There's been some talk about the awesome concepts for Team USA netminder Jessie Vetter's mask. Apparently, the mask features ink with real 23-carat gold on it, and up until now, it featured an image on the back of the helmet of the United States Constitution, starting with "We the People."
This doesn't sit too well with the International Olympic Committee, which (according to Puck Daddy) deemed it a violation of Rule 51 of the Charter which bans advertising, demonstration or propaganda on an athlete's equipment. The committee said the image must be removed from the mask before the tournament, starting Feb. 8.
The original concept also included her last name, which was also deleted because it wasn't "team-based."
Considering the Constitution is a legal document simply outlining the supreme law of our country, it's a little odd that the IOC would see this as any sort of propaganda. I mean, the mere presence of stars and stripes or a bald eagle could be considered propaganda too, then, no? (Not to mention the number of American companies listed as sponsors, but I digress.)
But Greg Wyshynski admittedly brings up a good point, along with a link, in his writeup:
But our real question here: If Jessie Vetter can't have a few words of the Constitution on her mask, why can Team Slovakia have their ENTIRE NATIONAL ANTHEM sewn into their hockey sweaters?
Why, indeed.
New mask concept is included in the Puck Daddy piece. The mask still looks sweet, if, ya know, slightly generic. *grumbles into the sunset*