There’s an incredible nuance to this story that’s not getting talked abt, that makes it even a bigger deal than it’s become, nationally.
Midway thru the first period in the Lightning/Bruins game this wk, NESN commentator Jack Edwards made the following comments, LIVE on broadcast, abt @pattymaroon:
“He’s listed at 238 lbs, that was Day 1 of training camp, I’ve got a feeling he’s had a few more pizzas btwn then now. (Intermittent) fasting for Pat Maroon is like four hours without a meal. Hey, three (Stanley) Cups in a row, who can argue w it?”
That’s right, he didn’t critique Maroon’s play (his job), he body shamed him in front of millions.
After hearing the broadcast, Maroon tweeted out the following: In support of those struggling w mental health, bullying & body image I am making a $2,000 donation in the name of Jack Edwards to TampaBayThrives & I encourage TBLightning & NHL fans to join me. (Tweet➡️on slide). Since the tweet, the org has received over $50k in donations.
OK, so Pat turned a negative into a positive, right? That’s what most outlets are focused on. But here’s the nuance getting lost: the brilliance & importance of what Pat did:
In his msg he strung together- MH, Alcohol, & Weight Gain. One simple sentence…so much conveyed.
Typically you’d see this, & the msg would be to a charity focused on eating disorders, specifically. What Pat did was shed light on the CONNECTION of all of this: often our MH suffers, emotional pain follows, we drink, we put on weight. Or…we put on weight, our MH suffers bc of body image issues, we then turn to drinking.
That connection is SO impt for ppl to realize. When my MH took a downturn & I spent 2.5 yrs in bed, my metabolisms froze & lbs packed on. It’s PART of MH. We need to talk abt this & coping vices, together. Pat did.
Next slide excited to have Ty Johnson (RB for the Jets) wear SameHere Cleats for this wk’s “My Cause, My Cleats” wk. Check ‘em out ➡️.