…but I have to say something about Patrick Kane being arrested early Sunday morning. I mean it isn’t every day that the Blackhawks make the front page…
…and the back page…
…of both local newspapers in Chicago.
Usually, that kind of stuff is reserved for when a Chicago Bears player gets in trouble for bringing a gun into a night club. Or when a Chicago Bulls player is revealed to have cheated on his college entrance exam. Or–in all fairness to the media–when a White Sox player pitches a perfect game.
But here he is, Patrick Kane, the golden boy of Chicago hockey. And now he has his own mugshot. I tell ya, kids grow up so fast these days.
For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Patrick Kane and his cousin were arrested in Buffalo after beating up a cab driver. As reported, the 20-year-old Kane and his 21-year-old cousin James took a cab home from the downtown club district in Buffalo. The fare was $13.80. The Kane cousins paid him $15, but got mad when the cabbie gave them back a dollar but informed them that he did not have twenty cents change. The Kane cousins punched the cab driver repeatedly and broke his glasses. Someone saw what was going on, and called the cops. Or so the story goes.
And just like that, little Kaner has a rap sheet. Not as long as Bob Probert’s rap sheet, but hey–Kane is only 20. Give him time.
Anyway, here are a few collected articles about this incident:
Kane arrested, pleads not guilty to robbery charge (NHL.com)
Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane arrested in Buffalo, NY (The Hockey News)
Tough-guy act doesn’t befit Kane (Chicago Tribune)
Kane hires high-powered defense attorney (The Buffalo News)
But Len Ziehm, the ‘Hawks beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, doesn’t believe the hype:
Hard to Fathom (Chicago Sun-Times)
A day later, the cab driver’s lawyer is downplaying what happened:
Attorneys downplay allegations against Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane (Chicago Tribune)
So what do I think? It is hard for me to imagine that Patrick Kane would do such a thing. But then again, my judgment is clouded because I’m a Blackhawks fan. Many athletes–hockey players included–have done boneheaded things. Maybe Kane is one of them.
By the way, Kane will appear on the box cover of Electronic Art’s “NHL ’10” video game when it is released on September 15. Perhaps this incident was caused by the “EA Box Cover Curse”? You know, when a player appears on the cover of a video game and then has a bad year that very same season?
Though I wonder if EA should modify the box art a bit…
NOTE: For those who were wondering, the Chicago Bears player I referred to is Tank Johnson, the Bulls player is Derrick Rose and the White Sox player is Mark Buehrle.
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I remember when Joe Thornton got busted in St. Thomas, Ontario (the birthplace of both he and I). Bob Probert's got the coolest arrest stories. Probert would probably be a fun guy to drink with, although there would always be the fear (the anticipation?) of waking up in a place you don't want to be.
If his hockey career is derailed, maybe he could become a rapper–named 20 Cent