I have been following the case of Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane and his possible sexual assault charges with great interest. The incident dates back to early August and no formal charges have been filed, but he remains under investigation. Due to the length of the investigation with no charges forthcoming as of yet, I assumed it would be difficult to ever find him guilty even if he was charged. The matter took on a circus-like atmosphere last week when the alleged victim’s lawyer held a press conference stating he had a tampered evidence bag in his possession that had been dropped off at the victim’s mother’s house. A day later, this lawyer quit the case saying he had doubts on how the bag came to be in the mom’s possession. The whole thing smells like a shakedown and Kane isn’t the least bit guilty, despite the fact he has a very checkered off ice past, which includes an alleged choking of a woman in 2012 at a nightclub. What bothers me is the potential fallout of ‘real’ victims of rape when they are assaulted by men in power or men who have celebrity status. Is the woman going to be believed? Some will tell you that’s already a steep hill to climb. I don’t think it gets any easier when a high profile case reveals that, possibly, a woman is out to make a buck and ruin a career. I can’t fault a rape victim for feeling as though, “The public will think I’m lying and trying to get rich.” Not to mention the endless social media attacks that follow. I read a large number of posts (all from Blackhawk fans, of course) where the woman was vilified before any of these facts came into public knowledge.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are kicking their flagship broadcasters off the team airplane and not allowing them to take the same flights the players and coaching staff does when going on road games. According to one news story, play by play man Joe Bowen will have to let loose with a ‘Holy Mackinaw’ by feeling the excitement of the game through a television screen in his living room. Bowen says, “Unfortunately, this is true and we will do our best to recreate the excitement and do the best we can.” Can you say ‘Bush League’?
It sounds like Corey Chamblin did a similar thing to the broadcast team of the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the beginning of this season in the CFL. It’s a very divisive stunt to pull and makes it incredibly difficult for a home broadcaster to do his job properly. Paranoid teams like the Maple Leafs and Chamblin’s Roughriders like to operate under a shroud of secrecy and prevent information from getting out, but the best media people are the ones that, strategically, leak information for you (when you want it to get out) and keep the information you want under wraps quiet. When your hometown media team isn’t in the loop, they run the risk of burning you out of sheer ignorance more than anything; but also if you, as a sports franchise, want to start to play hard ball with your broadcasters; they will look for subtle ways to get you back.
Speaking of the Riders, they are now 2-and-11 after beating Montreal on Sunday and that is another week where the team puts off auditioning more young players. As long as some mathematician can figure out a formula whereby the Riders can quality for the playoffs, they are going to soldier on as if they are contenders. I’m puzzled why the rest of this season wouldn’t be used to get a head start on next year’s training camp, but then again I’ve seldom been able to figure out what this franchise does and why they do it.
The Winnipeg Jets have alienated some of their fans this season by building a section of new seating that creates blind spots for those who, previously, could see everything as clear as could be. I don’t know why you would fix something that isn’t broken. I’ve sat in the very top row at MTS Centre and can’t complain about the view at all. But, now I’m not sure what seats are obstructed and if I end up sitting in one of those areas, I’m going to be big time peeved. I understand the Jets could always use added revenue, but is the bad publicity and upsetting the current fan base worth it?
Washington Nationals teammates Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon got into a physical altercation in the dugout during a Major League Baseball game on Sunday. Both players have earned the reputation for being jerks, but this one is all on Papelbon. Harper flew out to left field and didn’t hustle (like the majority of Major League players, actually). When he got to the dugout, Papelbon was waiting for him and delivered a message that Harper didn’t like. An argument ensued and then Papelbon tried to choke his teammate and they had to be separated. The Nationals are Exhibit A as to why you just can’t put a talented team together and expect them to win. There is no chemistry with this group and it was sewered back on the trade deadline when General Manager Mike Rizzo made the trade for Papelbon, relegating an effective closer (Drew Storen) to an eighth inning role that he couldn’t adapt to handling. Papelbon hasn’t fit in, to nobody’s surprise, and the Nationals will go down as a major disappointment and their manager will be fired by this time next week.
