Say it ain’t so Joe.
Faith in the integrity of Ontario Hockey League officials has been shaken following a controversial tweet by referee Joe Monette after a game in Sault Ste. Marie. Here’s what the ref tweeted:
“Soo Saint Marie, two words, Slim Pickens. #noteeth #hicktown #allfaties.”
These words garnered Monette a suspension for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
Aside from being a poor speller, Monette exposed himself as clueless towards the realities of social media. Nowadays, if you tweet something you might as well have said it directly to a reporter. If you’re remotely in the public eye, nothing can escape the wrath of the masses. I’m sure this was covered in the OHL’s social media training provided to all players, coaches, team officials and on-ice officials. Perhaps Monette missed the session? Or maybe he just had his head buried in his phone, tweeting like a madman?
The tweeting referee apologize for his inappropriate remarks, saying it was a joke between himself and a buddy who lives in the Soo. Someone should enlighten Monette on the advantages of direct messaging on Twitter. It’s actually quite popular these days. If you want to make disparaging remarks about women from a particular city, all you have to do is keep it between friends. What the good people of Sault Ste. Marie don’t know won’t hurt them. And what OHL commissioner David Branch doesn’t know about you, won’t get you suspended for the rest of the regular season and playoffs!
