(Ed. Note: This post has been updated with additional articles that I wanted to share. Thank you to everyone who has helped cover this story the right way.)
How do you talk about Patrick Kane now? This is something a lot of people around Chicago and across the Internet are grappling with now that he’s currently under investigation for alleged rape. We’ve never had to cover something like this involving a Chicago Blackhawks player at SCH before, and like for so many others, it’s been a process of learning and understanding and trying to put things into context. When I passed on certain parts of the Buffalo News’ reporting yesterday, which could be considered irresponsible at best, I screwed up. This is an opportunity for a learning experience that shouldn’t be dismissed.
With all that said, having read so many things across the web over the past couple days, it’s become clear that other writers have been able to say things regarding this situation far better and more eloquently than I ever could have. So rather than do that, I thought I would use this as a chance share some important articles about Kane and this situation that can help enlighten, educate and maybe make this whole thing a little easier to understand. Thank you to all the writers listed below for such important contributions.
- How NOT to talk about the Patrick Kane rape allegations — Julie DiCaro, CBS Chicago
- Patrick Kane is not your friend — Tim Baffoe, CBS Chicago
- Why Mark Croce Went to the News about Pat Kane — Alan Bedenko, Daily Public
- Parents express importance in talking with their kids about Patrick Kane — Matthew Schwerha, Chicago Sun-Times
- Loving Hockey Isn’t Easy — Toni McIntyre, The Riveter
- Why We Haven’t Talked About Patrick Kane — Sasha Davis, The Other Half
- Male-made cultural rules keep most rapists safe — David Rutter, Chicago Tribune/
There are also important studies regarding reporting of sexual violence and rates of false reports that can bring further context to what we’re trying to wrap our heads around. All of this is important, and reading it has helped give me a better sense of how to talk about such complicated topics. This isn’t going to go away any time soon, and I’m grateful that writers like DiCaro and Bedenko have been willing to show where we, as a society, can be better in handling these situations. Soon enough, we can get back to talking hockey.