Oilers GM Stan Bowman addresses a heartbreaking situation with Stuart Skinner
Photo credit: USA Today Sports
Oilers GM Stan Bowman criticized the negative effects of social media in a new interview, calling back to a heartbreaking situation with Stuart Skinner this year.
Earlier this season, Stuart Skinner's wife revealed the brutal extent of fan harassment they receive online, even leading to them hiring security. Fan pressure is one thing, but then there's fan harassment.
Oilers GM Stan Bowman calls out negative effects of social media on players
In a new interview with the 100% Hockey Podcast, Oilers GM Stan Bowman spoke about the pressure of a Canadian hockey market. Most fans are incredibly passionate and supportive of their team, but others take their criticism way too far.
I think there's tons of benefits of social media. But there are some downsides too.
There's so much emotion, and there's so much passion, but there's also sometimes just so much noise out there. And I think whereas 20 years ago there was just as much emotion and noise, but there was really no platform for these people to connect with other people that sort of felt similarly wound up.
Now, when someone yells out their window and they can connect to millions of people at one time, and even if they have no credibility and don't know what they're talking about, there's a lot of other people and that's the world we have to live with. So we can't sit here and say it's bad because there's tons of great sides to it. But I think that is the downside.
- Stan Bowman
There's so much emotion, and there's so much passion, but there's also sometimes just so much noise out there. And I think whereas 20 years ago there was just as much emotion and noise, but there was really no platform for these people to connect with other people that sort of felt similarly wound up.
Now, when someone yells out their window and they can connect to millions of people at one time, and even if they have no credibility and don't know what they're talking about, there's a lot of other people and that's the world we have to live with. So we can't sit here and say it's bad because there's tons of great sides to it. But I think that is the downside.
- Stan Bowman
Obviously, fans have the right to criticize players - and often the knowledge to point out where plays broke down. But when fans go too far into personal attacks, social media goes too far.
Bowman's comments are clearly just defending his players and responding to the heat from fans for a goalie upgrade.
TRENDING NOW
