Revelations and Belief

'Tis the season, apparently, to un-burden oneself.

First Theo Fleury. Then Tim Donaghy, Andre Agassi and last and probably least, Mike Danton. Fleury and Agassi have published tell-all-or-at-least-some books, Donaghy wants to blab in book form but can't yet get it published and Danton did a sit down with Nick Kypreos.

All interesting. All with Jerry Springer, look-at-me elements to their work, as though they were once addicted to attention and have never been able to get over that addiction.

But who do you believe? What rings true and what sounds just like more fibs from a fibber?

Here's how I'd rank them from most believable to least believable:

1. Agassi: This is no great honour in this group, believe me. No one seems to be able to adequately explain the reasons why Agassi wanted to reveal crystal meth use and trash his ex-wife, but haven't heard anybody suggest he's lying yet.

2. Fleury: Some of the stuff is a bit outlandish, probably hyperbole as opposed to outright untruths. Out of all these guys, Fleury is the only one who can plausibly assert something good may come out of his work given the great shame victims of sexual abuse often feel. One point: People should stop suggesting Fleury is pondering criminal action against Graham James. Its not up to Fleury. It's up to the cops and the crown attorney to decide whether there is sufficient evidence.

3. Donaghy: Some sounds possibly true, some flamboyant exaggerations. Once a cheat and a liar always a cheat and a liar. Tricky for a publisher to get behind.

4. Danton: Don't buy one single solitary word of it. His inability to look in the camera as he dissembled was a dead giveaway. To much of it he really didn't give a clear answer. Just sad to watch.  

Comments

[Robert Roach]

Don't always agree with your opinions but your take on Mike (Jefferson) Danton is bang on.After a time in prison,lying becomes second nature.

Robert Roach

[Garmo]

Agree with you on 2-4...not for Agassi. I watched the interview...he didn't trash Brooke Shelds at all, all he basically said was that he didn't love her. As for his motives, why does he need them...maybe to make himself feel better..who knows. I know it sure got me wondering how many other young sports/entertainment phenoms are pushed into a career path they don't really want by their over-bearing parents. Probably alot more than you think.

[Kbosley]

When giving an interview you are not supposed to look into the camera. This is TV interviewing 101. While I am not sure how much of what he said is true,that is not sufficient evidence to assume deception

[Juan]

Couldn't agree more re Danton. Kypreos should be ashamed of himself for the groupie way he conducted the "interview".

[o.boy]

If I was Danton's family, I would be dead bolting my doors every minute of the day - This guy is on the verge of psycho - the poor kid is just one messed up guy.

And Agassi - go away, who really cares.

[nugentmania]

You have a column, so you get to write these sorts of things. But don't for one second think that you're qualified to understand Theo Fleury. If that book is full of hyperbole and half-truths, so be it. If he became a person who thinks that the truth somehow needs distortion, so be it. You even acknowledged this when you said he can't be judged for approving of his abuser to coach the team he was part-owner of.

[Ami Angelwings]

"Out of all these guys, Fleury is the only one who can plausibly assert something good may come out of his work given the great shame victims of sexual abuse often feel."

I don't agree. I think Agassi being honest about his drug use to escape his depression, and being honest about that depression, as well as the way his father governed his life can be helpful for those of us who have dealt with abusive parents and depression (such as myself), if just so that we can see somebody talk about it publicly. It's a hard thing to talk about much less put it in a book for all to read because there's so much shame and judgement usually associated those things.

[Bruce]

Danton sounds as if, at the time of his decompensation mentally in 2003, that he was suffering from some kind of paranoid psychosis.I wonder why there wasn't an insanity plea. The abuse he speaks of,and the manner in which he described his childhood, seems believable and a very plausible explanation for his behaviour as a 23 year old. I'm puzzled really by your assertion that none of what he said should be construed as true. He spent 5 tears in jail, gained valuable insight into himself through good therapy, now seems reasonably comfortable in his own skin, and at 29 is focussed on regaining his lost status as a professional hockey player. Seems sensible, and believable, to me.

[joe jacobs]

Hey Damien,

I would have to agree that Danton seemed pretty together to me.
I may not speak in the same style, but the things he was saying, to me, showed someone who had truly reflected on his life. Remember, this is someone who tried or wanted to commit a crime, but never really did. He is as much a sympathetic figure as he is anything else.
He wants to try to get his life back together, starting by trying to be a hockey player again.
i say go for it. he will learn soon enough if it is a pipe dream or a possibility.

[BrockTalk]

I think Kypreos and the braintrust at Sportsnet said "crap we have to do something to pull our ratings out of the toilet...what's up with that Danton guy?"

Then they sent Kypreos (if it was such an important interview...wouldn't they send someone with at least a LITTLE journalistic training?) in for this gripping one-on-one interview.

Hardly.

You'd think that Kypreos was Danton's agent the way he's been saying "I think a team will take a chance on him, his skating was great, moving well side to side" etc.

Please.

Good effort in trying to make something out of nothing Sportsnet.

[other mark]

Wow Damien. A gifted sports writer and a psychologist, capable of discerning truth/untruth from interviews or written word. Incredible. I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion, but don't you think when you are publicly talking about someone's integrity you should have a bit more to go on then your gutt? Really Damien, you should be ashamed. This is drivel.

[Larry Wood]

Danton, a guy who is, to understate it, on the bubble as far as pro hockey is concerned, refused to totally distance himself from the dreaded Frost, the supposed agent, a piece of work and a man hated by NHL GM's, for good reason. His chances of hooking up with an NHL team are likely now dead. Who'd touch him? He's a minor league, at best, player still closely connected with Frost. Where's the demand?

Kypreos never got into the reasons that Danton (Jefferson), Sheldon Keefe and other Frost clients (groupies), good players to be sure, were effectively booted off the St. Michael's Majors. It was a lightweight interview conducted by a jock. Then again, why would be expect more. It's not what Kypreos does for a living; never was.

[Larry Wood]

One often needn't be a psychologist to spot lies and distortions. Just pay close attention to what's said and listen for the inconsistencies, ambiguities, contradictions and evasive statements. In fact, psychologists don't cross examine clients to discover lies. Danton indicated that the FBI 'fixed' the tapes in which he confessed to his crime, without indicating the reason they did that. He pleaded guilty on the advice of his lawyer(s), presmably because the facts as alleged against him were substantially correct, and thereby avoided the witness stand and a chance to tell his side of the story. Danton also indicated that the real intended victim was his biological father instead of Frost. The FBI, who could care less about the actual name of the target, still say that it was Frost. He also admitted that he'd been in contact with Frost since leaving jail; he's still drinking the Frost Kool-Aid and trying to protect him, for reasons that mystify reasonable people.

Frankly, I believe the FBI.