I never understood the outrage about dip and wanting to ban it. Its a free country, if Blake wants to pack his lip with some sweet tasting tobacco and fiberglass, he damn well should be able to!
Well god forbid Wheeler be allowed to make his own adult decisions and pack a lip if he so desires.
If people want to get pissed at athletes for dipping, get pissed at baseball players. Their use is extremely visable. While I know dipping is pretty common place in hockey (I was introduced to it while playing in high school and didn't quit until 2010), it isn't as visible because the players don't do it on the ice/bench and there is limited locker room access.
On the flip side, Wheeler is hurting no one but himself. I'm with you Morris (and it's not just because I used to dip), Blake can do whatever the hell he wants and no one is forcing anyone to watch his post game interviews if it is so offensive.
The game that Seguin was scratched for after the alarm clock incident this season, they showed him in the press box during it and he had a huge lip in.
And I bet there a lot more casual smokers in the NHL than most would think. There are less and less 2-3 pack types today than there were in years past, in general not just the NHL, and a lot more 3-4 cigs a day or a couple on the weekend types.
Tobacco use is still pretty big in pro hockey, and especially in the minors where players dip a ton. A lot of players are going to lose some teeth anyway, so might as well dip lol.
I'd say about 30 or 40 % of people who play junior hockey in Canada chew and I'd guess the NHL is the same. No idea why ??? And don't be nieve some of these guys have dips in during the game and won't play without them haha
I've been to Quebec, and my father has been to France multiple times, French people love to smoke. He said he could barely breathe in some parts of Paris.
I have smoked with Prust, and Wideman, in my London Ontario days. I also had Tootoo bum one off me at the Calgary airport a few years back.
Lots of people smoke when they have a drink or two. What you don't typically see is a NHL player who smokes regularly as in half a pack per day +. Back in the day they did.
I think it's more about being a role model when you're in the spotlight, such as during a nationally televised interview
The dip couldn't wait 3 minutes?
I agree. I started dipping playing high school baseball, thankfully despite doing it a lot I was able to give it up pretty easily. As stupid as it sounds I did it because I grew up seeing my baseball heroes do it (and also saw my father dipping all the time may have had a bigger influence). But seeing athletes do it definitely entices younger people to try it and eventually get hooked on it.
