Once again Tie Domi is in the news, and with controversy obediently trailing close behind. This time, it's for an alleged rant at his son's minor hockey coach.
Now, before we get into our admonishment of the former Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy, let's begin with this: precious few of us know exactly what transpired at a Toronto hockey arena last Friday, when Domi confronted his son's peewee AAA coach, Lucas Miller.
Domi has said, through his lawyer, that he and Miller had a disagreement over Miller's coaching skills. Miller said Domi "went ballistic" and thought Domi was going to hit him. Witnesses have told two Toronto newspapers that Domi launched into a profane tirade in front of several parents and young players.
Domi has threatened to sue the coach for defamation while the Greater Toronto Hockey League is investigating the matter before deciding what to do next.
Those are the rough details as they fester.
Still, it's worth pointing a finger at Domi and asking him: "What were you thinking? Why draw attention to yourself? You're a recognizable guy. You couldn't even go in disguise because people would take one look and say, 'Hey, there's Tie Domi wearing a fake mustache and a wig.' You know that."
You should also know there are folks who couldn't be blamed for wondering if Domi is the same intimidating guy off the ice as he was on it. They're reasoning Tie the enforcer went after his 11-year-old son's coach because that would be in character with Domi the player. And now you've given those people more ammunition.
GTHL president John Gardner was quoted the other day saying it didn't matter if it was "Tie Domi or anyone else. A parent is a parent."
True enough to a point. But it should have mattered more to Domi because he is a former NHL player with celebrity status, because he still has a high-profile position as a hockey commentator on TSN and because he's in the middle of a messy divorce that made his private life extremely public.
For all those reasons, Domi should have held himself more accountable than the average dad who goes to his kid's game and roots from the stands. But he didn't, which is why we ask: "What were you thinking, Tie?"
Over and over again, parents have been told that if they have a problem with their son or daughter's minor hockey coach they should talk to the coach or, as it's done in some leagues, to a designated parent representative.
The idea is to talk calmly, rationally and not with the kids hanging around listening.
What kind of example would it set if a parent goes off like an uncorked champagne bottle because little Jimmy or Janice only got four shifts in the second period? You want your kid tuning in when some angry adult accuses the coach of playing favourites?
Wouldn't think so.
And let's not forget the poor schmo coaching the team. He isn't doing it because he loves the aggravation.
So what if he's not the second coming of Scotty Bowman? This isn't the National Hockey League. The goal is still for kids to have fun, especially since the vast majority of them will never get close to the NHL unless they buy a ticket and take in a game.
Whatever upset him, whatever he said, Domi should have known the moment he had his disagreement with the coach he was going to come out on the losing end.
Keep in mind the GTHL has a policy that was adopted to reduce incidents of rink rage: The policy says parents and players aren't allowed to approach a coach with a complaint until 24 hours after the game is over.
According to the reports, Domi didn't wait 24 hours.
Whatever happens next is in the hands of the GTHL. As for Domi, his few comments on what happened have centred on how this incident has been blown out of proportion. It may well be true but it's a tired old comeback that doesn't work for a guy who dealt with the Toronto media horde on a daily basis and now earns his money as a talking head on TV.
In answer to the question, "What were you thinking, Tie?" our best guess is you weren't; and you didn't. And now you're back in the public eye and not for a nice reason.
Can't imagine you're enjoying the attention.