The Patrick Kane criminal investigation overshadows everything Chicago Blackhawks related right now. Any and all Stanley Cup feel-good puff pieces need to be postponed because as of right now they’re completely irrelevant. (I made this same mistake myself just yesterday) Even the nitty gritty hockey stuff, preseason training camp position battles and such are inconsequential in juxtaposition to the current situation.
Sorry, I just don’t care who the fourth line center is going to be right now.
Perhaps the greatest American hockey player alive stands accused of one of the most heinous of all crimes. The face of the franchise that owns the hearts and minds of sports fans in the nation’s third largest city is accused of rape.
Preseason reps and meaningless scrimmages don’t seem significant right now.
I don’t know whether Patrick Kane is guilty or innocent. Unless you were actually there, you don’t know either.
I just know that it’s an awful look for the Blackhawks to have him out there right now. Especially in the wake of today’s events, in which the situation went from worse to “worser,” and that’s not even a word. Unless you’re a legal expert by trade, you can’t adequately analyze and comment on what transpired in the media briefings by both attorneys today.
Here’s a recap via the Rock River Times.
Here’s another recap via the Chicago Tribune.
And here’s a video from Fox Sports on Wednesday’s developments:
All of this is well above the pay grade of a sports pundit. An extremely sensitive situation like this might invite some to use the all too familiar “stick to sports” cliche.
Okay fine, we will:
Patrick Kane should not be playing sports right now.
Beyond that much, there isn’t a whole lot that many of us can say that actually has any shred of legitimate credibility; but we can say that.
Because Patrick Kane playing hockey currently leads to this below, and when this is happening, everybody loses. This person, holding this sign at this hockey game is not something any of us needs or wants to see again.
Patrick Kane gets a warm welcome back to the UC in #Blackhawks' 5-4 win. http://t.co/7wgDpdlVBN pic.twitter.com/tq52x4PCXY
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 23, 2015
Although there is extremely excellent writing in that link there by Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times.
In a day that has been completely WTF and FUBAR and every other slang expression with an f-bomb in it that you can think of, Lazerus has done a great job keeping proper perspective.
Observe:
I've formed my opinion on what's prudent action from a hockey and PR standpoint. That's all I'm qualified to do. https://t.co/KGUtVOLjhl
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 23, 2015
Every twist and turn this sordid story makes is going to overshadow everything. It's too big.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) September 23, 2015
Bruce Arthur, sports columnist of the Toronto Star has been doing a great job articulating the meaning of today’s developments as well.
Meet Rob pic.twitter.com/soDCEwnEq5
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) September 23, 2015
Patrick Kane is at camp. He was cheered by the fans when he stepped on the ice. This is all sickening.
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) September 23, 2015
As I articulated last month, the opinions of sports pundits in the Patrick Kane case are all essentially irrelevant, and that’s a very good thing. It is both just and right that op-eds, blog posts, news articles, hit pieces, puff pieces, alleged victim shaming and “Kaner” fanboy apologizing, and everything else in between for matter, will have zero consequence on the outcome of this case in the court of law.
The court of public opinion however, is a very different story. That’s a court in which Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks had been Kings until now. Which is why it’s so shocking that Kane is still out there on the ice, and doing media opportunities. Blackhawks Team President John “we’re very bad celebrators” McDonough is the master of marketing and branding.
He’s a genius when it comes to message control and information manipulation. So why does he meet the media in South Bend last Thursday and tell them how trying this situation has been for both him and his organization? That statement embodies what it means to be tone deaf.
As does the decision to keep Patrick Kane in the public sphere. At that dumpster fire of a press conference, the Blackhawks Media Relations professional kept saying “hockey questions only please.”
Ok fine, why is Patrick Kane playing hockey right now?
We’re not wondering whether or not he should be allowed to play. That’s an NHLPA question. That’s for labor rights experts to answer.
We want to know why the Blackhawks think this is a good idea to keep playing him given all that’s going on. When you keep Kane out there, the message you send, whether intentional or not, is that you’re not treating this matter with the level of seriousness that it warrants.
If you want us to talk about hockey and hockey only, then Patrick Kane shouldn’t be playing hockey, at least not in the public eye.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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