Embroiled in a controversy over allegations of sexism, the Blackhawks today announced they will be adding male skaters to their scantily clad Ice Crew, previously made up of only young women.
“If some of the dames in our seats have a problem with something we’re doing, we work hard to address it until they finally pipe down,” said owner Rocky Wirtz, whose team announced earlier this week it would no longer play the 1950s era song “The Stripper” while female contestants played the “Shoot the Puck” game during intermissions. “And if that means we have to add a few dudes in skimpy outfits to the Ice Crew … well, here you go.”
Wirtz said that in the name of gender equality, the male Ice Crew team members will be equally as attractive as their female counterparts. Some have been recruited from the Chippendales dance troupe.
Predictably, male Hawks fans were upset by the news.
“I go to Hawks games to watch a bunch of big, burly men beat each other up in the name of competition,” said Stan Johnson of Lombard. “I’m not interested in having my sporting experience ruined by having overly sexualized imagery forced upon me.”
Added Johnson: “Unless it’s chicks in skimpy outfits we’re talking about. Then, yeah, for sure.”
