The one thing that I know

me: yeah it got a little fucked up because the whole face of the NHL narrative was one placed on him when he was sixteen by men who were old enough to be his fathers and grandfathers, it’s not really something that’s ever felt entirely right to do to a kid

me: and like, I agree that sid got criticism and held responsible for his own personal part of it, but ovechkin isn’t even getting that

me: fucking right, he’s out here as a rabid right wing putin supporter all his life and retweeting trump and yet the excuses are already flowing in as to why he’s not responsible for any of it

me: and ain’t it fuckin ironic that people are using a giant leap of fantasy to imagine that alexander ovechkin is some poor unwitting victim forced at an early age to become representative of a toxic and often dangerous ideologythat stifles his true feelings and identity and leaves him to sacrifice time and a private life to serve as a figurehead position he doesn’t really enjoy

me: speak it

me: but when sid went from wanting to be the best hockey player (like all kids do) to an advertizing campaign using his face to imagine a new future for hockey, followed not long after by men in the highest positions of power in hockey signing sealing and delivering this kid as the savior of the NHL, suddenly him feeling pressured into the White House visit as a formality and tradition is entirely his own decision and responsibility and a stain on his own career and he surely would have lost nothing and suffered nothing by going entirely contrary to the NHL’s politics, sponsorship and thereby make himself into a figurehead of new NHL politics and policy that he is hardly the right person to become and would not in a million fucking years get the support of the NHL itself, which has repeatedly ignored him and players with even higher status who have tried to effect any kind of positive change under Bettman’s rule

me: keep on it

me: whereas because fans have decided that ovechkin out of all other Russians is under more threat from the government - despite pundits stating that he actually enjoys more protection than most and doesn’t have to do a fraction of the electioneering and personal politics he does of his own free will - he’s helpless, a baby, an ugly man child that they adore, a misunderstood victim who parties the pain away, a justin bieber level of a poor misunderstood boy lashing out

me: not that either crosby or ovechkin or any privileged white player should be babied by fans or excused from basic responsibilities

me: fuck no, that’s gross ass shit

me: and while sid faces pressure from the league and ovechkin ostensibly from the government, any idiot knows the two are entwined and that sports teams visiting the White House was always a political move and ovechkin campaigning politics by using his status within pro sports is also in that way more of a personal choice than sid attending a White House visit

me: but despite the differences of each case, and because of the many similarities and parallels, fundamentally fans themselves need to be held responsible for what and when their politics and morals are applied

me: because if you’re gonna magic away the degree of creepiness and control this sport has over crosby and his own public persona, then you’ve gotta whisk away all fantasy that ovechkin isn’t made fat and rich and elevated in his sport and society by some kind fan fiction that he’s a victim when there is no hint that he is

me: basically don’t pity either of them, but also hold them both equally accountable. or neither.

me: I mean, no ones gonna listen because ovechkin is the king of self promotion and pundits marvel at his ability to hide his reality from Americans and make them love him for essentially doing nothing good in his life that he isn’t paid to do

me: yup, it’s more fun to reblog trump friendly jimmy fallon joshin around with “gay icon” holtby and baby ovi who is gay for his Swedish team mate in everything but actual gayness and just post stuff about how holtgay and his fam do gay stuff and cling to the idea that the caps will protest the White House

me: and then come up with wild reasons why it’s not as bad as the Pens when it does happen

me: liberal tumblr hockey really is as shitty as 90s dude bro hockey isn’t it

*TJ Oshie dresses his kids as Trump and Melania, Ovi retweets trump, team poses with Ivanka*

Caps fans:

The Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks honor the  Humboldt Broncos

Please donate to the GoFundMe if you’re able to

I have the ability to say that I don’t know enough to state an opinion, and I won’t be attacked but lauded for it. I can say that I don’t have the background or the nuance to be able to explain everything, or to give opinions on aspects of the situation, and I won’t be judged for it. I won’t face backlash for it. I won’t be in danger for it. People will praise me for my nuance and for my ability to admit that I don’t have to know everything, while Jewish people are not only expected to know each and every detail of the situation, they’re expected to espouse letter-perfect Ideologically Pure™ views as a prerequisite for their mere existence in seemingly progressive spaces. I can literally exert the least possible effort and be praised for it, while Jewish people are expected to throw themselves in with words and actions that are actively harming them in order to simply be invited to the table, and that’s honestly the most horrifying realization I’ve had in a while. ‘

I’m attempting–and please let me know if I’m failing–not to center myself in this narrative, but hopefully to convey to people who previously considered themselves outside it that they’re not. That the ability to walk in activist spaces WITHOUT thinking about it is something not everyone can do, and that not actively opening doors is as good as holding them shut. 

Hey Readers,

While I’m well into making comics for Year Four, I want to have a slightly more consistent update schedule than in the past. This means working much further out to make sure comics are ready for posting. Because of this, I don’t feel comfortable starting Year Four before the end of March. The story is moving right along and I have pages ready to go, but I don’t want to leave readers on a limb too many times throughout the final year of this comic. So for now, thank you for your patience and please know that Check, Please will be back soon!

I’m also currently working on a script for a very exciting yet-to-be-formally-announced project, which has a hard deadline. (That also admittedly threw a wrench in things.) But I’ll continue to work on Year Four and share extras on this blog!

Again, thank you for understanding. During the five years of drawing this comic, you guys have been kind. And I can’t wait to share Bitty’s senior year with you!

Thank you, as always,