Confirmed with Link: Red Wings sign F Daniel Sprong (1 yr, 2M)

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

I remember when 2 young men got in a fight and that was that.

There's an old man joke to be made. I am one, so I won't.

Without knowing the details, I can't say if Sprong was in the wrong...

 

[Mort Divine]

I remember when 2 young men got in a fight and that was that.

id like to think we've progressed beyond cave man behavior, but who f***ing knows

 

[tyhee]

Sounds more like this was a fight and the loser who is the race car driver got his butt beat and is now being a sore loser.

Demelo's post didn't complain of the fight, which was broken up. He was complaining that at a later time Sprong sucker punched him when he was defenseless and caused considerable damage.

 

[RED WINGS STOMP]

All of this is according to Demelo, I would take it all with a grain of salt, this has been fishy from the jump.

 

[Bench]

I want to start off by saying that I very much respect your opinion, and quite frankly I probably agree with 99% of what you have to say, however in this instance its the 1%. Maybe I didn't explain myself as detailed as I should have, or maybe we just have to agree to disagree.

The NHL has profited off of fighting in a very dangerous setting for decades. Players have historically been encouraged by coaches, GM's and teammates to fight and I don't think there is any disputing that. A culture has been created where if someone "crosses" you or a teammate, its ok to drop the gloves and throw a punch, if it wasn't ok the penalty for it would be more then 5min off the ice. For a player to have that same mindset in the real world after being encouraged their entire lives by the hockey community IMO is not surprising. Does this mean its ok to fight in a bar because someone pisses you off? Of course not. Would I do it? No. However, for the NHL to terminate a players contract because he threw one punch in a bar fight, yes I think that considering the culture of the NHL that is hypocritical (I think I forgot to quote the person I meant to reply to, maybe that made my comment come off the wrong way). Does that mean that I think fighting in real life is identical to fighting on the ice? No, I agree with you there.

I was clear in my original statement that if Sprong attacked him, that is not ok and needs to be dealt with. An attack and a fight are two different things. If this was a fight where both parties consented, but one party was simply significantly better at fighting then the other, while it sucks that one party got hurt as badly as he did, but if all that damage was caused by 1 punch I don't think it will be considered big deal by the NHL. Now if Sprong unloaded on him punch after punch and absolutely pummeled him as he laid there unconscious, that is a different story.

I apologize if my lack of context made my comments look on the callus side (reading them back I can see how they may), but this is a much more detailed breakdown of my opinion. If you firmly still disagree, then I respectfully agree to disagree.

Good post, friend. Always happy (no, thrilled) to read a response from someone engaging in the topic honestly and trying to reach understanding. I see exactly where you're coming from and can't say I have any objections.

There's a dissonance you're pointing out that is real and difficult to make amends with sometimes.

 

[Ezekial]

This is a joke, has to be.

No, that happened. One guy accidently bumped him in the club, he spilled his drink, he got mad. Him and his friend pulled up next to them on the road later and he shot and killed both of them in their car and they drove away. This was before he killed Odin Lloyd, he played a full season as this double homicide went unsolved.

 

[peconcan]

What ever happened to a gold old fashion bar fight? Writing this right after my buddy just got his face smashed in by a bouncer. Is he mad? Kinda ya but told us all right after he deserved it. Who knows what the race at driver said tk provoke the situation wait to hear both sides of the story before we cancel

 

[Mort Divine]

What ever happened to a gold old fashion bar fight? Writing this right after my buddy just got his face smashed in by a bouncer. Is he mad? Kinda ya but told us all right after he deserved it. Who knows what the race at driver said tk provoke the situation wait to hear both sides of the story before we cancel

nothing he said justifies sprong coming back after the situation was dealt with and sucker punching the guy

 

[newfy]

nothing he said justifies sprong coming back after the situation was dealt with and sucker punching the guy

What if Sprong was there with a black girlfriend and the driver started calling her the N word?

I'm not saying that happened, but theres plenty of stuff people can say that is deserving of getting punched in the face. No one knows the full story here and was it a sucker punch or were people splitting it up and Sprong got away and hit him again?

No sense in speculating or being mad one way or the other because of a one sides instagram story

 

[Snuggs]

No, that happened. One guy accidently bumped him in the club, he spilled his drink, he got mad. Him and his friend pulled up next to them on the road later and he shot and killed both of them in their car and they drove away. This was before he killed Odin Lloyd, he played a full season as this double homicide went unsolved.

No, not that, the comparison here with Sprong to a Sociopath murder. Just cause alcohol was involved.

Lets... pump the breaks... get some details. Sounds more like a normal bar fight than some random... "unprovoked" attack. Even if he just mouthed off and got popped for it.( not good) It's way, way different still than something like a premediated murder over those same comments...

 

[Ezekial]

No, not that, the comparison here with Sprong to a Sociopath murder. Just cause alcohol was involved.

Lets... pump the breaks... get some details. Sounds more like a normal bar fight than some random... "unprovoked" attack. Even if he just mouthed off and got popped for it.( not good) It's way, way different still than something like a premediated murder over those same comments...

oh yea, the comparison is not even remotely the same. Aaron Hernandez was more than simply drunk, he was a criminal narcissistic sociopath.

 

[13to40]

A lot of people smoking crack in this thread…. Comparing this to Hernandez, ready with pitchforks to chase him out of town.

Altercations like this happen every off season for a lot of players. Most go under the radar, and I’m not saying what he did was right or defending Sprong, but if he’s not criminally charged and it’s just a poor loser complaining to the media that he lost a fight, then I think there are a lot of over reactions…

With that being said, I do know that in this particular case; Sprong is a bit of a hot head and him and Duclair roughed up some drunken morons a few years ago, during the off season at a music festival here in Montreal called ile soniq, so I’m not entirely shocked or surprised that this same sort of story is making a headline again…

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

oh yea, the comparison is not even remotely the same. Aaron Hernandez was more than simply drunk, he was a criminal narcissistic sociopath.

If we're going to baselessly speculate that since Sprong punched DeMelo then he must have done something to deserve it then I think we have to consider that the other end of the spectrum of possibilities is equally likely. I mean, people are actually saying, "well, what if DeMelo was calling Sprong's black girlfriend (who doesnt exist) the n-word?" Is that more or less likely than Sprong doing steroids all summer and decided to just roid out on DeMelo?

Criminal narcissistic sociopath. I mean, we already know that he's a criminal because he punched DeMelo without his consent. Obviously we don't have enough information to determine Sprongs mental condition, but i'd argue that most people who believe that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict are at least a little mentally unstable.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

A lot of people smoking crack in this thread…. Comparing this to Hernandez, ready with pitchforks to chase him out of town.

Altercations like this happen every off season for a lot of players. Most go under the radar, and I’m not saying what he did was right or defending Sprong, but if he’s not criminally charged and it’s just a poor loser complaining to the media that he lost a fight, then I think there are a lot of over reactions…

With that being said, I do know that in this particular case; Sprong is a bit of a hot head and him and Duclair roughed up some drunken morons a few years ago, during the off season at a music festival here in Montreal called ile soniq, so I’m not entirely shocked or surprised that this same sort of story is making a headline again…

I never compared this situation to Hernandez. I said that when people drink, shit has a tendency to pop off. One extreme example of that is when a drunk and high NFL player killed 2 people over the most trivial offense ever.

 

[lomekian]

oh yea, the comparison is not even remotely the same. Aaron Hernandez was more than simply drunk, he was a criminal narcissistic sociopath.

He was also someone who was sexually abused as a kid, was a self-loathing closeted homosexual terrified of being outed, had grown up around criminal gangs and was proven to have serious CTE. Doesn't remotely exonerate him, but probably relevant info given the bizarre equivalence drawn

 

[lomekian]

If we're going to baselessly speculate that since Sprong punched DeMelo then he must have done something to deserve it then I think we have to consider that the other end of the spectrum of possibilities is equally likely. I mean, people are actually saying, "well, what if DeMelo was calling Sprong's black girlfriend (who doesnt exist) the n-word?" Is that more or less likely than Sprong doing steroids all summer and decided to just roid out on DeMelo?

Criminal narcissistic sociopath. I mean, we already know that he's a criminal because he punched DeMelo without his consent. Obviously we don't have enough information to determine Sprongs mental condition, but i'd argue that most people who believe that violence is an acceptable way to resolve conflict are at least a little mentally unstable.

OR perhaps none of us knows anything bar DeMelo's insta post, which although it may well be an accurate version of events also reads a lot like a pre-emtive action to establish a narrative ahead of civil legal action or a desired settlement. If it was a standard criminal proceeding that is as cut and dry as implied, DeMelo would be foolish to post such a thing as it could be seen to prejudice any investigation.

That's not to say Sprong isn't guilty of exactly what he is accused of, but the lack of information in the public domain at this stage makes anyone drawing conclusions a little lacking in patience and perspective.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

OR perhaps none of us knows anything bar DeMelo's insta post, which although it may well be an accurate version of events also reads a lot like a pre-emtive action to establish a narrative ahead of civil legal action or a desired settlement. If it was a standard criminal proceeding that is as cut and dry as implied, DeMelo would be foolish to post such a thing as it could be seen to prejudice any investigation.

That's not to say Sprong isn't guilty of exactly what he is accused of, but the lack of information in the public domain at this stage makes anyone drawing conclusions a little lacking in patience and perspective.

Exactly. So why are so many people blaming the victim here? I can think of a thousand scenarios that could have played out where Demelo did nothing to deserve getting assaulted over.

If a woman came forward about Sprong assaulting her exactly zero of the questions raised about Demelo would be appropriate (although I wouldn't put it past a lot of people on this forum to ask them anyway)

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

He was also someone who was sexually abused as a kid, was a self-loathing closeted homosexual terrified of being outed, had grown up around criminal gangs and was proven to have serious CTE. Doesn't remotely exonerate him, but probably relevant info given the bizarre equivalence drawn

No equivalence was ever drawn. Just poor reading comprehension by a couple people.

 

[RRhoads]

Would have expected a statement from Sprong by now.

 

[Bench]

Would have expected a statement from Sprong by now.

I'm sure he's being told to lay low while the lawyers handle everything from this point.

And then I'm sure there's wheels moving with the Wings, too.

 

[RRhoads]

I'm sure he's being told to lay low while the lawyers handle everything from this point.

And then I'm sure there's wheels moving with the Wings, too.

I am sure of both of those things too, but if he is told to not tell his side, it is probably bad.

 

[Gniwder]

I am sure of both of those things too, but if he is told to not tell his side, it is probably bad.

DeMelo is obviously angling towards a civil suit. I would not expect a statement from Sprong until that's settled.

As Bench said, the first thing the lawyer tells you is to not talk. I know this as a fact from personal experience.

 

[lgrws91]

Not good. Wouldn't be surprised if his contract gets terminated. Fighting people in a nightclub is super trashy.

Better then former cancuks Kesler and Shane Obrien in clubs

 

[lomekian]

Exactly. So why are so many people blaming the victim here? I can think of a thousand scenarios that could have played out where Demelo did nothing to deserve getting assaulted over.

If a woman came forward about Sprong assaulting her exactly zero of the questions raised about Demelo would be appropriate (although I wouldn't put it past a lot of people on this forum to ask them anyway)

Probably because they are feeling defensive about others automatically taking DeMelo's word as gospel.

Probably best if no-one makes any judgements until something other than an instagram post is in the public arena.

 

[heyfolks]

id like to think we've progressed beyond cave man behavior, but who f***ing knows

HA, that IS progress . In caveman days they'd fight to the death, eat the victim and take or eat the family of the victim. The one consistent in human history is mans inhumanity to fellow man. Every continent, every people.