Arjei Franklin
CFL.ca
Having grown up watching the CFL, and during the three years I’ve played in Winnipeg, I have seen a lot of different personalities in the league. Names like Joe Montford, Doug Flutie, and of course Mike “Pinball” Clemons come to mind right away. Now I may be bias, but if I were asked who I feel is one of the more prominent personalities right now, it would have to be… Milt Stegall.
The thing about Milt is that he is an entertainer. We will all be able to talk about some of the plays he’s made that have had us wondering ‘how did he do that?’ But he’s not only an entertainer on the field. Off of the field, he’s just as classic. Any teammate of his will tell you that as soon as you put a camera on him you just don’t know what you are going to get. Usually it’s some form of dance. Other times he’ll be cracking jokes. Whatever it is, he’ll be having fun.
Recently Milt joked about our unofficial national sport – hockey. As I said earlier, Milt is an entertainer, and what he said about hockey was all in good fun. He probably said it because he knows how passionate we Canadians are about the game.
I’m not writing this blog to defend my teammate. He has been in the public eye for so long I’m sure he can take care of himself. I’m writing this blog because of the comments I’ve read on the web in response to Milt’s joke.
Growing up in Toronto, one of the things I’ve learned to love about Canada is its diversity. The fact that so many different ethnicities can live in one area and do a pretty good job of getting along is beautiful. Growing up in this country I can’t say I have had to deal with racism, and was proud to believe that we did not have the same attitudes as other places in the world on that matter. But when I read these comments on the internet my heart sank.
I guess some people felt so offended by what Milt said about hockey that they crossed the line and resorted to using some pretty hateful and racist comments. I know it may just be a handful of people who wrote these comments, but I can’t help but say how hurtful it was to read them.
I think every Canadian has fond memories of hockey, whether it is their own successes in the sport or maybe the success of their favorite team. I know I won’t soon forget the 2002 Olympic gold medal team. I also recall my days as a kid playing street hockey after school for as long as I could, just like most other Canadian kids. So I think hockey is a great, and to be honest even though we haven’t spoken about it, I’m sure Milt respects the sport as well.
I love this country, and what it stands for, and I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a Canadian. My only hope is that despite any differences we have in our opinions or beliefs, we will always maintain our respect for each other as human beings.
Arjei Franklin #86
Arjei Franklin is a third-year receiver with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was the Bombers’ top pick in the 2006 Canadian Draft.
