Amid the tragedy that has unfolded in the past week in Haiti, the major sports leagues and their teams are stepping up and doing their part by donating money towards relief efforts. Definitely a very classy gesture.
A quick rundown:
NFL: $1 million
NBA: $1 million
MLB: $1 million
Hmm. Looks like a definite pattern. Let’s see what the NHL is doing. “The catastrophe in Haiti requires an urgent response from the National Hockey League family,” Bettman said. “The victims need food, water, temporary housing and basic medical supplies, and the emergency effort by UNICEF is helping to provide those critical commodities to communities in desperate need.” Sounds good. And so how much did the NHL contribute?
NHL: $100,000
Honestly, I had to read the news article a few times to make sure I wasn’t missing a zero somewhere. Now I know that the poor NHL is by no means rich like the other leagues, how the NHL suffers under lousy TV contracts, how the US cable networks all but ignore hockey until the playoffs, how the NHL is on the back pages of major US dailies, behind high school sports. How it must pain Bettman as he sips his $6 latte and ponders the enormity of running a league which probably ranks just below bowling on US television ratings.
Mr. Bettman, please wake up and get a grip. There are more people dead in Haiti right now than dollars given by the NHL. There are 300,000 homeless people in Port-au-Prince alone. The daily water demand is 6 to 12 million gallons (enough to fill about 18 Olympic sized pools). This is a country that before Tuesday’s earthquake, was the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. More than half of the total population of 9 million people lived on less than $1 per day, even before the earthquake. The numbers should make you stop and think. It is staggering. And incredibly sad at the same time. This is not about how insignificant Haiti is to the NHL. It is about helping out because you can.
The NHL’s contribution is 10% that of the other leagues. While NHL teams, players and owners do fundraising on their own, other notable donations are pouring in:
Tiger Woods: $3 million
Sandra Bullock: $1 million
Madonna: $250,000
Lance Armstrong: $250,000
Please. Stop embarassing the NHL and all that hockey stands for. Stop embarassing the teams, the owners and the players. Stop embarassing the fans. The NHL’s contribution is just short of insulting.
And finally, for those who might disagree with me, I concede it is tacky to criticize the amount of money donated by anybody. Yes, I know the NHL could have done nothing. Yes, I know the NHL has donated more than I, for example. This is certainly not a contest to see who gives the most. It is about doing what is right, what is decent, what is human.
Gary, please do what is right. Show some class.
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We’re not THAT poor, wtf? This is just insulting to the game itself, we claim that hockey players are the classiest athletes in the world, and most are so the league needs to step up and represent those players fairly. Please tell me this doesnt include the donations for the individual teams as well
** nvm thank god the individual teams are stepping up
Seriously, this is getting really embarassing. A single team has found a way to raise more money (along with generous fans – http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=514276 ).
And now let’s pile on the sarcasm:
http://www.sportspickle.com/article:573/haiti-to-donate-1-million-to-the-nhl
This is by far the most stupid post I have read on this blog.
It amuses me how people start caring when shit goes down. When media blasts us with images and sad stories. Guess what? Many parts of the world are filled with poverty and despair. Giving money now that you’ve been moved just goes to show the sheep like mentality of people.
Do you even know who you are donating to? Do you get a warm and fuzzy feeling when mega corporations donate $$, only to reap major profits when they sell their goods. Rebuilding from natural disasters is big business.
So really, let us stop the pony show and sudden urge to help because of the stuff we are shown. When we weren’t shown stuff, it was still damn bad but nobody gave two shits.
But back to the point of the post, again hockey fans show their insecurity and want to measure up to others. It’s pathetic.
Maybe you can help me, Fly. I was wondering when I last came to your site and ripped your posts? I’m all for disagreements, but coming to our site to tell us how stupid a blog is (among other stupid articles, of course) is fairly rude. Even for a Canucks fan… Tell me, how is Heated Skates doing? You know, with all the non-stupid posts and everything?
I like your blog. This post was dumb. Why bash the NHL for donating less $$ than the other leagues? That logic is beyond me.
btw, to answer your question Heated Skates is dead. Maybe you guys could start a donation campaign for me?
Fly, I take exception to your comments re “the most stupid post” on this blog.
I’m pretty sure I’ve written even more stupid things on this blog. You need to know that I don’t get paid by stayclassy.net to write smart things. Come to think of it, I don’t get paid at all.
What? Baxter, is this more a shot at me?? Keep that up and I’ll find a way to pay you even less!!! :P
Wow – seriously?
OK – re: the article. Yes, compared to other major professonal sports, the NHL falls short on revenue, but $100K seems a little light. I can’t fathum the math that resulted in that figure. Is it a percentage of their revenue? Anyone know?
I have no idea what The Fly’s point it. Are you saying we shouldn’t donate now because we didn’t donate before the earthquake? Because we didn’t donate before the quake, we shouldn’t help to provide water, food and medical supplies to prevent more death and disease?
It’s not news that the country was poor before the earthquake. The Canadian Goverment (as well as individuals) have been donating to Haiti (and other desperate countries) for years/decades. Hence the UNICEF commercials you see all year long on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The images and publicity seen since the quake is to bring water, food and medical supplies to the survivors and to help rebuild the little they had before the quake (hospitals, schools, orphanages etc).
As for natual disasters being “big business”. I’m sure there are some companies/corporations that will make a profit to provide materials or service. But, I challenge to you compare that to the amount of companies that donate materials, services and man-power to the rebuilding of Haiti and other natural disasters victims.
Stay Classy everyone…
Hedger