Outsports relied on multiple sources in report on ‘Empty Netters’ reaction to ‘Heated Rivalry’

In his first public comments since an Outsports story revealed he sent highly critical private texts about the gay hockey TV show “Heated Rivalry” while lavishly praising it publicly, “Empty Netters” podcast co-host Dan Powers contended that he had not seen the show when he sent negative text messages calling the show “trash” and the creators “losers” and “cowards.” 

His response came in a video published by the “Empty Netters” late Thursday, Jan. 22.

“The timeline implied in this article is completely false and inaccurate, and it suggests that we were watching this show, sending messages like this while at the same time reviewing it,” Powers — a former hockey player who hosts the show with his brother Chris — said in the video.

Here is the full video: 

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Empty Netters host privately called Heated Rivalry ‘trash,’ show creators ‘losers’ and ‘cowards’
As he publicly praised ‘Heated Rivalry,’ one ‘Empty Netters’ host privately trashed the show. Outsports has seen the texts.

Outsports would not have published its original story if our reporting had been based on a single source. The language in the text messages shared by Outsports reflects only some of the messages Powers sent to others, and texts received by Outsports from other sources go beyond the Dec. 2 date Powers revealed, aligning with the timeline of their published videos.

Outsports has also communicated with other sources privy to comments Powers has made in conversations about the show, who claim they were made after the publication of some of their “Heated Rivalry” review videos, which reveal a very different view.

The seeming discrepancy in Powers’ public versus private views of the show is what spurred Outsports to pursue the story, especially given the context: Hockey has a long history of homophobia and heterosexist culture. These are among the reasons there has never been an out gay player in the NHL, active or retired, making it a lone outlier among the major North American men’s pro team sports.

“Empty Netters” saw its podcast views on YouTube surge almost 50-fold for episodes broadcast on “Heated Rivalry,” and their praise for the show earned them accolades as straight athletes who cheered on the show’s premise and characters without apology.

In the video, Powers did not address some of the language he used in private, for example, referring to “Heated Rivalry” fans as “blue haired twitter” and saying, “this is the trash they make because it panders, it’s provocative, and it checks the inclusivity boxes.”

In addition, Powers said Outsports’ assertion about reaching out to him was “a lie.” In fact, Outsports texted him twice before publication, requesting comment, a fact he also acknowledged in the video.

Powers’ co-host, Chris, said Dan received two text messages from Outsports on the same day — he was, in fact, texted on consecutive days last week. Chris said that texting Dan was not a “proper channel” to seek comment.

Powers also stated that proceeds from merchandise sales would go to the LGBTQ group You Can Play, which advocates for equality in hockey and in the NHL.

Contacted by Outsports, the group’s executive director, Kurt Weaver, confirmed that “Empty Netters” reached out to them about three weeks ago to express interest in donating proceeds.

Weaver also said that Empty Netters confirmed their intention to donate after Outsports contacted Powers for comment last week. 

Outsports stands by its story.

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