Around The League 40: As we barrel towards 40 teams

[Blueline Bomber]

Sigh. They are not remotely the same.

One makes no positive claims, it relies entirely on somebody's trust of the claimant. The second makes a positive claim that can be corroborated by other evidence independent of the speaker's credibility. Even the implication that a claim can be corroborated adds significant credibility.

The Blackhawks already have independent corroboration from the NHLPA that whatever the actual reason was is valid. If they make even a vague alternative claim, the NHLPA's agreement more or less proves the alternative claim and puts the rumor to rest. But if they don't make any alternative claim about what happened, they're asking us to believe that the only narrative we have of what happened is not true on the basis of trust in them alone. Which nobody should or will.

We only have that narrative because some f***head on Twitter said "Hey, this would be funny if it were true." How is that, in any way, more trustworthy than the organization?

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Sigh. They are not remotely the same.

Don't blame me, dude. You're the one bringing the examples of politicians to the table as a bellwether of credibility.

Here's Davidson's comments, though, from ESPN:

===
Davidson addressed those rumors in his opening statement. He said the incident did not involve any players or their family members.

"Anything that suggests otherwise or anyone that suggests otherwise is wildly inaccurate and, frankly, it's disgusting," Davidson said.
===

"Wildly inaccurate and disgusting" is coming pretty hard if he has any reason to believe that's gonna be overturned on review when Papa Bedard shows his receipts.

 

[cptjeff]

We only have that narrative because some f***head on Twitter said "Hey, this would be funny if it were true." How is that, in any way, more trustworthy than the organization?

Leaving aside that the credibility of the Blackhawks is so far underwater that it's exploring unknown regions of the Earth's core?

As I've been saying, if the rumor is false, the Blackhawks can end this *instantly*. They already have corroboration from the NHLPA. All they need to do is make a positive claim about what happened, and the NHLPA already has their credibility on the line backing it up. Quite unlike the Blackhawks, the NHLPA actually is credible, and not just in a relative sense.

The only way that strategy cannot work is if the rumors are, in fact, true. If the rumors were true, alternative claims would be defamation, so denials without alternative explanations would be the only option. Denials without alternative explanations are what we have. So either they're pursuing the exact PR strategy they would take if the rumors were true because they're really f***ing shitty at this, or they're doing it because the rumors, or something extremely close to them, are true.

They could end it instantly. But the way to do that is not by issuing a plain denial.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

A more accurate comparison would be:

A random homeless man on the street says Microsoft builds computers using fetuses. Microsoft denies the rumor. People understandably don't trust Microsoft, because it's a Big Corporation, and naturally untrustworthy. But why they decide to trust the homeless man because of that is where it's lost to me.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

...or they're doing it because the rumors, or something extremely close to them, are true.

Ahhh, but this is the thing, isn't it?

"Close to true" here means sexual misconduct, and sexual misconduct means a counterparty, and there's no way that counterparty wants any part of any of this, right?

My money is on behavior that makes somebody close to the org look real bad. And the Hawks org can't speak the truth because the truth is just as bad as the rumor, but different.

 

[cptjeff]

And there it is from ESPN during the intermission, an actual story even in vague terms that tells us something of what happened and should put the rumor to bed. On the road (I think Kaplan said Columbus), he had an encounter with a team employee during which something very inappropriate was said. (Speculation here, but that probably means identity based slurs.)

Seriously, how f***ing hard is that for the Blackhawks to say?

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Chicago acquires Anthony Beauvillier for a 5th. Didn't Vancouver acquire him for Bo Horvat? What happened?

 

[WreckingCrew]

Not that this will change anything (if anything, it'll add fuel to the fire), but the press conference said what Perry did had "nothing to do with other players or their families."

So if it's nothing with other players, I'm back on the drugs/alcohol theory.

Yea, and Bill "did not have sexual relations with that woman"... Epstein committed suicide..."it's not what you think it is"...OJ isn't a murderer...

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Yea, and Bill "did not have sexual relations with that woman"... Epstein committed suicide..."it's not what you think it is"...OJ isn't a murderer...

Except we now have another source saying it's got to do with a staff member, not a player or family member, so...

 

[cptjeff]

Except we now have another source saying it's got to do with a staff member, not a player or family member, so...

And importantly, unlike the Blackhawks, the source doesn't have any credibility issues or any possible incentive to lie, both of which do apply to the Hawks.

I trust ESPN's reporting here.

 

[WreckingCrew]

Except we now have another source saying it's got to do with a staff member, not a player or family member, so...

It was just meant to be tongue-in-cheek about how often things are said that are often blatantly untrue (or not the whole truth, or clear-cut)...should have added lol

 

[Borsig]

Wonder if he sexually harrassed an employee or something? It kind of points to that.

 

[cptjeff]

Wonder if he sexually harrassed an employee or something? It kind of points to that.

Could be that, could be identity based slurs. Could have just been shockingly abusive. Given who we're talking about none of those options would at all surprise me. Not really useful to speculate further at this point. Shockingly inappropriate exchange with team employee is kinda all I really need to know.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

Could be that, could be identity based slurs. Could have just been shockingly abusive. Given who we're talking about none of those options would at all surprise me. Not really useful to speculate further at this point. Shockingly inappropriate exchange with team employee is kinda all I really need to know.

So boring. Can't even be an interesting shitheel.

 

[cptjeff]

So boring. Can't even be an interesting shitheel.

Still more personality than 99% of NHL players?

 

[cptjeff]

In happier news, Arizona just put together a really strong game against the Lightning. 3-1, and from what I watched, just had the Lightning completely handled. Missed the empty netter attempt from pretty much exactly where Koko scored ours, though.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

How did the Islanders blow a 2-goal lead going into the 3rd, with the GWG coming with like 30 seconds left? Aren't they supposed to be this nasty shutdown team? Or is it only against us?

 

[Lempo]

And there it is from ESPN during the intermission, an actual story even in vague terms that tells us something of what happened and should put the rumor to bed. On the road (I think Kaplan said Columbus), he had an encounter with a team employee during which something very inappropriate was said. (Speculation here, but that probably means identity based slurs.)

Seriously, how f***ing hard is that for the Blackhawks to say?

So he wasn't a motherf***er then, it's just another case of er?

 

[NotOpie]

Yeah, the Perry thing, simply, sounds like racist or homophobic slurs.....perhaps accompanied by threats....but like Hank said, it's gotten boring and even more sad that this potential outcome is so common as to be boring.

 

[Svechhammer]

And there it is from ESPN during the intermission, an actual story even in vague terms that tells us something of what happened and should put the rumor to bed. On the road (I think Kaplan said Columbus), he had an encounter with a team employee during which something very inappropriate was said. (Speculation here, but that probably means identity based slurs.)

Seriously, how f***ing hard is that for the Blackhawks to say?

Doesn't Chelios' daughter work for the team?

 

[bleedgreen]

I love that so many people actually believe the Bedards Mom rumor.

That’s HF gold going viral.

 

[The Faulker 27]

I love that so many people actually believe the Bedards Mom rumor.

That’s HF gold going viral.

Maybe it was some other Bedard's mom. We don't know all the facts yet.

 

[AD Skinner]

I’ve seen a few people post stuff along the lines of “you’d have to be a real jackass to be doing hazing/using slurs in 2023” and I’m just like… are we talking about the same Corey Perry

 

[Chrispy]

I’ve seen a few people post stuff along the lines of “you’d have to be a real jackass to be doing hazing/using slurs in 2023” and I’m just like… are we talking about the same Corey Perry

As I said a couple of pages ago:

Most of the things Corey Perry could do to cause Chicago to terminate his contract seem like things you completely expect Corey Perry to do.

 

[Svechhammer]

As I said a couple of pages ago:

As I said earlier this week...

Ahh so that's why they call Perry a motherf***er