The former hockey star P. K. Subban made a comment last night on-air that had everyone second-guessing what they heard, especially considering he used music star Lizzo in a most distressing way.
P. K. Subban now works as an ESPN analyst since retiring from the NHL last year after a 13-year career, having played for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and the New Jersey Devils. He was an outstanding defenseman and initially gained notoriety simply for being a Black player in a predominantly white sport, but ultimately earned praise for his success on the ice.
Now, he’s made a Black artist his target of shame.
Lizzo, a sensational Grammy award-winning musical artist who has all but taken over the world with her music while dabbling in other ventures like appearing in The Mandalorian — while being fat-shamed by people like Candace Owens — was yet again on the receiving end of a completely unnecessary comment from Subban following Game 1 of last night’s playoff series between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
John Buccigross, long-time ESPN anchor, said to Subban that the Maple Leafs, who lost the game 4-2, “didn’t pack a lunch.”
Subban replied, “Maybe they need to pack a Lizzo-size lunch.”
Many people took to Twitter to respond to Subban’s unnecessary comment and express surprise over the analyst’s statement.
Responses included everything from shock to suggesting Subban should be fired.
Long-time Pittsburgh sports radio host, Mark Madden, blasted Subban on Twitter, calling his comment a “typical Subban clown move,” and adding that Subban is “horrible on ESPN.”
Still, some say they enjoyed the joke, calling it hilarious.
Subban himself explained what the phrase “packing a lunch” means — though that was not the point of controversy. He also did not directly respond to the backlash, which is still growing today.
Lizzo also has thus far ignored Subban’s comments.
It will be interesting to see how Subban, a highly regarded defenseman in his career, ultimately manages to defend himself this time.