Blues' Center Mike Danton Arrested

[Brass]

Never knew he had 2 names. Michael Danton and Michael Jefferson???

[Shmee]

Yeah, I'd heard that as well. Part of the reasoning introduced in the article I read was that Danton was worried that he might be outed, ruining his career.

Which would be something so horrible that you'd need to put out a hit on someone.

Mind you, everything's speculation at this point; no one knows, except for Danton himself, if any of these allegations are true.

You may think that being gay isn't as tough as many people make it out to be, but I think of this situation as being comparable to Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier. While I may get some crap for that line right there, it can't be easy for Mike Danton IF HE IS GAY (which we don't know), to be a homosexual man trying to make a career in one of the most masculine professions there is. If he's outed, he could face discrimination from his teammates, his opponents, and especially his fans. Any time he goes to give a teammate a hug after a goal everyone in the arena would be thinking the same thing. That wouldn't be easy. Being openly gay in pro team sports is a pretty untravled path that Mike might have to follow. While I don't think ANYTHING warrants killing another human being, I understand the frustration and fear that Danton may have been feeling when he made that phone call.

[CC97]

I looked at the Toronto Sun website, and it looks like they implying that Mike is gay. Reading the AP releases from numerous newspaper website quite Mike saying that the acquaitence "was going to leave him." There's always something behind these kinds of stories huh?

That wasn't on the front page of my Toronto Sun... maybe they changed it

[DEAD!]

I never did say that this was the cover, although the cover on the website is usually the newspaper cover. Anyhow, the homosexual barrier is probably the last barrier in TEAM sports. For example, not too many people made a fuss when golfer Rosie Jones came out.

[spyboy1]

Yeah, I'd heard that as well.  Part of the reasoning introduced in the article I read was that Danton was worried that he might be outed, ruining his career.

You may think that being gay isn't as tough as many people make it out to be, but I think of this situation as being comparable to Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier. While I may get some crap for that line right there, it can't be easy for Mike Danton IF HE IS GAY (which we don't know), to be a homosexual man trying to make a career in one of the most masculine professions there is. If he's outed, he could face discrimination from his teammates, his opponents, and especially his fans. Any time he goes to give a teammate a hug after a goal everyone in the arena would be thinking the same thing. That wouldn't be easy. Being openly gay in pro team sports is a pretty untravled path that Mike might have to follow. While I don't think ANYTHING warrants killing another human being, I understand the frustration and fear that Danton may have been feeling when he made that phone call.

Shmee2k6, those are my thoughts exactly and well said.

It clearly looks to me as if his 'acquaintance' threatened to out him, and in the Neanderthal world of the NHL and it's locker rooms, he saw it as a death sentance for more than his career, but his life as he knows it.

I believe he panicked, went too far and did a very dumb, regrettable and criminal thing. Unfortunately, he's essentially now 'outed' himself in the end and managed to add on criminal charges to boot.

It's a sad story that in this day and age people can't simply be allowed to be who they are without such fear.

I'm glad this world doesn't choose to shun or persecute guys who like sports logos or masturbate or play fantasy sports or we'd all be living in fear each day like some are.

JeffB

[DEAD!]

I'm glad this world doesn't choose to shun or persecute guys who like sports logos or masturbate or play fantasy sports or we'd all be living in fear each day like some are.

Well, two out of three ain't bad

[Puckguy14]

KCBS Radio and KPIX TV in San Francisco have reportedly also stated that Danton was in a gay love triangle. He is being held in a Santa Clara County jail cell in San Jose without bail. I've heard word that he is suspended indefinitely.

My question is this though. What happens if the Blues won Game 5? Game 6 is today and if the FBI arrested Danton in SJ, the Blues would be COMPLETELY distracted.

***Note: just a hypothesis here***

MY guess is that this person if it was a romantic relationship was going to say something to the Blues organization or come out in an interview. Danton may not wanted any of that to go through, and that's when he tried to hire a hitman. Just a guess out here.

[Waffles]

Does this remind anyone else of the Guerwitcz storyline in Playmakers (R.I.P)?

[Shmee]

Does this remind anyone else of the Guerwitcz storyline in Playmakers (R.I.P)?

Yeah that was the first thing I thought of, but didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to compare one man's own personal struggle to a TV storyline. I can't believe ESPN succumbed to the pressure from the NFL to cancel that show, especially seeing of late just how many of those storylines are accurate in the world of sports. I wish the best for everyone involved in this troubling situation.

[STL FANATIC]

As said before, if he was gay, as it is very possible, he likely felt pressure and overreacted. You can't just get away with what he did with that as your alaby, but it may be used to lower his sentencing, or he may work out a deal.

Danton changed his name from Jefferson, perhaps partially due to past minor law violations, but from what I hear, mainly to seperate himself from his family completely.

You can jump on the guy and criticize him for all his problems, or you can pray he turns his life around during and after he has served whatever the system decides he deserved. I'll take the latter.

[-kj]

You may think that being gay isn't as tough as many people make it out to be, but I think of this situation as being comparable to Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier.

Well, I know what my own coming out was like, I can only imagine it magnified to that extend in the realm of pro sports. You and spyboy nailed it on the head, I think--it's a sad situation that he felt the need to do something so drastic and so wrong because the world--or, at least, the North American sports world--isn't ready for a gay pro athlete.

[Phil]

You can jump on the guy and criticize him for all his problems, or you can pray he turns his life around during and after he has served whatever the system decides he deserved. I'll take the latter.

Very wisely put STL, I think we'd all do well to follow your example.

[smackyeah]

I looked at the Toronto Sun website, and it looks like they implying that Mike is gay. Reading the AP releases from numerous newspaper website quite Mike saying that the acquaitence "was going to leave him." There's always something behind these kinds of stories huh?

That's the Sun for you. The Winnipeg Sun had "NHLer CHARGED IN GAY-SLAY PLOT" in huge bold letters.

[paynomind]

I heard about the name change. He must have been on the witness protection program. FYI, When I read the story on ESPN's website, I saw an ad for Kill Bill Vol. 2

OT

I'm working on a project at work to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

Kinda funny when it does. We had a huge advertiser.. an owner of a car dealership.. and in a news storya bout him being arrested, his dealership's ad showed up on the page. Kinda funny.

[paynomind]

You may think that being gay isn't as tough as many people make it out to be, but I think of this situation as being comparable to Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier. While I may get some crap for that line right there, it can't be easy for Mike Danton IF HE IS GAY (which we don't know), to be a homosexual man trying to make a career in one of the most masculine professions there is. If he's outed, he could face discrimination from his teammates, his opponents, and especially his fans. Any time he goes to give a teammate a hug after a goal everyone in the arena would be thinking the same thing. That wouldn't be easy. Being openly gay in pro team sports is a pretty untravled path that Mike might have to follow. While I don't think ANYTHING warrants killing another human being, I understand the frustration and fear that Danton may have been feeling when he made that phone call.

Well said.

Agreed.

[STL FANATIC]

Right now sources close to Danton are saying there is no indication this had a "sexual element to it at all."

Also, according to his agent, Dave Frost, who has been known for his weird relationships (not sexual) with players and his players acting sometimes rebellious in his image, said that Danton was seeking counseling, and they were going to set something up at the end of the season.

Here's the quote.

"He asked me a week ago if I could help set up counseling for him and to help him with the fears he had been having," Frost said. "He had things he wanted to get off his chest and he needed help to do so. We were setting something up for him for the end of the season."

I got this information for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by the way. The article can probably be found at their website, stltoday.com.

If he truely was seeking counsel, he may be able to, while not plead insanity or anything, use that in his defense of his sentencing.

I really am praying that he can get this thing to pass over, serve whatever his sentence, and get back to hockey if that's what he is meant to be doing. It will probably be a few years, but hopefully he can get back into the NHL, and though it may be a long shot, he's the kinda player I'd love to see back on the Blues once he's got things straightened out (no pun intended, as my oppinion changes about him ZERO whether or not he is gay). He's definatley in my prayers.

[yh]

A lot of people are jumping on the "gay thing" assuming that the circumstantial evidence points to that conclusion. I will confess I have my suspicions as well, but to me an equally compelling argument can be made for the possibility that this is a paranoid/schizophrenia situation. The name change and some of his other behaviors suggest there could be mental illness involved here. Maybe the intended target of the hit (who is variably referred to in the St. Louis media market as an acquaintance and a roommate - how you can be both is beyond me) simply incited some form of paranoid rage within Danton which led him to believe his life was in danger? There are truly a lot of unanswered questions here.

On a related note, KSDK TV in St. Louis (NBC) interviewed the father of a young woman identified as Danton's 19 year old girlfriend (and alleged "mule" in the murder for hire scheme). What I found equally interesting and sad was that the father knew that she worked at the ice rink that serves as the Blues' practice facility yet he had no idea what she did there and was unaware she was dating Danton. Talk about your communication gap.

Update: I've since come to learn that the gentleman interviewed on the KSDK news was not the girl's father but her uncle, thus explaining his relative lack of knowledge of the nature of her employment.

[STL FANATIC]

Here's a weird article on Frost's agent through Danton's dad's eyes...this is getting very weird.

http://www.thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/Con...tarSource=email

[NJTank]

That link dont work St. Louis

[DEAD!]

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968793972154