If this were a Red Wings player would you be so quick to reserve judgment? Be honest Blackhawks fans.

Excellent point, Exclamation Moint. Everyone gets into a couple dust-ups in their teenage years - beyond that, you need to man the fuck up and keep your fists down unless it's truly warranted.

I'm not dismissing what Kane did or didn't do.

Um... actually, you are.

I think there's a difference between "dismissing" and "understanding the stupidness of youth" Mike.

Semantics be damned Mike - I'll clarify my position then.

If he is guilty of what he is said to be guilty of, I think he should pay the reasonable penalty for what someone similarly has for similar offenses. If that be jail time, probation, whatever the case is - he deserves it.

However, whatever penalty he pays, it will not shape my opinion of him as a whole because I will think to myself, "Yeah, that's what stupid kids do until they grow up". My point being was that the person we are at 20 isn't often the person that we turn out to be. Life's lessons have a way of shaping the adult we turn out to be - either good or bad.

Many former 20 year olds, myself included, were able to make it through those ages without beating on a cab driver (if that is indeed what happened). I don't get why so many people are quick to talk about how everyone was so damn stupid as a "kid". I'm not saying I wasn't stupid, but as someone said, attacking a cab driver (again, if that's truly what happened), isn't something you should just blow off as youthful indiscretion.

It was clear the first time you said it Dave... you're dismissing Kane's actions as "boys will be boys". The problem with your logic is that it's so case specific that when you start applying it to other similar scenarios you end up be hypocritical.

Many former 20 year olds, myself included, were able to make it through those ages without beating on a cab driver (if that is indeed what happened). I don't get why so many people are quick to talk about how everyone was so damn stupid as a "kid". I'm not saying I wasn't stupid, but as someone said, attacking a cab driver (again, if that's truly what happened), isn't something you should just blow off as youthful indiscretion.

I knew that punching people in the head was wrong when I was 5 or 6 years old....
Being 20, 30, or 40 years old doesn't make it less idiotic or more shocking to punch an old man in the head when his back is turned..

It is not surprising for you that a 20 year old punched a 60 year old over 20 cents?

o.k.
I learn something new everyday.

well, it is surprising to me that a 20 year old got drunk and got into a fight. but, that's just me...

I don't see how I am saying "Boys will be boys" when I agree that he should get whatever is coming to him if he is guilty of it. All I am saying is that this is not shocking behavior to me from a 20 year old kid - famous or not. If he was 35 or 40 and did this, well yes, I would be a bit more shocked. I don't really care what happens to him one way or the other as I don't have a horse in the race so to speak - I like the Hawks but am not a huge fan of Kane as of yet.

I think you can see similar behavior at your local watering hole around 2 AM - maybe not robbery but you can certainly catch any number of fights or assaults or what have you.

I can't help it that you don't see how "Yeah, that's what stupid kids do until they grow up" = "boys will be boys". Men are boys until they grow up, and you're saying that Kane hasn't grown up yet... do you see it now?
And yeah, I've seen plenty of fights at bars. However, while I'm watching them getting tossed out of the bar after smashing bottles over each others' heads I don't say to myself "those guys are gonna be fine people when they grow up some day, I hope society will look past this"...maybe sarcastically I do. But comparing a bar fight to assaulting a 62 year cab driver seems like a bit of a stretch...and by that I mean nothing at all alike.
But I don't want to talk in circle with you...I just logged in to tell you that I'm right and you're wrong.

But it could be just us crazy damn hoosiers.

How much money will it take to make it go away next time? Because there will be a next time. This is not a mistake that well-adjusted people make.

How much money will it take to make it go away next time? Because there will be a next time. This is not a mistake that well-adjusted people make.

SlapShotEd, the cabbie in your example didnt do anything wrong unless you had put a ridiculous amount of bags you put in the trunk. Hes just trying to make the most money he can and you couldve asked him first. Why would punching him even be an option you would consider.

Let's face it , Kane is not just a normal 20 year old kid .......He is the face of one of the hottest teams in Chicago and the NHL and has fame and fortune and women hounding him at the age of 20 and despite the cabbie being a tool and locking the kid in his cab and demanding money before he let's them out he had to know he's screwed for doing what he did. If he has another dust up of some sort then the Hawks will have to make a decsion to move him or let him sign with another team next year as he becomes a free agent.

Money makes all this go away and when they drop the puck in October it's all forgotten. I've had pissing matches with cabbies before as I pulled up with my luggage after a flight at O'hare and put my bags in the trunk of a cab and said drive me to Rosemont only to have the cabbie say "NO" , and made me take my bags out as he wanted a better fare to the city as he said 'i've sat here for 20 minutes and Im not going to make a $2 tip to drive you 5 miles . It took everything in me to not knock the fucking guy out. I've had buddies get into verbal fights with cabbies so I'll cut the kid some slack and call it his first mistake as I was not there to see what really went on.