Brent Seabrook of the Chicago Blackhawks received a three-game suspension for his rough hit against David Backes of the St. Louis Blues in game two of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Seabrook’s shoulder collided with Backes’ head and Backes struggled to get back on his feet after the hit.
He will not play game three after suffering an upper-body injury.
I’m a Blues fan, but regardless, the hit was dirty. Backes did not have control of the puck and Seabrook left his feet to make the hit.
After the hit, a microphone caught audio of a player supposedly saying “Wakey, wakey, Backes,” after he fell to the ice.
Worse words have probably been exchanged between athletes, but the fact that this comment was heard on tape has caused uproar amongst fans.
The worst part of this comment and situation is what Blackhawks fans have done since.
A T-shirt has popped up for sale online with the quote “Wakey, wakey, Backes,” across the front.
The fact that someone is selling a shirt for $17 that is ridiculing a potential brain injury is inappropriate.
Whatever happened between players on the ice is one thing, but the Blackhawk fans making and selling T-shirts of the situation isn’t rival fun between teams; it’s tasteless.
Hard hits happen in hockey all the time, but when a player could have seriously been injured by the play, a T-shirt is not the way to express your thoughts on whether or not the call was fair.
You don’t see T-shirts being made every time a team doesn’t like a call made against them, so why should this situation be any different?
Reach the columnist at Megan.Kavy@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @meggiekavy
