Page 109 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

“That’s true.”

“Well, just be careful when you’re in the stadium,” Dimitri concludes. “Coach Cyrus was telling me a few hardcore fans of the Vipers and Pincers have been sneaking into the stadium in the wee hours of the day and camping out until you guys are all heading to practice to get pictures.”

“Why would they think the guys would want to take pictures with them if they’re trespassing?” I wouldn’t risk getting arrested just for a photo. What are they going to do with it, anyway? Hang it on the metal bars of their jail cell?

Preposterous.

“They don’t want a photo with the guys, actually,” Dimitri confesses. “They get videos of them or hide in the corners and closets throughout the halls to snag something valuable to paint the narrative that will make them go viral on social media. Despite other teams’ efforts, none of them are getting as much exposure as Strattonville Vipers and Saskatchewan Pincers. Due to this, all the fans or social media junkies are out to get their golden clip.”

“But that’s an invasion of the guys’ privacy. They can’t do that.”

“You’re right,” Dimitri agrees once again before taking a sip of his ginger ale. “Won’t stop them, though. The new generation doesn’t have many morals or respect regarding boundaries if they can sell the clips to TMZ and other news and media outlets who want to benefit from a viral spike. Even if it’s Canadian sports and entertainment news.”

“That’s disgusting,” I grumble.

I’d never do that to someone else and exploit them like that. All for what? A few bucks?

“How much can they make with these clips or photos?”

“Honestly? Thousands.”

“Th-Thousands?” I practically scream and almost spill my milk if Dimitri didn’t reach out swiftly to stop it from tipping over.

“Thousands,” he confirms. “I’m a bit surprised you don’t know this. Coach Johnson used to be super famous. Didn’t you experience paparazzi or people following you around with their smartphones trying to get the best pic and angle?”

“Yeah, I experienced it in the past, but I never thought of it as some sort of money grab,” I admit. “My mom used to say that they took photos and videos because they admired my dad’s strive and commitment in the world of hockey, so they wanted evidence that they got to be up close to a smart, talented coach like my dad. Now that I say it out loud, it’s a bit sugar-coated to make my dad look absolutely outstanding, but I believed it.” I let out a sigh as I situated myself back in my seat.

“It wasn’t until my dad lost his position and had to claim bankruptcy did I feel the negative side of social media. How they can paint an already bad situation into something further screwed that makes it even worse than before.”

“I get that,” he notes and bobs his head up and down. “James almost lost his wife, thanks to the media.”

“Mr. Champion?” I dare to ask.

“Yup,” Dimitri reveals. “A staff member took a picture of him in the hall at an odd angle. Made it look like he was kissing a male colleague.”

“Oh, shit,” I gasp.

“Yup,” Dimitri gives a dreadful look. “James isn’t gay in the slightest, but they portrayed it like it was a secret that was finally revealed after months of build-up. The girl who fabricated the lies had thousands of photos of them together, proving she’s been stalking them for months, if not a few years. James has been in the sports industry for a long time as upper management and one of the biggest sponsors, so it was a huge deal when it came out.

“His wife couldn’t handle the criticism. She’s in a culture where they really value their image. She was treated like royalty for the longest time because of James’ status in the sports industry, but when that came out, she could see how many of those individuals weren’t really her friend. They mocked her for not knowing about James’ ‘gay’ status and even dared to say her pussy must be cursed because James ran to cock.”

“Ouch.” I cringe at the image forming in my mind.

“I think that’s what made James lose his belief in Christianity. He used to be a strong believer, like his wife, but that whole ordeal, matched with everyone going over the mile to destroy his reputation, hurt him. Not just his pride, but it dampened his accomplishments. I’m not really religious or anything for obvious reasons, but I’d question my faith if all those who praise and believe in a higher power judge and want to crucify me without getting all the facts straight from what the internet and newspaper plastered everywhere to get clicks and money. James’ wife is Korean, so their image is everything.”

“I can imagine,” I whisper.

Despite us going our separate ways, I still kept up with the Korean culture on Damien’s behalf. Despite him being half-Korean, I wanted to keep up with what happened there from time to time. I never got into the political side of things, but I did see the dramas or music sensations such as BTS or Black Pink on my timeline a lot.

All of that was cool, but I knew Koreans dealt with a lot of suicide due to the pressures of social media and cyberbullying. I never wanted to worry about it affecting someone like Damien, but he was always the quiet type who didn’t express his emotions unless it pushed him well past his limit.

“So, how did they clear his name?” I wonder.

“They had to release the surveillance footage from the hallway to prove they were just talking. The girl was hidden in the corner in a sweater, so they couldn’t get a description of her. By the time they were ready to track her IP and all that, she’d closed down all her accounts. The phone was a burner, so it was useless, and the girl ‘poofed.’ In the end, it still damaged James’ career and strained his marriage. I’m glad he didn’t lose his friendship with the owner. He’s the president of one of the biggest mine and jewel manufacturers in Canada and the top sponsor of Strattonville Stadium. He didn’t penalize James like the rest of the world did.”

“I can’t believe the girl just got away.” It makes me so mad.

“It’s not like they completely stopped tracking her, but they say when you look at things in a psychological manner, people who do stuff like that will have the itch to do it again. They’re waiting for that opportunity, and it may come from these hockey playoffs which is why I want you to be careful.” He looks me in the eye before he mumbles, “I saw someone hiding in the halls wanting to snoop but I told them I’d report them to James.”

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