Clay Aiken admits he loves hockey

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA—Saying he was “tired of living a lie” and that he “needed to be honest for the sake of [his] newborn son” pop superstar Clay Aiken admitted to SSNN what many had assumed for years: he is a huge hockey fan.

“Yes, it’s true, I love hockey more than life itself,” Clay told SSNN. “For years I tried to hide my fandom from the public, both out of a need for privacy, and a fear of alienating some of my fans. But now that I am a father, I realize that I cannot be a positive role model while lying about a very important part of me.”

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Aiken had notoriously dogged questions about sports fanhood for years, saying that the sports he followed were “nobody’ business” and even once telling Chris Berman that “there are more important things than sports in the world.” Nasty rumors began to swirl as early as 2004, when Aiken was spotted at a Chicago Blackhawks home game. Aiken claimed he was just there to sing the national anthem, but many noticed that he did not flee the stadium immediately upon finishing the song, as is customary, and stayed for the entire duration of the game. In 2005, Aiken wore a vintage Gordie Howe jersey at a red carpet ceremony. Clay again denied he was a hockey fan, and said that he was unaware of the significance of the jersey and was merely borrowing it from a friend because it “looked kind of cool.” For a long time, many in the media and the public took it for granted that Aiken was a hockey fan.

While reaction from the general public was mostly positive, the same could not be said for Clay’s legendary fans, the Claymates, where there was mixed reaction.

“I used to think Clay was the man,” said passionate Claymate Rick Mattrison. “But now that I know he digs hockey, I think he’s a total fag.”

“I feel betrayed,” wrote HeartCLAY4ever on a fan forum. “4 [sic] years I told myself that those uglie [sic] rumors about Clay weren’t true. Now it feels like the man [sic] I have loved for so long has spat in my face for the past 5 years.”

“I think this is great,” said Melinda Petre, administrator of multiple Clay-oriented fan sites. “I know a lot of people out there struggle every day with their love of hockey, and to here Clay come out and make a stand on who he is, that has to mean a lot to so many people.”

After the initial coming-out process, Clay proceeded to gush about hockey and what it means to him.

“God, how can I put it into words?” he asked. “It’s incredible, I live for this sport. October to June it is all about the ice, baby.” Clay revealed that he is a diehard fan of hurricanes »”>Carolina Hurricanes and the L.A. Kings and has a passionate distaste for the Boston Bruins. About the Bruins, Aiken could only come up with, “Fuck them….I mean just…fuck….fuck them.”

Clay also revealed that he was rather surprised the media didn’t latch on to the rumors as hard as they could have.

“Frankly, I’m surprised I’ve been able to keep it quiet for so long,” Aiken admitted. “I mean, seriously, I just happened to cancel concert dates during the Stanley Cup? I wanted to hang out with Alexander Ovechkin because I’m interested in other cultures? Hell no. You people really let me slide. I have a ‘summer house’ in Toronto for crying out loud. Warning bells, anyone?”

When asked if he knew of other celebrities who may also be closet hockey fans, Aiken politely refused to comment specifically but did say that he understood the struggles hockey fans go through every day.

“It’s difficult growing up and knowing that you’re different. And it doesn’t get any easier when you’re an adult. Seeing all the ‘normal’ people watch football or baseball, or even basketball, while you just feel like watching hockey night. I’d advise all of you out there to just come out and admit you love hockey; it feels like a huge weight coming off your chest. If your family and friends really love you, then you have nothing to worry about. There is no shame in being a hockey fan; I know that now.”