He’s not captain material
Drunk, disorderly and attempting to break into a locked car at night with a woman in it and then menacing her by dropping his pants, all captured on video camera, and the best that the some male sports writers in the media can come up as a condemnation of Auston Matthews is that he shouldn’t be named Toronto Maple Leafs captain … for the time being?
Matthews may have thought it to be funny to see how the woman would react as he threatened her and exposed himself, and some in the sports media’s incestuous inner circles may see it as merely a “boys-will-be-boys” incident; some sort of youthful, “drunken stupidity.” But, what about the woman, the victimized person at the receiving end feeling threatened and sexually mocked? She sure didn’t see it that way.
And, to make matters worse, Matthews wasn’t alone that night. Seems some of his friends were in on the action, also drunk and disorderly and joining in the fun of provoking the woman.
Matthews is not a “boy.” He is 22 years old and well past the age of puberty; a full adult, fully responsible for his behaviour and old enough to be conscious of his actions and what they mean and convey. As a multimillionaire professional player for the Maple Leafs, he is also a role model for many a young male athlete in this country aspiring to follow in his footsteps in the big leagues. Some path of behaviour he’s laid out for them as an example to tread and pursue.
While American, Matthews’ behaviour is still not that much different than that of some Canadian mens of his age. Many drunken and rowdy young Canadians, mostly male and white, college-educated amongst the lot, that this writer and others have observed and experienced over the years, acting out in boorish and destructive and often violent, loutish, behaviour, screaming and yelling and fighting and puking and urinating on and smashing furniture at holiday resorts worldwide and at local bars and taverns back home, especially near closing time, after a long day and night of nonstop boozing it up on beer and hard liquor: Hosers to a tee.
Matthews and his teammates, who clearly don’t seem to have grasped the severity of this incident, of the fact that the woman in question may have been, at best, profoundly offended and, at worst, fearful of an attempt at sexual assault, are hoping to move on as if it didn’t happen, with the hope that the public — especially that made up of low-brow, beer-guzzling Maple Leafs hockey-fans and jock-type, sports media talking heads — will quickly forgive the antics and forget the whole affair. His parents don’t seem to get it either, preferring denial to confronting the truth, behaving like enablers of such puerile and offensive behaviour.
One wonders how Don Cherry will react to this American white male hockey player with a nativist sounding name having done what he did, in the way he did it and to whom he did it to. One awaits.
In this day and age, this type of crude, anti-female, anti-social behaviour should not be allowed a pass with a light scolding.
Matthews’ punishment should fit his disgusting and vulgar actions and charge of criminal misdemeanour. A temporary denial of captaincy of the Leafs’ team would not. Nor should a contrived and manufactured public apology spun out for his fans and public to get himself and Maple Leafs Inc. off the hook.
Saying, “I’m sorry,” just doesn’t cut mustard in this multimillionaire’s case, in this writer’s opinion.
Matthews knew what he was doing and he was old enough to know better than to do it … and he did it anyway.
His money and privileged celebrity position as a star player on a professional hockey team shouldn’t allow him to buy himself out of this mess of his own making.
He should be sent back to the minors as a lesson … for an indefinite period of time: not to hell, but to purgatory for expiatory purification. Mario Godlewski, Toronto My respect for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization has just taken a nose dive. Their response to the behaviour of Auston Matthews toward a woman security guard is both tepid and disrespectful toward women. Matthews should be suspended for several regular games, instructed to take a course on sensitivity to issues of abuse, especially toward women, and not be allowed to be named as captain for at least five years.
What type of example is the organization displaying to children and teens when they fail to take a firm stand against abusive behaviour toward others and supporting that belief of entitlement many athletes tend to develop?
Matthews has not only let himself down, but also the team, and yet this does not seem to bother anyone on the team. This speaks volumes to me about the ethos of that organization. Jan Bowen, Peterborough, Ont. Auston Matthews has much to explain after he and three of his friends allegedly harassed a lone female security guard in her car, attempted to break in, and then pulled down his pants, all because he was curious to learn how she would react.
We are learning that the scoring superstar and highest paid player on the Leafs roster has only now disclosed news of this incident to Leafs management when it occurred at his Arizona condo complex in May.
Matthews’ demeanour in both circumstances along with his sketchy apology are reprehensible and shocking to Leaf fans and management. The Leafs centre faces a charge of disorderly conduct and any talk of Matthews becoming the next team captain has been put on hold. Captain Underpants does not sit well with fans who strongly condemn his behaviour.
Matthews was the first overall Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick in 2016 and he might now need to worry more about staying out of trouble with the law or risk finding himself playing for another team in the future. Send email to lettertoed@thestar.ca; via
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