Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was left sore after his team fell to the Vancouver Canucks Monday night, but his post-game comments to a female reporter made him look like a straight-up loser.
Karen Thomson of the Canadian station Team 1040 radio asked Keith about a questionable call in which the Chicago defenseman slashed the Canuck's goal scorer Daniel Sedin with no immediately resulting penalty.
Keith then turned the conversation gender-specific, mockingly telling Thomson, "Maybe we should get you as a ref maybe, hey?"
Thomson slotted a quick response before Keith came back with another dig: “First female referee. Can’t probably play either, right? But you’re thinking the game, like you know it?"
Keith then left the interview with an abrupt, "See ya.”
Over at Yahoo Sports, Greg Wyshynski called Keith's comment "oafish and demeaning," adding "The “first female ref” comment was just begging for someone to crown him King Duncan, Lord of the Sexists."
Not everyone was so put off by Keith's move, with the Daily Beast noting plenty of fans took to Twitter to defend the Blackhawk's comment.
RedEye Chicago's Scott Bolohan notes sexism isn't exactly out of step with Chicago's team given the continued existence of franchise's boob-tacular "Ice Crew." (seriously — bare midriffs and plunging necklines for an ice arena?)
"Why wouldn't Keith make those comments when the Hawks employ the Ice Crew, the literal skating definition of the objectification of women?" Bolohan notes. "Frankly, I've thought for a long time the Hawks should get rid of the Ice Crew. It makes me embarrassed when the crowd roars as those women take the ice."
Sadly, Thomson is hardly the first reporter to face sexist reactions: An entire Tumblr dedicated to the sexism female reporters have to deal with made rounds on the web earlier in February.
Wednesday, Keith appeared to have softened his stance, saying in an interview he was “fired up” after an emotional loss and meant no disrespect to women (and, for what it's worth, Keithe praised CSN-Chicago reporter Tracey Myers in the process.)
Thomson, for her part, seems to have a sense of humor about the slight, tweeting after the incident: