O RLY

So last week Chicago Blackhawk's star Patrick Kane and his cousin beat a Cab driver in Buffalo because he was 20 cents short with their change.

...

Yeah I know, a young, rich, talented athlete, who probably has a cool million somewhere beat a 62 year old cabbie because he didn't have 20 cents, hm.

I love how 2 days after the incident the media (probably with the NHL's help) went to their spinning machines and spewed stories about how the cab driver had two previous drunk driver charges and had an expired taxi license, as if those things warrant Kane and his cousin's behavior.

Once again the rich and prominent are not accountable for their actions. Watch this video, does that look like a young man who's sorry? Does that look like a young man who is worried about his future? NO! Because he's an athlete, one of the young stars of the NHL. The slate will be wiped clean, this incident will be swept under the rug, where it will all be forgotten by hockey fans by November...and to some fans in Chicago, its already ancient history.

Personally I find this whole situation disgusting. Firstly I always sensed an air of arrogance from Kane. His interviews, his on ice persona, his cheekiness, all probably perpetuated since his peewee days, when his parents/coaches started noticing that he was better than all the kids on his team. Secondly I find it abhorrent that the NHL would try to exhile certain players (Sean Avery; Ray Emery) for their behavior but when it comes to one of their golden boys beating a dude's face in, well then they protect him and try to demonize the real victim of this sitation, the cab driver, Jan Radecki.

There is no accountability here. Should Kane be punished forever? No. But he needs to understand that what he did was not ok. I'm sure he knows but does he really understand? Being charged with only misdemeanour assault and theft charges, says no. Understanding and knowing something are two very different things, and I fear Kane just doesn't get it.

I get that he's young. I get that he has his whole life a head of him. I get that little boys and girls have his poster on their walls but that does not excuse him for beating a cab driver over 20 cents. You can't even make a call from a pay phone with that! What the hell is wrong with this dude?

Privlege breeds arrogance. The rich and powerful are above the law. These truths make me uneasy about where we're headed.