Mark Madden: Ivan Provorov situation yet another example of why politics don't belong in sports

When quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem, the left supported and the right got angry.

When Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to wear a pride-themed jersey during warmups, the left got angry and the right supported.

Each man did the same thing, namely exercising freedom of choice.

Disagree with the choices all you like, but each was within his rights.

Each man also did America a favor: Getting mad and arguing till you’re red in the face is the current national pastime. Provorov pulled that trigger. Left vs. right is the real game.

It’s all a reminder to keep politics out of sport and to not make athletes pawns in virtue-signaling by way of PR. The team can do the latter. Players can’t be required to.

Do the Flyers really care about the LGBTQ+ community, or do they just want them to buy tickets and merchandise? (Flyers players Scott Laughton and James van Riemsdyk have a program that supports LGBTQ+ youth. They’re heroes. Talk about them.)

Kaepernick protested systemic racism. Provorov hid behind religion, which is weak. Kaepernick’s cause deserves respect. Provorov made the wrong decision.

But that doesn’t bend the principle of freedom of choice.

Had Flyers players been asked to wear a “Jesus is Lord” jersey during warmups and a player refused, reaction by the right and left would have been reversed.

Almost everything written and said about Provorov went too far. Freedom of being reasonable was mostly ignored.

The NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek does a good job and is a good man. But Hradek said if Provorov is uncomfortable here, he should go back to his native Russia and fight in the war. Yeah, why not send him to Siberia to suck the juice from a rotten commie potato?

Much of the animosity toward Provorov springs from American outrage over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The jersey controversy provided a spark.

Some feel that Provorov should have been scratched from Tuesday’s lineup after not participating in warmups. But the Flyers organization knew what Provorov was planning. Coach John Tortorella was supportive after. Politics shouldn’t make lineup decisions.

There’s precedent to what Provorov did. Five Tampa Bay Rays players refused to wear pride logos during a similar promotion last year. They, too, cited religion.

Sidebars are springing up. Provorov’s jersey sold out at the NHL.com store. Are buyers homophobic or protesting rampant woke-ism? It mirrors the debate about Provorov: Did he hate or merely decline? (The NHL didn’t stop selling Provorov’s jersey, did it?)

Picayune complaints are rampant. Provorov technically violated his contract. If that’s true, the Flyers don’t care.

Provorov wore a military-themed warmup jersey during Military Appreciation Night. Fault was found with that. But that’s just another choice.

Does anybody believe the LGBTQ+ cause was significantly set back by Provorov’s actions? If anything, more awareness and empathy was generated.

I disagree with Provorov’s choice. But it’s his choice.

Ex-NFL coach and network football analyst Tony Dungy recently tweeted about kids who identify as cats using litter boxes. Was he joking? If so, it wasn’t funny. It was scornful.

But Dungy is a beloved figure and thus deflects most criticism. It’s about preconceived notions. (Take a good look at Dungy. He’s among the biggest pious hypocrites.)

None of this is about right and wrong.

It’s about left vs. right. The neverending battle. More embarrassing than anything Provorov could ever do. He’s just the latest dupe.