Keep politics out of sports.

The NHL, multiple teams and several players each received both praise and criticism for not wearing LGBTQ jerseys during Pride Night warmups.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman now plans to remove all “distractions” and said players will not wear LGBTQ-themed jerseys on the ice.

“I suggested that it would be appropriate for clubs not to change their jerseys during warm-up because it would be a distraction and all our clubs would in some way or another celebrate different groups and causes at night. And we want them to continue to get the right attention they deserve, not the distractions,” Bettmann said. sports net at Thursday’s NHL board meeting.

The announcement, made during Pride Month, comes on the heels of a wave of criticism lashing out at the league for not making the LGBTQ community feel welcome at the games, a move Bettmann said was a “concern.” ’ was labeled as ‘legitimate’.

“But ultimately all the effort and emphasis on the importance of these different courses is undermined by distractions in terms of which team, which player, and thus we have the game and the “We’re going to focus on the cause every night,” Bettmann said.

Bettmann said pride nights and other traditional celebrations will remain.

“It’s going to be a night like that. …The only difference is not to change jerseys to warm up, because that would really just distract from the nature of the night’s purpose.” Bettmann said.

Bettmann added that the LGBTQ jerseys are both designed and sold and can be “modeled” by players if they so choose.

“It’s really just a question of what’s on the ice,” Bettmann said.

NHL officially discontinues PRIDE night jersey

Bettmann: ‘They are a distraction’pic.twitter.com/ReX6QVMbpy

— Pleb 🇨🇦 Reporter (@truckdriverpleb) June 22, 2023

Politics and sports have never, and never will, mix well. Here’s another example.

Gary Bettman is right. Regardless of what you think about the LGBTQ+ community, you have to agree that jerseys are nothing more than a distraction. Personally, I’m just pushing hard to keep politics out of sports. I can not stand it. Seriously, when I’m in the mood for politics, I read the Daily Caller or watch Fox News or whatever. Why the need for extra political content when you’re just trying to sit back and have a beer and watch the game? (Related: It rains, it rains! PETA claims it cut Clydesdale’s tailbone, calls on FIFA to stop Budweiser)

I don’t And Bettmann, thankfully, understands that—for the most part, anyway.