In case you haven’t been following the NFL this off-season, news broke today that former Cincinnati Bengals‘ wide receiver Chad Johnson (formerly Ochocinco) was sentenced to 30 days in prison after having his plea deal rejected as it pertained to a violation of his parole. The grounds for the refusal of his plea came Johnson slapped the buttocks of his attorney, drawing the ire of judge Kathleen McHugh who contended Johnson was not taking his proceedings seriously before sentencing the four-time Pro Bowler to time served.
And with that, Winnipeg Jets‘ Evander Kane — a proverbial lightning rod for controversy himself — took to Twitter to defend Johnson for an action that many have deemed harmless.
I can’t believe that the judge sentenced @ochocinco to 30 days for slapping his lawyers ass because he was happy with the ruling #harmless
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
Like what is the system coming to when people are killing people and going away for a handful of years. #embarrassing
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
And the fact she had already agreed to accept the plea deal and then change her mind on the spot?……maybe she was jealous?
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
As Kane points out, there are greater transgressions in this world than slapping the backside of your male lawyer, especially when it's coming from a former NFL player who has smacked many an ass in his heyday.
"High five?!" "Nah, man, imma slap your ass!"
As is the case with anything Evander Kane related, his assertions were met with resistance and disagreement from a small yet vocal amount of the on-line population.Some accused him of condoning domestic violence, the crime for which Johnson found himself in trouble with the law in the first place. Others felt his comments to be overtly sexist against a female judge who seems to have gone over the line in wielding her gavel of justice.
Kane made sure to squash the notion that his sympathy towards Johnson extended anywhere past today's events while also attempting to deflect criticism by reminding his detractors he isn't forcing them to read his tweets:
To be clear because some of you out there can’t seem to understand my point. I don’t condone any of @ochocinco actions. I just don’t feel
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
That a judge should be able to just change her mind due to the fact once again that her own court room security was laughing.
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
If your too sensitive, too uptight, or just can’t handle real talk then don’t follow. If you can then great! #Apreciatethesupport
— Evander Kane (@EKane9JETS) June 10, 2013
Though it's refreshing to see professional athletes straying from the tired clichés we've become accustom to over many years of drab press conferences, bringing ones personal opinions to the forefront of media isn't always a sound decision (see: Peterson, Adrian). However, in this instance, there was nothing lewd or lascivious about the ideals expressed by Kane who has no problem being one to stir the pot.
Nevertheless, after tweeting out a picture of his moneyphone during the nuclear winter of the NHL lockout, there is a stigma surrounding Evander Kane which his overbearing critics are sure to remind him of at every turn.
