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David Haugh wants everyone to butt out
Salacious rumors about Patrick Sharp are nobody's business
By Saturday night, Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp decided enough was enough.
"It was the worst day,'' Sharp recalled Sunday at Johnny's IceHouse.
His parents had called with questions. His in-laws did, too, along with other family members and friends. At a charity function thrown by teammate Bryan Bickell, Sharp privately stewed unable to escape the reach of the rumormongering. A website that promotes itself as the home of "Chicago Sports News, Rumors & Gossip" posted an uncomfortably detailed list of Sharp's alleged infidelities and incidents with teammates while speculating the Blackhawks had suffered as a result. It was the cyber equivalent of a cross-check into the boards and, shaken, Sharp revealed he plans to consult an attorney about potential legal action.
"It's been tough,'' Sharp said. "As a hockey player, as a professional, you're out there and you're up for grabs for on-ice play. I'm OK with that. But when people delve into your personal life, make up rumors and things that are completely false and untrue, it takes a toll on you, your family, your friends, and it's completely unnecessary.''
It is one thing for somebody covering the Blackhawks to vaguely attribute Sharp's struggles to personal problems — he would be far from the first professional athlete to let issues at home affect him on the job. It is another to publish salacious allegations without proof or attribution in a manner that crosses the lines of journalistic fairness, regardless of whether Sharp qualifies as a public figure.
The Hawks have become rock stars in Chicago, but limits still exist for how far we should be entitled to pry into their lives. Only how often Sharp scores during games is relevant. Sharp never addressed the website's specific allegations Sunday because, thankfully, nobody asked. It's none of our business. In 12 years covering Chicago sports for the Tribune, I can recall asking only one athlete about the state of his marriage — Brian Urlacher in 2003 after Paris Hilton appeared in his Soldier Field suite for a "Monday Night Football" game and he requested a forum to address it.
"It's unbelievable — it has nothing to do with my job,'' Sharp said of the gossip. "I don't know where it gets started or how it snowballs. I wish I could say it's all rolling off my back. Part of it is. But when you continue to hear stuff about you, sooner or later you have to defend yourself.''
So Sharp removed his equipment, stared into the cameras and attempted to do just that. His voice quivered at times and he sounded more hurt than angry. This wasn't Patrick Sharp the picture of debonair we are used to seeing handle everything smoothly. This was a troubled 33-year-old father and husband trying to deal with a private crisis publicly, worrying what he will tell his two young daughters about all this one day.
"They're ages 3 and 1, but when you think about if they ever will hear about this kind of stuff (later), it breaks your heart,'' Sharp said. "I talk to other people about it and they say, 'Oh, my God, it's hilarious, don't even worry about it.' I wish I could do that. I can't. You can see how much it affects me.''
Unfortunately for the Blackhawks, everybody can. Sharp has scored only three even-strength goals all season, a slump the Hawks need him to break out of in Patrick Kane's absence. Two sources confirmed Sunday that Sharp's name came up in trade talks only when teams asked if he was available. Because of a $5.9 million salary-cap hit in 2016, Sharp likely will be dealt next summer but not now — not for a team whose weekend trades for center Antoine Vermette and defenseman Kimmo Timonen reflected the urgency to go for the Stanley Cup this season.
The Hawks reported to practice Sunday unified by that one goal and a collective pledge to support Sharp. Defenseman Brent Seabrook decried social-media attacks. "This team's never been tighter,'' Seabrook said. Captain Jonathan Toews repeated there was "absolutely no truth to the rumors.'' Coach Joel Quenneville, who addressed the matter with Sharp, downplayed juggling his forward on all four lines but acknowledged the elephant in the dressing room.
"Obviously, it was bothering him, but we're working our way through it as a team,'' Quenneville said.
Simply getting back to work improved Sharp's mood. Next comes improving his play — the disappointing thing about Sharp everyone can fairly critique.
"I've been injured this year, battled back, had some tough stretches, had some good stretches, (but) I'm feeling good about the way I'm playing,'' Sharp said. "I play on a good line, have good teammates and I'm going to break through.''
For Sharp, maybe reaching his breaking point will make that easier. Down the stretch, the Hawks need Sharp's offense to be more than just a rumor.
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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee
It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.
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