Chicago Blackhawks: Vancouver Limo Pictures Have Players In Hot Water

SATIRE — Three members of the Chicago Blackhawks are in hot water today for pictures that have surfaced of them taking a Vancouver limo ride.

The three Hawks in question are Patrick Kane, Kris Versteeg, and John Madden. Apparently the Hawks felt a need to hit the streets of Vancouver for a little pregame or postgame fun.

Maybe they felt a need to mingle with the locals before the upcoming winter games that Vancouver will be hosting. No matter the reason these pictures have raised some eyebrows in Chicago, and perhaps for good reason.

It's undetermined at this point when the pictures were taken, but one would hope it wasn't the night before the Canucks put a whooping on the boys wearing the Indian head.

The pictures themselves really don't bother me. Young rich athletes having a good time with some attractive females doesn't seem to far fetched in my opinion. If it factored into the Hawks losing 5-1 to Vancouver though, it's a different story.

Haven't we come to expect this kind of thing? Sure we would like to think our athletes would be a bit more cautious, but let's get real. They are human too.

In a world where your picture is being snapped more times then we even realize anymore, I'm surprised incidents like this don't blow up in the face of an athlete more often. Just ask Greg Oden or maybe even Tiger Woods.

Rumors surrounding the pictures began to fly almost as soon as they hit the web. Ranging from talks of a possible orgy to the pictures perhaps being photo shopped. One of the rumors can be put to bed though, and unfortunately for the players involved it's not the one referencing the orgy.

The Chicago Blackhawks organization has felt a need to address the issue, or NON-issue in my opinion, by confirming that the pictures are indeed authentic. What a shock that is.

What these guys want to do on their own time is honestly up to them. However, if what they are doing on their own time starts to affect their performance on a professional level; this is where the real problem lies.

I look at the statement the organization made as them wanting to slam the door on this issue and stop it from becoming a bigger distraction then it's already become. They should just be happy Patrick Kane wasn't photographed beating up the driver of the limo.

This is the price you pay to be a professional athlete. When you reach a certain point, your privacy is thrown out the window. In this case it was thrown out the window of a limo. These players know that. Judging by the pictures they didn't seem to mind what was taking place, and I'm not sure we should either.

This will eventually blow over in Chicago, as did the Patrick Kane cab incident. As a fan of the Hawks, and of hockey in general, I hope the Hawks are able to weather this storm.

All this does is momentarily over shadow the real story behind this club, the only story of any relevance to any Hawk fan. That being the quest to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup when it's all said and done. See the Hawks have been missing in action for the better part of the past decade in the city of Chicago. It wasn't until last year before they became relevant once again.

It's hard to believe that relevancy will be stripped just because some pictures have surfaced of a few professional athletes being well, professional athletes!

Patrick Kane Strikes a Pose

Here we have the 21-year-old Patrick Kane striking a pose for the camera. Honestly, does he look like he cares his picture is being taken?

John Madden Flexes His Muscles. Well, What Little Muscle he has Anyway.

If I were these players I don't know what would bother me more: the fact these pictures have caused such controversy or the fact your opposition now knows you are built like someone who has been retired from the league for the past 10 years.

Kris Versteeg Sporting Blue Blockers?

Check out Kris Versteeg. The kid looks like he is a member of the Backstreet Boys or something. Guys around the league will be lined up to give him a hard time about this one.

Some very interesting face off conversation is in the not to distant future for Versteeg!