Golden Knights Statement, Game Boycott On Racial Injustice Upsets Police Union President Amid Divide Among VGK Fans
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Vegas Golden Knights have enjoyed immense popularity in Las Vegas with a rabid fan base for their three years, but the franchise’s statement on the Jacob Blake shooting in Wisconsin and VGK players joining their NHL brethren to boycott playoff games have upset the local police union and some VGK fans, too.
The Golden Knights released a strong statement on racial injustices Thursday when VGK players and other NHL players on playoff teams chose to not play Thursday and Friday in response to a Black man shot multiple times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday.
The Golden Knights return to action Saturday and Sunday with Games 3 and 4 against the Vancouver Canucks this weekend. Only a week ago, the big controversy was VGK goalie Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent posting a controversial picture on his Twitter account. Here’s the VGK team statement:
When the Knights players did not play their scheduled game against Vancouver on Thursday, it upset some fans.
VGK player Ryan Reaves, the team’s only Black player in the playoff game lineup, represented the Golden Knights with representatives from the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks at a media session Thursday when the players explained why they did not take the ice after Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was a call for unity to wipe out racism.
But the Knights players’ action and the franchise statement did not go over well with Metro Police Officer Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, who criticized the Vegas Golden Knights for making statements about the police shooting in Wisconsin without learning all the facts in the case. Here’s an excerpt from Grammas’ statement:
“It appears, to my law enforcement brothers and sisters, that the Golden Knights would rather jump on the bandwagon of attacking the police profession rather than waiting for the facts of an event to be brought to light. Watching the video of the incident in Kenosha, I myself have many questions about how the officer ended up using deadly force. Rather than immediately siding with the officer, just because he and I share the same profession, I needed to wait to get FACTS of the incident,” Grammas wrote in the statement.
LVSportsBiz.com asked the Knights to respond but didn’t get a comment back Saturday.
Here’s more from the police union chief:
Your organization is extremely quick to turn their back on law enforcement, which lends me to wonder if we have an incident in Las Vegas, where other sports groups or political parties say what the police did was wrong, with no facts, would you turn on us as well. It appears clear, the answer is yes!
When our officer was senselessly shot and paralyzed, you signed some sticks and sent them to his family. No boycott, no postponing of games. When hundreds of my officers were hit with rocks, bricks, bottles, edged weapons and even had guns fired at them, the only concern for VGK was figuring out how to finish the Stanley Cup. Again, no threat of cancelling the remainder of the season unless the violence against officers stopped.
It is clear, now, that your veiled support of the heroes of law enforcement, the same ones you praised for 1 October, is only when the media or a certain political party or other un-informed athletes tell you it is OK. That is not OK to me and it is not OK to the men and women I represent as is evident from the many texts, emails and Facebook posts that I have received.
To close, I ask that the next time VGK makes a statement about police, you all educate yourselves on the issue at hand or wait until more facts can be revealed. Nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop. — Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association
The police officer is the not the only person to not appreciate the Golden Knights’ comments and playoff boycott about the police shooting in Kenosha.
I spoke with a Golden Knights partial season ticket holder who told me he’s contacting the team to not renew his tickets because of the players’ decision to not play the playoff game.
Other fans did not like Golden Knights players Robin Lehner and Reaves taking a knee during the anthem of the Golden Knights-Dallas Stars game round-robin game earlier this month.
As a result, many fans are having heated discussions and statements on fan pages and on social media regarding the divide on this issue. Golden Knights superfan Jason Griego, known a “The Wolverine” at VGK games, observed that the Knights’ decision to pause their Stanley Cup playoff games “has brought out a significant divide between fans, and also seems to have unraveled the cohesive bond that was once created with our local police force after the Oct 1 tragedy.
“The change for equality and fair treatment that the players and teams are supporting needs to be the main focus. Unfortunately I think the perspective of supporting a person with a criminal past that was breaking the law is overshadowing the purpose of equality they’re trying to address,” Griego commented Saturday.
Lan Beyster, leader of the Vegas Golden and Silver Knights Fan Club, offered this comment to LVSportsBiz.com:
“In regards to the statement made from the president of LVMPD, he’s entitled to his view/opinions. I don’t agree. This is about racism and I’m glad the sports world have used their platforms to voice change. The Knights didn’t jump on any bandwagons. this issue(racism) has been ongoing since the George Floyd incident. ALL lives matter. ALL views/opinions matter. It’s up to each individual how they move forward with the views/opinions.”
She also posted this on her group’s Facebook page Saturday morning:
During a media session Saturday morning, VGK coach Pete DeBoer responded to the Sun’s John Emerson on the topic:
Here is the complete statement from the Las Vegas Police Protective Association to the Vegas Golden Knights
Dear Mr. Foley and the Golden Knights Hockey Team:
My name is Steve Grammas and I am a Police Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and also the President of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, which represents over 3,500 commissioned officers between LVMPD and the City of Las Vegas.
I write to you and your organization to express my disappointment in the organization and the players for their position as it relates to the recent shooting of Jacob Blake. It appears, to my law enforcement brothers and sisters, that the Golden Knights would rather jump on the bandwagon of attacking the police profession rather than waiting for the facts of an event to be brought to light. Watching the video of the incident in Kenosha, I myself have many questions about how the officer ended up using deadly force. Rather than immediately siding with the officer, just because he and I share the same profession, I needed to wait to get FACTS of the incident. What I do know, from the DOJ report, was that the suspect was wanted for 3rddegree Sexual Assault, however, as I believe the reports on this are false regarding the victim being a child. The suspect was armed with a knife, which precludes an officer from closing the distance and going hands on. Officers deployed less lethal options, twice, in an attempt to subdue the suspect. And, I did not see this cited by the DOJ but rather the suspects attorney, his 3 children were in the car. This police department does not have body worn cameras, as is reported, and so we will never have video, firsthand view of the incident or dialogue of the incident. These right now are the only facts that have been substantiated. While all of these may not amount to an officer using deadly force, it plays a part in the total outcome when all of the facts are revealed. I wonder what the opinion of the Golden Knights and their players would be if the following were or are true:
1.What if the suspect told the officers he was going to get a firearm from his car to attempt to take their lives?
2. What if the suspect said he was going back into the car in an attempt to harm the children?
3. What if the suspect was stealing the car and kidnapping the kids from the mother?
4. What if he intended on a murder/ suicide which is all too common in Domestic Violence cases?
Now I do not know if any of the above are true, but neither do you or the players of the Golden Knights. That is why it is important to wait for a full and thorough investigation to happen. Yet you all make statements, boycott playing your sport and call for more action against the police!
Your organization is extremely quick to turn their back on law enforcement, which lends me to wonder if we have an incident in Las Vegas, where other sports groups or political parties say what the police did was wrong, with no facts, would you turn on us as well. It appears clear, the answer is yes!
When our officer was senselessly shot and paralyzed, you signed some sticks and sent them to his family. No boycott, no postponing of games. When hundreds of my officers were hit with rocks, bricks, bottles, edged weapons and even had guns fired at them, the only concern for VGK was figuring out how to finish the Stanley Cup. Again, no threat of cancelling the remainder of the season unless the violence against officers stopped.
It is clear, now, that your veiled support of the heroes of law enforcement, the same ones you praised for 1 October, is only when the media or a certain political party or other un-informed athletes tell you it is OK. That is not OK to me and it is not OK to the men and women I represent as is evident from the many texts, emails and Facebook posts that I have received.
To close, I ask that the next time VGK makes a statement about police, you all educate yourselves on the issue at hand or wait until more facts can be revealed. Nobody hates a bad cop more than a good cop.
Sincerely,
Steve Grammas
President
