Absolute PR disaster.

You would think a supposed expert in PR could have avoided a PR disaster. In an effort to show who is boss, the content as well as the tone of the messaging has backfired. Kane had no business being trotted out there.

Kane will likely not consent to a LOA, treatment, counseling, etc., and has already said he will not waive to allow a trade. Probably because he so strongly believes he is innocent. As are his rights to exercise.

Had everyone from the front office to idiots like us on blogs adopted the policy of valuing the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in the beginning, this would not be the impacted molar extraction without anesthesia that it has become.

Interesting perspective DK. Hmmm.....
- TexasFlood

Hey Texas hope you're well...been a bit rough in my end of the pond here...

here's the lead story on CSNchicago.com this evening...

http://www.csnchicago.com...ckhawks-nearing-extension

Prospects, picks and cap room.
- UCSB616

Not a chance in hell that ever happens.

Is it the wrong decision if his presence kills the locker room and rots the precious years left you have with those elite players?

Is it the wrong decision if people inside the locker room asked him to change his behavior several times and he didn't?

Is it the wrong decision if his own teammates think they're better off without him despite his elite hockey skills?

These are all very important questions when analyzing the return WHEN he's gone.
- UCSB616

I highly doubt they think the team would be better without him, and i highly doubt the locker room is gonna rot. But okay, you've clearly got your inside sources and you already know where Kane is being traded and who we're getting back, so i mean, why even argue with you?

I don't think it was a PR disaster at all, given the circumstances - which are that Kane was going to attend training camp and the Hawks had nothing to say about it. So they did what they had to do which was to trot out in front of the media and say as little as possible. What was the alternative - to have Kane come to camp and pretend everything was normal?

As for the optics, I think it went very well for them. McD looked PO'd to further advance the storyline that the Hawks are furious and lay the groundwork for any changes that may come after the legal situation is resolved.

Hawks management probably would have preferred Kane stay away but once it was clear he was going to show up for camp, they did what they needed to do. Mission accomplished.

Seriously everyone ( mostly dumb ass bleeding hearts) keeps saying the press conference was a disater but how could it have gone well ??

Kane is an bumhole , would have been great if he stood up and against all advive just said (frank) it , im not guilty this is why blah blah blah.." it was a no win press conference but it had to be done if Kane was going to participate in camp.

It had to be done if the Club wants to trade Kane.

It had to be done if the team feels like Kane will play this season .

I thought McD and Bownan tried to establish how the Team Wins titles and the Team is bigger than one man , but I thought the reporters embaradsed themselves too , why waste a question that you know wont be answered ???

I think the organization was in a lose lose at the press conference but it had to be done.

Absolute PR disaster.

You would think a supposed expert in PR could have avoided a PR disaster. In an effort to show who is boss, the content as well as the tone of the messaging has backfired. Kane had no business being trotted out there.

Kane will likely not consent to a LOA, treatment, counseling, etc., and has already said he will not waive to allow a trade. Probably because he so strongly believes he is innocent. As are his rights to exercise.

Had everyone from the front office to idiots like us on blogs adopted the policy of valuing the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in the beginning, this would not be the impacted molar extraction without anesthesia that it has become.
- Return of the Roar

Maybe but the brand is so strong it may even be able to withstand this.

I dont give a poop if Kane is here or not , guilty or not , im still watching every game just like I have since the 1981-1982 season

Hey Texas hope you're well...been a bit rough in my end of the pond here...

here's the lead story on CSNchicago.com this evening...

http://www.csnchicago.com...ckhawks-nearing-extension
- DK002

Hang in there DK. Couple of interesting points made in the Tribune reflecting on today's theatrical debacle. The first was,that a woman's group by the name of UltraViolet is demanding that Kane be held out of training camp and I assume the regular season until his case is adjudicated. This was predictable.

Secondly in Haughs columns (sorry, don't have the URL) a scathing indictment of the entire press conference, questioning the awkwardness as well as the point of the entire proceedings.

Perhaps his best line was when he asked the question and I paraphrase; "Which champion had the worse offseason, the Patriots with Brady or the Hawks with Kane?"

You're right though DK. The press is just getting going with this and will have a field day with it before the puck drops.

This is a great blog environment. So you want him and others cater to the couple jackasses to appease them ? Child please!!!
- Dannyboy

No. I'm saying just ignore the jackasses.

Disagree. They CAN'T suspend him. But he hasn't been arrested. So he's there. But they also can't trade him right now. Who's going to make any kind of offer for him while he's under felony investigation.

So he may well be . . . for sure on the way out. Just not right now.
- John Jaeckel

The way out was for Kane to volunteer to stay away and obviously the Hawks leaned another way....And the NHL took the safest path and stayed quiet.

Watching Kane skirt those questions today was like watching a root canal performed without any pain killers.

This is a good article I pretty much agree with. I'm not sure where all the reporters whining about Kane not answering questions having to do with the investigation are coming from. Seriously, what were they expecting? If they expected anything different then they weren't thinking.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/h...to-be-at-blackhawks-camp/

Elliotte Friedman discusses the Kane Presser.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/9...e-an-ugly-look-for-hawks/

FYI...he wasn't impressed.

Absolute PR disaster.

You would think a supposed expert in PR could have avoided a PR disaster. In an effort to show who is boss, the content as well as the tone of the messaging has backfired. Kane had no business being trotted out there.

Kane will likely not consent to a LOA, treatment, counseling, etc., and has already said he will not waive to allow a trade. Probably because he so strongly believes he is innocent. As are his rights to exercise.

Had everyone from the front office to idiots like us on blogs adopted the policy of valuing the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in the beginning, this would not be the impacted molar extraction without anesthesia that it has become.
- Return of the Roar

Ya had me until the final paragraph...

Not sure how our judicial system's presumption of innocence, and the idea that the front office, and I presume others, have not observed it, has anything to do with the Kane's current predicament.

It seems you may be projecting just bit...

And the hits just keep on coming...

http://www.thestar.com/sp...s-and-the-nhl-arthur.html

...but it's just the "media" and we all know they're biased.

Rob they're going to use the Seabs signing as the big spin to distract from the Kane trainwreck...its already up on CSN.com that the Hawks and Seabs are close to a deal...and Seabs was named the alternate officially today. Think happy thoughts.

Have to admit I loved see McD squirm in that presser today and seeing the smoke coming out of his ears when the Buffalo reporter referred to him as tone deaf regarding the situation. The man that loves to control the message down to the last detail and he couldn't do a darn thing.

This was it the beat guys actually asked real questions (for once) even though the Hawks mediator told them not to by saying we're only going to answer hockey questions... and were repelled by Kane over and over and over...as well as the others.

Should be a fun weekend and more questions will be coming from the media for sure...
- DK002

I am curious as to why some posters are so interested to see McDonough "squirm" ? From my perspective he has done nothing but good for the team in terms of marketing and in helping ensure the team is and remains competative.

Maybe but the brand is so strong it may even be able to withstand this.

I dont give a poop if Kane is here or not , guilty or not , im still watching every game just like I have since the 1981-1982 season
- mrpaulish

priorities....

I am curious as to why some posters are so interested to see McDonough "squirm" ? From my perspective he has done nothing but good for the team in terms of marketing and in helping ensure the team is and remains competative.
- paulr

along with being amatuer gms...many have here have management voodoo dolls...

Interesting. The whole thing seems badly managed for a marketing "genius" like McD. Even if he was going to announce he was taking a LOA absent a settlement why no legal presence - not even his agent - at his side?

Bad optics. Not McD's thing. Weird. Announcing a leave of absence under these circumstances requires a press conference? It seems that would be more easily handled via press release and the PC could have been more controlled. Really feels more like this was meant to be an "It's over. Back to hockey." event that was turned upside down by the $84m brat.
- tredbrta

If this were the case and Kane was taking a LOA, perhaps he'd have his agent there. But it's irrelevant. The 'Hawks and the league discussed this. They knew their boundary conditions. They knew their latitude. Done.

I disagree on the optics. The FO and the players being present and their rehearsed comments are telling in that they are disconnecting Kane from the brand. Nothing more, nothing less. Does this signal a trade later this season? Perhaps. But it too is a moot point until all criminal and civil proceedings are complete.

The 'Hawks handled this as well as they could given the cards they were dealt, and there were no exchanges.

I'm wondering how it would go today if I answered all the questions from my students with "student I hear what your saying and I appriciate your question..."

And the hits just keep on coming...

http://www.thestar.com/sp...s-and-the-nhl-arthur.html

...but it's just the "media" and we all know they're biased.
- ArlingtonRob

"That’s possible, for all kinds of reasons. Even so, would it have hurt the Blackhawks to leave Kane out with pay until it actually happens? Why do this? The Blackhawks sell heroes, pillars of the community. By inviting Kane to camp the Blackhawks made a choice, which is their right. But spare us the boosterism, and explain just why you did it."

Inquiring minds want to know.....hawks were/are in a heads i lose...tails you win situation...

the balziness of the questions by some of the reporters was nice...where the hell did that come from

"That’s possible, for all kinds of reasons. Even so, would it have hurt the Blackhawks to leave Kane out with pay until it actually happens? Why do this? The Blackhawks sell heroes, pillars of the community. By inviting Kane to camp the Blackhawks made a choice, which is their right. But spare us the boosterism, and explain just why you did it."

Inquiring minds want to know.....hawks were/are in a heads i lose...tails you win situation...

the balziness of the questions by some of the reporters was nice...where the hell did that come from
- bogiedoc

Yeah, I was surprised by that as well. "Are you gonna stop drinking" was my favorite. And I think Kane should have jumped on that, suggesting he's working on it or something....

Yeah, I was surprised by that as well. "Are you gonna stop drinking" was my favorite. And I think Kane should have jumped on that, suggesting he's working on it or something....
- Pecafan Fan

I was having a sip good ole mtn dew at that point and almost urped all over my keyboard and monitor when i heard that....after being scolded about hockey ???'s only....whoa

And the hits just keep on coming...

http://www.thestar.com/sp...s-and-the-nhl-arthur.html

...but it's just the "media" and we all know they're biased.
- ArlingtonRob

15 yard penalty for piling on....

http://www.si.com/nhl/201...rence-blackhawks-disaster

Hope his attorney was watching, no way you can let him testify in front of the Grand Jury.

Hope his attorney was watching, no way you can let him testify in front of the Grand Jury.
- walleyeb1

I disagree. In a grand jury proceeding he will either plead the 5th or be able to actually answer the question. Those proceedings are secret.