In a situation brought to light by a Winnipeg Sun article.
An 11-year old John Tavares fan, wore his orange Islanders to see his favorite team play in Winnipeg, last tuesday night, at the MTS Centre. When you’re that young, the actions that took place leave a black eye for the Winnipeg Jets organization, and the city.
At the game while wearing his jersey, male adults (not just one), got in the face and harassed the boy with comments like, “You suck! Go home, loser!”
First off, fuck you if you’re an adult that talks trash to a young child. Whether you’re intoxicated, high, or whatever it is you do before/during games, is no excuse to get into a kids face.
Second, how did nobody see this and intervene?
Things should never get that bad at a sporting event that you have to remove your jersey for safety. But they did last Tuesday night, and not one adult confronted the assholes who got trash talked the kid.
I get that his parents took the high road, to keep some of the goons away, by not responding. But having a random intoxicated person come up to your kid, and berate him to the point where he has to take off his jersey for his safety, crosses the line.
Here’s where his childhood hero comes into play.
Tavares, who is in Toronto rehabbing, saw the story in the Winnipeg Sun, and immediately got the ball rolling, to help the young boy out.
After contacting the teams director of communications, Tavares sent a new signed jersey for the boy. And since New York does not play in Winnipeg again this season, set up a meet and greet skate and tickets for next years game.
That’s not the only gifts offered. Gifts from New York and Winnipeg have been offered to the boy, but the family has turned these gifts down.
The boys mother was happy with resolution. “It’s amazing,” she said. “It’s quite impressive that somebody who was just Jake’s hockey hero turned out to be a true-life hero for him. He really appreciates him making the effort to reach out to Jake in that way. It means a lot to him.”
Bravo John!
Don’t tease kids, words are just as bad as being physical. You don’t just make yourself look bad, you hurt the organization and the city as well.
