An Awkward Analysis - It's Time For Change

You know what folks, having to bring up this issue, as a result of an ice hockey game, pains me more than the 2 losses to Nottingham and I don't think I am the only one with that view either.

This shouldn't even have to be something that is discussed as a result of what was an incredibly fantastic game of hockey yesterday. Unfortunately, here we are.

The game last night was beyond incredible. A visiting side looking to bounce back after a horror show the night before, comes out flying with a point to prove, and rapidly takes a 2-0 lead in a building where they have struggled to perform against the home side in several recent contests there.

You then had the home side come out with a point to prove in the second period and do all they could to get back into the game, and to their credit is exactly what they did. They made the game more interesting after 2 periods by only being a single goal behind and then late on they tied it up to force overtime, before going on to win the game in the extra frame (even if the officials messed up with rule 115 part 5, as to how many players should have been on the ice) but that isn't the issue or the talking point here.

It's the comment made by Gary Moran that is what is rapidly becoming the talking point.

Now don't get me wrong, I can't say I fault him for wanting making a joke at the expense of the opposition and their fans etc. Heck, some of us Steelers fans do it all the time to Nottingham and to be completely honest we all do it to each others clubs over the course of a season. That is where the term "banter" comes in. The issue here is the manner in which it was done and what in particular it referred to, and that is where it removes any protection from the word "banter". The subject used? Mental health.

Now, personally speaking, I more than welcome healthy discussions and debates about mental health. It's something that I think needs to be looked at more seriously. Not just as someone that has many friends that it effects in various ways, but also as someone that has at times in the past, and occasionally in the present day, struggles with first hand.

I don't for one second believe Gary Moran will have meant to have caused any offense to anybody by referring to it. The fact is, he has done. It's one of those occasions where someone has said something without fully thinking about what they are saying. We've all done it. I know I'm guilty of it.

Whether you like it or not, Gary Moran has overstepped a line here. Some of you will think he hasn't, and that's fair enough, but to anyone that suffers directly from mental illness, or knows someone that is struggling with mental illness, they will very much think he has and if you look at social media, you can be damn sure he has left some people feeling very much insulted and belittled.

Another side issue to this whole situation, is yet again we have somebody high up, in a professional sports club, making a poorly judged comment. It's not the first time it has happened. It also probably won't be the last, and the hockey fan in me really does not like the prospect of this. To be honest with you, it's not the first time I've known someone high up in the EIHL refer to mental health in a derogatory way, but I'm not going to go into that incident. The point is remarks like this can and do make some people think less of themselves, more so than they already do and from a sports image perspective it can make a person think less of a club and even the sport itself. It's something I have brought up before in past articles I have written.

Now, he may not see or feel like he has done anything wrong, and that's his own opinion of the situation. However, I'd like to think that if Gary Moran had a much more direct effect in his personal life in some way with regards to mental illness, such as a close friend or family member suffering in some way, then he'd probably feel quite bad about what he said and may not have even made to remark in the first place.

Whether people like it or not, mental health is a serious issue. There are no ifs or buts about it. Quite frankly, I see it as an invisible killer. It's something that can hinder someone so severely that they end up taking their own lives.

After all, do I even need to remind you that such things have effected past professional ice hockey players in the EIHL alone? Just try and tell the family of Wade Belak that the remark was purely just "banter".

Mental health is something much more serious than I feel a lot of people realise, and I know I'm not the only one that has this opinion.

There are many people out there that suffer, some more than others. Some suffer occasionally. Some suffer daily. It has varying levels of effect on people and there are varying ways in which it can effect someone. It is something that needs addressing. It is something that needs positives being done with regards to it, not the contrary.

Remarks like those made by Gary Moran last night only add fuel to the fire and do harm to those that are suffering first hand. It shows that even people that are meant to be professionals in their line of work can still be oblivious to the harm that their comments and actions can do to a wider audience.

Something needs to change. Peoples views on mental health as a whole need to change. They need to understand that this is a much bigger issue than what is currently known. Like I've said before, it can be invisible in a lot of cases, but it will only be invisible if nothing is done to help expose it and then help those that it effects, on whatever level it effects them.

It IS an illness. It IS a killer. There is simply no other way to put it.

Do I think Gary Moran should release a quick statement apologising for what he said? Absolutely. Do I think we will get one? Heck no. Sadly, what's done is done. We can't change the past. What we CAN do though is change the future.

I know Gary Moran himself does plenty of charity work behind the scenes. Maybe as a way of making up for what he said, mental health is something he should do some public charity work towards.

Even better would be to see the EIHL do something to put a positive spin on this whole situation. I'd like to see them get behind the good causes that do their best to help people with mental health issues.

Let's turn this negative into something positive and use this situation into a platform for helping people it effects right now and into the future, not only within the hockey community, but beyond it also.

Let's be a difference maker to those that need our help especially those that need it right now.

IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE.

Aside from all of this, I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas and holiday period and I hope all have a very happy new year.

I'll see you next time folks.

Alan
@FrozenSteelMNL

Find us on Twitter:
@FrozenSteelBlog
@TomWalkeden
@FrozenSteelMNL
@Hockeybhoy
@RatedRDG


Join the conversation on the Frozen Steel Forum

Or Like us on Facebook and talk about it on there.