Sharpie

There is a personal code in the Mafia that you never sleep with a ''Made'' guy's wife. It is forbidden. It is a sign of disrespect to ''this thing of ours''. Whenever someone crosses over into this dangerous territory, most likely, he will get whacked [see Tony Spilotro and his nailing Lefty Rosenthal's wife]. Or, in the real world: you don't shit where you eat. That also means that it is not wise to sleep with a fellow employee [of this, I must plead guilty]. You certainly will not get killed in the business world if you do this---unless, someone, like Dick Cheney,  is running the company---- but it is bad politics to dip your wick in the work environment. I say all this because the hottest story in town right now is the Patrick Sharp rumors........ Patrick Sharp is one popular player for the Blackhawks. Until the last year or so, he was a potent player, who was a steady, calming force on the ice and in the locker room. He also possesses movie star looks. I do not know one female who would not like to get a high sticking from him. Sharp has coveted the ''good guy'' pose in public. You know, the family man who loves his daughters and goes home to his ever-loving wife for all of the comforts of life on the home hearth. All seemed to go well for good guy Sharp until this season. Really, it started last season. His play was off significantly within the last two seasons. There was serious trade talk about him during the off-season of 2014. He almost was traded but the deal fell through with the unknown team. And, his trouble on the ice all of this year have dogged his play. Lately, he has been a mirage in a game. Loyal fans have been asking: what is wrong with Sharpie???......... Well, we may have the answer with the last few days of disclosures. Let me point out that these are rumors, not yet proven facts. So, the term ''alleged'' must be always be kept forefront in all of our minds. The rumors started when Dan Bernstein, the smart, and, at times, arrogant, host of ''The Score'', sports radio, posted a revealing tweet talking about discord in the locker room. About a fistfight. The combatants were Sharp and fellow teammate, Duncan Keith. According to reports from inside sources, the fight had nothing to do with the playing of Sharp but of Duncan Keith's wife. Allegedly, Sharp and Keith's wife have been going at it hot and heavy. Sharp finally found the goal crease but it wasn't in a hockey net. Keith, if the rumors are to be believed, rightfully went after Sharp, with, apparently, the blessing of many of his fellow teammates........ The second big rumor about Patrick Sharp is that he is having an affair with Channel 7 weatherlady Cheryl Scott. The story goes further into the allegation that Scott became pregnant with Sharp's baby. This one-two check to the boards, once again, if true, really blows Patrick Sharp's public relations image as a ''family man'' out of the water. Patrick Sharp has come forward to deny any of these stories and is threatening legal action....... Now, the assessment, from my perspective. The fact that an athlete may be cheating on his lady, whether girlfriend or wife, is as old as the beard on Moses. Public figures, like politicians, athletes, movie stars, and above all, rock stars, being randy out in public should be no shock to anyone. And, it has been my observation that when someone who goes out of his way to be seen as a ''good family man,'' is often hiding the fact that they have a stable of women on call. I am not saying Sharp is in this group but it is curious that, so far, none of his teammates, guys he has gone to war with to win two championships, have come forward to defend him .Toews and Seabrooke have come forward with a half-hearted defense about the locker room. All locker rooms have their fights. The Yankees in the 1970's, with Reggie Jackson and Thurman Munson, were notorious for their in-fighting. And, the 1985 Chicago Bears were not exactly chumming with each other off the field. So, a divided locker room is no great shakes as a story. But, why is it divided? This story of the Blackhawks at war with each other seems to have taken on a more personal edge to it. Again, if not so, where are his defenders? Where, for instance, is Duncan Keith? If all is quiet on the Keith marriage, then, he should be the first to say that Patrick Sharp is not guilty in this story and that the fight they had in the locker room was over Sharp using Keith's shampoo without asking. Where are the Blackhawks media people in this? They have an excellent public relations group of people who have revived this organization in recent years. Where are they to defend Sharp, until now, one of their most popular assests? And, there is also Dan Bernstein's reporting. For many years, Bernstein has proved to be a solid, reliable reporter on the local sports scene. He is a smart man who knew that his facts had better be accurate. He knows how popular Sharp is in this town--- mainly, with women---- and to risk public disapproval over this story is risking a lot on his part. Bernstein could lose his job if the story proves to be false......... I am reminded of two famous stories involving local sports people. One goes back to the late 80's/early 90's involving Ryne Sandberg's first wife, Cindy. The Cubs second baseball, apparently, could not control his wife going after some of his teammates. Rafael Palmeiro and Dave Martinez were both rumored to be having relations with Cindy Sandberg. While Ryne was shagging ground balls, both men were shagging her. Those rumors were so strong---- and, reliable--- that it came down to the Cubs having to trade both men to other teams to keep peace with Ryne Sandberg. Soon after these disclosures were made public, Ryne and Cindy Sandberg divorced........ The second famous local sports rumor involved Channel 5 anchor, Joan Esposito and the Chicago Bulls Horace Grant [there was also talk of Michael Jordan and her, which is possible, given Jordan's, another ''good family man'', lifestyle]. The stories about Esposito and Grant were so strong that it was talked about very openly on the radio by DJ'S Ed Volkman and Joe Bohannon. By here is the rub, Joan Esposito denied the rumors so fiercely that she went to court and sued Volkman and Bohannon for defamation of character. And, she won the lawsuit. Both DJ'S apologized but the damage to Esposito's reputation had already been done....... It should be interesting to see what Patrick Sharp does here. If he is innocent, he should go after Dan Bernstein and anyone else who is defaming his character. We all would. If someone was saying all of this about you, where you know it isn't true and this is hurting your marriage, wouldn't you scream to high Heaven about your innocence? I would. I would disregard any attorney's advice and go for the jugular. That is if I was innocent. If I was guilty of these stories, well, I would be prepared to be a villain among my former fans...... And, I would be prepared to wear another team's jersey soon......