From STLtoday.com

[ April 17, 2004, 11:25 AM: Message edited by: Breesboy ]

I think you'll find that this link works better.

This is bizarre:

Promiscuity? Ruin a career?

I just pulled this story off yahoo news, who pulled it from Reuters. They are a bit more detailed in their account of this story. The state that "he tried to hire someone to murder a man who had apprently been his lover..." It's interesting that other news sources seem hell bent on not mentioning the sex of the "acquaintance".

Here's the link to the article Georgia Peach mentions. Wow!

If you have Adobe Acrobat you can view a .pdf file of the police complaint here.

[ April 16, 2004, 08:07 PM: Message edited by: Joe in Philly ]

Originally posted by Joe in Philly:

I'll second that! This has the makings of a soap opera. I wonder why the article keeps referring to Danton's lover as just an 'acquaintance'?

Wonder why the apparent name change from Mike Jefferson to Mike Danton.

And how much of a career did he have to lose. Even though I don't follow the game closely, the name doesn't seem at all familiar.

Had you guys heard of him before?

His career may really be in jeopardy now.

[ April 16, 2004, 08:59 PM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

I'm afraid he has a lot more to worry about now than his CAREER being in jeopardy....has there been any indication as to how long Danton and his male "acquaintance" had been a couple or sharing an apartment?....does their relationship go back to his days with the New Jersey Devils organization?

It would not surprise me in the least if these recent developments trigger increased speculation and media scrutiny about gays in sports.

Isn't it ironic that Danton begged his lover not to contact Blues GM Larry Pleau and "ruin his career" yet that is exactly what has almost certainly now taken place due to his own unbelievable actions....without a doubt, this is one of the most bizarre and sad stories involving a professional athlete that any of us will likely ever see.

[ April 16, 2004, 09:43 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

Sad state of affairs that a player would rather kill someone than have the media, team and fans find out he was gay.

[ April 17, 2004, 12:47 AM: Message edited by: Tarkus ]

Okay - WOW! I'm absolutely stunned. I mean, I'm all for gay pro athletes coming out and proving that we're just like straight people, but this is ridiculous. We all know there are seriously bad members of our little lavender community, but we don't need to highlight them

It will be really interesting, however, given the seriousness of the charges, if the media stresses the "another athlete in serious legal trouble" angle, or the seedier "look - a gay hockey player!" angle. When Cunanan went on his shooting spree in (1998?) - all the stories seemed to be about the GAY serial killer - it may be a mark of some forward momentum if that doesn't happen here.

I heard about this story on the news and I thought, "Boy, that story certainly was...vague." The vagueness of the reporting, of course, prompted me to think what was really happening was what was really happening.

[ April 17, 2004, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: PCC ]

PCC you may want to correct the spelling in the title to read "plot" rather than "spot". This thread could be around for a while.

It's not my thread. It's Breesboy's.

[ April 17, 2004, 03:50 AM: Message edited by: PCC ]

This story has a lot left to be told, and it will unfold a little at a time and gain momentum along the way. There is most defiantely a TV movie deal in the works already. I want to know more about the lover/acquaintence. How long have they been together? Did they move together? Is he openly gay? What promiscuity is he upset about? Will he try to cover up for Danton, or will he try to throw him under the bus? I would also like to know the true reasons behind the family squabbles that caused Mike Jefferson to change his name to Mike Danton. Sounds like a whole bunch of disfunction, and soap opera.

I think tragic might sum it up better gamecock. I'm amazed that something like this did not happen sooner with a closeted pro athlete.

Ooops! Sorry.
Another question that would be interesting to know the answer to is why a guy born in a country where gay marriage is legal would be so tragically afraid of being outed - a young man in a generation that supposedly was getting over it already. Hopefully the entire situation will have a positive effect on the issue of gay rights. People will have to confront the issues.

[ April 17, 2004, 07:23 AM: Message edited by: sportinlife ]

Interesting point, sportinlife....I only hope that a certain segment of the media (and the public at large, for that matter) doesn't try to correlate the obvious "demons" that Danton/Jefferson has been battling for quite some time (as reflected by his previous conduct, suspensions and apparent decision to sever all ties with his immediate family) with gay men as a whole.

Given the progress that we have made in recent months and years (due in no small part to the effort of classy men like Esera Tualo and Billy Bean) the last thing our community needs is a "media blitz" that is intended to make ALL gay men come across as deranged or emotionally and psychologically unstable.

As I previously stated, it should be VERY interesting to see how this story plays out out on the national airwaves along with comments that will likely be forthcoming from Danton's former teammates and coaches along with perhaps a show of support from Mike's estranged family in Ontario.

What a sad story. This will be very interesting to follow. Just shows how far we have to go, the man was willing to have someone killed before being outed as gay.

I'll second the WOWs! I saw this story on ESPN.com yesterday, but never bothered to read it. Great article on Outsports!

I agree with most of the opinions here:

- it does seem like a made-for-TV movie in the making
- the family background (name change/family conflict) sounds interesting, and certainly hints at Danton being gay; I've also read that the father has supported his son and says he thinks he's "not guilty"
- this case may say a lot about homophobia in sports: that this guy was willing to kill his acquaintance/lover rather than have him leave/out him
- interesting how it's being handled in the media: was the potential victim an "acquaintance" or "lover" and will the sports/news reporters dig deeper into this story

BTW, Brampton (where Danton is from), is a suburb of Toronto.

This is so unbelieveable. I saw the "murder plot" link but didn't click on it and I thought "that's going to be something I'll have to read." Then I came here.

The Jefferson/Danton change suggests to me that Mike was deathly afraid of coming out to his family and/or the family was homophobic.

It's truly a tragic situation that a player would rather kill to keep a secret and seemingly be only thinking about his career in hockey as opposed to the implications of what could happen if/when he's caught.

Finally, I am absolutely LIVID about the pussy footing by the general media by being so incredibly vague about the relationship with the "accquaintance." If I were an editor and I saw such a vaguely written story, I'd query the writer for the details and DEMAND they get put in there.

This is such a shock to my system.

BTW, I HAD heard of Jefferson/Danton; in fact, he was on my fantasy hockey team for a while.

I didn't believe the headline here at Outsports.com thanks to the April Fools joke they played on us about the gay Yankee.

Then I saw it on CNN, but aren't we jumping to conclusions that this is an outing situation?

Excellent observations from azairforce, jcboltfan, and gamecock, esp. here from gamecock: "the last thing our community needs is a "media blitz" that is intended to make ALL gay men come across as deranged or emotionally and psychologically unstable"

This may sound morbid or inappropriate, but part of me wonders whether a more successful, deep-pocketed athlete wouldn't have gotten away with it. I dated a guy who works with Olympic athletes. Closeted single father. We had an incredible connection, but it didn't work because he simply could not imagine living his life with another man. After we cut things off, he told me he was afraid he was going to be alone for the rest of his life. He was paralyzed: couldn't committ to a relationship, even a discreet one, with another man, but knew that's what made him happy.

Despite the impasse I reached with him, I still used to think I could definitely be in a relationship with a closeted gay athlete or anohter high profile guy in competitive sports. I'm pretty patient and understanding with the whole being closeted thing. But, I can also be pretty assertive, if not a hothead at times. This whole murder for hire thing makes me nervous for those guys who are partners of closeted athletes.

If anything, we should hope someone liberal/enlightened covers the story, if they do at all, to point out how emotionally and psychologically corrosive the forces of heterosexism and homophobai are: if we all felt free to be who were are, there wouldn't be murder plots like this!!! Right?!?

I hope the men in these relationships - that is, gay athletes and their DL partners - can learn something from this incident, especially the partners.

DestinyRules: You're right on. Sports reporters, in general, are sports fans first, reporters second. ESPN's reporting about this last night was embarrassing, completely avoiding what it was that the "acquaintance" was going to tell the team.

DenverFan: Reuters has reported that this was a male lover, so I don't think we're jumping to any conclusions.

This is front page news in Toronto this morning. The banner headline across this morning's Toronto Sun (above a picture of one of the Leaf goals last night - Yeah!) is 'NHL'er IN GAY HIT?'. Here is the link http://www.canoe.com/NewsStand/TorontoSun/home.html
Not a great news week for gay role models in these parts, as you will notice a lot of the other lead stories in today's Sun are about Svend Robinson (our most well known gay Member of Parliament) - who is in a mess over shop lifting a $50,000 ring at an auction last week.

[ April 17, 2004, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Travelpat ]

CNN has also been referring to the other guy as a male lover. I see this as a classic illustration of how ingrained homophobia is in professional sports. Think about it -- a guy would (allegedly) rather arrange for the murder of someone rather than be exposed for being gay. I know this simplifies the issue but it isn't much different (at first glance) than the situation of many closeted married men commiting suicide rather than facing their homosexuality. Unfortunately, I know 3 men who have done that in the past 10 years. Very sad. We really need some active gay atheletes to step up the plate.

Sportinlife, come on. Homophobia and heterosexism exist in Canada just as in the USA and this man was living and playing in the USA. Danton also is (was?) a professional ice hockey player and as far as I know the NHL is no bastion of pro-gay sentiment. And think about it, if you're in the closet, what good is gay marriage to you? The more important issue is whether your immediate environment, which includes where you live, how your family and friends react, and so forth, is tolerant enough for you to live outside the closet.

The Reuters article below makes it clear that Danton's lover was a man. It appears Danton was so fearful of being abandoned by this guy that he went to the extreme of taking out a hit, then admitted doing so on tape. The heavy drinking doesn't surprise me; I bet there are many closeted gay men who are familiar with that story element. And the promiscuity also set the lover off, which makes me wonder, was Danton hitting bars, bathhouses and guys on the Internet, and then the lover somehow found out? I wonder if the Blues, who just tanked during the playoffs, had any knowledge of what was going on.

Reuters: Canadian player arrested on hitman charge

How is the article on Outsports a "good" article compared to any other? Its simply repeating the news. The AOL article from the AP pretty much said the same thing verbatum except "male lover" was never mentioned. When you can figure it out in the article when hes quoted as sobbing and fearing the guy would leave him, do you need the buzz words "male lover" in your news story that as this point hasnt been proven by anyone yet. The FBI arrested him, doesnt mean any of it occured.

Here is a pdf file of the police report:

http://www.ksdk.com/news/DantonComplaint.pdf

What's interesting is that when the alleged hit-man goes to Danton's apartment, "the acquaitance" identifies himself as Danton's father!

Is this really a gay story? If the acquaitance is Danton's lover, why would he identify himself as Danton's father? If he is Danton's father, why would Reuters identify him as Danton's lover?

So we finally have a gay player in Pro sports and he has to be a suspect for attempted murder frown

[ April 17, 2004, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: Denver Fan ]

OK. I'm officially confused now.
Did Danton set up the murder because the guy was gonna leave him? Or because he didn't want the guy to expose his secret to the team?

Doesn't his taped conversation imply that he was afraid his lover would leave him? How do we jump to the conclusion that this was merely about his being afraid of being exposed as gay?

Seems to me to be two separate issues.

Right, Catcher. The most detailed and informative reports I've read have Dalton breaking down when confronted and admitting that he was going to have his "aquaintance" killed because he couldn't stand being left by him. Though certainly screwed up, that doesn't immediately say to me that homophobia was the chief motivating factor.

What kind of logic do you use when killing someone is better then them leaving? Atleast there is still a chance to reconcile if you just break up. :confused:

The moment I saw the ambiguous pronouns in this story, I knew that it had some kind of gay angle. This keeping of secrets, however, is hardly surprising. The media know a lot more than they report about athletes and other celebrities who are gay. The cases of Congressman Stewart McKinney, actor Rock Hudson, and billionaire Malcom Forbes come to mind.

As Cyd noted, sports reporters are sports fans first and reporters only secondarily. They oftentimes have chummy relationships with jocks that they don't want to jeopardize. The media are well aware of the homosexuality of quite few gay pro athletes--at least two of whom are big name players....

It is odd that everyone in the mainstream press is straining to use every word except "boyfriend" or "partner." Interestingly, I've been reading posts about this story at a few sites, and I find not even many gay posters are using these words. When they do use a word, it's typically "lover." I realize that this is still the preferred term for some in our community, but come on, boyfriend and partner are surely more standard now. Are we afraid to apply these words to the relationship Danton and this guy had? If he had been worried about a woman leaving him and had tried to kill her, wouldn't the press and wouldn't we call her his "girlfriend?"

But do we know that they were "partners" or "boyfriends?"

I have no problem with the media calling him an "acquaintence" until they know for sure that it is something more. It may have been a short-term fling or they may have been f&ck buddies, which is not the same thing as partner or boyfriend.

On a positive note, this quote from teammate Doug Weight does obliquely hint of support of Denton for being gay.

So as tragic as this incident may seem, it may open up some discussion of gays in hockey, and sports in general.

It's possible, but unlikely that you would describe your f**k buddy as having left you. It's possible, but unlikely that you would break down and cry about it. It's possible, but unlikely that you would try to have your f**k buddy killed for doing so. While it's true that we don't know that this guy was a boyfriend or partner, I wonder to what lengths journalists go to ascertain the facts of relationship status in straight crimes of passion before using the word "girlfriend." The fact that a word which I'll bet is unusual in print media -- "acquaintanace" -- is being used tells me that there is a wincing reaction to describing a hockey player as having a boyfriend.

I don't think there's a conspiracy around all this. It's just unfamiliar territory for the sports writers covering this topic. Unfortunately, their insecurities and ignorance are going to shape public perception of the issues raised by the story.

"But do we know that they were "partners" or "boyfriends?"

I have no problem with the media calling him an "acquaintence" until they know for sure that it is something more." (canmark)

Did you read the complaint canmark?

---
Item 20 sez...

"20. ... the acquaintance agreed to consensually record a telephone call with DANTON... DANTON broke down and sobbed. DANTON explained that he felt backed into a corner and also felt that the acquaintance was going to leave him. DANTON did not want to allow the acquaintance to leave him, therefore decided to have him murdered."

---

Straight guys usually don't get 'wigged out'... should a 'friendship' with one of their buddies disintergrates!

My guess DANTON's murder plot was prevent being 'outed' and therefore lose his livlihood!

A key element in the report is this statement:

"DANTON explained that he felt backed into a corner..."

Where was the pressure coming from? That the acquaintance/lover/boyfriend/f&ck buddy was threatening him (to tell the higher-ups at the Blues the nature of their relationship) or just that the relationship was breaking up badly?

"Acquaintance" is the word used in the affadavit. Repeating it and not extrapolating may just be good journalism.

Inferring however that the relationship is a lot more than an acquaintance is a fair conclusion based on the circumstantial evidence in the affadavit: he wanted him killed for fear he would leave. And wasn't there also a reference in the affadavit to the acquaintance's threat to go to the Hockey club with the information about the two of them? Didn't that trigger the attempt to have the acquantance murdered? That also suggests fear of "outing".

Said Acquaintance would seem to be the primary focus right now, since he is the only other person with direct knowledge of what exactly went down during that arguement. Considering how catty the gay community can be, I don't think it will be long before more comes out. They both must have a past.

And yes fantomas I'm well aware of homophobia in Canada. I was speaking in relative terms to the US. Granted I generalized.

It is interesting that Hockey, a sport in the news more lately for life-threatening cheap shots than for romance of any kind, may be the latest team sport to "break the ice" with a known gay player.

I think the complaint is just the initial statement -- used to begin the legal proceedings, right? So they're not going to throw in every bit of the story they have now, just enough of the story to justify making the arrest. As this goes through, we'll hear more details.

Looking at his profile I notice he was born on October 21, 1980 -- the day the Phillies won the World Series. So now I can't help but feel for him a little bit. I hope justice is served, but I hope he can somehow get his life together.

It is possible Danton wanted to off his "acquaintance" because he threatened to out Danton to the team (perhaps in revenge for being cheated on) and after the plan fell apart, Danton was trying to convince his "acquaintance" that it was for another reason - just a possibility.

Is the editor of "Out" still seeing the closeted baseball player? I wonder what he's going to have say about this incident.

They are not seeing one another in a romantic sense anymore. Though, Brendan Lemon remains very on top of baseball.

Is that supposed to be a pun, or have some hidden meaning?

Here's wishing Mr Danton well -- he's in a pickle, for sure.

I know this story has been reported on CNN, Rueters and other media outlets, but I think it has been a rather quiet story. If this were an NFL or MLB player involved, I think it would get much more media play, especially if they were household names.

I wasn't really planning on commenting on this, but it got me thinking. First, I agree with a previous poster here who remarked that it is sad that one would have to think about resorting to murder to prevent people from finding out one's gay. I'm sure many people have differing opinions on homosexuality and coming out, but murder is never the answer. How did it come to this?

I am, however, rather glad that I'm not involved with anybody. (I truly don't have the time for a good relationship. Besides, what kind of guy wants to date a major league umpire? ) Major league umpires are repeatedly advised to be careful with their lives (avoid shady people like gamblers; avoid certain areas in cities; do not visit casinos; etc.), and I shudder to think what would happen if I was seeing someone who one day got pissed at me and threatened to spill his guts to MLB. With the mindset of the idiots who run the Game, I wouldn't doubt they'd trump up something to get rid of me to protect the "wholesome" image of the game.

I am not trying to dredge up again the issue of whether I as some role model should be completely or partially out, or not out at all; instead, I'm trying to wonder what went through Danton's head when he hatched his despicable plot.

Somehow, though, it wouldn't surprise me to see MLB try to quickly and quietly dispose of a gay umpire (can't do it to a player, for the Players' Association is too powerful) if said umpire was publicly out. How hypocritical, though, if you ask me. They can tolerate steroids abuse and other drug abuse--hello, Steve Howe--along with other not-so-wholesome activities, but a gay umpire? Hurry! Get rid of him! That just demeans the game.

[ April 17, 2004, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: The Umpire ]

The complaint says: "Danton begged the acquaintance not to go to the general manager of the St. Louis Blues hockey organization and ruin his career."

It is unclear whether the lover had indeed threatened to out Danton, or whether Danton was using it as a justification.

It also begs the question as to whether the Blues management would dump Danton solely because they found out he's gay. For all we know, maybe they already did know.

I will be interested to see if Danton pleads guilty, thereby avoiding a trial that would shed tons of lights on his personal life, or try and fight it. After all, he's only been charged to date and is presumed innocent. Maybe the FBI has an airtight case, maybe they don't.

It's nice to see several of his teammates speak out in support of Danton in this ESPN story....in particular, Blues defenseman Bruce Salvador said, "He brings a great presence to the dressing room, so it's just real tough to see him go through this. I really do feel like he's family. It's unfortunate, because he's a great guy"....in addition to the quotes from Doug Weight that Canmark referenced in his earlier post the St. Louis forward referred to Danton by saying, "I don't know a tougher guy than him, I don't know a guy that goes in the corner and gets killed and that will drop his gloves with a guy who's 40 pounds heavier in a flash. He's tough as nails...We're worried about his life right now and what he's going through. It's a scary thought. I feel for him and I'm prayng for him"....In addition, Mike's agent, Dave Frost added, "We're fully supportive of him, and we fully intend to be behind him, and with him...Once we get all the facts, we'll be able to realize what really happened. He's a good kid. He really is."

While no one can obviously condone his actions over the past few days (which thankfully did not result in the death of his "acquaintance") the more I think about this the more I feel for Danton and what must have been going through his mind to cause him to resort to such extreme measures.

I only hope that this story is able to result in a "positive outcome" and that despite Danton's despicable plot perhaps his future acknowledgement as a gay professional athlete (if indeed that turns out to be the case) will somehow turn into a "silver lining" and ray of hope amidst the VERY dark cloud that hangs over him now....I echo the hopeful sentiments expressed by a couple of Mike's teammates and his agent above.

[ April 17, 2004, 06:35 PM: Message edited by: gamecock ]

I love the advertisement just above above linked Toronto Sun "GAY NHL HIT?" headline...

It almost seems like a GAY ad was sold for the story...maybe we are coming to be accepted afterall...lol

Just because the "acquaitance" says he is Danton's father when surprised by two strange people approaching him in the night, it doesn't mean it is true. Danton's real father is quoated on TSN.ca from Canada, not St. Louis, when responding to this incident.

Here's an article that you guys may be interested in regarding his teammates reaction to the news of Danton's arrest. In particular, read teammate Doug Weight's comments where he certainly implies the sexuality angle and, refreshingly, Weight says that "I think (Danton's sexual preference) would be fine. I'd like to think people are bigger than that and look into the person as a person and as a teammate."

Here's the link:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylc=X3oD...ov=ap&type=lgns

And here's the full article:

Teammates express shock at arrest of teammate

By R.B. FALLSTROM, AP Sports Writer
April 17, 2004
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A day after St. Louis forward Mike Danton was charged in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme, his Blues teammates were still having trouble fathoming the news.

``It's beyond shock,'' forward Doug Weight said Saturday as players cleaned out their lockers. ``I don't know what to say.''

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Illinois, Danton, 23, and 19-year-old Katie Wolfmeyer tried to hire someone to kill an acquaintance of the hockey player. Danton was arrested at the airport in San Jose, Calif., after the Blues were knocked out of the playoffs by a loss to San Jose on Thursday.

``It's tough,'' center Keith Tkachuk told reporters. ``I don't know what's going on. You guys probably know more than I do.''

Danton and Wolfmeyer face federal charges of conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to set up a murder. According to the criminal complaint, Danton told Wolfmeyer that a hit man from Canada was coming to kill him and asked her if she knew someone who would kill the person for $10,000.

The complaint alleges that Danton was trying to kill a male acquaintance whom he had fought with Tuesday over Danton's ``promiscuity and use of alcohol.'' The complaint said Danton feared the acquaintance, who is not identified, would talk to St. Louis Blues management and ruin Danton's career.

``We don't as of yet have all the facts,'' Danton's agent Dave Frost told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ``I spoke with Mike. We're fully supportive of him, and we fully intend to be behind him, and with him.

``Unequivocally, I can tell you it had nothing to do with drugs and alcohol, period. Once we get all the facts, we'll be able to realize what really happened. He's a good kid. He really is.''

Weight said what Danton does in his personal life is his own business and shouldn't have been a problem for the team.

``Let's preface it by saying who knows what the situation is,'' Weight said. ``There's rumors of what went on and who exactly was involved with this so-called thing.

``Let's not jump to conclusions, but you know what, hypothetically I think it would be fine. I'd like to think people are bigger than that and look into the person as a person and as a teammate.''

Danton, formerly known as Mike Jefferson, was suspended twice for disciplinary reasons by the New Jersey Devils last season before being traded to St. Louis last June. He had seven goals, 12 points and 141 penalty minutes in 68 games this season -- all career highs -- with the Blues.

In one game, although he was at a decided disadvantage, he tried to goad Vancouver tough guy Todd Bertuzzi into a fight.

``I don't know a tougher guy than him, I don't know a guy that goes in the corner and gets killed and that will drop his gloves with a guy who's 40 pounds heavier in a flash,'' Weight said. ``He's tough as nails.''

Some teammates were hoping the arrest was just a misunderstanding.

``He brings a great presence to the dressing room, so it's just real tough to see him go through this,'' defenseman Bryce Salvador said. ``I really do feel like he's family. It's unfortunate, because he's a great guy.''

Others wanted him to know he was in their thoughts.

``We're worried about his life right now and what he's going through,'' Weight said. ``It's a scary thought.

``I feel for him and I'm praying for him.''

I appreciate The Umpire's comments and respect them because he's on the "inside". As a gay hockey player (amateur) this is especially tragic news. Too few facts are out to draw any conclusions or even thin speculation. My perception is that the NHL hockey clubs are the most gay friendly of all the major revenue pro sports. Maybe it's because of the preponderance of Canadians, who in my long association with many of them are, by nature, very tolerant and gay friendly (not to paint with too broad a brush, I hope.) One NHL hockey club in particular has been quite supportive of a gay hockey group I am associated with. My hope is that this horrible thing inspires an unprecedented (and hopefully public) soul searching among gay pro athletes, straight pro athletes, and pro sports clubs. Maybe, tragically, it will take something like this for pro sports to wake up, get real, and get over the homophobia. I'm very anxious to hear what Jim Rome will have to say about this tomorrow morning. I respect his entire perspective on sports. Thanks for listening.