel and it reaches out to minorities across the continent with aggressive and creative campaigns of inclusion. The great and gracious Willie O'Ree and his staff never stop. And now we see why: There is always more work to be done. Because you never know what's inside someone's heart.

http://www.blackwebportal.com/wire/DA.cfm?ArticleID=1220

 

[Don Wassall]

This was CF's take on it at the time:


(3/20/03) John Vanbiesbrouck, whose 20-year NHL career as a goalie ended last year, resigned as coach and general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, after using the "n-word" to describe one of his players in a private conversation. He also plans to sell his 25 percent ownership interest in the team. The black player Vanbiesbrouck referred to, Trevor Daley, the captain of the team, quit after hearing of Vanbiesbrouck's slur. Daley was expected to return to the team after Vanbiesbrouck's resignation from the team. A memo is posted in every team's locker room stating the league's policy on taunting, abuse and racial and ethnic slurs. Vanbiesbrouck made his remarks after a 6-1 Greyhounds loss while visiting the residence of players Mike Amodeo and Jeff Doyle. Apparently one of those two players was so offended by what Vanbiesbrouck said that he felt compelled to in effect end Vanbiesbrouck's association with the team. It is obvious from media reports that surface from time to time that some blacks in the NBA and NFL utter anti-white slurs both on and off the field of play, but are never punished for them, in fact are rarely even castigated by the media for them, but whites get no slack, even for "politically incorrect" comments made in a private conversation at someone's home.

 

[white is right]

I remember this incident. What I dont understand is why Beeser wasn't given a second chance? Or even given a suspension. I in no condone this or racial slurs against natives(just as common). But Beeser did alot of for the game and if anybody deserved the benefit of the doubt it's him....

 

[white is right]

He's back for now the Beeser was hired as a colour anlayst for OLN. He may not last as there could be a PC groundswell against the hiring. The only benefit for him could be that hockey in the US is so low on the radar that the media circus may not develop out of the hiring....

 

[Bear-Arms]

Good news, I miss watching him play, so this is the next best thing.