Awful Announcing
If you were one of the many millions who enjoyed last Saturday night’s 4 Nations Face-Off clash between the U.S. and Canada in Montreal, you likely would point to the three fights in the opening seconds of the game as evidence of the competitive spirit on display.
But Molly Qerim sees it a little differently.
Chiming in during a Chris Russo monologue on Wednesday’s episode of First Take, Qerim highlighted the double standard between hockey players and other athletes when it comes to fighting.
“It’s just interesting to me that certain sports, you’re allowed to fight, and certain sports it never happens,” Qerim said. “Optics!”
Molly Qerim on the fights in the USA vs. Canada 4 Nations Face-Off matchup: “It’s just interesting to me that certain sports, you’re allowed to fight. And other sports, it could never happen. Optics!” pic.twitter.com/JILF6IscpG
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 19, 2025
To be clear, NHL players are punished when they fight on-ice. Additional rules around instigation, safety and the number of participants create a structured brawl within NHL games. NHL athletes who choose to fight receive 5-minute major penalties, but are notably, unlike other sports, rarely ejected (or suspended).
So what did Qerim mean when she referenced “optics” and later claimed the policy showed “a little hypocrisy?”
Most likely, the longtime First Take anchor is alluding to other sports in which fighting is heavily policed. In recent sports history, examples include the Malice at the Palace, Andre Johnson vs. Cortland Finnegan, or even the drama around Caitlin Clark and DiJonnai Carrington in last year’s WNBA postseason.
One clear through-line among those examples is that they are in predominantly Black sports, whereas hockey players are mostly white. While Qerim did not overtly reference race, her use of the word “optics” indicates she was thinking about appearances.
Going a step further, baseball is another sport in which fighting is normal. Storming the mound and clearing the benches are traditions as old as the 7th-inning stretch. Baseball is a pastime largely built around White American culture.
The permissions around violence in sports — and who gets to be violent — are tangled topics. If Molly Qerim had gone a little deeper with her point, it could have started an interesting conversation.
Instead, this disparity is merely something to chew on as we tune in for the 4 Nations Face-Off final on Thursday night.
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.
“…one thing that the NBC guys were really talking about, is back in the ’80s and the ’90s when they had it, you felt good about what you watched.”
“Disney’s proposed acquisition of Fubo appears to allow Disney to simultaneously circumvent the lawsuit while gobbling up a competitor.”
The league is making a bet that it can find a new partner for its third package that is ready to shell out significant money and commit to consistent coverage — all on a short-term deal.
Elizabeth Baugh has been with ESPN since 2015.
“How much you want to bet he received the COVID vaccine?”
“Our approach is gonna be a little more NFL-driven.”
“…one thing that the NBC guys were really talking about, is back in the ’80s and the ’90s when they had it, you felt good about what you watched.”
“Disney’s proposed acquisition of Fubo appears to allow Disney to simultaneously circumvent the lawsuit while gobbling up a competitor.”
The league is making a bet that it can find a new partner for its third package that is ready to shell out significant money and commit to consistent coverage — all on a short-term deal.
Elizabeth Baugh has been with ESPN since 2015.
“How much you want to bet he received the COVID vaccine?”
“Our approach is gonna be a little more NFL-driven.”
