—
Source: NHL
Summary
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman defended the US men’s hockey team after President Donald Trump talked about the women’s team during a phone call. Trump mentioned inviting the women’s team to the State of the Union address and joked that he would be impeached if he didn’t. Team members said they supported each other throughout the Olympics, and Bettman agreed. Backup goaltender Jeremy Swayman admitted the team should have reacted differently, but praised the women’s team.
Our Reading
The game followed a familiar script. The men’s team’s reactions to Trump’s comments were predictable, and the women’s team’s graciousness was expected. The brothers Hughes, Jack and Quinn, spoke highly of the women’s team, and their mother, Ellen, echoed the sentiment. Hilary Knight’s response to Trump’s comments was a “wonderful teaching point” for conversations about women.
The men’s team’s reaction was slow to develop, and it took them a while to realize they had to respond. But by the end, they were chanting “Two for two” with the women’s team. The women’s team, meanwhile, remained classy throughout, and their captain, Hilary Knight, even appeared on “Saturday Night Live” with the Hughes brothers.
It’s a familiar narrative: the men’s team stumbles, the women’s team excels, and the two teams come together in the end. And in the midst of it all, President Trump inserts himself, making a joke that falls flat.
The result wasn’t surprising by the end. The men’s team would eventually learn to navigate the situation, and the women’s team would continue to shine. But the process was familiar, and the end result was predictable.
—
Author: Evan Null
